There is still some confusion as to what retinues are supposed to stand for.
If we can agree that a broadly understood retinue (all of your tail/retainers, not just a narrow bodyguard like the 'General's Bodyguard' unit in TW) is more or less the same as a Slavic-style druzhina, then we should note that those guys typically sported around 3K troops. Then again, you could put that number down the tribal army/zealots/whatever mechanic.
On the other hand, a bodyguard unit of sorts would necessarily be small. It would get better warriors but not really larger numbers as your power and size increased.
Either way, from the pure concept representation standpoint, there isn't really any need to have huge retinues in the end game. In fact, there is not much sense in that, actually. Anything more than that 3-5K retinue would be a standing army if on permanent pay and somewhat elite in status — and just a levy otherwise (having retainers and raising them when needed is called levies
).
By contrast, pretty much any serious prince on the map should have his own from start. Everyone had a tail, everyone had his own bloodriders/household knights/kingsguard/whatever we want to call it.
So, unless retinues are just a standing army, I think they shouldn't depend so much on realm size and tech level. In contrast, there should rather be two guiding variables:
— prestige (own or dynastic) for quality and numbers, i.e. numbers and classes of warriors who want to follow you around;
— income to manage the training and upkeep.
Realm size and especially demesne size is kinda okay-ish as a representation of payment in land, i.e. small knightly fiefs and military settlers that you need to put somewhere — meaning land.
On the other hand, like I said, otherwise it shouldn't really matter that much. Another thing that's wrong with realm size vs retinue cap is how anybody from the baron to the emperor can use the same manpool without needing to share. That makes a total of five rulers selecting their leet haxx0rs from the same villages and fields and burghs and everything else. That's a crowd of recruiters for so little resource.
Next, the tech. Tech should probably help the size of real standing armies and in any case improve your logistics, appro etc., but not just the size of retinue you are allowed as a 'point of law'. Nope. One of the quirks of MO is how you can race it in a republican capital and then every patrician family has a huge private army off of the palace, the trade posts and the tech. Aint's so easy for feudals. However, the patrician retinue configuration is probably closer to what it really should be with retinues rather than pure realm size.
I'd probably see the retinue as an upgradable/micromanageable small private merc band of sorts. Special guys for special uses, some of which could appear in dialogues, e.g.:
— 'Send your retinue' (e.g. in windows of opportunity in sieges, both as attacked and defender — if physically present)
— Retinue to follow/guard you (less chance of dying, harder time winning)
— Retinue to reinforce breaking/wavering/decimated lines
— Retinue to just participate in battles like a normal troop
Plus some problems with retinues being sent where the ruler himself doesn't go — their morale should be at their best when actually guarding the royal person. Otherwise more like an elite army unit, still special but not as special any more. Unless perhaps they're on some special assignment under a special retinue commander (not someone from the normal army). They should probably react better to being led personally or by a family member than otherwise, although a council member or popular vassal could also be somewhat acceptable. But maybe I'm overthinking this.
Anyway:
— More front-loaded
— More available in general
— Less scaling or even not much at all, no huge retinues even if you're big
— More importance of individual prestige, dynastic prestige, ruler Martial, stats and prestige of commanders etc.
— Perhaps customizable for the player to just have something to do (esp. a feudal who doesn't have a mansion to play with).
— Special missions (spec ops, undeclared wars, siege sallies, whatever).
If we can agree that a broadly understood retinue (all of your tail/retainers, not just a narrow bodyguard like the 'General's Bodyguard' unit in TW) is more or less the same as a Slavic-style druzhina, then we should note that those guys typically sported around 3K troops. Then again, you could put that number down the tribal army/zealots/whatever mechanic.
On the other hand, a bodyguard unit of sorts would necessarily be small. It would get better warriors but not really larger numbers as your power and size increased.
Either way, from the pure concept representation standpoint, there isn't really any need to have huge retinues in the end game. In fact, there is not much sense in that, actually. Anything more than that 3-5K retinue would be a standing army if on permanent pay and somewhat elite in status — and just a levy otherwise (having retainers and raising them when needed is called levies
).By contrast, pretty much any serious prince on the map should have his own from start. Everyone had a tail, everyone had his own bloodriders/household knights/kingsguard/whatever we want to call it.
So, unless retinues are just a standing army, I think they shouldn't depend so much on realm size and tech level. In contrast, there should rather be two guiding variables:
— prestige (own or dynastic) for quality and numbers, i.e. numbers and classes of warriors who want to follow you around;
— income to manage the training and upkeep.
Realm size and especially demesne size is kinda okay-ish as a representation of payment in land, i.e. small knightly fiefs and military settlers that you need to put somewhere — meaning land.
On the other hand, like I said, otherwise it shouldn't really matter that much. Another thing that's wrong with realm size vs retinue cap is how anybody from the baron to the emperor can use the same manpool without needing to share. That makes a total of five rulers selecting their leet haxx0rs from the same villages and fields and burghs and everything else. That's a crowd of recruiters for so little resource.
Next, the tech. Tech should probably help the size of real standing armies and in any case improve your logistics, appro etc., but not just the size of retinue you are allowed as a 'point of law'. Nope. One of the quirks of MO is how you can race it in a republican capital and then every patrician family has a huge private army off of the palace, the trade posts and the tech. Aint's so easy for feudals. However, the patrician retinue configuration is probably closer to what it really should be with retinues rather than pure realm size.
I'd probably see the retinue as an upgradable/micromanageable small private merc band of sorts. Special guys for special uses, some of which could appear in dialogues, e.g.:
— 'Send your retinue' (e.g. in windows of opportunity in sieges, both as attacked and defender — if physically present)
— Retinue to follow/guard you (less chance of dying, harder time winning)
— Retinue to reinforce breaking/wavering/decimated lines
— Retinue to just participate in battles like a normal troop
Plus some problems with retinues being sent where the ruler himself doesn't go — their morale should be at their best when actually guarding the royal person. Otherwise more like an elite army unit, still special but not as special any more. Unless perhaps they're on some special assignment under a special retinue commander (not someone from the normal army). They should probably react better to being led personally or by a family member than otherwise, although a council member or popular vassal could also be somewhat acceptable. But maybe I'm overthinking this.
Anyway:
— More front-loaded
— More available in general
— Less scaling or even not much at all, no huge retinues even if you're big
— More importance of individual prestige, dynastic prestige, ruler Martial, stats and prestige of commanders etc.
— Perhaps customizable for the player to just have something to do (esp. a feudal who doesn't have a mansion to play with).
— Special missions (spec ops, undeclared wars, siege sallies, whatever).
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