merchants/heretics in this excellent mod

**garfalex** · September 28, 2017, 06:03 AM

Hi guys loving the mod but one things slightly bugging me, im unable to ever win a fight with any other merchant as they all appear to be maxed out while the best merchant ive ever had got 3 stars. question is, is this a bug or was it intended to be this way? Similar applies to heretics. Is there any way of modifying this or will the merchants still spawn at top level? Not a big issue but I do enjoy using merchants but as it stands they actually cost money rather than making it as they get gobbled up before they make any cash.

**paleologos** · September 28, 2017, 11:44 AM

If the resource is in your territory you can built a fort on it and garrison the fort with one cheap unit.
Place the merchant on that army inside the fort and he will generate the money from trading that resource without ever being at risk of a hostile takeover.
It is expensive in the short run but it will eventually pay out, at least on certain resources.
Use assassins to take out heretics and enemy merchants.

**garfalex** · September 29, 2017, 03:04 AM

thanks pal i get all that but i was more sort of wondering what had changed in titanium as to AI merchants and heretics. It looks to me like theyve been totally beefed up compared to vanilla and most of the other mods ive played. I never played stainless steel much because of the crazy end turn times but this mod is great. In vanilla and other mods ive rarely seen AI merchants or heretics with max stars but it seems to be nearly all of them. This may be a stainless steel issue rather than titanium? can anyone tell me if this can be easily modded back to the vanilla settings for merchants/heretics or is it something used for game balance?

**trenktas** · October 01, 2017, 12:57 PM

Originally Posted by garfalex

Hi guys loving the mod but one things slightly bugging me, im unable to ever win a fight with any other merchant as they all appear to be maxed out while the best merchant ive ever had got 3 stars. question is, is this a bug or was it intended to be this way? Similar applies to heretics. Is there any way of modifying this or will the merchants still spawn at top level? Not a big issue but I do enjoy using merchants but as it stands they actually cost money rather than making it as they get gobbled up before they make any cash.

heretics are a nightmare. i often end up just sending an army to kill them off, as my priest never good enough, and not worth the risk. assasins are another option, especially when you have the assasins guild. same for merchants. if you want them better, you need merchants guild. i think guilds add 1-3 stars to the usual amount. then they are much better. then after recruiting merchants look for foreign ones, their ones at the start can be aswell 2-3 stars, not to often thought

**paleologos** · October 01, 2017, 06:44 PM

Originally Posted by trenktas

...i often end up just sending an army to kill them off...

I had no idea you can kill heretics with regular troops.

**garfalex** · October 02, 2017, 06:44 AM

just put 8 units round the heretic then move another in so heretics surrounded and heretic dies.

**paleologos** · October 02, 2017, 10:20 AM

So it takes a nearly half a stack army to kill just one guy?

**Jurand of Cracow** · October 02, 2017, 01:55 PM

Originally Posted by paleologos

So it takes a nearly half a stack army to kill just one guy?

You may create a death squad from depleted units. There're also some other exploits possible, some are here: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...1#post15404911
In the SSHIP we are likely either to remove the merchants, or to cut down their numbers massively.

**paleologos** · October 02, 2017, 03:37 PM

Originally Posted by Jurand of Cracow

In the SSHIP we are likely either to remove the merchants, or to cut down their numbers massively.

Personally, I am in favor of removing them altogether.
I think it is better to have resource specific buildings/guilds to get the extra revenue from some resources.
For example gold/silver could be made to unlock "patronage" of goldsmiths/silversmiths, marble could unlock marble cutters/sculptors etc.

**garfalex** · October 03, 2017, 07:04 AM

the original question was is it possible to replace the heretic/merchant script in titanium with one thats more playable? ie could you re-add the vanilla script which to me seemed a lot better? Or would it mess with the general game.

**Gigantus** · February 26, 2018, 02:33 AM

I did come up with a agent restriction method, maybe this could be a middle way?

**police55** · March 17, 2018, 01:52 PM

I’d hate to see merchants removed from the game. I’d rather like for merchants to be cut down, nations having less of them.

**paleologos** · March 17, 2018, 02:56 PM

The player shall have an option, in future releases.

**Gigantus** · March 17, 2018, 07:56 PM

The idea is mainly to restrict the spamming of assassins and diplomats. For some reason there is a certain preference by the AI for them and they get recruited in large numbers instead of buildings and units. On top of that having 10 diplomats perform the 'bribing' animation around settlements (they tend to cluster) can delay the game extremely.

We intend to restrict assassins and diplomats to 3 per faction and spies to 5. Merchants and priests will not effected.
During the first rounds the player will have the option whether he wishes to enact this restriction.