Prison Raid bug

[Nate]

Whenever I break a king out of prison, he immediately debriefs me on a standing vassal offer. Whether I accept or reject, he remains in prison with no xp or relation gain. Because of this, I never break kings out of prison. Has anyone else encountered this issue?

[Triple G]

I did exactly two prison breaks. One which was somehow ok and fun - and the other one, for which i bought better equipment, just because to see that i would spawn without that equipment and the dungeon was like a narrow passage - like as narrow as a doorway - so i couldn´t do a sideways swing to the right when i was standing all the way to the left. And my weapon wasn´t that long.

Except for the roguery xp it´s far better to just help them fighting some battle. And the roguery skill or the perks aren´t really worth it. Imho the whole cunning skill line isn´t really worth it as a player i´d say. Better get a scout and invest into other attributes. Intelligence, Social and Endurance are safe picks. Perhaps add some weapon skill. The problem: Attribute points are very rare. Too rare...

[Nate]

Originally posted by Triple G:

I did exactly two prison breaks. One which was somehow ok and fun - and the other one, for which i bought better equipment, just because to see that i would spawn without that equipment and the dungeon was like a narrow passage - like as narrow as a doorway - so i couldn´t do a sideways swing to the right when i was standing all the way to the left. And my weapon wasn´t that long.

Except for the roguery xp it´s far better to just help them fighting some battle. And the roguery skill or the perks aren´t really worth it. Imho the whole cunning skill line isn´t really worth it as a player i´d say. Better get a scout and invest into other attributes. Intelligence, Social and Endurance are safe picks. Perhaps add some weapon skill. The problem: Attribute points are very rare. Too rare...

I'm primarily doing it to boost relation and charm xp, and I never serve as a mercenary or vassal so prison break seems to be the best option in my case. But again, I have this weird issue with breaking out kings, but nobody else seems to have the same problem.

[Triple G]

I actually tried it, but somehow they kept them in castles - in which i somehow couldn´t break as they wouldn´t give me access. That´s another issue on another level i guess, because in towns You can break in any time even if not at war with the faction. If they have them in castles there´s no way to break them free.

Perhaps try to talk to them before breaking them free and decline their offer, because You can enter the dungeon. That would be the first thing to come to my mind.

[Nate]

Originally posted by Triple G:

I actually tried it, but somehow they kept them in castles - in which i somehow couldn´t break as they wouldn´t give me access. That´s another issue on another level i guess, because in towns You can break in any time even if not at war with the faction. If they have them in castles there´s no way to break them free.

Perhaps try to talk to them before breaking them free and decline their offer, because You can enter the dungeon. That would be the first thing to come to my mind.

Oh that's really good point. Ya I'll try entering the dungeon 'legally' first to chat with them. Hopefully that resolves it. Smart man.

Sometimes I'm denied access to castles as well. I think it's based on your relation with the owner. You have to raise relations with the castle owner or their clan to improve the likelihood that they'll let you in. Sometimes they let me into the castle but still deny me access to the dungeon. That's happening to me alot in my current playthrough. I was told that's an old bug that was suppose to be patched a long time ago. It became less of an issue as I rose the ranks of tier 2 and 3, but I don't know if there's a correlation. This game is finicky.

[Triple G]

I tried that before i joined a faction - and had like no relations with any lord or noble, so that could be it. I found it rather hard to raise that, as they wouldn´t offer those free the people out of prison quests - or rarely offer some tasks. And if - usually hire people or bring horses. So i gave up on raising relationships with them outside of being part of a faction. As soon as i reached some town to break them free - they either already peaced out - or escaped. It´s not reliable - and those prison breaks can be fun sometimes, but i would wish more sneaky behavior or even stealth kills. But the way it is - it´s just another fighting scenario with Your civilian outfit with no shield (or some random outfit with no armor) vs armored guys which behave like they also behave anywhere else and attack as soon as You come somehow close.

Now as part of a faction i have like 100 relations with some of them - and the lowest is like 26. And i did nothing to really improve it except for fighting battles, which i had also fought without relationship improvements. I joined with clan tier 3 or 4 and tried the prison breaks directly before that. My charm is close to the max, as that stat is rather easy to raise via any action on the battlefield, or doing quests, etc. - it´s basically the opposite to tactics and medicine. Probably in campaign mode You can max it out via marrying Your two brothers - but i chose sandbox, and got no XP for my marriage. I also like that my relationship to that wife is at 2, while everyone likes me more - as that didn´t raise with all the talking and having children either, probably like in real life.^^

[Nate]

Originally posted by Triple G:

I tried that before i joined a faction - and had like no relations with any lord or noble, so that could be it. I found it rather hard to raise that, as they wouldn´t offer those free the people out of prison quests - or rarely offer some tasks. And if - usually hire people or bring horses. So i gave up on raising relationships with them outside of being part of a faction. As soon as i reached some town to break them free - they either already peaced out - or escaped. It´s not reliable - and those prison breaks can be fun sometimes, but i would wish more sneaky behavior or even stealth kills. But the way it is - it´s just another fighting scenario with Your civilian outfit with no shield (or some random outfit with no armor) vs armored guys which behave like they also behave anywhere else and attack as soon as You come somehow close.

