Question about Mercenaries

JPSeraph · #1 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 · #2 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 · #3 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 · #4 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 · #5 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 · #6 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).