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[Sius]

These were just fast brainstormed ideas and I think they are pretty usable ingame. They don't need to be mercs but simply interactive NPCs who will profit on their skills. So there wont be only npc trader, there could be also npc gunsmith who will craft you guns from materials for some fee, same goes for healing/repairing stuff etc... but thats a bit offtopic.

Anyway mercs are now stupid figurines good only in static defense. This could refresh them a bit and help them to be useful in PvE too.

[Badger]

A big problem is how they behave in fights. I bought a laser rifle and a rocket launcher merc yesterday just to see how long they'd last if I actually used them to travel with. The first hostile encounter got them killed. I think it was a Reno gang and some civilians. And that cost 18k or so and was lost in less than 10 minutes.

I think a 'Run if you get below X health' option would make a lot of difference. As well as an 'Attack whoever I attack'. I know the alt menu exists, but an automatic system would be a lot more manageable and stop you having to constantly check your merc's health mid fight to see if they're nearly dead.

I think for 10k, a merc that costs that much should be a lot more durable. Maybe even with more HP than a player of equivalent level to compensate for the fact they're AI, and are never going to be as smart as human beings.

Even with all these tweaks, I still think people are going to be scared of risking the cash they paid for combat mercs to use them in PvE. Is allowing them to respawn something you would never consider?

[DrapiChrust]

These were just fast brainstormed ideas and I think they are pretty usable ingame. They don't need to be mercs but simply interactive NPCs who will profit on their skills. So there wont be only npc trader, there could be also npc gunsmith who will craft you guns from materials for some fee, same goes for healing/repairing stuff etc... but thats a bit offtopic.

Anyway mercs are now stupid figurines good only in static defense. This could refresh them a bit and help them to be useful in PvE too.

Do you realise that it would be another way to hurt non-combat chars? Like they haven't got enough disadvantages already.

[gordulan]

or, we might be allowed to control the followers directly when in combat, would give a more tactical feel to the entire game.

[Solar]

or, we might be allowed to control the followers directly when in combat, would give a more tactical feel to the entire game.

Do mean improve the alt menu, or are you unaware of it?

[gordulan]

yes, improve the alt menu, to directly influence the mercs you want to use.

ex: Bill (name of merc) attack that guy, but also, Sally, attack that other guy.
or, sneak to position, use first aid on that character, doctor that person, and so on and so forth.
in other words make the menu more detailed and have a functionality for the mercs to more than just combat, however, the doc and FA skills of the mercs can only be used on other NPCs to stop exploits.

[FischiPiSti]

Extra Mercs from Speech isn't a bad idea at all. Change it to (Ch/2)-2 and an extra merc per 50% of Speech.

Ch 1+2 = No Mercs, cant talk to Merc traders either (So no mercs even with good speech)
Ch 3+4 = No Mercs
Ch 5+6 = 1 Merc
Ch 7+8 = 2 Mercs
Ch 9 + 10 = 3 Mercs

50% = +1
100% = +2
150% = +3
200% + 4
250% + 5
300% + 6

Perhaps would could have a few "free" mercs in encounters, so that you don't count the first two mercs for scaling purposes.

I also think we will probably see Merc use more in the new TC system too.

Damnit, i made the exact same suggestion in another thread :/
...Or was it in another forum? :S

Hmm, well anyways here was my logic:
Teh transporter class!
If someone has alot of money, he can create an alt with a high charisma, and at lvl 1 he can have the same amount of mercs as high lvl characters. Thats an exploit. Plug in the hole by restrickting the ability of hiring mercs to the speech/barter skill. Every group needs a transporting character, with a high charisma, but nobody wants to make and level one that he actually uses for anything else except to barter and transport, because they cant defend themselves(lets not count the money->merc exploit from alts). So if a player is broke(starting players), cant fight, but has a decent starting speech skill, then let him get low level mercs for free if he passes a speech check. IF he can get xp from the kills of the merc(im not sure this is implemented, i never had a merc before), he can level up his speech skill, to get more powerfull mercs. Eventually, at lvl 21, he has enough powerfull mercs to battle same level big gunners, its just a metter of balancing so the 2 combatants have equal power. Note that he has a speech skill of like 200+, so he cant use a gun properly himself.
Its also important to tie this feature to a special attribute like charisma, because if not, then any character with high intelligence could get the same mercs.. Maybe its better to limit the max number of mercs to 2-3(like charisma/3-4), but make those mercs more powerful.
And lastly: Mercs should not count as players when traveling, or all mercs per player should only count as 1 extra person, otherwise the transporter cant transport people XD
This way, you got a transporter for the group, that is also combat effective. Balance is the key ofc.

[Krej]

imo merc guards in bases and shit is cool but in normal pvp mercs are fucking gay

imo  scrap the supermutant mercs..
Just humans and ghouls perhaps would be better.

make slaves able to gather or any other stuff you would have your slaves doing..

hire mercs to guard your slaves while they go around gathering

[duorden]

yet it would be nice to introduce a restriction on the number of mercenaries, as the purchase of detonators

or the limit of no more than (ex) 50(75??100??150??) mercenaries on wasteland