Mount & Blade II - Developer Update # 2

[Couchpotato]

TaleWorlds Entertainment has a new development update about painted plants. Yes you read that right the first update was about hair, and now plants.

Mount&Blade II: Bannerlord Developer Blog 2 - Painted Plants

As a preamble to this blog entry, we would like to extend our sincere thanks for the incredible response to the previous blog. We expected excitement and we know (because you rarely take a break from telling us, which is great!) that you want information from Bannerlord but the feedback certainly exceeded our expectations. The blog was our most liked, shared and far reaching post on Facebook, the forums went crazy (more so than usual), on Reddit we had a great interest on /r/mountandblade as well as reaching the front page of /r/Games and on Twitter… well predictably everyone had a lot of fun with caps lock.

Avid blog followers and newcomers to the series, in this, our second blog, we're talking about our team of engine programmers and their role in our development process. It is fitting that the engine team sits in the centre of the office, developing the core of the game. The room is generally busy with the comings and goings of demanding developers, the hardware is powerful and the attitude is relaxed and open. Inside dwell the gremlin exterminating gremlins. The light masters. The engine engineers.

More information.

 

[SpoonFULL]

Link double written and leads to an error!

 

[Couchpotato]

It's fixed now so click away.

 

[wolfing]

I've been playing M&B a lot in the last few weeks. I think the combat engine is fine so really only a graphical update would fit there. The part that can benefit the game is the strategic part (map), IMHO of course. I also hope they don't focus too much on multiplayer as I only play it single-player.

 

[Fanest]

M&B Warband has one of the best melee combat systems in existence. It also has huge and thriving community. I spend over 1000h in it and i just love that game.

Hopefully new Bannerlord will turn out at least that good.

 

[Kostas]

M&B Warband has one of the best melee combat systems in existence. It also has huge and thriving community.

Quite a claim. I've only played the original for a few hours some years ago. How much different/how much of a upgrade was Warband?

 

[wolfing]

M&B Warband has one of the best melee combat systems in existence. It also has huge and thriving community. I spend over 1000h in it and i just love that game.

Hopefully new Bannerlord will turn out at least that good.

That's the one I'm playing. I also got the other 2 expansions in the sale, but reading about them, looks like one is multiplayer only, which I don't care about, and one adds gunpowder, which I also don't care about.

 

[SpoonFULL]

The additions to Warband are not limited to multiplayer - they have added so many features to the single player experience that the number of degrees of freedom you have is just mind blowing. I can tell as I am playing the first one now after playing Warband. Here is the summary from the Steam page:

- Graphical overhaul: Support added for HDR, FSAA, depth of field, soft particles, tone mapping, and many other effects
-New models with greater detail and high-quality textures
-Multiplayer battles with up to 64 players. Multiplayer modes include Deathmatch, -Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, Conquest, Battle, and Siege
-A campaign allowing you to become the ruler of a faction and convince lords to become your vassals
-The ability to upgrade your companions to vassals by granting them lands
-The ability to marry a lady of the realm for romance or cold political gain. Try to win a lady’s heart through poetry or bravery
-Improved mechanics for soldier morale: Soldiers will break and run away if their morale gets too low
-Pick any projectile off the battlefield for use as additional munitions
-New motion-captured combat animations
-Numerous improvements to the combat system: Your shield will still stop arrows even if you are not actively defending
-The ability to play multiplayer matches on random maps as well as hand-designed ones
-Multiplayer equipment system: Earn money by fighting opponents or accomplishing goals
-The ability to use most throwing weapons in close combat: Switch to using a javelin as a short spear when the enemy gets close
-Spend gold on more powerful equipment, using a carefully balanced system that will make combat more exciting without giving too much of an advantage to the leading team

 

[Fanest]

Quite a claim. I've only played the original for a few hours some years ago. How much different/how much of a upgrade was Warband?

Warband adds new animations for attacks - smoother ones and more realistic it doesnt feel as clumsy as in M&B, plus there is many other notable changes listed above by SpoonFULL

That's the one I'm playing. I also got the other 2 expansions in the sale, but reading about them, looks like one is multiplayer only, which I don't care about, and one adds gunpowder, which I also don't care about.

Well With Fire and Sword is a standalone game, and its not really that good tbh i prefer Warband.

