Ideas for a different map

[Kreuzberger]

The map, as it is at the moment, is just plain and standart. First of all, it really needs to be much much bigger. Also, as the standart part of it, you have settlements here and there, sometimes large, sometimes not. Everything is set.
Why not doing it this way:

The map is distributed in three areas…the wild and unknown outer rim, the frontier and the inner core. Star wars like. :)

1. In the outer rim savages, wild life, outcasts and unknown evil rules. The only settlements are ork and goblin “cities”/fortresses (from where they start their operations to the frontier and inner core area) and small retreats of human outcasts and brigands. Traveling through this part of the map should always content danger of attacks from wildlife and ambushes. Enemies should be orks, goblins, wildlife, ancient undead and human desperados. Of course no one here would give you a job for your mercenaries, but why not putting most of the human outcast retreats on neutral stance toward the player until further hostile actions by him? With different kind of mercenary contracts by the outcasts then for example with a lord?

2. The frontier at the other hand is a place, where the human race already has established outposts, small frontier villages and small strongpoints (wooden castles). They carve a life out of the dense forest, creating farming land and raising first cattle. All their places are more or less prepared for attacks, villages have wooden pallisades and the peasantry is used to fight like english yeomen (german Wehrbauern). The lords are all low ranks from the human kingdoms and ordered to enlarge and secure the power of their liege lord at the border. The quality of goods is low/standart. Enemies here should be orks, goblins, wildlife, necromancers and their minions plus the whole range of human outlaws. Mercenary contracts here are many, because the people are in need, but mostly low payed. Contracts all the time deals with defending settlements, securing areas or wiping out intruder outposts. The same as you have it now in your game. This should be the starting area for the player.

3. The inner core now is almost total exploited and has the full range of human installations….large cities and villages, stone castles and fortresses. Here the high ranking liege lords rule, kings and dukes (a duke = small king). They care themselves about brigandry, as they have astrong military at hand, but sometimes rely on mercenaries too in this case. The quality of goods has the whole range from low to extreme expensive/rare. The main type of contracts here should be involvement in feuds and fights for supremacy between the kingdoms. Contracts like “take part in siege of ****” or ” assist army until ****” or “search and push back avantgarde enemy forces”. This area should be visited with a good developed party of mercenaries, as here the high level contracts are given.

Subnote:
With this idea comes again the chance to build high endgame content into the game, where the player achieve the place and role of a lord. How? Just imagine a liege lord of the inner core, who has all his forces and lords involved in his feuds and gives a super special contract to a strong mercenary company to build a frontier settlement plus castle for him? The player gets a small payment, has to find/hire peasantry, buy supplies/resources and to do all the dirty work at the frontier in exchange for a title and being the lord of the settlement (which continuously generate more dirty work).

[Kreuzberger]

Subnote 2:

Taking part as mercenary in the feuds of the kings should also involve side events like treachery by the employer = refused payment or forced to give all your equpipment to his law enforcers (pacification) to avoid, that you seek revenge on him. So far, there is no real unstable factor between the player and the employers. Mercenaries should be more treated as people outside of the feudal law.

[Kreuzberger]

Any feedback from the devs?

[AdamTheGreat]

I just want to say that the devs have already said that they want to stray away from the player becoming a lord or anyone with a title. Having land can defeat the purpose of being a roaming mercenary company. I doubt they will change their minds in the future, the game will likely always just be a travelling band of warriors.

[Kreuzberger]

I know. But friends sometimes remind you of opportunities.

Being a lord should be an option after you really have seen and done everything as a roaming party, a real high end game content. And add the fact, that even as a small lord, you roam around in the landscape… so you are not too astray from the original idea. :P

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