Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord

I have been enjoying this very much. The layers of polish they have put on one of my favorite games ever is just phenomenal.

The game feels samey, which is an interesting case study in the risk of "staying true to the game" or the temptation of changing things up.

So often developers change things for the sequel and you hear loud cries from the fan base about how they've ruined this or that. Taleworlds have kept true to what makes mount and blade, and as a result I've been surprised how very much the same game it feels.

This personally doesn't bother me much because I'm really happy they didn't toy too much with the game and I'm mostly looking forward to what the modding community comes up with now with access to a new engine and new tools. (Prophecy of Pendor 2????)

But I can't lie, there is a little voice inside my head which is saying that this is the same game, what took them so long since it's all the same, they could have improved this or that, etc. Point being, I can see the pickle a Dev must be in when it comes to sequels. Change too much, people will bitch. Change too little and you risk the same. I'm not bitching but I can see how some might.
 
I have a gripe

it is waaaaay too addictive, I have to not launch it, because if I do suddenly it is 16 hours later and I have to pee really bad

as far as dev time, I wonder how much of that went into tuning the engine...I mean...how is it that I can be in battles with hundreds of units and my box doesn't choke?
 
I think most of the work went into the engine and creating the towns. They spent waaaaay too much time on the towns, which you never go into 99% of the time to walk around lol.

My gripes are the basic things that they released with. Broken troop stats, bowmen with crossbow stats, stupid shit like that. The economy, tax income system, and troop levelling is completely broken in vanilla. It's why the AI is constantly running around with armies of recruits

Oh well, modders are doing an insane job, I am running with 72 mods right now lol. Playing it with mods is glorious.
 
I have a gripe

it is waaaaay too addictive, I have to not launch it, because if I do suddenly it is 16 hours later and I have to pee really bad

as far as dev time, I wonder how much of that went into tuning the engine...I mean...how is it that I can be in battles with hundreds of units and my box doesn't choke?
Absolutely agree on the addictiveness lol but I knew this going in ;)

The engine is really odd though, it seems to struggle with rendering the clothes of people in a scene (massive pop-in), but can handle tons of units on a battlefield just fine. Clearly that's where their focus was, but it's mind boggling to me to have it struggle rendering the clothes of a single npc with whom I'm speaking.
 
I think most of the work went into the engine and creating the towns. They spent waaaaay too much time on the towns, which you never go into 99% of the time to walk around lol.

My gripes are the basic things that they released with. Broken troop stats, bowmen with crossbow stats, stupid shit like that. The economy, tax income system, and troop levelling is completely broken in vanilla. It's why the AI is constantly running around with armies of recruits

Oh well, modders are doing an insane job, I am running with 72 mods right now lol. Playing it with mods is glorious.
I'd be very much interested in seeing your mod list! I haven't actually even delved into any modding quite yet, still wanting to experience the base game.

I would agree with you on the towns. They are GORGEOUS and so beautifully crafted. It was one of the 'samey' things that I wish was changed.. there is no real compelling reason to actually go in there.. even when I have had a reason, in tracking someone down, I end up just following some silly npc who knew where the girl was. Would have been much more compelling to speak with different folks and flesh out a location which I end up having to find on my own, for instance. Perhaps the modding community will find ways of taking advantage of that, making you want to go into towns to explore.. i.e. actually putting things to find with more compelling dialogue
 
I'd be very much interested in seeing your mod list! I haven't actually even delved into any modding quite yet, still wanting to experience the base game.

