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Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord

Bohrain

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My team has the sexiest and deadliest waifus you can recruit.
There's reasonable development time and then there's five fucking years...

Wasn't Final Fantasy XV developed for a decade?
Anyhow apparently Taleworlds redid the engine twice or something loony like that. Unless Erdogan decides to shoot them I have my hopes up that they'll do launch the early access late 2017 or early 2018.
 

Makabb

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HjJvmpdZ4MEpKyCNaLRqjn.png
 

Makabb

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Man... anyone remember their original website where you could order the original game in beta state?

.... getting old :dealwithit:

i remember their moddb page when the first mount and blade was a free download, there was only the first area that you start in where you fight with the first guy, it was to show their combat mechanic.

I think it was even a mod for some game and not a game on its own back at the time
 
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Man... anyone remember their original website where you could order the original game in beta state?

.... getting old :dealwithit:

i remember their moddb page when the first mount and blade was a free download, there was only the first area that you start in where you fight with the first guy, it was to show their combat mechanic.

I think it was even a mod for some game and not a game on its own back at the time

I remember Dark Knights:obviously:
 

Alienman

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Codex 2016 - The Age of Grimoire Make the Codex Great Again! Grab the Codex by the pussy Codex Year of the Donut Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag.
I remember buying the beta from their site thinking it was an mmo :oops:

Those dudes you fought in the starter town arena? I actually thought that was other players.
 

ragnor

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Well it was the first game i bought online. For years it was the only game i played. So many slaves sold to that salt mine. Years later i began to work at Taleworlds. Now i know how they made the sausages. :/
 

Rahdulan

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PC Gamer feature. At least it's not dead.
https://www.taleworlds.com/en/Games/Bannerlord/Blog/17

Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord Developer Blog 15 - Valuable Relationships
Greetings all and thanks for making your way over to our 15th Development Blog. It's been a little while since we updated the blog, but we've been hard at work on the game and we're excited to talk a little about something we've been working on recently.

As many of you will know, this month we featured on the cover of PC Gamer Magazine! In addition to being a proud moment for the team, we also packed in some new screenshots, which you can see online, and spoke to Phil Savage about the game; the full write-up of which is featured in the April 2017 issue.



One aspect of Bannerlord that featured in the write-up is quests, which is what we're discussing in this blog entry. As a sandbox game, the essential function of quests in Mount & Blade is different to that of a linear or story-based RPG. Our goal is to use quests as a way to encourage the player to interact with the sandbox, and help form the player's relationships in the world.

As in Warband, completing quests for NPCs will increase your relation with that character. This however, takes on a new dimension in Bannerlord, as that relationship can have a more profound impact on your character, and the decisions you make. As an example, when you go to a town to recruit soldiers, instead of simply receiving a number of local recruits, the town's NPCs act as recruiting agents, or middle men, through whom you receive a supply of troops. The higher your relation with a specific NPC, the greater the number of soldiers they will make available to you.



This places inherent value on your relationship with a specific NPC, giving you a reason to complete quests for them, and enhance your capacity to recruit soldiers quickly, from a single location. Consider, also, the way this invests you in an NPC's safety and well-being; when that NPC is at risk, so too is your supply of soldiers. This link, between quests and the sandbox, is what provides interesting gameplay, as your character's connection to the world grows, making allies and enemies. In this sense, the impact of a quest is often more significant than the reward it offers.

A crucial change, in the nature of the quests themselves, is that the majority of quests, in Bannerlord, have multiple potential outcomes. As an example, when a character in a town tasks you with clearing out some thugs, who are occupying a local alley, upon meeting the gang, you are presented with a counter offer: go back to the quest-giver, extort money out of them for questioning the gang's authority and keep the profits for yourself. You can even clear out the thugs, as requested but instead of handing control back to the townsfolk, install your own men in the alley and begin a new criminal operation.



By offering these branching quests, Bannerlord gives you, as a player, the chance to define your relationship with different characters through a narrative. Instead of simply working to earn the favour of specific individuals, you are weighing the value of an NPC's allegiance, against a short term reward. And since the NPCs themselves have their own rivalries and disputes, even taking what seems like the moral option can compromise your standing, with those who disapprove of your choice of friends.

Quests in Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord are designed to provide the basis for interesting, emergent interactions with the sandbox game world. While you might complete a single quest multiple times, the context within which you undertake the task, and the decisions you make, will mean the experience and the consequences can vary on each occasion.

