use diplomacy and ask the AI to surrender.

I wonder if you could mod in a death limit (cats, famously, have nine) for champs and sovs.

I do like both aspects. I've been playing of late with a hardcore set of rules. If a champ or sovereign falls in combat, I lose the champ and I resign the game if its the sovereign. But if they fall in combat, but the army still lives, the units survives wounded and I still play on as normal. I wouldn't mind seeing this option available, but it's something that is not high-priority on my list.

As to the AI, I don't know if this would weaken them too much as they tend to travel out and die a lot. You would play games and end up winning just by sitting in your first town waiting for the AI to die. I think that is why they haven't implemented this yet, or will.

Good ideas!

I always find it tedious how the opponent sov and\or heroes wind up reviving in the next nearest city to the one I just conquered.  It would be better if they revived in a city far from enemy troops (if possible) so I am not flame darting their sorry 3-5 hp butts back to the next nearest city.

There are a lot of fun things to try with sov\hero deaths:  

If there was a golem master trait:  let my sov's spirit animate an obsidian golem with magic immunity, but the sov can't cast tactical spells, and only up to lvl 2 strategic spells. Or a beast master could be trapped in a cave bear's body etc with similar results until a special spell is quested for or researched.

Dead heroes could spawn specific quests to restore them.

Perhaps an item the character was wearing becomes imbued with the essence of the hero wielding it:  "The Shield of Oleric is a holy relic of the mighty warrior who fell defending the Village of Woods Edge from hordes of (i.e. 3 stacks) of enemy forces.  Use it to safeguard your people."

Give it the same stats as the fallen hero in regards to Dodge, Init, and one hero-specific combat ability (Crushing Blow, etc.)

A quest or spell as above could let you "convert" the item back to the hero or if you prefer the item created for them, well, you will polish Oleric to a bright sheen every night

Permanent disability instead of death for champions has been debated before. I agree with the developers that there should be lasting consequences for getting killed! I do like the idea of a champions' death spawning a quest where the reward is a relic of the champion that can be resurrected with a suitably expensive spell. Obviously, the quest will be open to all factions - your defeated champion may end up working for someone else! The best part is it gets rid of the need for permanent disability - which is something I have never liked even though I understand the reason for it.

or at the VERY least, have a  variety of excuses as to why the opponent sovereign (or champion) made it off the battlefield! The whole "magically escaped" thing gets old fast.

• Left for dead
• Snuck out during the confusion
• Held for ransom
• Bribed by giving up an item.
• Hid his tracks
• uprising of the surfs to protect their sovereign
• etc

^ this

You idiots! These are not them! You've captured their stunt doubles!

Get out there and comb the desert for them (yes I know it's a different scene).