Would you like to see a convoy unit again, and how would you like it implemented?

[Florete]

The Elibe games gave us Merlinus, a unit whose purpose was to carry the convoy around in chapters. While similar, there were differences in how he worked between the games:

Binding: Merlinus is a 5-move caravan who can be deployed just like any other unit. He can only level up by getting attacked by enemies, 1 exp at a time. Regardless of whether or not he is deployed, excess items can be sent to the convoy.
Blazing: Merlinus starts as a tent that cannot move and gains 1 level every map he survives. After 16 maps he promotes into a caravan with 5 move. He does not take a deployment slot like other units, instead at the start of most maps the player is prompted if they want to deploy him or not. If he is defeated by enemies or not deployed, excess items cannot be sent to the convoy.

In the games since convoy access has been on the main character or not available during maps at all.

I don't have strong feelings on the topic myself, but I have been wondering lately if the concept could be brought back and made more interesting, as both versions of Merlinus are pretty flawed. My problems with them are as follows:

• Merlinus taking a deployment slot in Binding Blade rarely feels worth it, especially later when he'll have a hard time keeping up with the team.
• Merlinus being unable to move for a while in Blazing Blade creates the odd conundrum where players may feel the need to leave one or more units behind to protect him (and the game even mentions this), but then you lose manpower for the actual map itself and if reinforcements don't come from the back it just feels like a complete waste.
• On its own, I actually don't so much mind the inability to send items to convoy if Merlinus isn't present and think it could be an interesting obstacle to work around for one or two maps throughout the game (I find Night of Farewells interesting in part because of this), but it's a problem when the above point is considered; if you end up losing him mid-map, you could be in a position you weren't prepared for where there are still items to be collected but you don't have the space for them.

What would you do? Should they be able to do combat? Be pure support, possibly with staff/dance/etc? Fly and breathe fire?

[Technoweirdo]

As is, lords don't get used often for their magic backpack because everyone can already carry all the weapons they need.

Figure if you want to actually use the convoy for the convoy, you'd have to severely limit inventory space. After that, I figure it'd be a shitshow resolved by having multiple convoys that somehow have access to the same inventory unless you want to play a singular blob all the time. Also possibly yeeting axes at friends. I mean, if healers are allowed to heal across mountains (and grab friends or even enemies across those same mountains...)

[Armchair General]

In an way, it's kind of realistic to have an dedicated convoy unit on the field. With the way things are, nowadays, you'd have to pull either your lord or someone else out of formation to rearrange some items

[Fabulously Olivier]

How about we have our battlefield amenities brought to us by delivery owl?

 

Flap flap. Flap flappity flap. FEHHHHHH!!!

[Shanty Pete's 1st Mate]

2 hours ago, Fabulously Olivier said:

How about we have our battlefield amenities brought to us by delivery owl?

 

Flap flap. Flap flappity flap. FEHHHHHH!!!

Honestly a "Falconer" with the ability to do long-distance trades could be a really cool gimmick.

Anyway, my ideal answer sits somewhere between the two Merlinuses. Let's call him Conroy. He:

- Joins your army in the earlygame (but not ASAP), right when you get the Convoy between chapters;

- Can be fielded in any chapter, but at the cost of a deployment slot;

- Can move around the map and has supports, like any other unit;

- Allows adjacent allies to withdraw from, or deposit to, the Convoy. Faraway allies can also deposit to the Convoy, but only if their inventory overflows (in my model, if he is not on the field, units whose inventory overflows must drop an item);

- Can withdraw from or deposit to the Convoy himself, and Trade with adjacent allies;

- Gains EXP for every map he survives;

- Retreats if he is defeated in battle, to be playable in the next map. But there is a penalty: the enemy gets the most valuable item in your inventory. You can get it back by killing the enemy, but remember - you can't send it to the Convoy anymore.

What I'm undecided on:

- Movement type. Horseback, like Merlinus, ideally with Canto? Or infantry?

- Weapon access. If he's Infantry, I'm thinking something light and low-Might like Knives or Gauntlets. But is this taking his utility too far? And what if he's mounted?

- Additional support. I'm not thinking Staves or Dancing, but maybe something subtle, like Charm. Again, though, is this too much on one unit?

- How much EXP he earns per map. I don't envision him promoting, so a full level per chapter may be pushing it, especially if he can fight too. How about 50 EXP?

These are all ideas, though. Ultimately, I'd just like to see them do something different from the "your Lord is your Convoy!" direction that has held the series for over a decade.

