Mercenary Service

[Ace_General]

Playing 2.35 enjoying it quite alot.

Question about mercanary service, do you need to own the cities of recruitment to have your guys do mercenary service? And if not, how would you go about it?

[Genghis Skahn]

And I quote:

If you wish to avoid this mechanic avoid idling inside these cities

You can only idle inside cities you own, for obvious reasons.

[Kokito]

How do you enter mercenary service?

[Jurand of Cracow]

How do you enter mercenary service?

Possible only for (a few?) barbarian (?) factions, eg. the Pritanoi. It's well described in-game, both in pop-up windows and in the traits, and also in the manual.

[Genghis Skahn]

Possible only for (a few?) barbarian (?) factions, eg. the Pritanoi

To date, we have "mercenary" style traits for the Celts(all 4), Celtiberians, Numidians(certain ethnicities only, maybe? It's technically called NumidiaCarthageAlly), Sweboz, Saka, Pahlava and there are plans to extend that to other factions where applicable.

[Kokito]

I am currently playing with Sweboz, thanks guys. Just wondering if the recruitment cities are the same as the rest of the factions, cannot find that in the manual and the ingame info is not clear enough

[Genghis Skahn]

I am currently playing with Sweboz, thanks guys. Just wondering if the recruitment cities are the same as the rest of the factions, cannot find that in the manual and the ingame info is not clear enough

Only the Celtic trio share recruitment cities. Also, in 2.35 I forgot to include in the merc info trait for the Sweboz that their mercenary opportunities don't become available until turn 100 at the earliest. For the Sweboz, their recruitment cities are on the Rhine, east of Gaul.

[RodriguesSting]

And how about the Celtiberians? Do they become available at turn 100 as well? Maybe there should be a pop-up telling the player the moment they can embark on mercenary adventures for these factions that have to wait.

[Rad]

What does this mercenary service do?

[Domeric_Bolton]

I would like to know what it does, too. Around what turn does this become viable? Are the achievable outcomes the same across all Factions?

Or do Numidians get different stuff than Germans.

[Jurand of Cracow]

What does this mercenary service do?

it's well described in the manual, at least for the Pritanoi faction.

I'd add another question: has the EBII team considered using this mechanics as a requirement of some reforms?
I'd find it very historical: the experience that the mercenaries brought back home is claimed in the academic textbooks to had made a crucial impact on the increase of "technology" in the "barbarian" world - in both military and political spheres (other forces mentioned are: long-distance trade, threats and opportunities provided by more developed neighboring societies, and exchange of hostages (and outside the EBII timeframe, the impact of missionaries). Eg. in Britain the political consolidation in the 1st century BC (development of a few petty kingdoms) is directly linked to the trade with the Gauls and to mercenary service on the continent. Or the "Celticization" of Ireland is theorized to be closely related to the exchange of hostages after striking alliances. Apparently, after each alliance, such exchange happened and upon the return as adults the aristocratic Goidels introduced changes in the society in such a way that even linguists may discern them.

In the EBII world, I may imagine that each aristocrat having made "mercenary service" abroad or acting as a hostage would provide "points" towards reforms, and some reforms would have happened after a number of those points are gathered. I think it'd have a very good impact on the gameplay as well.

[Domeric_Bolton]

That is a very good point. Might even serve to speed up the Reforms for Barbarians Factions like the Sweboz, instead of that insane turn 670 or whatever.

[tentaku]

That is a very good point. Might even serve to speed up the Reforms for Barbarians Factions like the Sweboz, instead of that insane turn 670 or whatever.

haha turn 670, is that like world war II....

[tentaku]

I am currently playing with Sweboz, thanks guys. Just wondering if the recruitment cities are the same as the rest of the factions, cannot find that in the manual and the ingame info is not clear enough

kokito the paladin, I am your arch-nemesis

[Rad]

it's well described in the manual, at least for the Pritanoi faction.

Where? There's no mention of it in the player guide, and all I could see in the game (without actually playing a campaign) is that characters sit inside designated cities for 20 or so turns. What happens when the merc service ends? Do they get traits and followers, and if so, what kind?

[Jurand of Cracow]

That is a very good point. Might even serve to speed up the Reforms for Barbarians Factions like the Sweboz, instead of that insane turn 670 or whatever.

It wouldn't impact on the "speeding things up" (this always depends on the design made by the modding team), but it would make the role-playing more meaningful for the game. And this is essential: what you do in the game should have a palpable impact on the gameplay. (one may have a look at my rules of modifying the traits to understand my approach to this issue)

Where? There's no mention of it in the player guide, and all I could see in the game (without actually playing a campaign) is that characters sit inside designated cities for 20 or so turns. What happens when the merc service ends? Do they get traits and followers, and if so, what kind?

page 99

[Rad]

I must have missed it. Thanks!

[Kokito]

Hahahaha! let's have a duel!