The other expansion u are referring to is actually an DLC for Warband and a very very good one. Its called Napoleonic War and its only MP. The amount of fun that this DLC provides is immense. Imagine that u have daily battles with up to 200ppl. Everything is neatly organized. People in these battles are all part of some regiment, and u have all sorts of regiments on the field. From cavalry, line infantry, skirmishers and artillery.
Regiment leaders coordinate attacks and movement of their regiments and all ppl in regiments follow these orders .
I should also mention that Napoleonic Wars is very balanced mod, its not like some class is overpowered and learning curve in this game is rather long and hard.

 

[wolfing]

Warband adds new animations for attacks - smoother ones and more realistic it doesnt feel as clumsy as in M&B, plus there is many other notable changes listed above by SpoonFULL



Well With Fire and Sword is a standalone game, and its not really that good tbh i prefer Warband.

The other expansion u are referring to is actually an DLC for Warband and a very very good one. Its called Napoleonic War and its only MP. The amount of fun that this DLC provides is immense. Imagine that u have daily battles with up to 200ppl. Everything is neatly organized. People in these battles are all part of some regiment, and u have all sorts of regiments on the field. From cavalry, line infantry, skirmishers and artillery.
Regiment leaders coordinate attacks and movement of their regiments and all ppl in regiments follow these orders .
I should also mention that Napoleonic Wars is very balanced mod, its not like some class is overpowered and learning curve in this game is rather long and hard.

that's the thing. I don't care about multiplayer in any way or form, so Fire & Sword is out, and my problem with gunpowder is not of balance, but that I just don't like gunpowder in my fantasy games. To me a big part of the fun in Mount & Blade is its medieval feeling of cavalry and archers and tournaments. Gunpowder just doesn't fit in there for me.

 

[Fanest]

If that is so then i recommend u rather than playing vanila game to play a mod called Prophecy of Pendor.
Its one of the best/biggest SP mods in existence and yes it has medieval setting with a bit of low fantasy.

here http://forums.taleworlds.com/index.php?topic=126952.0

and here http://pop3.wikia.com/wiki/Prophesy_of_Pendor_3_Wiki - things here are abit outdated bit can still help

 

[wolfing]

I have a question. When I attack a castle/town it has like 300 people in the garrison. After I conquer it, it's empty. Am I supposed to manually refill it with recruits? or will it get people with time?

 

[Couchpotato]

I have a question. When I attack a castle/town it has like 300 people in the garrison. After I conquer it, it's empty. Am I supposed to manually refill it with recruits? or will it get people with time?

The simple answer is yes as the troops do not auto replenish.The kingdom your at war with will attack, and easily retake it if you don't. So if you want that castle/town for yourself it will take time, and money.

 

[wolfing]

The simple answer is yes as the troops do not auto replenish.The kingdom your at war with will attack, and easily retake it if you don't. So if you want that castle/town for yourself it will take time, and money.

well I don't mind if it takes time and money, just make it an automatic procedure. I find it too micromanaging having to run around villages recruiting 2-6 people each and then back to deposit them. Guess bus drivers playing this game would find that fun, but I'd rather be out skewering enemies.
Another question. So I helped this dude get his kingdom, I've taken all the towns, villages and castles, but lords still roam around being a nuisance. When and how will I go from 'Vaegir rebels' to being rightfully 'Vaegirs' since lords can't die? (I even had the old king in prison, but sold him for 8500 when the popup came)

 

[SpoonFULL]

well I don't mind if it takes time and money, just make it an automatic procedure. I find it too micromanaging having to run around villages recruiting 2-6 people each and then back to deposit them. Guess bus drivers playing this game would find that fun, but I'd rather be out skewering enemies.
Another question. So I helped this dude get his kingdom, I've taken all the towns, villages and castles, but lords still roam around being a nuisance. When and how will I go from 'Vaegir rebels' to being rightfully 'Vaegirs' since lords can't die? (I even had the old king in prison, but sold him for 8500 when the popup came)

You can use castles and neighbouring villages to your tactical advantage when concuring. Use the castle to hold well trained troops and supply them with resources from villages to take out neighbouring castles. This is the beauty of Mount and Blade.

You should only do this when you have good leadership skills and large troop capacity to unload in the castles.

 

[wolfing]

Never mind my question about becoming 'Vaegirs'. Played again for a bit and after a while it said the rebellion won and now we're the rightful Vaegirs I'll miss having the prince in my army though, he was a tough dude.