I would agree with you on the towns. They are GORGEOUS and so beautifully crafted. It was one of the 'samey' things that I wish was changed.. there is no real compelling reason to actually go in there.. even when I have had a reason, in tracking someone down, I end up just following some silly npc who knew where the girl was. Would have been much more compelling to speak with different folks and flesh out a location which I end up having to find on my own, for instance. Perhaps the modding community will find ways of taking advantage of that, making you want to go into towns to explore.. i.e. actually putting things to find with more compelling dialogue

Another Chance at Marriage-388-1-2-0-1587954872
Aragas.CastleTownWithHorse-328-v1-0-4-1586521394
Aragas.SaveMissingModuleFix-282-v1-0-1-1586531893
Attribute Point Per Level-121-1-05-1586063877
BannerlordTweaks-49-1-1-6-1587479287
Better Time-139-1-0-3-1586776939
BetterAutoCalc-673-1-0-0-1587186005
BreakIn and BreakOut With ModLib-830-0-3-0-1587859153
BuyPatrols-343-v1-2-8-1587692943
CaravansGiveTradeXp-907-1-0-0-1587625622
ChangeSettlementCulture.zip-510-1-0-3-1587123765
CheapBarter-525-1-0-0-1586883178
Clan Tier based Caravan Party Size-661-1-4-1-1587411826
Companion Spawn Improvement-708-1-3-1587631621
Configurable Experience Multiplier and Learning-19-0-7-5-1587675635
Custom Wanderers-691-1-0-0-1587236238
Daytime Assault-662-1-2-0-1587155475
Dead Clans Deactivate-438-1-0-0-1586657673
DeveloperConsole-4-1-3-2-1587064763
DiplomacyReworked-427-1-2-6-1587075193
DontSmeltLockedWeapons-169-1-1-0-1587258809
EnhancedMission-355-e1-0-11-1586966309
Equipment Upgrader-536-1-0-2-1587769427
FixedFormations for e1.2.0-626-1-1-0-1587163486
FixedLauncher-205-2-1-1-1588163422
FixFoodVarietyMorale-v1.0.0-330-v1-0-0-1586378997
FixPersuasion.zip-619-1-1-1587108090
FrugalCavalry-Beta-196-1-0-4-1587238163
HideoutSendTroops-399-1-1-0-1586562976
HorseCall-442-1-0-0-1586711009
Improved Garrisons 2.0.9.1 - Stable - For 1.2-688-2-0-9-1588067132
Improved Granary - v0.2.1-271-v0-2-1-1586285311
Improved Smithing-20-0-7-3-1586856922
Intro Remover-7-1-0-1585642332
Keehu's Party Sorter-512-1-0-0-1586849029
KillBanditsRaiseRelations-500-1-1-0-1586892924
Kingdom Creator Hotfix-464-V1-0-5a-1586798054
LessGreedyRulers-1130-1-0-0-1588120645
LootEveryone-535-1-2-2-1586990919
LootLord-294-1-0-4-1586434699
Messengers-671-1-0-3-1587288018
ModLib-592-1-0-1-1587218086
More Couch Spears-54-v1-1-0-1585938636
Party AI Overhaul and Commands - e1.2.1 and older-493-2-3-0-1588038203
PersistentLock.zip-445-1-0-0-1586678722
PreventEscape1.1-134-1-1-1586965793
Recruitable 1.0.4-112-1-0-4-1586293815
Recruiter 1.0.4-575-1-0-4-1587030950
SavingOverhaul-322-1-0-9-1587808755
Score Sort-1128-1-0-1588116257
SettlementIcons-v1-2-0-429-1-2-0-1586910947
Sound The Alarm-306-1-0-5a-1586682819
Stable enabler-167-v1-0-1-1586189030
Sturgian Noble Infantry-986-1-0-0-1587796809
Summarize Cashflow v1.0.1-505-1-0-1-1586909925
Training Tweak (e1.2.x) - Standalone-255-1-0-9s-1588207421
Troop Collision and siege tower and castle stairs fix v1.3-495-1-3-1586902651
Unit Fixes-73-2-8-1587819063
Upgrade Remote Companions-698-1-0-0-1587249376
V's Building Rebalance-951-1-0-1587706146
V's Food Supply Wariness-952-1-0-1587707792
V's Garrisons Don't Eat Nor Starve-281-1-1586283302
V's No Companion Limit-89-1-1585935403
V's No Player Clan Party Limit-125-1-1585993729
V's No Player Prisoner Limit-420-1-1586619511
V's No Workshop Limit-84-1-1585929157
V's Production-Scaled Daily Defaults-591-2-0-1587682195
VARTS Trade Guild-337-v2-1-0-1586731852
Xorberax's Cut Through Everyone 0.3.1-344-0-3-1-1586745411
Xorberax's Deadly Horse Charges 0.1.0-386-0-1-0-1586510151
Xorberax's Training Field 0.3.0-258-0-3-0-1586665917
 
