Realistic rebels

[Chimera]

Idea for the next version:

Rebalance brigands and rebels.

Example: I'm constantly facing small stacks of brigands around the Alps with only highly trained swiss pikemen troops.
It doesn't seem realistic that brigands have this kind of equipment or training.

I'd prefer (larger) stacks of irregular troops, more focused on ambushes (perhaps more skirmish type of units?)
Wandering phalanxes seem a bit silly

What do you think?

[SirRobin]

I agree to this proposition.

While small groups of brigands might be realistic, it just turns the gameplay into whack-a-mole to get rid of them.

Rebels should only appear when they are a force to be reckoned with. No peasant is going to risk his life against the king's might if he only has 50 drinking chums backing him up.

[Jambat]

Idea for the next version:

Rebalance brigands and rebels.

Example: I'm constantly facing small stacks of brigands around the Alps with only highly trained swiss pikemen troops.
It doesn't seem realistic that brigands have this kind of equipment or training.

I'd prefer (larger) stacks of irregular troops, more focused on ambushes (perhaps more skirmish type of units?)
Wandering phalanxes seem a bit silly

What do you think?

I ran into this today, not even ten turns into the campaign and four units of Pikemen vs my awesome town militia. I'd like it if it was more of a peasant uprising or true brigand army, but I don't think that can be done without actually coding them in as horde spawns.

As to the gear, it's not fun sometimes (In the end I had to spend half an hour running and shooting with my remaining archers to whittle the pikes down and win) but I always figured the increased technology they displayed was more of a difficulty balancer.

If it can be changed though I am all ears.

[PerXX]

Their equipment is because of the way Rebels spawn.
They are simply selected from a list, not recruited. Since this list cannot change during the game, it's either too advanced rebels early on, or only peasants/militia in late game.

[SirRobin]

Since this list cannot change during the game, it's either too advanced rebels early on, or only peasants/militia in late game.

I prefer primitive rebels all the way through - it would show how the increasingly professional military forces consolidated central government through the middle ages.


Besides, even "strong" rebels with pikes etc are quite weak, so the point about gameplay is pretty moot.

[Chimera]

Well I'm for the idea of militia late game. It just makes more sense than the advanced ones.
They are a great nuissance now, nothing more. I'd like to chase them down with cavalry for once, as troop movement is so very limited (considering 1 turn = 1 year) Isn't it possible to alter the list for more appropriate troops? As brave SirRobin said, the game of whack-a-mole is tiresome.
Cavalry should be able to deal with them.

[newt]

Eh? You want weaker rebels but don't like whack-a-mole?

Rebel spawns are random, but you can turn them off and script in larger forces to appear at certain turns or under certain conditions, like the turn 51 Bulgarian uprising. This will add to ai turn times though.