Ok, I might repeat some already said stuff, even though I tried to read as many of discussion as I could, it has become a lenghty one XD What I'll say is based on my personal experience in the game and what I think that could make it better, or most of time, what I think that was frustating. Some is from things from Brytenwalda that I think would be nice to have and I think it wouldn't be too troublesome since, well, it's yer guys stuff already.
1) Reports. Brytenwalda had some kinds of reports that I would enjoy seeing in this DLC, like companion report when buying stuff. Also, would be nice to have something to list places I'm authorized to recruit on.
2) Better troop tier view. Again, in Brytenwalda, when looking at the troop tier I could click one and see it's stats. That would be nice to have since sometimes I get in a region, look at the troops and see two branches of foot soldier and wonder wich one have wich strengths/weakness. In that fashion, I also would like to see a list of possible equipment of theese troops.
3) Troop level/training, actually, is hatefull. Got some peasants/farmers in the team. They're level 12.
Peasants level 12. Saw other troops in wich the lower tier level were way higher than that. My character and heroes have to level up a lot before they can give experience due to trainer skill to theese troops. When they're able, the soldiers require so much experience to level up that the meager XP from trainer, even maxed, means it would take some long weeks for them to become second tier. Ok, I don't expect my character to make a dozen huskarls in a week, but trainer skill now seems to me like being useless. In native, trainer was one skill that made me feel impact in game, since in the beggining of game raising an army is always hard, but at mid term of the game you can, in a couple days, raise a second tier troop army, and in the late game, a week could give you, without engaging green troops in danger, a team of third tier troops. And that's one good thing in my opinion, made me felt like really advancing in the game, since the ability to keep a good army later on came from the ability to raise one. Men die in war.
4) Seaside fort. I would like to build my camp seaside and make it my personal port. Also would be nice that some forts were water acessible. Not having coastal setlements, I can live with, I don't see too much trouble porting near and raiding, but I would like to keep my ships in a personal cove and hiring a shipbuilder to repair and build my own fleet away from the lord (Floki, is that you?)
5) I kind of feel the mid game wanting. All right, I got a couple dozens of men, and began walking around. Suddenly, every thieves/brigand/ruffians band I find is too weak, and I only found something in my level occasionally in ships. The lower thieves are a lot, but at some point they're a waste of time. And every lower-lord have at least a hundred men. Not much space to someone between 20 and 100 troops (ok, I could simply follow my marshal and hope he doesn't do something stupid. But I would like to... do more). The realms could have "generic mercenaries". Like you, sometimes a realm contract a veteran warrior, old captain or someone like that, that builds armies of 20-100 men and patrol around and go on campaings. They would appear from time to time spawning on big towns and forts, with likehood of appearing and strenght based on a level between the wealth of the kingdom and of the particular place/lord, and last a while if undefeated, eventually giving up they'r contract and going to a friendly/neutral town and dispersing. They would focus on raiding villages, caravans and peasants, while the actual lords would focus on forts and towns.
6) Women. There are kingdons with ridiculousy few ladies for a bachelor.
7) Many already said this, weapons and armor diversity. I know we're in 800 but... Walked on earth, bought an axe and a long bow. Weeks later, haven't found anything between my plain shirt and a mail armor. Oh, nice, there are dozens of different shirts, with collors and hoods, as well as a hundred collors to shoes. Of equal stats, or close enough. Then there's a LEAP to mail armor. Wich cost a fortune. Errr... ok, the time era. But... some half mail, hard leather, heavy fur, cooper breastplaque, something... the actual leap between lower tier armor and nearly-last tier is huge and there's so much need of something in the middle. Same goes for weapons. Got a long bow soon enough and saw noting better except a strong long bow so far. Saw several different saux, of nearly same stats. Haven't seen almost none two-handed weapons. no big hammers. The way it is, there's not much choice except axe and shield or sword and shield. Ah, and the shields... same as with shoes.
As of now, mail is good. Very good. And trully, mail armor is excelent agains swords and cuts (anyone ever saw deadliest warrior? A Katana can't even scratch a good mail armor, impressive). But piercing damage should outshine it. That should happen, and would ake spears nicer. Also, piercing damage should have more probability of causing severe wounds than slashing (that was on of the reasons the romans used the gladius to pierce more than cut).
9) Would like to see more religion stuff. People took religion much seriously that time, it would be nice to be able to do things like sacrifice cattle or prisioners before battle to improve moral of a pagan army, or stopping to pray for absolving sins after a battle for a christian one (what matters, I'm pagan, hail Odin, let us burn those monasteries down to the ground!)
10) In that line, now people take religions more seriously (according to patch notes, I still haven't seen much impact). Would like to see religion of troops and lords (actually, i'm assuming they follow the religion of they'r common land).
That's a lot, and certainly with spelling mistakes (not english native). There are other things, but I said enough for a lifetime already.
