A divide between equipment and troops. Instead of having "upgraded troops get better gear" I'd rather have YOU the player organize an AI equipment pool from which the AI equips itself. So you could have high lvl guys but with low end stuff or equip your recruits with high end stuff to better their chances. They should still have to meet the requirements to equip it, but it's YOU and not what rank the troop is, that decides what they have to equip.
Have lots of badass super-dudes but only sticks and stones? Super peasants! Loads of tin can armour and greatswords, but only recruits? Shit, better train them up 'cause your dudes can't wield them properly.
Lost all your dudes and just got new recruits, but even though you got LOADS of money, they still use pitforks and cloth. Never made any sense to me. Your guys trained real hard so suddenly they gained warhorses and coats of plates? Lolwut? No, makes much more sense if your the one buying equipment for your dudes.
There should also be some sort of prioritizing for it, so the if you want the mid lvl guys to pick armour before the top tier guys you can do that and vice versa.
More siege options would also be nice. Don't care WHAT but let us have more chances than "wait 100 days" or "charge up ONE ladder".
Alternatively bigger maps or AT LEAST a "all hold" before the battle starts. Let us put the groups where we want them and not do a fucking bum-rush from both your guys and the AI each time. Makes sense for bandits and shit to just bumrush, but lords and kings? Wuuuut. At least make it a 30s "prepare" phase (maybe related to a skill (tactics) or something?) before the bumrush starts.
More "roles" you can be. I really like the lair and ship mecanics I've seen in Brytenwalda, same with the Freelancer mod (also in Brytenwald and many other mods).
Also, destructible environment would be badass, although that's mainly for MP.
