Guild of the Nine

[gibbon_malus]

I've been playing around with the mercenaries lately, and while they are nice, the entire mechanic seems to be somewhat lacking. Firstly, the only reliable way to get the guild is to research currency first; if you happen to miss it, you either have to conquer a city with the guild on it (hard-ish because the AI doesn't seem to spread it much), or hope for a random event giving you a mercenary. Second, mercenaries are supposed to be experienced, right?

So, I'd suggest a few changes to the guild:

1. Have currency grant a free mercenary unit, thereby allowing anyone who wants it to get the guild.
2. Give mercenaries an innate chance to start with some promotions. E.g. give them a 5%-10% chance to start with each of (Drill I, Mobility I, Mobility II, Sentry, Shock I, Formation I, Cover I, Blitz, March, Magic Resistance, City Garrison I and City Raider I). You could even add the elf, orc and dwarf-slaying promos to the list giving you a shot at very handy units if you are lucky.

Also, it seems to me like the guild is a great place to include a HQ mechanic (more like the holy city mechanic than the annoying BtS corporate HQs). It should probably require a great merchant to build, and you could have it give, say +1/+2 gold per city with the guild, a merchant slot, some great merchant points and +2 xp to units. This sort of mechanic would provide a significant incentive for players to spread the guild beyond their borders... to friendly nations at least.

 

[Humakty]

You can recruit mercenaries in allied cities, that is how I usually get it.
I don't know if you can do it just with open borders, it would be worth trying it.

 

[it-ogo]

I like guild's concept as it is: its main power and fun should go from random events. I would like to see regular propositions to hire random non-unique unit (adjusted only to era but not to nationality or researched techs) with several completely random free promos. Promos may be even not reported before hire so we'll have a lottery like with freak.

 

[MagisterCultuum]

Personally I think that the Hire mercenary spell should trigger an event where you choose what unit you want. The units would be of different types with different costs, different amounts of experience and promotions, different religions (usually none), and maybe have different numbers of units (some mercenaries may operate in groups). I think that sometimes it should tell you what promotions (etc) the unit has, and other times not (or not all). I was thinking that they could be any non-hero unit available to any civ (maybe only to any civ with the Guild in the city, to encourage spreading it to your stronger rivals, if this is possible), but limiting them to the Era might be easier. I don't even see a problem with allowing UU's from other civs (especially if limited to those not in the game or those buildable in other Guild cities), although some seem awfully unthematic. I'm thinking only living Melee/Archery/Mounted/Recon units (no angels, demons, or Undead, or disciples or Arcane mercenaries allowed) plus Siege/Navel.

Whatever unit you contract would have the Mercenary promotion, which would be able to spread the guild the same way as the Aeron's Chosen promotion spreads its guild. It might also be good if it made the units have a fairly high chance of betraying you when defeated in battle (unless it has loyalty, as Hippus mercs would), and maybe made them turn barbarian instead of auto-disbandind when you can no longer pay their upkeep costs. It might also make sense for these units to a little bit of cost gold when they fight battles (the same way pirates gain gold from battles, but with a negative number), since the mercs would probably want a bonus for when they actually have to fight.

It might also be interesting if occasionally the mercenaries just took your money and ran, not giving you any units. This would either be rare, or would ave different chances with different choices (probably telling you the chances when you try to hire them)

 

[vivictius]

Since patch f I have not been getting the event where you can hire a horse archer or assassin (or any other choices of mercs) even though I have been the one to make the guild of the nine.