Dragonfall - Mercenaries Question

[Cypris Melaenis]

Have I missed something, or are the additional mercenaries completely useless? What's the reason to bring them on the run anyway? Their stats are worse than your teammates', and it costs money to hire them! I simply fail to see why should someone bring them on the run, outside of "Why not?" option.
What do you think chummers?

[Phoenix7786]

I've never seen the need to hire them on any of my play-throughs. Still, I'd wager they're there just in case. Maybe you want an extra Decker or something on a Matrix-intensive mission.

[Cypris Melaenis]

Originally posted by Randy:

I've never seen the need to hire them on any of my play-throughs. Still, I'd wager they're there just in case. Maybe you want an extra Decker or something on a Matrix-intensive mission.

In my current playthrough, I'm in APEX RISING mission; I checked stats of the mercenaries before the start and was shocked! This damn mercenary-decker is useless! he got decking at 6 points, damn 6 points! Not to mention that's terrible shooter! While Blitz has Decking at 8, he also got his drone, rigging skills and somewhat good shooting skills with smartlink smg, damn Blitz is alone better than both mercenaries decker and rigger combined! Why would someone waste team-slot on this guy is beyond me.

[Philip Marlowe]

Shadowrunners: Blitz, Dietrich, Glory, Eiger, Monica's pet (okay he's really an animal, but death is still death) can all possibly and properly die during any run. Other shadowrunners replace the dead, or casualties, to keep your black ops, paramilitary, ersatz "firm" operating. That is, if you Iron Man'd your experience.

Correction: I take back what I said; while the core teammates can die during a run, they are resurrected at the Keiz after the mission is completed.

[Cypris Melaenis]

Originally posted by Philip Marlowe:

Shadowrunners: Blitz, Dietrich, Glory, Eiger, Monica's pet (okay he's really an animal, but death is still death) can all possibly and properly die during any run. Other shadowrunners replace the dead, or casualties, to keep your black ops, paramilitary, ersatz "firm" operating.

Really???? They can die permanently?? Oh thank goodness, yes, in my next playthrough I will butcher all of them. I hope I will be able to kill them right after drug pit.

[Philip Marlowe]

lol. Sure, why not? Set the difficultly setting on Very Hard.

It's hasn't yet happened to me personally, but I read the possibilities for their deaths upon exploring the campaign's "code", (really "scripts" under "variables" within "scene data") if you will, via the editor.

[Cypris Melaenis]

Originally posted by Philip Marlowe:

lol. Sure, why not? Set the difficultly setting on Very Hard.

It's hasn't yet happened to me personally, but I read the possibilities for their deaths upon exploring the campaign's "code", (really "scripts" under "variables" within "scene data") if you will, via the editor.

I just didn't expected that this is possible, considering there is almost always objective - Keep your team alive and blah blah blah. Just really curious, how will the main character learn about bombs in the sewers, if the team will be butchered.

[Philip Marlowe]

One way to find out chummer: Experimentation. :)

Correction: I take back what I said; while the core teammates can die during a run. They are resurrected at the Keiz after the mission is completed. In my experimentation, I got Dietrich killed during the Humanis run, but he resurrected like Lazarus at the keiz base after the mission. I supposed I was mistaken that they would permanently die.

(Sighs) My apologies chummer.

[steelcoresoviet]

What about Bloodline? Paul specifically states that medevac is impossible. If I were going to test character deaths, I'd do it there.

don't kill Blitz, if you need him to open that last door

[Talon]

If one of your team dies during the Bloodline mission you fail and have to reload from a prior save.

[Cypris Melaenis]

Thanks for all of your answers, chummers!
So, only Dante can die... Oh well, as I thought mercenaries are completely meaningless. Only decker can be useful just in case if you don't have blitz and you have to open that last door in the bloodline, otherwise really useless.

[Philip Marlowe]

Well, after my first playthrough, I enjoy using the other shadowrunner mercs as it adds to the atmosphere, continuity and game content. I also highly suspect that the portraits of the mercenaries are in fact the shadowrunner alter egos of very generous individual(s) kickstarter backers.

[Cypris Melaenis]

Well, I tried to run with all of them. Lucky Strike, this physical adept guy and shaman are somewhat good-okay, but decker and rigger are really useless. My personal favorite from them would probably be dwarf shaman Pummelo.

Yeah, I saw Nixie's and someone else' portraits, but thought they were devs.

Still I think it would be better to make them cost more and buff their stats.

[Lūna Sanguināria]

I like the discussion here. I admit to having the EXACT same thoughts about the mercs and wondered why they were even in the game. I am guessing as someone mentioned that they are probably notable backers which would make sense.

[Cypris Melaenis]

Originally posted by SmileyCyrus:

I like the discussion here. I admit to having the EXACT same thoughts about the mercs and wondered why they were even in the game. I am guessing as someone mentioned that they are probably notable backers which would make sense.

But still wouldn't make sense why their stats are so bad. I think they should be rebalanced to somewhat-alike nephilium network level. What's the reason to bring someone on the run, considering that their stats are worse and it costs money? It would make more sense if their price was higher, but stats better than your team's. It makes sense - you pay money for someone who is more expirienced than your regular team-members.