Is it gamethrowing for a merc to intentionally get their first target killed?

[Aquillion]

@Hippolytus

I just never ever guard my first target and hope they die. Maybe start a cheeky wagon with noone noticing. It is dumb af that a strategy which is pretty much always benefial to do is constituted as gamethrowing. Throwing the game implies you are trying to lose, when in fact you are doing the opposite. It’s something they need to address mechanically with the mercenary.

Like I said in my other thread, I think it would be better to revise the Mercenary’s goal to something that specifically allows letting your target die. I gave my full reasons there, but to summarize:

1. It balances out the randomness with which mercenaries are assigned; getting a merc at the start shouldn’t be a flat, unchanging buff. The risk that they could betray you is a good thing in this respect.

2. It leads to more interesting gameplay by introducing more options for the mercenary and for others who interact with them, rather than the somewhat flat single-focus gameplay you get if you require that they keep their first target alive.

3. It encourages both the Mercenary and their target to lie, which is a good thing in a game based around lies and deception. Auto-trusting each other is bad and should be reserved for just a few situations where it’s absolutely necessary.

4. It’s thematically appropriate; the name “mercenary” itself means someone whose loyalties are negotiable.