What mediates party size for Bandits and Deserters?

[Hank]

Ok, so I've been decimating forces of various factions for some time now, except lords are now spawning with something like 20-30 units in their party, so I'm taking time to kill bandits to let them rebuild a bit so I can fight bigger lord parties.

However, I'm encountering bandit and deserter partys of the usual 5-15, however I see a few 20s and some rare 30s and 40s and once a 52 or so. What mediates the size of these parties? How can I make more of the 30s-50s spawn? Thanks!

 

[SPD_Phoenix]

I believe it still depends on the player's level. Probably, player's party size may have an effect.

Kill off the smaller parties. New one will be bigger most of the times.

 

[tamuli]

I think it's just random, I think.

 

[anifreak]

the size of bandit party's can be edited in party templates, easily modified of using troop editor. you just set the range of how many and what type bandit can spawn in a group. you can set it to 50 min and 50 max to have every newly spawned bandit have 50 men. as for the deserters i don't know. since the deserters have 0 men in party template.

 

[Manu]

Random with a cap depending on the player's level from the feel of it. small parties - especilly of sea raiders - can usually outrun what they' can't outfight. So they keep going and tends to end up as the only survivors.

 

[bigchief]

I'm pretty sure that they increase in size over time if they are left alone.  I play a totally cavalry party.  I like to hunt sea raiders, mainly because they have the best loot, but also because I get to fight on flat ground with my cavalry.  After I make a couple of passes across the Nord territory there won't be any more decent sized groups to fight.  If I leave for a while and come back, the groups will be larger.  I rarely fight mountain bandits, as I don't like to fight in the mountains with my cavalry.  The mountain bandit groups are usually much larger and they seem to get bigger each time I pass through their areas, which is what leads me to believe that they build up over time.

 

[Shik]

It is based on player level.

Mountain bandit parties can go from 6 - 61 based on the player level.

Not sure about the others, but I know that looters cap at about 35.

 

[Hank]

the size of bandit party's can be edited in party templates, easily modified of using troop editor. you just set the range of how many and what type bandit can spawn in a group. you can set it to 50 min and 50 max to have every newly spawned bandit have 50 men. as for the deserters i don't know. since the deserters have 0 men in party template.

Does the Troop Editor work with 0.955?

Thanks for all the replies guys! I'll go kill off all the small parties and see how it turns out. Thanks!

 

[HardCode]

Some bandit parties are small later on in the game due to loses in combat. As they keep attacking villagers and even fight Lord parties, they will get smaller. The amount of troops a new party spawns with is related to your character's level - I think there may be some element of randomness in it. Notice on the Escort Caravan quests, sometimes the caravan spawns with 14 troops and sometimes 30 ... even when you are the same level.