Nexus page?

tell me like I'm your grandmother...new to mods

Prior to steam workshop making mods easy for plebs and those with low brows there was Nexus Mods, even now you can find mods for many games that lack official mod support or a workshop.

You do have to roll up your sleeves to get them running occationally, but the community is great and everything you need can be found somewhere on the Nexus mod page. If you own Battletech, do yourself a favor and grab either Rogue Tech or Battletech Advanced 3062.

Nexus Mods base site.

Nexus Mods Bannerlord.
 
Another Chance at Marriage-388-1-2-0-1587954872
Aragas.CastleTownWithHorse-328-v1-0-4-1586521394
Aragas.SaveMissingModuleFix-282-v1-0-1-1586531893
Attribute Point Per Level-121-1-05-1586063877
BannerlordTweaks-49-1-1-6-1587479287
Better Time-139-1-0-3-1586776939
BetterAutoCalc-673-1-0-0-1587186005
BreakIn and BreakOut With ModLib-830-0-3-0-1587859153
BuyPatrols-343-v1-2-8-1587692943
CaravansGiveTradeXp-907-1-0-0-1587625622
ChangeSettlementCulture.zip-510-1-0-3-1587123765
CheapBarter-525-1-0-0-1586883178
Clan Tier based Caravan Party Size-661-1-4-1-1587411826
Companion Spawn Improvement-708-1-3-1587631621
Configurable Experience Multiplier and Learning-19-0-7-5-1587675635
Custom Wanderers-691-1-0-0-1587236238
Daytime Assault-662-1-2-0-1587155475
Dead Clans Deactivate-438-1-0-0-1586657673
DeveloperConsole-4-1-3-2-1587064763
DiplomacyReworked-427-1-2-6-1587075193
DontSmeltLockedWeapons-169-1-1-0-1587258809
EnhancedMission-355-e1-0-11-1586966309
Equipment Upgrader-536-1-0-2-1587769427
FixedFormations for e1.2.0-626-1-1-0-1587163486
FixedLauncher-205-2-1-1-1588163422
FixFoodVarietyMorale-v1.0.0-330-v1-0-0-1586378997
FixPersuasion.zip-619-1-1-1587108090
FrugalCavalry-Beta-196-1-0-4-1587238163
HideoutSendTroops-399-1-1-0-1586562976
HorseCall-442-1-0-0-1586711009
Improved Garrisons 2.0.9.1 - Stable - For 1.2-688-2-0-9-1588067132
Improved Granary - v0.2.1-271-v0-2-1-1586285311
Improved Smithing-20-0-7-3-1586856922
Intro Remover-7-1-0-1585642332
Keehu's Party Sorter-512-1-0-0-1586849029
KillBanditsRaiseRelations-500-1-1-0-1586892924
Kingdom Creator Hotfix-464-V1-0-5a-1586798054
LessGreedyRulers-1130-1-0-0-1588120645
LootEveryone-535-1-2-2-1586990919
LootLord-294-1-0-4-1586434699
Messengers-671-1-0-3-1587288018
ModLib-592-1-0-1-1587218086
More Couch Spears-54-v1-1-0-1585938636
Party AI Overhaul and Commands - e1.2.1 and older-493-2-3-0-1588038203
PersistentLock.zip-445-1-0-0-1586678722
PreventEscape1.1-134-1-1-1586965793
Recruitable 1.0.4-112-1-0-4-1586293815
Recruiter 1.0.4-575-1-0-4-1587030950
SavingOverhaul-322-1-0-9-1587808755
Score Sort-1128-1-0-1588116257
SettlementIcons-v1-2-0-429-1-2-0-1586910947
Sound The Alarm-306-1-0-5a-1586682819
Stable enabler-167-v1-0-1-1586189030
Sturgian Noble Infantry-986-1-0-0-1587796809
Summarize Cashflow v1.0.1-505-1-0-1-1586909925
Training Tweak (e1.2.x) - Standalone-255-1-0-9s-1588207421
Troop Collision and siege tower and castle stairs fix v1.3-495-1-3-1586902651
Unit Fixes-73-2-8-1587819063
Upgrade Remote Companions-698-1-0-0-1587249376
V's Building Rebalance-951-1-0-1587706146
V's Food Supply Wariness-952-1-0-1587707792
V's Garrisons Don't Eat Nor Starve-281-1-1586283302
V's No Companion Limit-89-1-1585935403
V's No Player Clan Party Limit-125-1-1585993729
V's No Player Prisoner Limit-420-1-1586619511
V's No Workshop Limit-84-1-1585929157
V's Production-Scaled Daily Defaults-591-2-0-1587682195
VARTS Trade Guild-337-v2-1-0-1586731852
Xorberax's Cut Through Everyone 0.3.1-344-0-3-1-1586745411
Xorberax's Deadly Horse Charges 0.1.0-386-0-1-0-1586510151
Xorberax's Training Field 0.3.0-258-0-3-0-1586665917