Now as part of a faction i have like 100 relations with some of them - and the lowest is like 26. And i did nothing to really improve it except for fighting battles, which i had also fought without relationship improvements. I joined with clan tier 3 or 4 and tried the prison breaks directly before that. My charm is close to the max, as that stat is rather easy to raise via any action on the battlefield, or doing quests, etc. - it´s basically the opposite to tactics and medicine. Probably in campaign mode You can max it out via marrying Your two brothers - but i chose sandbox, and got no XP for my marriage. I also like that my relationship to that wife is at 2, while everyone likes me more - as that didn´t raise with all the talking and having children either, probably like in real life.^^

Apparently you can raise relations quite a bit with nobles by defeating them in battle and releasing them afterward, but you do have to be a mercenary or vassal to pull this off, so I'll try that. I still don't like fighting alongside huge armies, but I can probably just pick off the smaller parties roaming around during wartime.

[Triple G]

Probably try as a mercenary as You can easily opt out of that faction and be independent again. Be aware that Your caravans might have a tougher time if You have any. I chose vassal as it was my campaign goal to be part of that faction in sandbox mode. So it was initiating end-game to somehow end the campaign sooner or later - and to see if there were any changes to the war system and the like. No - You´re dragged into endless wars still. I joined in peace time, but till then i never have seen peace. They declare a new one before the former war is finished. As a merc You could just leave and do Your own thing again. It´s also better that way to fight the single parties which may travel to an army, or those which raid villages to gain additional relationship with the village people. ^^ As a vassal You´re probably concerned that Your AI army comrades wouldn´t mess up their battles.

Else marriage is probably the biggest relationship and charm boost in the game.

[Nate]

Originally posted by Triple G:

Probably try as a mercenary as You can easily opt out of that faction and be independent again. Be aware that Your caravans might have a tougher time if You have any. I chose vassal as it was my campaign goal to be part of that faction in sandbox mode. So it was initiating end-game to somehow end the campaign sooner or later - and to see if there were any changes to the war system and the like. No - You´re dragged into endless wars still. I joined in peace time, but till then i never have seen peace. They declare a new one before the former war is finished. As a merc You could just leave and do Your own thing again. It´s also better that way to fight the single parties which may travel to an army, or those which raid villages to gain additional relationship with the village people. ^^ As a vassal You´re probably concerned that Your AI army comrades wouldn´t mess up their battles.

Else marriage is probably the biggest relationship and charm boost in the game.

Agreed, mercenary offers more flexibility so I'll stick with that for now. Yes, I hear marriage boosts relation quite well. I choose partners based on stats, but their noble family should be a factor as well. I'm not sure if some noble families are more desirable allies than others. I imagine I would want to marry a noble family who's more likely to defect and join my kingdom once I declare it, but I'm still not clear on how defection works. I'm not sure if there's a benefit to gaining relations with villages. Ya caravans are a pain, but I like them for the renown gain 125 trade perk. Workshops are viable for that too.

[Triple G]

In this game i just married a random woman of my faction for the sake of it. In a former patch i chose Nadea as i played empire and she was the daughter of the faction leader, of the faction i joined. Let her stay in a settlement and she will win every tournament, which was every second day - which gave 3k each. Noticed that after marriage by luck. ^^

In general i´m not so much for relationships in games - or marriage. And i guess i will never have a playthrough in which i would play as the children. Usually after like 10 years in game everything is reached and nobody could touch You - if You play slow. It´s not some grand strategy game in which 10 years are nothing. If they would reduce the day count to like 10 per quarter perhaps - or give an option to choose between 5, 7, 10, 15 and 20 to make everyone happy. But with like 80 days per year - it´s a lot of days till one of the children is grown up - and i rarely use fast forward or waiting, outside of replenishing stamina and waiting for nightfall to take out hide-outs.

Benefits for village relationships are more recruitment slots - and the later ones are usually also higher tier units.