We're looking forward to giving you a chance to play the game, and try out the quests for yourselves! In the meantime, thanks for reading this Development Blog and stay tuned for more Bannerlord news on our website, Facebook and Twitter.
 

ERYFKRAD

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Can it be? Will we finally have a game where (through mods) we can enslave nations using necromancy?
 

LESS T_T

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Codex 2014
PCGamer preview is now online: http://www.pcgamer.com/mount-and-blade-2-is-on-a-mission-to-be-2017s-best-rpg/

"While we missed our 2016 target, we are confident we’ll be able to get the game out in some form this year."

Mount and Blade 2 is on a mission to be 2017's best RPG
This exciting sandbox sequel builds on everything the series has done so far.

Mount & Blade is an unlikely success story of the kind that only really happens on PC. Awkward, weird, and not particularly pretty, it’s nonetheless a triumph of sandbox design. It mixes tactical combat, RPG progression and strategic simulation, all in a sandbox world full of possibilities. In Mount & Blade: Warband, 2010’s standalone expansion and easily the best game in the series so far, players have free rein to explore a massive, politically intriguing medieval kingdom.

Now, after years of waiting, a full sequel is on the way. TaleWorlds’ sizeable, dedicated fan base has been clamouring for Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord ever since its announcement back in 2012. It’s one of my most anticipated games of the year, and I’m excited to find out how it has progressed since the footage shown at last year’s PC Gamer Weekender. TaleWorlds doesn’t disappoint, and I get to watch as community manager Frank Elliott plays through an hour of a new campaign. A new character, Yasmin, is created. She’s spawned into the Southern Empire—a once mighty imperial power, now on the brink of collapse. Bannerlord is set 200 years before Warband, and depicts the early days of some of this world’s great powers. Despite the fictional nations, this is no fantasy land. Weapons, armour and architecture are all designed to resemble historical equivalents from between 600 and 1100 AD.

Character creation is skipped in the demo—TaleWorlds has previously shown off the varied creation sliders, but isn’t ready to detail the full extent of customisation. Needless to say, there should be plenty of options, including new builds that are part of an improved progression system. “Bannerlord’s skill system builds upon what we had in Warband,” says CEO Armagan Yavuz, “but it is vastly improved and in many ways much deeper and more fun. We have traits, skills and perks that work together in an interesting and unique way. Each skill has its own kind of XP category and is exercised individually. For example, you improve the Tracking skill by finding older and more difficult to find tracks.”

Entering the nearby city of Syronaea, Yasmin goes looking for a job. As in Warband, settlements can be traversed on foot, or via a menu. You’re free to explore each town, village and castle, or, if you’re in a hurry, can choose to instantly access essential services. New for Bannerlord, important NPCs can be directly accessed through the menu too, teleporting you to their location to instantly pick up a quest.

Settlements are also where you expand your army. This is an important part of Mount & Blade. You can travel alone, but you’ll be at the mercy of bandits and rival factions. It’s better to have at least a small band of troops.

In Warband, you could visit villages and attempt to rally volunteers to your cause. In Bannerlord, troops are provided by important NPCs. The better your relationship with that person, the more soldiers you’ll receive for your gold. Of course, each major NPC has different desires and allegiances, and working with one may put you at odds with another. Bannerlord isn’t just about building alliances with the people you meet. In most situations you’ll be picking a side, and that will have effects both on the specific people involved and the population at large.

As a new character with no notoriety, Yasmin is only able to acquire a single soldier per each 100 gold she pays. She nevertheless hires a few troops, and accepts a quest from Suterios the Sutler, a local merchant. He has a problem with a local gang of smugglers, who have taken over an alley that could otherwise be used for legitimate market stalls. Yasmin is tasked with clearing them out. This quest ties into what Yavuz describes as a desire to make towns more interesting by adding “opportunities for you to get into trouble.” Towns and villages have back alleys and other areas of interest that are a point of conflict. The controlling faction can change based on your actions—it’s even possible to take ownership of them yourself.

Yasmin’s new troops can’t enter the settlement, and so can’t help clear the alley. Instead, Yasmin heads to the nearby tavern to find mercenaries for hire. These, as in Warband, are named companions with a backstory and special traits. Yasmin chooses Garitops the Golden, a heavy-set cavalryman, and Urios the Bull, a heavy-set swordsman. Less than ten minutes in, and she already has a type.