good god that must be fun when a new patch drops.
 
One of the nice things about them using the same base engine is that the absolutely huge pile of mods that were available for the last game could be quickly swapped over.
 
good god that must be fun when a new patch drops.
My thought as well.

I stay on major versions, (1.1,1.2, etc.), for a week or so before I move to new versions. I give the mods time to update, if they don't update, I end up removing them. I have been whittling down my list slowly, there's a few more that I want to remove at my next new game because they break saves when they are removed or disabled. I generally get 1 crash every 2-3 hours, so not too bad. I have a mod that auto saves every 5 minutes.
 
One of the nice things about them using the same base engine is that the absolutely huge pile of mods that were available for the last game could be quickly swapped over.
Interesting I did not know they stayed on the same base engine. No wonder the game feels so true to the original.
 
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Well once they do a final release, probably next year, it'll be cool to see all the mods the community has available to them. Its only going to make the game even better. Right now I'm blown away seeing massive battles this game can do. Not to mention what my rig can do as well.
 
Annnnd, I decided to update to 1.3. Two and a half hours later, I can load into the game, but crash during a siege. They broke probably about half of the mods with this patch, if not more.
 
Annnnd, I decided to update to 1.3. Two and a half hours later, I can load into the game, but crash during a siege. They broke probably about half of the mods with this patch, if not more.

they also just went to 1.4.

I love M&B but i am done with bannerlord for now, early access just isn't worth it.
 
Ya, I have taken a break this weekend. It's too much work to get all the mods working and then just have them break. I am trying to whittle down my list to under 30...
 
I purposely minimized installing mods for this very reason. It's in early access/beta and Taleworlds has been pushing patches extremely quickly since day 1.

I think I have two mods installed. BannerlordTweaks, and one I cannot remember. So far the patches have either not broken them, or the modders are updating them extremely quickly.

It is one of those "damned if you do" moments for TW, it is awesome that the are rolling out patches/and hotfixes so quickly, but it's also a pain in the ass if you do mods.
 
I only have one mod installed. The few I have tried couldn't get to work. Bannerlord just isnt mod friendly in its current state IMO. Best to either play without them or wait to play the game altogether once its done.
 