[AnonymousSpeed]

Lord convoys are convenient and I don't mind them, but I always like to see things tried out, so a revisit of the old convoy unit could be fun. On paper, I like the idea of a convoy who joins as a transporter rather than a tent, can be deployed for free, and gains a level for every map they survive. As I recall, Sword of Heaven and Earth does something vaguely like this.

[ping]

I wouldn't mind a convoy that combines the "nice" features of BinBla and BlaBla - mobile from the very beginning, you can send stuff to the convoy (just not take anything from it) even if the convoy character dies or isn't employed; but also leveling up every time you field them and not costing a deployment slot. The way Merlinus is implemented makes him kinda annoying to use. In BinBla past the earlygame, I only ever field him in ch.21 to go on a selling spree; in BlaBla having the stationary, defenseless convoy can be annoying, for example in Kishuna's first map where mages spawn on his arse.

[Acacia Sgt]

I'd take the return of the Transporter unit if in addition to the Convoy utility, they were basically like a SRW Battleship and the Tank in Valkyria Chronicles.

As in, can fight back (and FEH already did that with Merlinus himself so there's precedent) and can rescue units at no penalty and lets them recover HP per turn while inside. Granted, SRW makes it so if the Battleship does down, it's Game Over (and VC does the same with the tank, from what I recall)... so sure, why not.

Edited January 27, 2023 by Acacia Sgt

[scigeek101]

I think Merlinus in FE7 was pretty good. Having to protect him added some tactics to a level. Otherwise in FE6 he's just terrible because of the aforementioned deployment slot issue. No reason to deploy him in most circumstances.

Beyond that the convoy being a bag of holding tied to the Lord works but feels very "gamey" so I don't really like it. 

FE1 I don't see mentioned here. That had the convoy be a title on the map you can visit. It is kinda like FE7 Merlinus except he can't get ganked by enemies. The problem is FE1 doesn't have a battle preparations menu beyond a unit select and it takes forever to deal with the convoy. 

I think I would like to see a bit more tactical choice woven into the world map design. Maybe supply lines or something like that. Could make for random encounters being a more tactical choice. Some group of monsters is threatening your supply lines. You can either take the income hit and not deal with them or send out some units to gank em at the cost of not having those units readily available in the next chapter or fatigued or something like that. Might be a good way to get training for lower level units and prepare for some massive 40+ unit deployment maps or something. 

 

[Paper Jam]

I think it would be nice to have a dedicated convoy unit, but with a bit more utility than Merlinus had. And I think the most logical addition to a convoy unit's utility would be stealing. It makes sense to me that the person in charge of overseeing the convoy should have some ability to... make acquisitions... for that convoy. I'd call such a class a Fence or a Smuggler.

[Shanty Pete's 1st Mate]

On 2/10/2023 at 3:56 PM, Paper Jam said:

I think it would be nice to have a dedicated convoy unit, but with a bit more utility than Merlinus had. And I think the most logical addition to a convoy unit's utility would be stealing. It makes sense to me that the person in charge of overseeing the convoy should have some ability to... make acquisitions... for that convoy. I'd call such a class a Fence or a Smuggler.

Alternatively, what about a "Trader" class? They could acquire any item from an enemy (excepting their equipped weapon), but only by "Trading" them an item in the process. This could be a great use for spare Vulneraries, or Iron weapons with only single-digit-uses left on them. And unlike "Stealing", it could be done with a full inventory.

[Mortal_Savant_Paint]

On 1/26/2023 at 9:31 PM, AnonymousSpeed said:

Lord convoys are convenient and I don't mind them, but I always like to see things tried out, so a revisit of the old convoy unit could be fun. On paper, I like the idea of a convoy who joins as a transporter rather than a tent, can be deployed for free, and gains a level for every map they survive. As I recall, Sword of Heaven and Earth does something vaguely like this.

Was going to comment this exact same thing. This is how I would want a convoy unit. It's simple, straightforward and the best of both FE6 & 7s systems imo.

Though honestly I don't know why people feel the need to have a seperate convoy unit to begin with. Sure its different but I think the gameplay has always been better with convey tied to lord.

Like with engage having alear as a griffon knight or other healing classes and access to all staves you own can be useful. But I think its cheap to do that anyway. Ultimately, I don't hate a special convoy unit but trying to micromanage items that way really brings down the enjoymebt factor for me.