Companions are more expensive to hire than regular soldiers, but worth it if used effectively. Here, Yasmin has them follow her to the alley as backup. As she approaches, the smugglers stand up for their turf. It’s the usual tough talk between two sides who are readying for a fight, but the smugglers reveal they are friends with the Oath Keepers—a local syndicate. They give Yasmin the option to switch sides—betraying Suterios and the merchants. “We are trying to make it so all quests have multiple ways to resolve them,” Yavuz tells me.

Because of its sandbox nature, Mount & Blade’s quests are procedurally generated around a number of set templates. They can have a great effect on the overall story of your campaign, but no individual quest ever felt like a compelling story by itself. Not only is Bannerlord attempting to increase the complexity of these scenarios, but their generation is now based on what’s happening out in the world. That means you’ll only get a quest to hunt down bandits if a settlement has a bandit problem. Everything is tied more fully into the sandbox. That’s important, because the simulation is the story. The narrative emerges based around your actions. While there will be a more traditional story, it’s mostly optional, and designed purely to get new players familiar with Bannerlord’s world and systems.

Yasmin stays loyal and attacks the bandits. As in Warband, Bannerlord’s swordplay is about directional strikes and blocks. It’s not a complicated system, but does require some finesse. Your character’s stats have an effect, as do your weapons and armour, but most important is your own ability. No matter your experience or equipment, you’ve got a better chance of survival if you can avoid being hit.

With the smugglers dead, Yasmin hands over control of the alley to Suterios. Not only is she given a reward, and the chance to steal and sell the bandits’ loot, but the reputation increase means Suterios will now offer two volunteers per payment of 100 gold—doubling the basic rate. Pretty soon, Yasmin is leading a small army.

Getting to know an important NPC doesn’t just confer a recruitment bonus. Later in the game, your friends will offer extra services. “For example,” says Yavuz, “if you need to kidnap someone, that will be much easier if you have some friendly NPCs in the town. They open up opportunities for mischief.” The service is based on the type of NPC you befriend. “Merchant NPCs give you an advantage in trading. A gang leader can give you advantages in ‘special operations’,” Yavuz says.

Before leaving the town, Yasmin joins a local tournament. Arena tournaments were a feature of Warband, but here they’ve been rebalanced so that each side is wielding the same equipment. In the first round, Yasmin, Urios and two other fighters are up against a team that includes Garitrops the Golden. Yasmin wins, and, partnered with Urios, progresses through to a final round where they’re pitted head to head. Yasmin walks out the victor, and earns some expensive-looking armour for her efforts.

Tournaments, as in Warband, are just a small part of the bigger game, but feel important for the fantasy. For me, Mount & Blade finds a captivating midpoint between Skyrim and Crusader Kings II. The former is reflected by your freedom, and the ability to choose any role, from noble lord to fiendish bandit. But instead of a linear progression around set narratives, Mount & Blade’s story is emergent—a trade-off between your actions and that of the other AI characters. It feels grand in scope, but still lets you focus in on personal achievements and actions.

Victory achieved, Yasmin and her army leave the town. It’s here, on the world map, that the sandbox meets the simulation. On the map, you can see traders, knights and bandits, all scurrying around to complete their task. One such group—a band of forest bandits—intercepts Yasmin as she journeys to a nearby castle. This triggers a dialogue scene in which the player can choose to fight, surrender or negotiate. The bandits are tough, and the two sides are evenly matched. Not one to back down from a fight, Yasmin charges into battle.

You directly control your character at all times, whether fighting a handful of smugglers, or leading an army against a gang of bandits. The difference when fighting out in the world is the ability to command your troops. It’s a simple system, letting you give basic orders and place markers to set positions. This is no Total War—the AI is much more autonomous—but it’s still possible to set up cavalry flanking charges, or to move archers to a more advantageous position.

In Bannerlord, armies can be asked to attack or defend a location. This has a major effect on the behaviour of the enemy AI. A defending army won’t necessarily charge at your position, and may instead move to higher ground. That won’t always be the case, though. Even a defending army will hunt you down if they think they’ve a chance to quickly take you out. TaleWorlds hasn’t yet decided on a unit cap for battles. It’s possible to have hundreds of soldiers per side, but too many causes performance issues. This battle is composed of just 18 soldiers, and so there’s little need for advanced tactics. The bandits are taken out with ease.

