Problem Merging Mercs post-patch

[Lichgod]

Unable to merge same type merc units (was able to do so pre-patch).

I dont know if this is a bug or new feature in the patch. This is happening in SP, campaign as Danes, early period.

My first building is always an Inn so I can get mercs -- usually just Kat Cav. Its 1171 and I have 8-10 units of Kataphratic Cav. I cannot merge those with losses. I have 5 that are less than 20 and cannot merge any of them. I am able to merge my regular troops.

I have tried using the short cut and dragging and dropping. That is working with the regular troops. I have also gone into battle with these remanent formations hoping that the end of battle auto merge would fix the problem. Nope.

Looks like the patch prevents merging of identical merc units.

I would like to hear if others encountered the same.

Lichgod

[Postino]

yep, merc's are non-mergable here too. i suppose mercs are an entity unto themselves. makes sense to me.

[MizuKokami]

doesn't make much sence to me. a unit of 10 merc cav will die quick, as there is safety in numbers. surely being a merc doesn't mean you are too stubborn to join the king's army, or too stupid to combine with others of your type. and once the merc's commander is dead, what's to keep them from joining others? and it's a sure bet that the commander of each unit will die ,except for the general, as any time i send my nobles to battle, i end up with an opening for a governor.

[pdoan8]

Actually, the game is not supposed to allow you to merge Merc to begin with (in the original release, pre-patch) as the manual ... well, I forgot where I read the info, but either in the manual or one of the Devs said that. The patch fix the problem, so post-patch, you can't merge Merc because you shouldn't be able to begin with. I believe that its not a bug.

Remember that Mercs are not your soldiers. Also, each unit acts as an independent (the leader of the unit take the deal and fight for you) so they won't work together because in real life each leader of a Merc unit may take the deal differently. That's why you can't merge with other Mercs or reinforce them with your own men.

[solypsist]

yeah I found this out last night. bummer.
it also has the added effect of not really allowing you to "develop" your mercs into a formidable fighting unit. For example, a raw unit of Italian Infantry will increase in valor, and the general will gain abilities, just like any other unit general. But if the unit continues to diminish each battle, even by a few men, eventually the unit becomes unuseable (three excellent Italian Infantry or sixty medicre Italian Infantry, which unit would you use?) and must be discarded. So mercs are now basically forced into being temporary units rather than parts of loyal armies.

[insolent1]

Noticed that aswell, its a pity as when playing some factions you need to rely on mercs a lot. Now they are just going to be used for 1 or 2 battles.

[Shahed]

Same here. I'm playing Egypt and absolutely love ahving some billmen and halberdiers in my armies. I always like to combine armies with Muslim, Orthodox and Catholic troops. Looks like post patch the mercs cannot be merged and as you all say that makes them a lot more temporary than in the past. Though I agree with
Kokami that mercs should be mergable, maybe we should make em more expensive to make them less available ?

[w00tage]

surley(spelling?) mercenaries are meant to be temporary troops, they are hired for one battle and the discarded. Through history mercenaried were hired for a specific task, once they completed it thhey were paid and went on their way. You are meant to use them to mop up some arrows and mabey put home a charge and when the battle is over set them loose upon the world once more. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[barocca]

the problem with allowing them to merge was if you left automerge on they would often soak up your own troops, and sometimes your govenors too,

this was a nuisance because if you a merc govenor can't be fired, you have to assassinate him...

[MizuKokami]

i haven't worried too much of late about mergeing mercs, as their upkeep costs are outrageous. it would still be nice to merge them into troops i can produce, but oh well. any merc unit you dismiss will be rehireable for a time. try it. disband a merc in a province with an inn, then check which mercs are hireable. try it cause i'm not to sure about all being that way, tho it seems to to work out that way.

[Brown Wolf]

Are you sure you can't merge mercs with regular troops? I believe that even with the patch I can still do so (I am playing HRE). I'll have to check again (it will have to wait until possibly after finals). But did you do a complete reinstall with the "offical patch", that is what I did.

[Leet Eriksson]

it does'nt make sense if you merge them after all mercenaries are only "hired"and the captain of the mercenary of said unit might not be pleased when hes dissmissed while another mercenary captain takes his place.

[Kraxis]

I understand the reasons for this and have accepted them. But now my good old Alan cav you get as Byz is impossible to reinforce. They were a great unit as long as you could hire more mercs to keep them up in numbers (and it was very costeffective as mercs cost only half to hire while they are doubled in upkeep). I loved those Alans.