Azzuro the merchant

[zered]

How to get him to appear in the stronghold? I got him once during my initial play trough and not once later. Is there some sort of mechanic or plot point that makes him come to Caed Nua?

 

 

[Torm51]

Supposedly its the amount of renown (I forget the word but Crown Symbol on the Stronghold tab) that you have.  The more you have the more he shows.  That's how it seems to work for me.  I don't think anyone is sure on the exact forumula

[Boeroer]

I also read that you should build the merchant stalls as soon as possible. Don't know if that's right. My experience with him is that you can't rely on anything when it comes to Azurro. One playtrough he shows up like a hundred times, selling me the same stuff over and over again (3x Hiro's Mantle, 2x Rimecutter, 2x Rebel's Call - wtf?) - next playthrough I did the same things with the stronghold and he showed up 5 times. I think the guy is on svef.

Edited January 7, 2016 by Boeroer

[AndreaColombo]

It depends on how much in-game time passes, too. If you travel across areas a lot during your play through, you increase your chances of Azzuro's showing up by virtue of the additional amount of in-game time that passed.

[Boeroer]

Yeah, and then you get the message that he showed up... aaand left while you travelled from A to B. Love that... not!

[AndreaColombo]

I hate that too. If I'm traveling across locations and also want to buy a specific item from Azzuro, I typically break my traveling into 2-3 pieces hitting intermediate destinations to make sure he doesn't leave the stronghold while I'm on the road.

[zered]

Ok guys thanks for clearing this up. Guess I'll rush to upgrade the keep and then do some stuff in Defiance Bay to stay close to the stronghold.

 

Anyways the mechanic behind this is very poor. It would be better if he just was an upgrade for the fortress and just give him random items to sell each round.

[Guest]

The strategy guide says that you need to have the Merchant Stall built in order to activate Azzuro visits. However that functionality is either bugged, or was changed (people have posted screen shots showing Azzuro visits without the Stall).

[Sking]

Hey (you bunch of gorgeous gamers)

 

Our Stronghold events (Visitors, Attacks, etc..) are tied to a die roll, plus/minus Prestige. Bad things are on the lower end, good things on the higher. Build all those Prestige buildings, grab the Barracks sooner rather then later (allows you to purchase hirelings).

 

I got your backs

- Sking

[Torm51]

Hey (you bunch of gorgeous gamers)

 

Are Stronghold events (Visitors, Attacks, etc..) are tied to a die roll, plus/minus Prestige. Bad things are on the lower end, good things on the higher. Build all those Prestige builds, grab the Barracks sooner rather then later (allows you to purchase hirelings).

 

I got your backs

- Sking

Rock out Sking!  I didn't know it was a dice roll with those factors! Thanks!

[why]

So maybe I should dump that ogre. Really high security, but a big prestige negative.

[Sking]

So maybe I should dump that ogre. Really high security, but a big prestige negative. 

Don't you dare drop Kograk. You made a deal, that if he left that town alone he could stay with you.

 

"Break a deal, spin the wheel."

- Sking

[anameforobsidian]

I really wish Hiro's Mantle was lootable.  I always get adventures.  I've only had Azzuro show up twice in 161 hours of gameplay, and he sold the same shield both times.

[AndreaColombo]

^ just buy whatever Azzuro offers, dump it in the stash, and console in Hiro's Mantle as though you had bought it. I've done that a lot of times with Azzuro equipment I specifically sought for a character.

[Benedictous]

fghfgh

Edited January 8, 2016 by Benedictous

[Benedictous]

 

So maybe I should dump that ogre. Really high security, but a big prestige negative. 

Don't you dare drop Kograk. You made a deal, that if he left that town alone he could stay with you.

 

"Break a deal, spin the wheel."

- Sking

 

 

O as a Dev you should know this: you can make the deal and then kill him.  He wiil still be in your stronghold and you can still turn in his head to the farmer for a positive result. There is also another instance where you can do this but I cant remember atm

 

O ya its the ogres in WM. Make the deal, kill them, and then everyone acts like you didn't.