The battlefield is looted, and prisoners are captured. Both loot and prisoners can be traded for money to buy new equipment and food to sustain the army. In addition, some of Yasmin’s soldiers have levelled up. It’s one thing to have a large army, but basic recruits are quickly dispatched. Here, too, there are advantages to having friends among the right locals. Certain NPCs can recruit more experienced volunteers of different specialities. Carrying out missions for the right people can lead to a more varied and effective army.

Eventually, Yasmin meets with Sanion, a lord of the house Mestricaros. She’s asked to train up a small band of his troops—leading them into small skirmishes to gain experience. Such missions can be more lucrative than those undertaken for a merchant, but have a greater impact on the sandbox. The danger is in drawing the ire of a rival lord, potentially leading to a deadly confrontation. With a bolstered retinue, Yasmin tracks down more bandits to test her borrowed recruits. A few battles later, and they’ve gained the necessary experience—although two were killed in the process. The outcome of the quest depends on how many troops survive. Just a few casualties, and the lord should be pretty pleased. But too many deaths could sour your relationship.

Yasmin returns to Sanion’s castle, but he’s not there. Lords are always on the move, leading their own armies on campaigns across their territory. It’s possible to find the last known location of the lord through the quest menu, or by talking to the NPCs in their castle, but sometimes you just have to ride out and attempt to hunt them down. As Yasmin scouts the hills near Sanion’s territory, she encounters a man called Ilatar. He proclaims peace, and asks who he’s talking to.

Yasmin answers truthfully, and Ilatar reveals he’s from a clan in Khuzait. When you start a Bannerlord campaign, one of the other world powers will be openly hostile to you. The Khuzait—a nation of skilled horse archers—are Yasmin’s enemies, and Ilatar prepares to attack. She’s outnumbered; he’s commanding 66 men to her 18. The battle is quick, and Yasmin is captured.

That’s how it goes in Mount & Blade. The simulation is always moving, and indifferent to your actions. Why Ilatar was in the Southern Realms doesn’t matter—it led to a chance encounter that left Yasmin imprisoned and her army destroyed. It can be frustrating to run into such a powerful opponent so early, but gives the world a sense of unpredictability and danger. No two sessions are the same, and Bannerlord aims to heighten that variety.

This is where the demo ends, but, had it not, Yasmin’s journey still wouldn’t have been over. Prisoners will escape after a time, and, even when you’re stripped of your soldiers and resources, the relationships you build remain intact.

It’s clear from what I’ve seen that Bannerlord isn’t revolutionising Mount & Blade. This is a major progression of the series, focused primarily on tweaks and improvements. “We have been working on almost all aspects of the game,” says Yavuz. “There are many other new features that we couldn’t show in the demo such as the political and diplomatic system, better town management, a new and revamped character development, a crafting system, to name a few.” Add to that multiplayer improvements and better mod support, and it’s a significant overhaul of a familiar experience.

It explains why Bannerlord has been so long in the making. “We are trying to make the best game we possibly can,” says Ali Erkin, TaleWorlds’ managing director, “and this unfortunately has meant going back to the design board in certain cases, rethinking certain features, or rewriting a piece of code that doesn’t perform as well as it should.” By way of an example, Erkin reveals that the character development system has been reworked three times from scratch. “When all is done and we see a system working really well, we feel that it was worth the extra time and effort,” Erkin continues. “While we missed our 2016 target, we are confident we’ll be able to get the game out in some form this year.”

I hope so. Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord probably won’t be the most polished game released this year, but, all being well, it will be a deep, varied sandbox game that welcomes new players and satisfies existing fans. TaleWorlds has made one of PC gaming’s most endearing cult favourites, and the studio seems set to improve on it in almost every way. If this extra development time pays off, Bannerlord could well prove to be one of the year’s best RPGs.
 

LESS T_T

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https://www.taleworlds.com/en/Games/Bannerlord/News/169

Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord Playable At E3 2017

E3 is just around the corner now and this year we're back in force! For the first time at an event, we'll be giving hands-on demonstrations of battles in Bannerlord to the world's press. Look forward to our videos that will come out during E3 and hopefully the thoughts of those who try out the game!



