SP - General The AI clans should hire companions too

[CrazyElf]

The AI clans, like the player factions, should hire companions as heroes.

They would be non-noble, but companions. The reason is to supplement the AI's numbers. Some factions have fewer people than the number of party size, to give an example.

Imagine a faction that has lost their existing people, either due to age, death in battle, or executed by the enemy. This faction may still have money, but is short on the number of lords that it has. Hiring companions would be the solution.

They might prefer companions of their own culture, but they would hire companions.

This would also open the door to a marriage pool for kids to replace the dead as well, if the AI could marry non-noble companions hired if they do not have any noble alternatives (which would be preferred).

 

[Lord Irontoe]

I made a similar suggestion a week or two ago. I dont think they should become clan members, though. Main reason being that players would get really annoyed if some other clans keep snapping up the only traders or surgeons in the world before the player could get to them. I'd rather see them hired on short term contracts, like for 30 days or so.

I was thinking of them more in their captain roles, since some of those perk bonuses can be significant. It would be a way of throwing some surprises at the player, since a regular army that you could ordinarily beat no problem might become quite a bit tougher with a few high level captains buffing them up with their perks.

The tricky thing about something having companions work for npc clans is they'd have to be equipped for battle, but I don't know if TW wants to equip them with good gear since players will just use them to poach expensive gear that way. So they'd need to be equipped by the lord who hired them and give it all back when they leave their service. But how to get the ai to equip them intelligently? Maybe it could look at their stats, compare them to their regular troops and give them the gear set of the soldier they're most similar to. Or just equip them the way they equip young lords, though you'd probably get some mismatches in gear vs their skills that way.

 

[CrazyElf]

Ultimately the AI is going to need replacements if their clan dies of old age or if they are killed in battle.

Yes, this will mean that the AI is going to have to equip them. As far as gear, the best option is to create a lookup that looks up the skills and then matches it to an XML template.

 

[Fell]

Perhaps some mechanic where after a period of time ingame, a clan member after reaching elgible age and doesn't marry, a new character could generate (elevated from a merchant's family, or a relative of a garrison commander). It should have some sort of time constraints so that it still is possible for clans to deplete, but to revive themselves also.

But I do think there needs to be more elements and mechanics for lords/noteables/clans/factions to allow for 'INFINITE CAMPAIGN', sort of like a suggestion I made previously Faction Resurgence/Civil War .

I mean, if you're investing so much time each playthrough, you don't necessarily want to start a new game whenever clans have depleted, or most factions have become extinct (1 - 2 uber factions left).

 

[argon45]

There was already a system in 2016 like that which allows AI lords to have companions but it seems they changed it. So, it might not return, just like many other features.

 

[Lord Grindelvald]

I made a similar suggestion a week or two ago. I dont think they should become clan members, though. Main reason being that players would get really annoyed if some other clans keep snapping up the only traders or surgeons in the world before the player could get to them. I'd rather see them hired on short term contracts, like for 30 days or so.

Thats an interesting suggestion. Would love to see something like this.

If they'd give Companions some character traits with a unique background and personality they could also favor some lords over others.
If one companion has a Khuzait background, they'd be more inclined to work for you if you have the same culture and background.
Or they'd have a network in the Khuzait area that you could use. You'd get better relation bonusses with Khuzait lords because of the company you surround yourself with and have better goods and recruits because of a higher relation with notables.

Perhaps you could even lease or rent-out your companions for 30 day terms to other lords or kingdoms. And gain money, influence or relations with it.

The number of possibilities is high but the probability that it'll get implemented is sub zero.

 

[CrazyElf]

There was already a system in 2016 like that which allows AI lords to have companions but it seems they changed it. So, it might not return, just like many other features.

I think that we are going to need a mechanic like that or companions to replace the dead nobles.

 

[Tryvenyal]

I think they should spawn their own Noble Companions!

AI don't need anything other than commanders. Why waste the only spawned Sergeon/Trader on them when they have no use of them.

Give AI an option to recruit a commander. They will use it if the lack partyleaders or is fewer than 4 adults in clan.

They can't inherit a clan but they can marry and if AI is on har time getting a spouse for daughter/sister, their noble companions are a good option. Childen are bon into the clan. Flaverwice they are lower nobility, not wanderers.

Charachter spawned is based on a semi-random tier noble troop of faction culture(Tier 3-4 much more common than the other 4).
They can have increased chanse of dying if they fall in battle.

 

[Defury]

Flaverwice they are lower nobility, not wanderers.

Well, one could also justify story-wise in the following ways:
- Clan is empty, no heir in sight. So the Clan leader adopts a child (new npc generated) to save his clan/legacy.
- Some Clanmember had a bastard child and has chosen/is forced to legimate the child.

But don't make it completly deterministic, like you roll a dice each month with probabilities:
- Chance of 0, when there is at least one clan member under 40. Otherwise (Average Clan Age - 40) % for adoption/bastard child.
- Double Chance for Adoption / Seduction when "Brave" or similar
- Half Chance when "cruel" or similar

Numbers subject to balancing. By using percentages / dice rolls, some clans will die out and some others will save their legacy by the means above. But not all clans will always adopt some one.


Second Idea:
When a Clan Member isnt married till the age of 30, he/she will consider marring a "lesser person" (new npc-spousse generated).

 

[Tryvenyal]

Well, one could also justify story-wise in the following ways:
- Clan is empty, no heir in sight. So the Clan leader adopts a child (new npc generated) to save his clan/legacy.
- Some Clanmember had a bastard child and has chosen/is forced to legimate the child.

But don't make it completly deterministic, like you roll a dice each month with probabilities:
- Chance of 0, when there is at least one clan member under 40. Otherwise (Average Clan Age - 40) % for adoption/bastard child.
- Double Chance for Adoption / Seduction when "Brave" or similar
- Half Chance when "cruel" or similar

Numbers subject to balancing. By using percentages / dice rolls, some clans will die out and some others will save their legacy by the means above. But not all clans will always adopt some one.


Second Idea:
When a Clan Member isnt married till the age of 30, he/she will consider marring a "lesser person" (new npc-spousse generated).

If the idea is to make a new "Crusader Kings", I agree.
But there are so many features needed around this to support these systems in a good ways atm.

As long as we lack thrilling systems to spawn new clans, I think we should keep the current clans alive at all cost. There were only one way to "Kill" a lord in Warband - there should be only one way to kill a familly as well. It should be them beeing landless for a long time.

So if you want to call it adoption, fine But spawning new nobles into clans is essential to make them feel alive. New charachters are needed to feed the world with noble kids.

And yes. They should be able inherit the clanleader position but will be picked after adult children of the current lord still in the clan.

On the other hand, crowd control is needed to. AI clan members probably need a higher mortability in battle and a lower fertility if they belong to a crowded clan. Relatives > 25 years to the player with no role in the clan should probably leave(the clan...!).