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JPSeraph
October 5th, 2006, 11:14 PM
Why do mercenaries and their troops automatically die if they flee a battle? Wouldn't it seem more reasonable to have them return to your forces if their contract isn't up and there is a safe land to retreat to or to simply return them to the Mercenary cue if the aforementioned conditions are not met?

I really had Pak-Ur going and was disappointed to see that he died because of auto-flee when some single troop that was in the garrison (due to fleeing a nearby battle) died in a battle Pak-Ur could have easily won on his own.

Wish
October 6th, 2006, 02:45 AM
yeah the ai is screwed up. I also think mercs should be able to recruit forces if they are not hired out over a month, thus replenishing their garrison

Cainehill
October 7th, 2006, 12:37 AM
Yeh - if the troops die / flee, the merc company should rehire. If the commander dies, a new, wimpier, commander should come up. Right now, mercs are fubar - they can win you a few provinces extra expecially really early, but wind up irrelevant, which sadly hasn't apparently changed from Dom2.

Morkilus
October 9th, 2006, 01:40 PM
Mercenaries, irrelevant? Tell that to Orion and the Shipwreckers. I couldn't disagree more; the ability to have an instant army pop up in any of your provinces for a relatively tiny amount of gold is very powerful, and the bidding wars in multiplayer are sometimes so tricky that I've seen use of mercenaries banned as a house rule until turn 10. And who cares if they die? I'm happier if So-and-So routs into oblivion rather than have him clog the mercenary queue with the two or so spearmen he retains. There are so many more bands to replace them.

Gandalf Parker
October 10th, 2006, 10:42 PM
I find it particularly useful now to be able to hire mercs in a province that Im sieging a castle in. When Im storming a great unknown then sword fodder is very handy.

JPSeraph
October 12th, 2006, 04:08 AM
I don't think that mercenaries are irrelevant; far from it. But fleeing=dying seems kind of hoaky and is very annoying if you've invested heavily in a good mercenary company (such as Orion).

I don't see a problem with the mercenary queue being clogged since unhired mercs tend to disappear (into oblivion apparently) if left there for a few turns.

Perhaps if we see it differently, it's because we play the game differently (I prefer long, drawn out SP games).