Ransom: how often?

[Vlad Tzepes]

I love the idea of being able to get a ransom for releasing prisoners. I missed the feature in RTW, I enjoyed it in MTW 1.

But what I notice is that in my English campaign (m/vh) now in MTW2, ransom seldom works. In 8 out of 10 attempts, the AI rejects the ransom offer and the prisoners get killed.

I'm not even the richest faction in game - as a matter of fact, my finances are low ranked in every year's (or turn?) report and quite often I end up in debt turn after turn. The biggest ransom I could ever get from the AI was something around 2.000 fl, the biggest rejected was over 10.000, but I get turned down for requests as small as 35 fl.

I'd like to see ransom work out well more often - well it would certainly help my finances! In MTW, you could get rich quick if you captured the enemy's king or heir or family members...

On the other hand, I'd love to have a decision left towards prisoners even after the AI refuses to pay the ransom - it shouldn't be like "no money - instant death". Add to that the prisoners voices when you hover your mouse over options ("Yeeess, yes! Our king will pay, think about the money!" - well I DO think about the money, all the time! ) - they always hint ransom will work.

Do you guys get ransoms often?

[Rothe]

I think the reason for not paying up is that the faction in question does not have the funds.

I find that ofter my enemy seems to be broke as they are using all their income in building more troops and buildings. I do not think it really is a serious fault, but the AI probably spends a lot when it goes to war and even uses up reserve funds that it has accumulated.

I think the ransom could also be less if they do not have more money (instead of execution), the enemy could do a proposition much like in the diplomacy screen.

[Vlad Tzepes]

I think the reason for not paying up is that the faction in question does not have the funds.

Of course it is, mon ami, but if I'm not doing well, and if the factions I'm at war with (lots of them) are broke, then who gets all the money?

Which is the biggest ransom you guys cashed in? And what about enemy kings, anybody managed to capture one and get a ransom?

[past caring]

It's a bit of a pain the way it works at the moment - I think I've only got one ransom, ever. Must have had seventy or eighty refused in my current game. A diplomatic option would be good, though perhaps a bit hard to code. The ability to ransom individual units rather than the entirety of those captured might also be better......

In reality, the decision wasn't one of "pay the ransom now or we execute instantly" - it wasn't uncommon for captured nobles and royalty to be held for years on end until their families could afford the ransom. So, at the moment, what could be quite an interesting game feature is really no more than extraneous tinsel. Not a game breaker, though - at least there's no piety or chivalry loss if prisoners are executed and you've offered to ransom first.

[Jagger]

Ransom is definitely related to whether the nation has funds or not. Rich nations usually pay the ransom. Broke nations normally don't.

The downside to paid ransom is you often end up fighting the very same troops again shortly afterwards.

[Zenicetus]

Ransom is definitely related to whether the nation has funds or not. Rich nations usually pay the ransom. Broke nations normally don't.

That's been my experience. I might get one or two successful ransom payments in the early phase of a war, but from the mid to late phase when I'm grinding it down to the last provinces, the faction just doesn't have any spare cash.

The downside to paid ransom is you often end up fighting the very same troops again shortly afterwards.

Yep, and it's especially nasty if I'm ransoming a captured general/family member with a high star rank, who killed a bunch of troops before I could take him down, and he'll do it again next time (unless I get lucky with a catapult hit... heh). I usually go for ransoms anyway when playing a Catholic faction, because I think it affects your standing with the Pope when you kill prisoners. And I have a hard enough time with that.

[danfda]

Which is the biggest ransom you guys cashed in? And what about enemy kings, anybody managed to capture one and get a ransom?

Yep, and nope. It was a Hungarian king, IIRC. Caught the bastage and his hiers said "Thanks!" and scampered off. Bugger...his ransom was huge...

The highest ransom I've yet gotten was about 3k florins or something. Still, I offer it every time, even if I want to execute mine enemies, knowing that the AI has an aversion to saving itself...

[zandor]

That's odd... in my game so far the AI has usually paid. Most of them have just been a couple hundred florins though.

The one time I got an at all significant amount as a ransom demand the AI didn't pay. I think it was 700 & change.

[BigTex]

Of course it is, mon ami, but if I'm not doing well, and if the factions I'm at war with (lots of them) are broke, then who gets all the money?

Which is the biggest ransom you guys cashed in? And what about enemy kings, anybody managed to capture one and get a ransom?

I've caught a milanese king, he had a ransom of over 10,000 alone, plus around 600 troops. The total ransom was 13,000, but even for their king they refused. I've even gotten a king and a familay member from the danes, they had a ransom of 17,000, it too was rejected.

Seems like the AI doesnt like to keep it's kings. I think they need to add back the feature from MTW of being able to go into debt in order to pay for a ransom.

[KARTLOS]

perhaps you should be forced to go inot deb to ransom a king -more historiical?

[Ciaran]

In MTW I you can borrow money if you have no cash to ransom back your prisoners, the only occassion where you can go into debt actively (the other way is running up such a large payroll bill that your income can´t handle it, of course, which still works in RTW - I don´t know about MIITW).

In reality, the decision wasn't one of "pay the ransom now or we execute instantly" - it wasn't uncommon for captured nobles and royalty to be held for years on end until their families could afford the ransom.

Yep, remember Richard Lionheart, or the Duke of Orleans after the battle of Agincourt, it took about fifteen years before the latter was exchanged for the Earl of Somerset (who was a prisoner for almost as long), and one of Henry V´s claims that refuelled the Hundred Years War in 1419 was the still unpaid ransom for King Jean, long since deceased at the time.