Unofficialcrusaderpatch: Bandit camps in skirmish mode?

[PitchNeeded]

In some of the later Stronghold games, bandit/outlaw camps exist on the maps.

I was just thinking, especially, as has been explained, it is probably too difficult to create a new AI lord, that eventually it might be a good idea to introduce bandit camps to Stronghold Crusader AI skirmish as smaller scale AI enemies on the map.

The bandits could send messages to players like an AI character when they attack, using the bandits binks that exist in sandbox mode (and so have their own personality and unit colour (maybe white as that is not a colour in skirmish mode yet) which would make them different and more 'personal' than the automated spawners in Stronghold Crusader Extreme), but they wouldn't have any sort of industries or a castle. They would spawn low quality units like spearmen, tunnelers (who would just fight in melee and not dig tunnels though) and archers and maybe a few macemen from time to time. They wouldn't spawn them any units too fast (as bandits would take a while to recruit disaffected peasants from castles, which is what the bandit camp is simulating!).

They would defend their bandit camps decently though, making it harder for a human player or AI to destroy them, and the bandit camp would be take a while too to destroy, taking as much damage as a stone tower would.

[PitchNeeded]

Do we think this would possible to impliment this one day? Having just one bandit camp in a skirmish game which spawns units (representing disaffected peasants from other castles joining the bandits) to attack from time to time until it was destroyed would be almost as good as having a full new AI lord if it could be in the game, especially with the messages from the bandits to the player giving this new enemy personality!

[Sh0wdown]

Interesting idea, maybe one could simply make scenario maps playable in skirmishes.

[Monsterfisch]

If it's possible to make events play in skirmish/multiplayer that would be dope as hell!

[PitchNeeded]

In terms of events being enabled in skirmish mode such as invasions, that would be brilliant too! It would certainly make skirmish mode harder!

I would still however like to see bandit camps as this would allow for a new AI personality. Maybe the lord could be the infamous Reynald of Kerak and be played by the halberdier who appears in the campaigns. Or the good bandit 'Robin Hood' who spawns mostly archers and only attacks evil lords with negative fear factor (including human lords with negative fear factor).

Ideally, there would be a lord who would have to be killed for the bandits to be defeated, and the bandits would always try to keep some troops back to try and defend their camp.

[Monsterfisch]

you are really just asking for a new character now arent ye =P not to burst the bubble but I think we are very far of from that one being realized as it would require voice acting, character animation etc which can partially be done I am sure but the coding in of behavior and so on seems like something that needs a lot more flexibility with the code that I am not sure but quite certain is not something showd0wn is able to do at this point. Apart from that if the events are possible to be used in skirmish missions you could certainly reproduce a scenario like that I am sure.

[PitchNeeded]

Well maybe what I am proposing with a castle and rebuilding is too complicated. Just a bandit camp then without defenses (and just with some troops left behind to defend) which sends invasions every so often with speech files from the game if possible (peasants and workers could have some quotes to simulate a new AI lord) and the bandit videos would be good enough I think.