I purposely minimized installing mods for this very reason. It's in early access/beta and Taleworlds has been pushing patches extremely quickly since day 1.

I think I have two mods installed. BannerlordTweaks, and one I cannot remember. So far the patches have either not broken them, or the modders are updating them extremely quickly.

It is one of those "damned if you do" moments for TW, it is awesome that the are rolling out patches/and hotfixes so quickly, but it's also a pain in the ass if you do mods.

I took a break over the weekend, I think I am going to start whittling my list down today, see if I can do it without breaking my game... Guessing I won't be able to, so looks like I will have to start a new one. I'll just gift myself money and gear to get back to where I was lol.

I only have one mod installed. The few I have tried couldn't get to work. Bannerlord just isnt mod friendly in its current state IMO. Best to either play without them or wait to play the game altogether once its done.

It's really easy. Are you using Vortex?
 
Vortex?

remember ... like I'm your grandma'

It's an application from Nexus Mods. Use that and their mod library. It's probably the largest library of mods out there. Pretty much all the mods from Bannerlord are on Nexus and can be automatically installed with Vortex. Just choose the download with vortex option. The only mod I would say to start with is "Fixed Launcher", it has a sort button in the game's launcher to auto sort all the mods.
 
I took a break over the weekend, I think I am going to start whittling my list down today, see if I can do it without breaking my game... Guessing I won't be able to, so looks like I will have to start a new one. I'll just gift myself money and gear to get back to where I was lol.



It's really easy. Are you using Vortex?
No I was doing it the old fashion manual way. I'm rather leary of putting mods into the game right now. With the updates comes updating all the mods from what I'm seeing and hearing. Too much trouble right now. I got enough aggravation in my life at the moment. lol I realize its a game in development right now and I'm cool with that.
 
The one big thing I will recommend is only installing mods that don't write data to saves. If you do, 100% chance of it breaking your save if you remove the mod, 50-50 chance if you use the new version of save missing module mod.
 
Annnnd, I decided to update to 1.3. Two and a half hours later, I can load into the game, but crash during a siege. They broke probably about half of the mods with this patch, if not more.
How is it that you're able to defer updating? My game won't even let me play before updating if they push a patch.
 
One thing Id like them to add is movement key navigation in the menus. Like cycling through companion loadouts with a and d would be great.
 
Patch 1.4.1 should be interesting. You can play it now but I personally like to wait for them to get it done then release it. This game is one of the better early access games I have played in recent years. So many never make it out the door and die in eternal early access.
 
I've really enjoyed playing but decided to take a break for a while and wait through a few updates. I've played with a lot of mods which is a pain in the butt to maintain as previously mentioned and I just told myself to put it on the shelf for now. I know I will be playing this game a lot in the future.
 
I've really enjoyed playing but decided to take a break for a while and wait through a few updates. I've played with a lot of mods which is a pain in the butt to maintain as previously mentioned and I just told myself to put it on the shelf for now. I know I will be playing this game a lot in the future.

Ya, I am in the same boat. I'm also tired of the MCM/ModLIB bullshit. The guy that made MCM did it to intentionally step on ModLib's toes. He is a complete douche.
 
Yeah mods and this game at this stage, in my opinion, aren't worth the hassle - especially due to how often the game is patched. Game has massive potential but I shelved it a few weeks ago after I played the shit out of it for the first two or three weeks. Finally came down to deciding I don't want to tire of the game while it's far from finished and I got tired of abandoning saves (from updates breaking mods) or staying builds behind due to mods. I remember looking at the patch notes and not being happy with half of what they focused on to patch. Hopefully with all the income they've received, coupled with the fact that their game has sat on the global top seller list since release, they will hire more people to get content into the game (empty cities, ai that's dumb as rocks, no real diplomacy, etc).
 
wow game can use a lot of cpu with max battle size was using about 70% of my 3960x with smt off. runs amazing at 1k battle size cant wait till we get some good mods in a few years the base is there just need much better ai
 
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