Mercenaries....expanded?

[marioflag]

I really like the fact that you can hire mercenaries in the mod but i think that this feature could be even more funny if it is expanded.
What i mean is not changing this feature, but just adding a lot of variety to mercenary units, like exotic units, human-like units, sorcerors and wizards, every mercenary unit should be different from other civ units, and should have also different abilities,costs, mainteinance costs between each other and be available with different techs.
Mercenary units could be available making a city improvement where these troops can be hired.
I know this would be an hell of job for artists, but do you think that expanding variety of mercenary units could add a lot more fun, strategy and flavour, or do you think that this feature wouldn't be so important to justify any further expansion?

 

[R0GERSHRUBBER]

I agree, although this is the sort of thing I would expect to be done in a later development stage.

I would like to see a variety of mercenary units, including mounted and recon units and possibly even non-human units.

I would also like to see a way for mercenaries to upgrade or possibly join a civ and become a normal or national unit. (Think of it as gaining citizenship.)

 

[BlazeRedSXT]

In one iteration in the Light phase, the Mercenary mod was in the game. I can't remember exactly why it got removed, but it was and the Mercenary unit was put in.
I don't know if there are plans to revive something like that mod or not, but I think it would be nice.

Cheers!

 

[Kael]

In one iteration in the Light phase, the Mercenary mod was in the game. I can't remember exactly why it got removed, but it was and the Mercenary unit was put in.
I don't know if there are plans to revive something like that mod or not, but I think it would be nice.

Cheers!

The AI doesnt use it. I wrote up a requirements list for TheLopez and the plan was to reimplement once those features were in. But TheLopez had a new baby and I believe he is now spending most of his time on TheLopez ver 2.0.

 

[MagisterCultuum]

There should definitely be more variety among mercenaries. I've been saying this for a long time. The various types should have differing costs, and should be able to hire mercenaries of any available type (some should require extra technologies and/or resources- they shouldn't all always be available), but perhaps be able to hire their own type more cheaply.

Perhaps you could only select the class of units not the type. You never know when an orc or dwarf will be the only ones for hire. I can picture dwarven siege engineers quite willing to make some profit.

One thing that has always irritated me is that hired mercenaries (as opposed to those you build in cities) don't start with experience or promotions. It seems like these professionals would have learned something from their previous jobs. Could they please start with a few random promotions and/or some random xp?

I like the new double maintenance and no war weariness, but there should still be a (reduced) chance for them to switch sides upon defeat. It would also be cool if they occasionally rebelled on their own; perhaps they should turn barbarian when they are auto-disbanded?

 

[feydras]

Some great ideas MagisterCultuum. I agree with all of that.

I would really like to see the Hippus civ much more bribable to go to war. They are described as a mercenary civ can't the leaders be coded with more openness to this? It would be fun to throw them at your enemy with enough coin, could turn some major wars around and offer a wealthy peaceful civ a way to defend itself well.

It would be neat if your choices for hire were semi-random way. It depends on who is traveling through your lands at the time. Unique merc units or named squads would be very very cool. Garl's Blood Axes (Dwarven axemen with Str & Shock promos), Ironwind Raiders (Raiders or perhaps Brigands with some promos), Ebony Company (Pikemen w/ city defense promos), Rook (orc adept w/ Mind, Death and spy trait) etc... You get the idea. Kael & team - you could open up another contest/brainstorming thread to come up with ideas and names and pick the best few. The best mercs would be low power but flavorful IMO.

- feydras

 

[TheJopa]

To join the discussion, I think that civs that are not in the current game should have their units hireable as mercenaries. That way you could fight against (and with) golems,elves,centaurs even if their civ wasn't in the game. And I really like this

It would be neat if your choices for hire were semi-random way. It depends on who is traveling through your lands at the time. Unique merc units or named squads would be very very cool. Garl's Blood Axes (Dwarven axemen with Str & Shock promos), Ironwind Raiders (Raiders or perhaps Brigands with some promos), Ebony Company (Pikemen w/ city defense promos), Rook (orc adept w/ Mind, Death and spy trait) etc...

 

[marioflag]

IMO it could be also cool if troops could be differentiated based on different desertion rates, making perhaps some mercenaries more powerful but less trustworthy, and other mercs less powerful but more faithful.
Desertion rates could be also modified if the race of mercenaries is the same of the civ you re attacking so for example if you hire dwarven engineers to fight Khazad, these dwarven engineers would have higher defection rates because don't want to fight against their brothers, same for orc mercenaries and Clan of Embers.
As feydras i also think that giving a name to any mercenary company would be really cool for flavour if coupled with good civilopedia entries.
Another thing which could be fun to see implemented would be differences between civs hiring mercenaries, so for example Bannor which really hates orcs would never hire a company of orc mercenaries, Elohim would never hire any mercenary units except in particular conditions.