Gaurd Post

[brisk spoke]

I find that when enemies attack you have too much time to prepare nad can easily defend, I am wondering if their could be sneak attacks from enemy raiders. But you can counter these sneak attacks by positioning gaurds on the walls to gaurd from enemy sneak attacks and spot them before the enemys get close. This would make the game more spicy and fun.

[pure plover]

the idea of having a military role and assigning guards to posts is definitely growing on me. Assign folk with the right role to posts (like the beds) but with the ability to assign multiple folk to multiple posts, and then use the schedule to make sure you have folk on duty at all times of the day/night. If guard has more than one post they can spend time at each and thus patrol. I assume that any incoming threats should be announced earlier and with a direction (which unless I've missed it - we don't currently know). Then we can reduce the awareness when we don't have active guards (a modest debuff). A martial role (like other roles such as druid/chaplain/bard/warden) should allow for upgrades that mean a demand for better kit (arms/armour) and more grumbling when doing the non-martial stuff. At higher levels this will include guard duty. Training equipment can be provided and these military types can make use if it - with higher grades being more effective. This approach means you can recruit a lot of villagers into militia roles, a step above the usual (draft) levy, and use them to guard and train, without losing their effectiveness on all other tasks. And have a few specialists more highly trained but with a disdain for doing 'peasant work'.

Then give us the ability to found new settlements in the region, and we have ourselves the options for campaign work... all from a simple post.

[covert ruin]

having a captain role on both sides of an engagement would also lead to more strategic combat where a certain settler's or invader's death leads to a big morale hit for that side but they also have rallying abilities

[covert ruin]

i also think in addition to sneak attacks as you say there is a room for a lot more types of attacks - harassing settlers working on the outskirts of the map, or raiding supplies you've got unprotected out in the open. that type of stuff will motivate a more realistic distribution of fortifications, security, and assets around the map. even kidnapping settlers who are unarmed or unaccompanied, though that mechanic will make more sense when attacking other settlements becomes a thing. and of course long-term sieges where your lands are occupied, your walls tunneled under and water source fouled, etc

stronghold crusader had a sneak attack unit that was cloaked until close to your units or climbing your walls if i remember, the assassin

[pure plover]

I like the idea of a sneaky attack, getting inside and opening the door before youve raised troops. This mechanic would need us a change to doors/gates that I think is needed anyway.... Doors having a lock that is accessible on one or both sides... Simple variant choice as already have for shape.
This means you'd have a target now... The lock of a gate.

Also, I see the region being a more interesting playing area. I've run out of iron so I'm currently trading for it, all good. But I could establish a new settlement on the regional map with a few of my villagers, one to mine me some iron. But it's close to a raiders camp... Well I can attack them and drive them off, but they're a persistent pest, so I also build a fort in a strategic position to protect the approaches to mine and town. It'll have less productivity cos I send all it's resources from the town and the mine, but its fairly hard and has a bunch of martial types posted. Finally I perform patrols, like trade caravans, but with the intention of reducing the likelihood of raiders making it to my rear area settlements.

[vernal holly]

I feel like having guard patrols might stretch the colony too thin and some settlers will end up doing too many things, given that the game stops giving you more people around 20 something settlers

[pure plover]

That was my original thought when I read a few posts about guards, but I like the idea of a regional game and martial role. Let's assume we have 10 martial types, level 1 militia, that's half the town... Maybe overkill. But if we assign them to 3 hours of role duty each, then we're losing about 10-15% productivity, which is a lot, but building towards regional conflicts must cost you something.

[covert ruin]

i disagree with the idea of making players choose between efficiency and defense. martial roles are a cool idea but there's no need to make them lazy workers. in this context, essentially a commune with no nobility, i don't think that's how it would have worked. if you're going to also require settlers to patrol that means a well-defended settlement is going to have even more minuses. or another way to think of it is that uneventful patrols are their "lazy" benefit compared to the hard labor of everyone else.

[slim viper]

I think a sneak attack would be hard to implement, as well as climbing the wall, since we aren't a player, we're watching and managing. We're kind of playing god, with a pause option and fast forward option.

[pure plover]

We already have perks and roles that dont like peasant work - makes sense that a more specialised soldier type would be above picking up piles of ash

that is how our nobility formed

specialists - that were specialists at kicking everyone elses ass - and making alliances with others to do the same.

you start out being all nice and friendly - oh I need an extra steak for muscle and an hour off from shovelling poop to swing a sword, and before you know it - you're calling their kids 'master' and grovelling

not saying I want to recreate - but it does make sense they will be upset by doing menial tasks, given we already have that mechanic

and we're trading their general usefulness for specialist usefulness

IF you intend to push into having a military force

perhaps alliances and bribes will be enough to solve the regions problems