Game News Mount & Blade: Warband ready for Mounting

[Jason]

Tags: Mount & Blade; TaleWorlds

With most of the world distracted by the impending Grimoire release, Paradox quietly let <b><a href="http://www.paradoxplaza.com/press/2010/3/mount-blade-warband-released-today" target="blank">Mount & Blade: Warband</a></b> slip out.
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<blockquote>Medieval battlegrounds rage once more with the thunder of galloping hooves and the clash of swords, as Paradox Interactive and developer TaleWorlds bring forth Mount & Blade: Warband, now available on all major digital distribution outlets and shipping in North American retail stores.
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Watch the release trailer for Mount & Blade: Warband here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwGxzdGqEDg
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The sequel to the original Mount & Blade introduces grueling 64 player multiplayer battles in the action-RPG that truly sets the standard for equestrian combat. With a host of new features and improvements, including a new campaign, highly-detailed open environments, and the ability to find love amongst violence, the ultimate battle for the throne of Calradia starts today.</blockquote>
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<i>Thanks to Szioul</i>

 

[Yeesh]

sadface

I'm old and I think multiplayer ruins everything.

 

[Jason]

We have much in common. Except for the squirting thing cause that's just gross.

 

[Yeesh]

Nobody hates squirting more than me. I had to wash my fucking sheets and my comforter. I don't think I made this clear, but where I live washing your bedding involves stuffing it in a bag, carrying it a few blocks, paying a ridiculous number of quarters, sitting around for an hour to make sure nobody steals your stuff, putting it back in the bag and carrying it back home.

And I'm a very lazy man.

O how I loathe squirting.

 

[Shannow]

Any comprhensive info-link to what Warband changes about the single-player content? 'cause nobody gives a fuck about multi-player.

 

[Zeus]

Any comprhensive info-link to what Warband changes about the single-player content? 'cause nobody gives a fuck about multi-player.

I hear you can become king, get married, and some other minor stuff which I can't recall at the moment. Nothing major/that mods haven't already added, from what I hear.

# New campaign allows you to become the ruler of a faction and convince lords to become your vassals.
# New 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.

The important thing to remember is that this is a standalone expansion, so you don't need the original game. If you haven't tried M&B yet, this is a pretty good time to do it.

 

[Admiral jimbob]

the MP is pretty fun as of the beta tbh

 

[Sisay]

There's also a new faction but I think that's about it if you're not into multiplayer. Haven't seen anything groundbreaking so far in the single player beta available on Steam.

 

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

You can do more to manage your fiefs and kingdom, there's apparently some fight club type thing in beta (the guys who start it are there, but don't work), the new Kingdom is the Sarranid Sultanate (old school Arabian in design, they play like a mix of Khergit Khanate and Swandia in that they're damn good marksmen and horsemen, but they suck in siege battles), etc. If you start taking over territories without a backer, you can start gaining legitimacy by forming alliances with certain lords, or peace bargains with kings, that type of thing. So you can actually create your own kingdom, instead of being 'that douche who took my castle'.



It's more like a good expansion and accompanying patch. Still enough that I'm having fun playing it. Of course, the real question is how much they will improve it over the next year of patches. Current Native M&B is certainly a shit load better than its original form.

 

[Zeus]

There's also a new faction but I think that's about it if you're not into multiplayer. Haven't seen anything groundbreaking so far in the single player beta available on Steam.

A new faction? Really? What are they good at?

Do they eat up part of the map where old factions used to reside or did they expand the map any?

I can't believe this is the first I've heard of it. Hate how multiplayer is overshadowing all the real features. >:/

 

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

There's also a new faction but I think that's about it if you're not into multiplayer. Haven't seen anything groundbreaking so far in the single player beta available on Steam.

A new faction? Really? What are they good at?

Do they eat up part of the map where old factions used to reside or did they expand the map any?

I can't believe this is the first I've heard of it. Hate how multiplayer is overshadowing all the real features. >:/

Sarranid Sultanate

Old school Arabian in design

And they occupy a whole new expanded area of the map

Awesome archers (Swandia's equal), and good mounted units (they have a knight equivalent named the Marmaluke or something...those guys are wicked fighters).


Great on the battlefield, but I've been taking over castles or cities from them with a third or even a quarter of the defending force.


Edit: But when I say great on the battlefield, I mean it. A force of three Serranid parties beat the stuffing out of an opposing *7* Khanate parties during one of my games.