TaleWorlds Entertainment will offer hands-on demonstrations of its upcoming title to press at the expo in Los Angeles, June 13-15. Attendees will experience Mount & Blade’s deep and intuitive combat system firsthand in an epic, large scale battle, featuring hundreds of on-screen combatants; supported by an all-new tailor made engine. Multiple gameplay videos will be shared during the event, giving fans a detailed look at the game’s field combat.

“We are excited to see how attendees react to playing Bannerlord and receive feedback on the game. Putting the game in the hands of players represents another major milestone as we work towards a release.”
Ali Erkin – Managing Director, TaleWorlds

This will be the first time Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord has been available to play outside of the TaleWorlds studio. A team of TaleWorlds developers, led by company CEO / Founder Armagan Yavuz, will be on hand to guide attendees through the demo and answer questions.

“Last year E3 was a tremendous success and learning experience for us as a company. This year, we have a great hands-on demo lined up and are thrilled to be giving visitors their best-ever look at Bannerlord.”
Armagan Yavuz – CEO / Founder, TaleWorlds

Demonstrations will be given by appointment only, conducted at TaleWorlds booth in the Concourse Hall (Booth Address: 8613/8712); those attending E3 this year should contact Jesse Radonski (jesse@evolve-pr.com) for a press appointment.
 
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Mount & Blade is an unlikely success story of the kind that only really happens on PC. Awkward, weird, and not particularly pretty, it’s nonetheless a triumph of sandbox design.

No! The success of M&B was obvious for any person who does not write at the end of their review a warning like: this game is scary, only for THOSE hardcores.
And WTF is so weird about M&B?

We have traits, skills and perks that work together in an interesting and unique way. Each skill has its own kind of XP category and is exercised individually. For example, you improve the Tracking skill by finding older and more difficult to find tracks.

If there is a learn by doing system, then the game is already worse for it:(
 

Makabb

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We have traits, skills and perks that work together in an interesting and unique way. Each skill has its own kind of XP category and is exercised individually. For example, you improve the Tracking skill by finding older and more difficult to find tracks.

If there is a learn by doing system, then the game is already worse for it:(

They are taking notes from bethesda on how to enhance the game :troll:
 

thesheeep

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We have traits, skills and perks that work together in an interesting and unique way. Each skill has its own kind of XP category and is exercised individually. For example, you improve the Tracking skill by finding older and more difficult to find tracks.

If there is a learn by doing system, then the game is already worse for it:(
You do realize M&B always had an improve-by-doing system?
With weapons, for example. All you did by investing skill points was to get some additional points for this, raise the max (I think) and get other bonuses. But at least with weapons, the best way to improve them was to use them.

So as long as there is still both, skill points and improve-by-doing, I don't see much of a problem.
 
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We have traits, skills and perks that work together in an interesting and unique way. Each skill has its own kind of XP category and is exercised individually. For example, you improve the Tracking skill by finding older and more difficult to find tracks.

If there is a learn by doing system, then the game is already worse for it:(
You do realize M&B always had an improve-by-doing system?
With weapons, for example. All you did by investing skill points was to get some additional points for this, raise the max (I think) and get other bonuses. But at least with weapons, the best way to improve them was to use them.

So as long as there is still both, skill points and improve-by-doing, I don't see much of a problem.

It was only for weapons. All other skills progression was point based. Learn by doing was only a small part of the overall system.
According to the article all skills are now using improve by doing progression system. Tracking was a skill points based skill before.
 

thesheeep

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Codex 2012 Strap Yourselves In Codex Year of the Donut Codex+ Now Streaming! Serpent in the Staglands Dead State Divinity: Original Sin Torment: Tides of Numenera Codex USB, 2014 Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 BattleTech Bubbles In Memoria A Beautifully Desolate Campaign Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Pathfinder: Kingmaker Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag. Pathfinder: Wrath I'm very into cock and ball torture I helped put crap in Monomyth
You do realize M&B always had an improve-by-doing system?
With weapons, for example. All you did by investing skill points was to get some additional points for this, raise the max (I think) and get other bonuses. But at least with weapons, the best way to improve them was to use them.

So as long as there is still both, skill points and improve-by-doing, I don't see much of a problem.

It was only for weapons. All other skills progression was point based. Learn by doing was only a small part of the overall system.
According to the article all skills are now using improve by doing progression system. Tracking was a skill points based skill before.
So?
Nothing speaking against applying a similar logic as was used with weapons to other skills.

Of course, if no more actual skill points are there and only improving by doing remains, that would be kinda shitty...
 

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