Edited January 8, 2016 by Benedictous

[why]

Yeah, but my godlike priest of Eothas wouldn't make an agreement and break it. The best I could do is let him live there without hiring him, which, from a role playing perspective, wouldn't increase the castle prestige, merely lower security since he wouldn't be on staff. Being the good guy can be a real bitch, but that's the way the castle crumbles. Anyhow, the six security he grants allows me to eschew other high security people and hiring high prestige folks, like that noblewoman visitor I placed on staff immediately and my crucible knight man at arms. Of course, the crucible knight is good for both security and prestige. Plus, he and the ogre like playing cards when on liberty.

[Boeroer]

fghfgh

rofl what?

 

With hirelings it all comes down to net points. If somebody has +6/-6 he's worth zero. There are so many hirelings that have +1, +2 or even more net points. You're always better off if you take those. The noblewoman is great for example. You need Prestige so that these guys visit more often so you can hire them. Same with the visitors that you can't hire but who still give you points - Lord Sidroc for example.  

[tinysalamander]

With hirelings it all comes down to net points. If somebody has +6/-6 he's worth zero.

 

He's worth his weight on RP side, though, unlike random nobodies you can hire.

[Sking]

 

 

So maybe I should dump that ogre. Really high security, but a big prestige negative. 

Don't you dare drop Kograk. You made a deal, that if he left that town alone he could stay with you.

 

"Break a deal, spin the wheel."

- Sking

 

 

O as a Dev you should know this: you can make the deal and then kill him.  He wiil still be in your stronghold and you can still turn in his head to the farmer for a positive result. There is also another instance where you can do this but I cant remember atm

 

O ya its the ogres in WM. Make the deal, kill them, and then everyone acts like you didn't.

 

Haha, I meant it more as a moral choice not to break your word. 

[why]

With hirelings it all comes down to net points. If somebody has +6/-6 he's worth zero. There are so many hirelings that have +1, +2 or even more net points. You're always better off if you take those. The noblewoman is great for example. You need Prestige so that these guys visit more often so you can hire them. Same with the visitors that you can't hire but who still give you points - Lord Sidroc for example.

Strictly speaking, this isn't true. If you prefer security to prestige, then you go for the highest net security. If prestige is your game, then you place prestige higher. I would imagine, at a certain point, you could probably do with a minimum security threshold and then only game for prestige.

 

Since that's my gut instinct, Kograk probably isn't worth it. On the other hand, even if he were a liability, I'd still keep him for the exact reason Sking cites. Namely, because I've agreed to do so. However, in practical consideration, it doesn't really matter. In my current game, only playing on hard, I've hit the level max with the last act to go, I have good enough gear that anything I find will by and large be a marginal improvement at best, and I have enough money to buy whatever I want. I have never sold, even in leaner times, a single unique piece of equipment. I've even kept blue items that are in fact unique even if they don't have the gold border, such as the Engwithan scepter I had made. I have every intention of doing the same thing when I play on Path of the Damned my next run.

 

So, I see your point about balancing net points, but I prefer to try to take a more RPG approach and have the PC do what he or she would want under the circumstances.

[Boeroer]

Why wouldn't you sell unique items that you don't need? First of all too many items in the stash slow down the sorting a lot. Then it's a little bit odd (speaking about roleplaying) that you carry hundrets of items with you which you don't need/use. You could place them in your treasury if they are kind of trophies for you.

Edited January 9, 2016 by Boeroer

[why]

I don't want added incentive for bad guys to attack my stronghold. Better that they attack me in the field so I can smite them there and not be forced to travel back to Caed Nua to face their attack. Nope, I'm like a dragon. I want to sleep on a pile of my loot at night. :D

[AndreaColombo]

I also always keep all unique items (though that's mostly so I can experiment different builds and setups after my play through.)

[Boeroer]

Perhaps I should introduce you to my best friend, the console?