"Condottiere" fleets and externalized conflict

[Dracogen]

I like the EU4 condottiere system quite a lot and think that a similar system could provide depth to Stellaris too. In condottiere, you rent some of your armies and generals to someone else for their wars. The fleet is controlled by you, but can fight the renter's enemies. In Stellaris the possibility of using a similar system could open up many new ways of influencing the space around you, thanks to the expanded trade interface. You could designate a fleet with an admiral as "mercenary" after researching a tech or if you have a specific government type and after that it shows up on the trade screen. The computer would then asses the fleets' value depending on the ships' technology and numbers.


Some examples:

1. Have an empire whose existence gives you a nice buffer, but you don't want to guarantee, ally or confederate? Rent one of your fleets to them to act as deterrent for their rivals or as "military advisors" during war.
2. Need minerals, energy or a research treaty? Rent your fleet to fight in a foreign war.
3. Get stuck in a peaceful federation but still want experienced admirals? Fighting in a foreign war is a good educator.

While serving, the fleet cannot be upgraded and might suffer losses. Maybe a requirement for mercenary fleets should be a mobile repair station/ship, so you can repair a rented fleet without zig-zagging between home and battlefield? Or maybe you could "rent" space ports from other empires for repairs?

 

[corny.1234]

Don't spoil... That's the content of the DLC mercs & pirates which will be release after the DLC merchants & migrants.

 

[Darustet]

Any mechanic to allow proxy wars is a good mechanic

That poor little empire that is about to become a ruined battlefield, just because my enemy on the other side insulted my tentacles!

 

[Elfin]

Some kind of expeditional forces, volunteers and political actions (like opening spaceport for one side of conflict and close for another). If it was in game I'd be glad to see.

 

[The_Meme_Man]

This has to be a feature. Even outright mercenaries, as mercenaries are still used and pretty relevant in modern war today. Hopefully with fewer caps on how many mercenaries you can sell so that it could become a very lucrative game-play style as a small elite militaristic race instead of an expansive one.

 

[Pandoricus]

This has to be a feature. Even outright mercenaries, as mercenaries are still used and pretty relevant in modern war today. Hopefully with fewer caps on how many mercenaries you can sell so that it could become a very lucrative game-play style as a small elite militaristic race instead of an expansive one.

I like that idea. And the op'sof course

 

[Kimberly]

It seems to me that volunteers for ground troops can be simulated entirely within the existing mechanics: an event occurs for Empire A (at peace) where his Pop wants to move to Empire B (at war) to serve in its infantry. If A has free migration, the chain just continues, if not, the player must approve or face a happiness penalty. Empire B then gets an event allowing them to accept or deny the aid, and if it accepts a Pop is moved from Empire A to Empire B and can now be recruited from. Given the way ground forces work at the moment, it probably only makes sense for the event to fire if the Pop from Empire A is Strong or Very Strong, or any non-weak Pop from Empire A if Empire B's main species is Weak.

 

[Max93b]

Sounds like a good idea.

 

[Giacomo1405]

proxy wars would be a great addition

 

[Torr Nomad]

This might be a nice, but I think if you still has control of the forces rented out it would kind of strange. At that piont you are basicly simlpy a showdow ally.
It might make more sense if you rented ships out to others. They would control them instead of the player. You would gain instead of lose minerals and energy, but risk the lost of the ship if the renter gets them destroyed in battle. But is would be a way gain influence and possibly favor with other empires.

 

[Lowki]

This would be a really nice idea, though perhaps not something that you'd expect to find in the setting. Perhaps it could be linked to certain govt types? Or certain ethos?

 

[Dracogen]

If it is linked to a gov type, other govs should have similar choices. Maybe capitalists could purchase exploitation rights, for example?

 

[Botox]

Yes, if there is some kind of (diplo) consequence.
Why? Because I dont think that any empire would be glad or would overlook if someone would rent out their fleets to their enemies. "Oh hey... those ships do look like if they were from the Argonian Empire and hey, there are Argonians on those ships, but I'm sure the Argonians arent involved in it..."

Imagine the US would have rented out their troops to the Ukraine during the Crimea Crisis the last 3 years, or do you think Russia would have just sat there and said ok?

 

[Sir Leningrad]

I would like an international brigades-like mechanic where you can send help without directly intervening, like the Soviet Union or the Third Reich did at the Spanish Civil War, plus the ability of receiving some extra soldier units that voluntarily come from different foreign empires that are fanatic individualist if you are being invaded by a fanatic collecivist empire or are facing a civil war between materialists and spiritualists, as an example.

 

[TheBeautifulVoid2]

Yes, if there is some kind of (diplo) consequence.
Why? Because I dont think that any empire would be glad or would overlook if someone would rent out their fleets their enemies. "Oh hey... those ships do look like if they were from the Argonian Empire and hey, there are Argonians on those ships, but I'm sure the Argonians arent involved in it..."

Imagine the US would have rented out their troops to the Ukraine during the Crimea Crisis the last 3 years, or do you think Russia would have just sat there and said ok?

IIRC Britain hired the armies of several German states, most notably Hesse-Darmstadt, to fight in the American War of Independence. They were popularly known as Hessian even if they weren't from Hesse.

Renting out their entire fleet is a good way for a small militaristic nation to make a living in a violent galaxy. It means you can afford a far larger fleet than you can afford, if that makes sense.

 

[Smiles_]

Like the idea. I dig it.


Smiles

 

[Kornet]

I am somewhat concerned that this may be a bit too much for the AI to chew. It's one thing when it evaluates it's chacnes in war given known alliences. It's another when it has to account for all the nations which migh decide to lend their enemy a flotilla or two.

 

[Botox]

IIRC Britain hired the armies of several German states, most notably Hesse-Darmstadt, to fight in the American War of Independence. They were popularly known as Hessian even if they weren't from Hesse.

Renting out their entire fleet is a good way for a small militaristic nation to make a living in a violent galaxy. It means you can afford a far larger fleet than you can afford, if that makes sense.

True but during that time the world was "larger" then it is now, news took some time to travel and mercenarys were more common.
But anyway, as I said, as long as there are some form of repercussions, its definetly a feature that would most certainly enrich the game.

 

[Sir Leningrad]

If they are hired as mercenaries, it's a trade contact and defenitely shouldn't have consequences, since the empire per se is neutral and is only selling their arms at the best payer, as there aren't with today's mercenaries. On the other hand, if it-'s some kind of military support like it happened during WWII or the Spanish Civil War, then yes.

 

[cletusallretus]

sounds like a dlc good idea