For the borderlands I have this crazy idea that would shake things up.
First: remove the waypoint unlocks from all of the keeps.
Now that that’s done
The quaggan center island, the skritt cave and the Centaur camp all become mercenary camps that can be captured. Each camp contains a waypoint and hirable mercenaries.
True mercenary camps: The mercenaries can be hired to follow a player around as reinforcements. They come in 3 “packs”
- Single player: for 15 silver you can hire 3 veteran level body guards to follow you around.
- Party: For 25 silver you can hire 6 veterans to follow you.
- Commander: for 50 silver a commander can hire 14 veterans and 1 champion to follow him.
Mercenaries only follow their leader so long as the merc camp remains in their server’s control. If the camp flips to an enemy the mercenaries will turn on their leader. Additionally a player can only hire mercenaries once every 15 minutes. Finally a server can only have 2 groups of hired mercenaries in the commander size, 3 groups of mercenaries in party and 5 in single player size hired. You must be in a party to hire the party size and you must be a commander tagged up to hire a commander size. Party mercenaries disband if your party disbands. Commander mercenaries will disband if you shut off your commander tag.
Each mercenary camp has a veteran claimer and can be flipped similarly to how a camp is currently flipped. Some extra benefits will be available
Guild claimed: all mercenary costs at the camp are reduced by 25%. Guild buff research: reduces cost by additional 25% while active.
Outnumbered: Mercenary groups have no per-server limit. If outnumbered fades mercenary groups over the normal limit will disband if their player leader is out of combat.
Party and commander mercenary groups will carry supply and gather it at supply camps when they’re visited.
This change:
Introduces a contestable waypoint in the center of all 3 keeps.
Introduces a contestable waypoint in the far north where enemies can gain fast access to the enemy backlines.
Allows mercenaries to be hired to aid servers with smaller populations. Benefits can still be available to larger populations but are at a reduced capability. Mercenaries can enable small parties to be threats to the enemy.
Edit:
Forgot 1 part. The previous waypoint upgrade is replaced with a keep guard upgrade. These guards will patrol walls and call out enemy presence of more than 5 when they’re seen. They will also report if a keep or wall takes siege damage and can man siege placed on the keep. These NPC guards can be kicked off siege by any player.
Little red Lioka