In the words of the creator of the Freelancer mod: "Freelancer adds the option to a mod to serve a Lord as a soldier, as you gain experience in your commanders army you will gain rank better gear, if you're hungry the quartermaster will feed you. You will gain followers and have the option to Rebel against the commander, Desert your post or even take some personal leave."
Enlisting (Joining an Army)[]
Joining an army is done by talking to any Lord and telling him that you want to "Join his army". Being accepted gives you all the gear of the lowest rank in the faction that Lord is a vassal of. For example, talking to a lord from the Kingdom of Rhodoks makes you a Rhodok Tribesman. You will then automatically be made a part of the Lord's army, and you'll move around the map with him.
You will be put into battle when your commander goes up against another Lord. If you are captured during a battle and set free you are on your own and will have to find your own way back to the same Lord, or join the army of a different Lord. Keep in mind that moving to the army of a Lord of a different faction will reset your rank in the army, so you will start as a peasant again. If you join an army of any faction you were previously a soldier for, you will regain your old rank.
If you want to leave the army, all equipment that you were given will be taken away from you. If you do not like this there are two other options:
Rebelling against the Lord[]
If you choose to rebel against your Lord you will keep all of your armor and items, and you will have some of the army follow you away. However, they will not stay with you for long, and will leave at some point, but they will be loyal to you for a few days to a week.
Abandoning the Lord's army[]
If you choose to abandon your Lord you will keep all of your armor and weapons but your relation with that Lord, the Lord's faction and other factions will become take a big hit, and you will be hunted down by other factions as a deserter. These penalties are even more severe if you abandon a faction leader's army.
Change List[]
This is all of the different types of aspects the game changes and adds:
- Opportunity to gain ranks
- Carry your lords heraldry on armor and shields
- In-Game Report on Commanders Party
- The ability to go to the town the Lord has entered
- Factions remember what your last rank was with them. When you return they will remember you and your previous status. (unless you desert or rebel)
- Players kill count at the end of battles.
- Ability to go on personal leave and remain part of commanders army.
- You only have a 14 day grant of leave, after 14 days you will be branded a deserter. (Thanks to DrTomas for the main idea)
- Opportunity to gain different soldier tiers
- New equipment & higher pay for each tier
- Ability to desert the army and take followers with you.
- Ability to revolt against the lord and release prisoners (with a chance of prisoners joining the battle on your side)
- Interact with commander in a meeting scene
- Ask commander personally to retire from service
- No need to hold space bar while commander travels
- Quartermaster hands you food when you are low.
- You can no longer have prisoners as a common soldier
- A few more bug fixes, ie complete removal of "that was a good fight" bug
- Relations change when you are not in lords army (vacation)
- Player being able to pick up items from the battlefield and keeping them.
- Player unable to ride a horse in battle unless his/her troop tier uses them
- Revamped and detailed equipment system so player get everything they are meant to (yes and helms)
- Also have all items taken back from previous tier when promoted.
- Troops will get a guaranteed shield if their troop tier usually has them. Same goes for horses.
- Your original equipment is returned when you leave.
(These are only with Freelancer 1.5)