Explaining better my idea for mercs.
First the problem.
1-> Paradox Nerfed manpower to make sure ideas like quantity had a more impact in the game, also to make sure you thinked more about how to win wars with less deaths instead of just winning by atrittion. Added to the fact atrittion itself is now capped at 5%.
2-> The problem is that mercs have a infinity reinforcement and also benefit more big countrys (that are rich) making sure that smaller or medium wars will have little to no effect to the manpower of that nation. While a smaller one, forced to rely on normal troops will be eventually overwhelmed.
Solution:
The solutions i find need to work together, it don´t have a easy fix for this.
Problem 1: Pool size.
Today formula is 20 + Force limit/3.
The timeframe of Eu4 don´t see regular armys until late game, so we can throw the history book in a shelf, BUT, manpower was a factor, in fact one of the main ones that determined a lot of wars.
So its a no brainer that most of your army, at least from the big countrys, should be of regular forces. Mercs being a way to soft up the casualities but not to totally avoid it. We want a country with 0 manpower to actually feel the weight of that lack of manpower so both player and AI consider a peace resolution when they get to 0.
Also manpower need to get back the spotlight otherwise atrittion have very little to offer to the game.
Solution1: Pool new formula would be Combat Width + Forcepool/10
Why combat Width?
First is a fair number. You will always have mercs to fill the front line of one army! So we don´t have complain that its too big (filling multiple armys) or too small (Not even having 1 army). It also increases with tech so everytime you started to think its too little you get a little more mercs to hire and help.
The second help this gives is that small/medium countrys can actually field 10-15k armys and make a dent to the manpower of a big country. Reducing the amount of wars costing 0 manpower to the winner.
That armys will always have a good number to face one front or support your normal army somewhere, but its small enough that you will not be able to face a big war with just mercs. You will have to actually think more about the wars again and how to make mercs soft up the enemy without risking your manpower.
You will be able to have 1 width army of man. 15 at 1444 , 40 at tech 26.
The forcepool / 10 looks like nothing at the start of the game, but by endgame when we have really big forcepools it will make a difference, even more if you go for ideas.
Some countrys like burgundy gets a +50%, caucasians +12,5%.
Also we make ideas that increase availability a little more Power We have 3 ideas (Plutocratic, administrative, quantity and 1 policy (Espionage - quantity) that increase available mercenaries.
So someone that really love mercs can double that amount.
Problem 2: AI merc itself to debt , and to death.
Solution: When reach 0 manpower the country will have a bonus for wanting peace. From +15 to +25, but that bonus will not work towards taking provinces, just white peace and other things like humilate, trade power etc. This is to avoid abuses of people Downing a 0 manpower country, make a quick siege, ask for 1 province and be done with it.
problem 3: Infinite reinforcements.
Solution: When we fix the quantity of mercs problem a lot of this will not be a huge problem anymore, but we can also work something here.
We can tie the reinforcement rate of mercenarys to your manpower.
At 100% Manpower you merc reinforcement speed will be 100%.
As your manpower decreases you will lose 1% reinforcement speed for each 2% to 3% of manpower losses.
So at 0% manpower the merc reinforce speed will go to 50%. (or 66% if you use the second number).
Its enough to keep a normal siege. Also the reduction in mercs wanting to be throw at the wolfs makes sense when you already lack subjects to go for it.
