Below are just some thoughts I have after playing for around 600 in-game days on patch 1.59 and what I hope to see in the future.
Personal suggestions you've might of seen before, but I think there is value in reiterating them.
Bandits
- There are simply too many bandit parties spawning on the map and is causing severe lag mid-to-late game. In regions I don't frequent, there can be over 10 hideouts and several hundred parties of small bandits roaming around. There needs to be a cap on the number of bandit parties that spawn.
- Additionally, the AI lords should be more proactive in eradicating bandit parties in their territory. Factions such as Vlandia and Khuzaits can be overwhelmed by bandits but the AI does nothing to reduce their numbers. This often leads to their lords not being able to muster armies as their lords are constantly captured.
-Maybe bandits should eventually become minor factions if they develop a strong enough presence in a region, declaring war on their nearby faction, and start raiding their villages unless their faction capital (hideout) is destroyed.
Influence
- I strongly recommend putting a cap on the amount of influence a clan can acquire. By day 200+, most clans will have thousands of influence. This highlights the lack of usability of influence in the current game and creates the issue of lords always being in armies in you seek private audiences to convert to your kingdom or constantly seeking to declare war or seek peace.
- I'd recommend capping influence at 100 per clan level (LVL 1 max influence 100, LVL 2 max influence 200, etc). This would make it a more coveted and strategic resource.
-Hopefully influence can also be used on foreign factions, to degrade relationships between clans to create conflict or make hostile clans more friendly. Currently there are never any sort of in-faction conflicts that arise (I've never seen an npc clan rebel or be expelled in 500 hours of playtime) and I'd like to see methods in which to generate that conflict.
Clans
-Currently, being rank 2 to become a vassal seems too generous. By day 60 you could become reach rank 2 quite easily and join a kingdom. I think clan 3 is more appropriate as it encourages you to explore options to build renown in order to considered nobility.
-With that, I truly wish there were better options to build renown than constantly battling and that completing quests have more significance as they can take more effort in most cases.
Economy
-Selling equipment is still the only reliable source of income in game. Towns and castles will barely cover the expenses of the garrisons required to man them even when fully upgraded. A skill level 50 smith can out generate anything else could acquire in several hundred days in just a week. Settlements, caravans, and workshops need to be viable sources of income at some point of development.
-Crime and raiding are still the worst methods of making money, I could craft a two-handed sword that would pay out more than raiding 10 villages.
Diplomacy
- Non-aggresion pacts, defensive pacts, or alliances need to be implemented asap in this game. After a few hundred days, the world is just in a constant flux of wars as factions have an endless back-and-forth of settling tribute disputes essentially. They are not seeking territory, but just to have a positive-net tribute and then cycle back and forth.
-While the snowball effect is gone, we are now stuck in endless pitiful wars where the AI values 300 denars tribute over substantial gains and factions group declare war whenever a faction has any chance of expanding territory. Your kingdom is basically self-sabotaging itself by trying everything in its might to prevent you from gaining territory and the priority it places on small amounts of tribute are quite frustrating.
-Also an option to hire mercenaries from the kingdom menu would be appreciated heeeeey.
Personal suggestions you've might of seen before, but I think there is value in reiterating them.
Bandits
- There are simply too many bandit parties spawning on the map and is causing severe lag mid-to-late game. In regions I don't frequent, there can be over 10 hideouts and several hundred parties of small bandits roaming around. There needs to be a cap on the number of bandit parties that spawn.
- Additionally, the AI lords should be more proactive in eradicating bandit parties in their territory. Factions such as Vlandia and Khuzaits can be overwhelmed by bandits but the AI does nothing to reduce their numbers. This often leads to their lords not being able to muster armies as their lords are constantly captured.
-Maybe bandits should eventually become minor factions if they develop a strong enough presence in a region, declaring war on their nearby faction, and start raiding their villages unless their faction capital (hideout) is destroyed.
Influence
- I strongly recommend putting a cap on the amount of influence a clan can acquire. By day 200+, most clans will have thousands of influence. This highlights the lack of usability of influence in the current game and creates the issue of lords always being in armies in you seek private audiences to convert to your kingdom or constantly seeking to declare war or seek peace.
- I'd recommend capping influence at 100 per clan level (LVL 1 max influence 100, LVL 2 max influence 200, etc). This would make it a more coveted and strategic resource.
-Hopefully influence can also be used on foreign factions, to degrade relationships between clans to create conflict or make hostile clans more friendly. Currently there are never any sort of in-faction conflicts that arise (I've never seen an npc clan rebel or be expelled in 500 hours of playtime) and I'd like to see methods in which to generate that conflict.
Clans
-Currently, being rank 2 to become a vassal seems too generous. By day 60 you could become reach rank 2 quite easily and join a kingdom. I think clan 3 is more appropriate as it encourages you to explore options to build renown in order to considered nobility.
-With that, I truly wish there were better options to build renown than constantly battling and that completing quests have more significance as they can take more effort in most cases.
Economy
-Selling equipment is still the only reliable source of income in game. Towns and castles will barely cover the expenses of the garrisons required to man them even when fully upgraded. A skill level 50 smith can out generate anything else could acquire in several hundred days in just a week. Settlements, caravans, and workshops need to be viable sources of income at some point of development.
-Crime and raiding are still the worst methods of making money, I could craft a two-handed sword that would pay out more than raiding 10 villages.
Diplomacy
- Non-aggresion pacts, defensive pacts, or alliances need to be implemented asap in this game. After a few hundred days, the world is just in a constant flux of wars as factions have an endless back-and-forth of settling tribute disputes essentially. They are not seeking territory, but just to have a positive-net tribute and then cycle back and forth.
-While the snowball effect is gone, we are now stuck in endless pitiful wars where the AI values 300 denars tribute over substantial gains and factions group declare war whenever a faction has any chance of expanding territory. Your kingdom is basically self-sabotaging itself by trying everything in its might to prevent you from gaining territory and the priority it places on small amounts of tribute are quite frustrating.
-Also an option to hire mercenaries from the kingdom menu would be appreciated heeeeey.
