Currently the regular always-there mercenaries are pretty worthless. They have tier 1 weapons, no armor, and cost far more than it would take to just buy-out your own units from your cities. And to boot you need to get a technology just to access them.



As such, I propose two changes:



1. Mercenaries should at the least come in full iron armor.

2. Mercenaries should have their weapons and armor upgrade whenever 1/2 of the game (rounded up) reaches a new age. So if 3/6 players reach age 2 the mercenaries are upgraded to full age 2 iron armor.



Finally, I think the sell point on units should go up a little bit to make players selling their armies more of a thing. Right now there's very little incentive.



After doing this you'd likely have to nerf the wandering clans 200% HP bonus to mercenaries, but I think it'd be fair for everyone.

Mercenaries definitely need some love, I think they're too overpriced for what you get atm. Upgrading them through the era's would help make them a more viable consideration as opposed to building units yourself and then buying them out for way cheaper than buying actual mercenaries.

I think Mercenaries could get some more interesting abilities. Something that makes them a risk/reward. Maybe drastically reduce their price, but give them a mechanic where in other players can pay them to revolt.

I wouldn't mind mercenaries having RANDOM equipment (including possibly none in a slot) of a an approximately equal quality to the stuff the buyer has available.



This would make mercenaries an unpredictable, mixed force rather than a uniform template - which seems to fit better what a mercenary is. It would also make them fairly useful.

EcthelionHelm wrote:
I wouldn't mind mercenaries having RANDOM equipment (including possibly none in a slot) of a an approximately equal quality to the stuff the buyer has available.



This would make mercenaries an unpredictable, mixed force rather than a uniform template - which seems to fit better what a mercenary is. It would also make them fairly useful.

What is people with wanting "random" stuff in the game? Gold is too important in this game to throw it into some slot machine like mechanic and hope you get the best unit possible. No spank you.

I think mercenaries should be cheap to hired, but very expensive to maintain. (compared to other units)

They should be a short-term way of boosting your strike force.

And if you cannot pay their wages (or if they are bought out by an other player as suggested by hashinshin), they will revolt or change allegiance.



They could be equipped with random equipment, if their prices and wages are adapted to their actual stats (equipments included).

Dionesus wrote:
What is people with wanting "random" stuff in the game? Gold is too important in this game to throw it into some slot machine like mechanic and hope you get the best unit possible. No spank you.

I don't think he meant to suggest that the equipment should be randomized after you hire them, but rather before you do, so that you are offered a choice of different gear for the units you hire, for example, a unit of Delvers Dredges with shields and one-handed hammers versus a unit of Delver Dredges with two-handed hammers, possibly using different materials.

Thonbb wrote:
I think mercenaries should be cheap to hired, but very expensive to maintain. (compared to other units)

They should be a short-term way of boosting your strike force.

And if you cannot pay their wages (or if they are bought out by an other player as suggested by hashinshin), they will revolt or change allegiance.



They could be equipped with random equipment, if their prices and wages are adapted to their actual stats (equipments included).

This is a great idea. If you go into deficit, instead of disbanding random units, the game begins by having random mercenaries turn coat and become neutral armies. While it's tempting to have them join an enemy empire if in their territory, this could spell problems for that empire financially, and it would be rather strange for the empire not to have a say in signing the mercenary's new contract. However, if we paired this with an extension of the bribe ability to neutral armies, allowing us to add them to our ranks instead of fighting them, the enemy empire could take them over if they wanted to.

Cost for hiring and maintenance should definitely be based on their equipment, possibly measured through the industry cost. In fact, faction unit upkeep should also be based on industry cost, as a under-geared high-level unit may be more expensive but worse in combat than a well-equipped rookie, and if both are experienced, the well-equipped unit is going to be better without question.



I also agree that mercenary gear shuold upgrade as players advance through the eras. Otherwise they quickly begin to feel pointless (Even if the rank bonuses might make up for it).

Thonbb wrote:
I think mercenaries should be cheap to hired, but very expensive to maintain. (compared to other units)

They should be a short-term way of boosting your strike force.

And if you cannot pay their wages (or if they are bought out by an other player as suggested by hashinshin), they will revolt or change allegiance.



They could be equipped with random equipment, if their prices and wages are adapted to their actual stats (equipments included).

That's a very logical suggestion I agree that mercenaries should be easy to recruit, but expensive to maintain. You shouldn't form your army solely on mercenaries, I consider them as a bonus, a boost.



There is something wrong when a hero costs less than a mercenary.

avidsupporter333 wrote:
There is something wrong when a hero costs less than a mercenary.

It's not that wrong when you think about it. Heroes are powerful individuals, but a mercenary unit is like a small army. It would be odd to pay more for one person than for an entire legion.



But I really like the idea of mercenary units being cheap to recruit, but expensive to maintain.

hashinshin wrote:
Currently the regular always-there mercenaries are pretty worthless. They have tier 1 weapons, no armor, and cost far more than it would take to just buy-out your own units from your cities. And to boot you need to get a technology just to access them.



As such, I propose two changes:



1. Mercenaries should at the least come in full iron armor.

2. Mercenaries should have their weapons and armor upgrade whenever 1/2 of the game (rounded up) reaches a new age. So if 3/6 players reach age 2 the mercenaries are upgraded to full age 2 iron armor.



Finally, I think the sell point on units should go up a little bit to make players selling their armies more of a thing. Right now there's very little incentive.



After doing this you'd likely have to nerf the wandering clans 200% HP bonus to mercenaries, but I think it'd be fair for everyone.

I disagree because from what I have read, you haven't explained how all you're suggestions will also solve this:



/#/endless-legend/forum/6-game-design/thread/3111-roving-clans-are-overpowered!

hashinshin wrote:


2. Mercenaries should have their weapons and armor upgrade whenever 1/2 of the game (rounded up) reaches a new age. So if 3/6 players reach age 2 the mercenaries are upgraded to full age 2 iron armor.

We need this but with a twist, you have to pay dust to upgrade your mercs to the next tier of Default equipment. Makes mercs relevant in subsequent tiers and throughout the game but at same time they also incur various costs for improvement like your own race units.