#26 A way to simulate the time it takes to retreat or surrender.

[Steven Aus]

Could you make an option so that when a hero retreats or surrenders, the number of moves (based on the slowest creature in the army in the case of surrenders, or Ultra Fast in the case of retreats) to get to the nearest friendly settlement that has a Tavern (can be a town or castle) is calculated, and they don't appear in that settlement with a Tavern until that number of turns afterwards? The hero would could be rehired from that's settlement's Tavern directly for the normal hire cost (even if it is just a town) or possibly, since the time taken to reapper after retreat or surrender is maybe even more costly than paying a gold cost, why not make it so that there is no rehire cost? =)

When a hero retreats or surrenders, that player would be told which settlement (that has a Tavern - very important - a hero wouldn't be able to retreat or surrender to any town/castle that doesn't have a Tavern at the time of retreat/surrender) the hero is heading for. If that settlement is captured before the hero gets there, the game again checks again (at the time the settlement is captured) for the nearest town/castle that has a Tavern, and calculates the amount of moves from the settlement that just got taken over to the next nearest still owned castle. This extra time would be added to the tally, and they would appear in that other Tavern after the extra time (number of moves based on surrendered hero's slowest creature, or Ultra Fast for retreated heroes.)

If there are not any settlements that have a Tavern at the time when a hero would retreat or surrender, all heroes of that player would not be able to retreat or surrender (these options would be blocked). If the last settlement that has a Tavern is lost before the hero has appeared, then the hero goes back into the hero pool at the time the last settlement with a Tavern is lost. If the hero had surrendered, the cost for another player to hire that hero would be hero cost (either 2500 or hero cost dependent on level if that option is on) plus cost of the heroes surrendered troops, to prevent free troops. This would simulate having to pay for the loyalty of the troops after their previous master was no longer able to hire them.

Could you implement this? It would be great if instead of paying a great deal to rehire a hero instantly at any castle anywhere on the map (a teleport essentially for the hero and possibly surrendered troops), a time period is calculated, and they can be rehired for no cost at a particular town/castle's Tavern when they get there. =) That would be fantastic.

Best regards,
Steven.

[Steven Aus]

Shrines could make do for Necromancer castles, since otherwise they would be disadvantaged if they don't have any non-Necromancer settlements. =)

Best regards,
Steven.