For "defection" i had some guy with like -35 relation joining this faction, because it lacks clan members. Had to pass some speech checks and give him money (or something similar - bartering). I guess the difficulty of those checks and the amount of money will change. I had to pass 70% checks with 250 charm and gave him a bit under 500k. Perhaps also depends on the clan size. Now he´s my comrade, but relation didn´t change for that, but after helping them in battle - or calling his family members into my army. I´m not the faction leader. Just the guy for the dirty work. ^^

[Nate]

Originally posted by Triple G:

In this game i just married a random woman of my faction for the sake of it. In a former patch i chose Nadea as i played empire and she was the daughter of the faction leader, of the faction i joined. Let her stay in a settlement and she will win every tournament, which was every second day - which gave 3k each. Noticed that after marriage by luck. ^^

In general i´m not so much for relationships in games - or marriage. And i guess i will never have a playthrough in which i would play as the children. Usually after like 10 years in game everything is reached and nobody could touch You - if You play slow. It´s not some grand strategy game in which 10 years are nothing. If they would reduce the day count to like 10 per quarter perhaps - or give an option to choose between 5, 7, 10, 15 and 20 to make everyone happy. But with like 80 days per year - it´s a lot of days till one of the children is grown up - and i rarely use fast forward or waiting, outside of replenishing stamina and waiting for nightfall to take out hide-outs.

Benefits for village relationships are more recruitment slots - and the later ones are usually also higher tier units.

For "defection" i had some guy with like -35 relation joining this faction, because it lacks clan members. Had to pass some speech checks and give him money (or something similar - bartering). I guess the difficulty of those checks and the amount of money will change. I had to pass 70% checks with 250 charm and gave him a bit under 500k. Perhaps also depends on the clan size. Now he´s my comrade, but relation didn´t change for that, but after helping them in battle - or calling his family members into my army. I´m not the faction leader. Just the guy for the dirty work. ^^

I just remembered that a simple way to raise relation is to gift someone money. Now I do that to gain entrance to a castle if I'm locked me out. Works like a charm.

[Nate]

The irony in all of this is that I've decided I don't like prison raids and I don't think there's a point to relations anyway because you don't really need good relations for recruiting nobles. I really just want to power level charm and I hear you can do that quickly by becoming a vassal and voting on stuff. I'll try that and then leave once my charm is maxed.

[Triple G]

Any quest gives charm. Helping in battles, helping in sieges, But if You have an army - and want to play merciful - be sure to invite all merciful partyleaders, because after siege and choosing "show mercy", because that´s probably the only option which means that it wouldn´t rebel soon in AI hands - You get like +25 relations with each of them and charm XP. You get -25 with all non merciful people. And if You join any faction as vassal - it means constant war. You will most likely not have one day peace any more in this game. Just to have it said. And You get relations and charm XP for joining the faction. And if You leave i guess they declare war on You.

[ShepherdOfCats]

anyone been able to find out the workaround for 'limited access to dungeon'?

I can enter the cities from the main screen without problems, but not any of the castles. I can walk up to the castle's prison guard and bribe him to let me in, but when I speak to prisoners there is no way to stage a prison break through dialogue options.

[Triple G]

It works that way? I initiated the prison breaks from the keep menu. You bribe that one - and then it changes into "stage prison break" or something - then i can choose which one from a new window. Didn´t know that You can actually go into the dungeon and then talk to them. They started outside their cells - and i had to move to the exit. If i could go in first, then i would know what to expect on my way.

Else i never could do a castle prison break as they wouldn´t let me in in the first place. Also had no bribe option, like in city keeps. But also just tried it two times.

[ShepherdOfCats]

Originally posted by Triple G:

It works that way? I initiated the prison breaks from the keep menu. You bribe that one - and then it changes into "stage prison break" or something - then i can choose which one from a new window. Didn´t know that You can actually go into the dungeon and then talk to them. They started outside their cells - and i had to move to the exit. If i could go in first, then i would know what to expect on my way.

Else i never could do a castle prison break as they wouldn´t let me in in the first place. Also had no bribe option, like in city keeps. But also just tried it two times.

No no, that's not what I mean. You can bribe the guards to let you enter the keep either from the menu or by 'walking around the castle' (dialogue option with the guard standing outside the door with shackles icon when you hold down alt-key). But you cannot 'stage a prison break' from the live dialogue, meaning you cannot, as far as I can tell, break prisoners out of castles in 1.8 because every castle says 'limited access to dungeon' on the menu unless you are a mercenary or vassal, which disqualifies you from being able to do prison breaks because you aren't neutral (I think).

So unless the prisoner you want to free is in a city, it's tough luck it seems.

Maybe I'm wrong but I seem to remember being able to do prison breaks from castles in previous versions. Never noticed the 'limited access to dungeon' until 1.8 so I guess it's a new feature but they must not have fully implemented whatever they wanted to do with it.