mercenaries

[unmerged(8399)]

Hi
I imagine this has been already raised but shouldn´t the manpower of the regions be much lower at least until 1650 so that players have to rely much more on mercenary armies?

 

[kolmy]

Hi
I imagine this has been already raised but shouldn´t the manpower of the regions be much lower at least until 1650 so that players have to rely much more on mercenary armies?

I think there are two threads that talk about mercenaries, but I don't think the manpower should be lower because the manpower, I only know that the mercenaries almost desapear with Napolean and the égalité de droits, where everyone can pick a gun, in that time the manpower had a bump, but the Napolean will not be on the game...

 

[miloc]

Related to this is the following idea.

Mercenary contracts played an important part in the history some countries; especially for the Swiss federation it was a major source of income. These contracts were basically non-aggression treaties between two countries. In addition to that one country received the right to recruit mercenaries in the other country against the payment of a yearly sum. The other country was allowed to call back the mercenaries in times of need. It would be nice if they were implemented as a diplomatic option.

The effects would be some kind of royal marriage. The recruiting country would raise its manpower-threshold against payment of some money (less than the excessive manpower penalty, or else it would make no sense). The other country would get the money; I am not sure about lowering its manpower-pool though, since having mercenaries abroad which could be called back resulted in an increase of military strength.

 

[Careful Plum]

But this is not how the Swiss mercenaries worked, AFAIK. How it actually worked is that foreign countries rented the actual, regular armies of the Swiss cantons. They didn't go to Switzerland to recruit mercenaries per se.

 

[miloc]

But this is not how the Swiss mercenaries worked, AFAIK. How it actually worked is that foreign countries rented the actual, regular armies of the Swiss cantons. They didn't go to Switzerland to recruit mercenaries per se.

AFAIK they mandated a Swiss noble who then recruited a regiment for them. But this relates to the mere technicalities; what I think interesting is that these activities were always based on non-aggression contracts between (some of) the Swiss states and the other nation. They were the main diplomatic tool that protected Swiss independence. I have no link but I am sure that I have read that in a history book.

I think it would be an interesting diplomatic option (but probably to late to implement in EU3 anyway, but still...)