Diversity

[ThorHC]

First of all – I love the game and I really appreciate you are continuing with development even in the form of purchasable DLC.

In my mind I always saw BB to be somekind of a medieval/fantasy JaggedAlliance2. It´s a mercenary management game after all… BB core mechanics are great, I have to say I admire most the diversity of weapon and enemy types, feels like someone really had to put a deep thought in that.
In these type of games in the long run I found out that management part is the core of the game. When I read introduction of the Hexe and the Unhold, I thought to myself fine, it will be nice addition, however it doesn´t solve the main content issue of the game.

What I would really like to see is not a diversity of the enemy, but diversity of my own mercenary band.
Even though we have backgrounds, attributes, perks, permanent injuries, I still feel that my men are (nearly) all the same. I would like to see more diversity of my men, that they are all somewhat different and unique. I dont think that -5melee defense and +5HP(dont take that as an exact numbers) is enough to differentiate wildman from a farmer, I dont think that swordmaster is so different from a fisherman, it all feels the same. This is the true source of repetitiveness in your game.

What I mean by roster diversity? For example Wildman should have ability to jump in the battle like an orc, swormaster should have precise strike which ignores more armour defense, farmer should have iron lungs, fishermen should throw net for more squares, monk should be unbreakable, etc. How the different backgrounds interact with each other. How it is possible that wildman is able to shoot from xbow when he actually dont understand even the meaning of the gold pieces? He should defy that weapon, he should be distrustful to complicated things. These small details matter in the end, it creates diversity, it creates depth, it creates choices that you have to make (should i buy wildman? he can´t withstand noble, he can´t shoot xbow, but can leap to battle, will it help my roster?). There should be also much bigger attribute range for backgrounds that already is.
Similar goes to traits. The diference between brave and craven trait is 15 resolve – I would say that this is a plain inadequacy. I also think that every mercenary should have multiple traits to make him really unique. One trait should cover his physique trait, one moral aspect and one special trait for everybody.

Dear develepers, I hope you came to similar conclusions and have some aces in your sleeves in these areas. I still enjoying the game, bought it also for my older brother, we are looking foward to your DLC.

[Oh Brother]

Your not a sjw are you? lol just joking! Perhaps a wildman could emulate the orc jump stun attack if he were under the effects of mushrooms.

A wise general wins before the battle, while the ignorant general must fight to win - Zhuge Liang

[ThorHC]

I just think that all recruits/brothers are very similar to each other and there should be a much more diversity (in terms of attributes, abilities, battle efficiancy).
All backgrounds should have its strenghts and weaknesses. I do not see any real difference between so many backgrounds (shepherd, vagabund, daytaler, mason, eunuch, beggar, butcher, gambler, houndmaster, messenger, miller, poacher, refugee), it´s just doesn´t matter at all…

[ForceEcho]

Yea I see what you mean, little buffs that can make less good backgrounds useful throughout game. I would like flagellants to be good with the new flail type weapons for example !

"A plethora of peasents"

[ThorHC]

Character backgrounds additional bonus/malus:
Adventurous noble – resolve and morale boost if equipped by legendary items / resolve and morale debuff if equipped with non 3+tier items
Apprentice – minor increase of item repair rate / resolve, mood, melee debuff when comrade die in battle
Assassin – free dagger mastery perk / only 1 assassin per game
Bastard – additional melee buff fighting humans / decreased payment and opinion from noble houses
Beggar – greatly increased rate of loyal and spartan trait / greatly increased rate of drunkard and dumb trait
Bowyer – decreased prices in fletcher shops / can desert company if dissatisfied or lower morale
Brawler – its fine as it is now
Butcher – free crippling strikes perk / melee weapons restricted only to sharp weapons
Caravan hand – small increase of movement speed when on caravan quest / increased rate of Greedy trait
Companion – free nine lives perk / none
Cultist – will not rout / headgear restricted only to Cultist Hood or Glimpse of Davkul
Cripple – greatly increased rate of Deadwish/Determined/Brave trait / random perma injury (as it is now)
Daytaler – none / none
Deserter – free Craven trait instead of plain -10 resolve debuff
Disowned Noble – increased payment and opinion from noble houses / increased rate of Greedy / Dastard trait
Eunuch – immune to Hexes Charm / free Insecure trait
Farmhand – greatly increased rate of Iron Lungs/Strong/Athletic trait / resolve debuff fighting monsters or undead
Fisherman – all throwing nets used by this character are recovered (for free) after the battle / resolve debuff when fighting in desert and ice terrain
Flagellant – free Hold out perk + will not bleed out / cannot be healed in the chapel + prolonged HP recovery
Gambler – minor chance to turn miss in to hit / free Greedy perk
Gravedigger – resolve, mood and melee buff fighting all sorts of undead / melee weapons restricted only to blunt weapons
Graverobber – minor extra gold loot after every battle / onetime renown decrease when joining company
Hedge Knight – free Brawny perk / expensive upkeep
to be continued…

[Ioci]

The player’s mercenary band do lack of diversity, but tucking extra skills won’t change it. At day 200+ you will still get the very similar band like your any other play though, just with one or two extra skills, which makes your band even stronger.

What really in need of diversity is the arrangement of equipment and other resource. The armor and weapon your great sword guy was using on day 150 won’t change much on the day 250.

[ThorHC]

Well, it would still be great if background have more impact on the gameplay.
Imagine f.e. Eunuch background to be completly immune to the Hex – it would be great to have him on the roster when you fight Hexes. Every background should have some really potent bonus and some weaknesses. Then you have to think twice which background you need to add to your small company.

[laViper]

Free skills aren’t good idea, as wrote before. But maybe it’d be nice to have different tree skills for each background. It’ll give more diversity between brothers.

[Baine]

Maybe introduce one or two background specific abilties that can be unlocked. The jump for wildmen or some kind of enrage ability. Brawler knocking people back, farmers strengthening someones back in battle (pushing against them) giving them a temporary bonus to melee defense maybe? Something like that.

[varow]

Deserter with craven trait is good.
I’d want Swordmaster to be more skilled with swords. Maybe autoriposte when “Duelist” and “Sword Mastery” picked together or 3 AP cost for a sword slash. Current ripost is only usefull vs werewolfs and ghouls, other enemies prefer to raise shileds up or attack other brothers, so it works alike shieldwall.

[lordmidas]

Absolutely love this idea and I believe this will add a lot more depth to the game and make it more immersive and enjoyable. There are SO MANY backgrounds in the game, making them unique by giving them different abilities is a great idea!

[xterminal86]

By the way, I think there is only one “soldier” background – it’s “Retired Soldier”, that has debuffed HPs.
Could we also have just normal “Soldier” background as well, who looks like guys from noble house armies? It could be kinda like a transitional recruit between caravan hand / squire / militia and sellsword / hedge knight.

[Coffee]

This seems like an awesome feature to see in the game. Give each trait more meaning, I like it.

Coffee

[JasonArgo]

Some of unic traits looks great! I like eunuch (very nice), butcher, deserter, gambler, flagellant.
To do this not so determined, perk can be granted by event.

[JasonArgo]

Some of unic traits looks great! I like eunuch (very nice), butcher, deserter, gambler, flagellant.
To do this not so determined, perk can be granted by event.

Upd: it will be nice, if we can cure eunuch’s “permanent injury” with the Tall tree water))) with new unic background “cured eunuch”, like “peaceful flagellant”.

[Author]

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