Mortality Reputation?

[OldGreyBeard]

I think that any company that exceeds a certain ratio of losses/mission over time gets a reputation as a bad company to recruit with.

The effect of this would be that new recruits would be restricted to the “dregs of society”, rat catchers, beggars, etc. AND/OR have the cost of recruiting good prospects be much higher.

Maybe this would make the game too hard, but I can’t imagine anybody in their right mind taking up w/ a company that has an average of say 30% or higher average mortality rate unless they were truly desperate. I don’t see butchers, hedge knights, etc. as being desperate enough. The better a character’s starting stats, the more picky he would be. Makes no sense to join a company where you only have a 1 in 3 chance to enjoy the fruits of your labor, does it?

If I’m managing a company, one of the things that has to be considered is how well I keep my company alive. More than one mercenary company in history has dissolved, or at least forcibly changed the management when the contracts got too fatal.

This may make the game unplayable. It’s hard enough as it is! (I’m thinking “Orc Warriors/Warlords” here!) But, I think this mechanic is very realistic.

(Let the FLAMING begin!!) ;-)

In a single player game, there's no such thing as cheating. It's merely "creative manipulation of the default settings"!

[Merkwuerdigliebe]

This is a good idea. But it carries the risk of a death spiral – you go through a rough patch, lose experienced men and, on top of it, can’t even recruit any decent noobs, so you go underpowered into the next assignment and lose another guy…

But I agree that your reputation should involve this aspect as well. Potential recruits would certainly take this into account and request either more money or refuse to join at all. (You could go really deep and crazy and have recruits demand certain levels of armor or that they always carry a shield etc.)

[Kreuzberger]

This reminds me of a story about doctors in ancient China. :)
They were obliged by imperial law to put out a red lantern over their doorarch for every patient, that died under their hands/treatment.

I like the idea of a mortality reputation system.

I recruit brawlers and thiefs anyway….so there is enough desperation or dumbness potential. :P

[Anonymous]

I think thats a good suggestion. But if you go further with it:

What about of glory searchers? what about if you have high losses but acomplish really difficult tasks? its a twisted path what you suggest as there are as many reassons to punish a player for his losses as are for rewarding him for the same reassons.

This path Includes new personal traits, new mechanics, a reputation mechanic-twist and, as i see it, tons of work for an allready work in progress.

In the end, is the player (i feel) who decide if a task its too much for the group or the losses are worth it.

I understand that your suggestion encourage the players to play safe. But I think the game allready have enought mechanics that acomplish the same. Lossing 4 brothers of 10 because a bad fight/decision/decisions is (in my opinion) bad enougth.

[Author]

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