Caution: Merc Catapults WILL merge with ones you built

**antisocialmunky** · 07-16-2005, 01:04

I think the exploit is called 'nationalization.'

**Zarax** · 07-17-2005, 11:47

Personally I hire only "foreign" units as mercenaries, makes sense with the way I modded the game...

**barocca** · 07-17-2005, 12:29

this bug was fixed in Viking Invasion? yes/no?

**EatYerGreens** · 07-17-2005, 23:42

Originally Posted by barocca

this bug was fixed in Viking Invasion? yes/no?

I've only recently begun my first full campaign and I'm not up to the required tech level for home-built catapults yet. Merc ones have been available but I've not had cause to hire any.

So, basically, I've yet to verify whether this is fixed yet.

For the record, this is MTW European retail version with the matching VI expansion applied, straight from the box. The opening screen says v2.01.

(the patch to fix 56-yr old king death is still pending as I'm awaiting an answer to a question I posted on the forum about whether it's safe to apply when a campaign is in progress).

**EatYerGreens** · 07-17-2005, 23:57

There is another thing I've discovered about merc units, which I'm finding slightly annoying at the moment. Situation is as follows:-

1) Merc unit is not a type your faction is able to train, so replenishment or blending into your own units is not possible anyway.
2) The unit suffers losses in battle but after a defeat, say, some are returned to you as prisoners. So the unit is now split into two halves.
3) You move the halves into a common province, planning to merge them the following year.
4) The game refuses to let you merge the two portions, even though they started life as a single unit.
5) Similar situation when there were two merc units of the same unit type which get depleted sufficiently to merge into a single unit. Again it won't allow them to merge.

In some ways, the behaviour as in item 5) is probably realistic, given that they'd be fighting for their own shares in ransom money and so forth, so one of the two generals in charge refuses to accept a merger.

Interestingly, with merging my own units, I sometimes find that it is allowed but 1 man gets kept separate, even when the bigger portion is still at less than its default strength. The common feature I've observed is that both of the generals concerned have developed V&V characteristics of some kind. It won't allow you to merge that oddball/reprobate (of whatever description) into non-existence within a better unit!

Then again, I guess if he is left behind as a 1-man unit, he can then be disbanded...

**EatYerGreens** · 07-18-2005, 00:02

Originally Posted by antisocialmunky

I think the exploit is called 'nationalization.'

LOL, that's a good word for it.

**Advo-san** · 07-18-2005, 13:23

EXCUSE ME!!!!! If I have a merc unit among my forces, does this have a different cost?? p.e. a unit of home-made militia sergeants has a different annual cost than a unit of MS-mecs?

**Advo-san** · 07-18-2005, 13:25

...I ment MS-mercs... I suppose MS-mecs would have been funny, non-medieval though...

**Eternal Champion** · 07-18-2005, 13:45

Yes, Merc units cost more to support. That is the trade off, get units quickly and some you can't build for more money then building them yourself. That's why a lot of players only hire mercs when they are ready to send them into battle.

**Advo-san** · 07-18-2005, 13:50

Dear God..... I ve been paying them for 2 centuries.... I knew something was not right with my economy, I knew it!!! Enough is enough! They 'll be saked in notime!

Aaargh!!

**mfberg** · 07-19-2005, 20:08

Keep track of your enemies, the units you disband go into the merc pool and if the AI decides to hire an army you might be facing the generals you have trained.

mfberg