 

[Zed]

I CAN'T BELIEVE I JUST BOUGHT A GAME WHAT IS THIS

Edit: via Steam of course.

 

[Multi-headed Cow]

Heard from a buddy who is a big M&B fan who bought it that it isn't worth $30 at all if you don't want the multiplayer. Says Native Expansion is pretty much better, though Warband's new map and faction are nice.

Bit bummed out by that but oh well.

 

[Yeesh]

Heard from a buddy who is a big M&B fan who bought it that it isn't worth $30 at all if you don't want the multiplayer. Says Native Expansion is pretty much better, though Warband's new map and faction are nice.

Bit bummed out by that but oh well.

Yeah, I'm playing Native Expansion right now, and the feature list for Warband left me scratching my head. But kids just love this newfangled multiplayer jazz.

Whatever keeps them off my lawn I guess.

 

[M_I_C_K_E_Y_M_O_U_S_E]

Are any of the modders planning on porting their work to Warband?

 

[Hobo Elf]

The multiplayer is good fun if you are into that stuff. Been playing it with my brother and friend, and we've had a good time bottle necking enemies. I'm complete shit at the sword play, so I stick to archery, which is all well and good since I enjoy that kind of stuff, but sometimes it feels like the kills (or lack thereof) seems to be too much based on luck as opposed to the hectic melee combat.

 

[Szioul]

But when I say great on the battlefield, I mean it. A force of three Serranid parties beat the stuffing out of an opposing *7* Khanate parties during one of my games.

I think that's because the auto-resolve doesn't work that well. You'd get different results if you went in the battle and did nothing. I'm not sure what it calculates to come up with the end result. Level at least. Skills and equipment I'm not so sure. The original M&B has a few mods that change it, they'll probably get ported over as well.

 

[deuxhero]

There's also a new faction but I think that's about it if you're not into multiplayer. Haven't seen anything groundbreaking so far in the single player beta available on Steam.

A new faction? Really? What are they good at?

Do they eat up part of the map where old factions used to reside or did they expand the map any?

I can't believe this is the first I've heard of it. Hate how multiplayer is overshadowing all the real features. >:/

Awesome archers (Swandia's equal), and good mounted units (they have a knight equivalent named the Marmaluke or something...those guys are wicked fighters).

O.o The Swadians don't have archers (they have crossbowmen, who are less useful than the Vaegirs/Nord archers that can darken the sky) Did they add them in Warband?

 

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

There's also a new faction but I think that's about it if you're not into multiplayer. Haven't seen anything groundbreaking so far in the single player beta available on Steam.

A new faction? Really? What are they good at?

Do they eat up part of the map where old factions used to reside or did they expand the map any?

I can't believe this is the first I've heard of it. Hate how multiplayer is overshadowing all the real features. >:/

Awesome archers (Swandia's equal), and good mounted units (they have a knight equivalent named the Marmaluke or something...those guys are wicked fighters).

O.o The Swadians don't have archers (they have crossbowmen, who are less useful than the Vaegirs/Nord archers that can darken the sky) Did they add them in Warband?

I don't think there's been any unit changes like that, I just know Swadia's ranged game has always seemed a step above the others when I faced them. Decent coverage, and they manage to kill even the units I have waiting faaaarrr back on occasion. Battlefield or siege.

 

[The Wizard]

swadia had terrible "archers"(because crossbows suck in vanilla m&b). swadia had good heavy cavalry if i remember correctly.

so the sultanate would be more of a vaegir/kanate mix, then?

does the old item editor work with warband?

 

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

swadia had terrible "archers"(because crossbows suck in vanilla m&b). swadia had good heavy cavalry if i remember correctly.

so the sultanate would be more of a vaegir/kanate mix, then?

If that translates to 'strong ranged and mounted' then sure, whichever comparison works for you.

 

[deuxhero]

The demo ends at level 7 now, but the end of demo screen still says the demo ends at level 8

(I'm buying it after a price drop and mods come out... and when I have money).

The new system to crouch a lance is annoying, and they don't tell you what you have to do to crouch in the tutorial!

 

[filogreek]

The new system to crouch a lance is annoying, and they don't tell you what you have to do to crouch in the tutorial!

Yeah, pretty sure that is a victim of multiplayer balance changes etc that had been made during Beta. The old auto-couch system was overpowered, or caused too many friendly-fire headaches or something like that.

 

[deuxhero]

I don't see how it would cause friendly fire issues, just hold block to not crouch the lance (try it in the oriiginal)

 

[filogreek]

Well I can see how they at least wanted lancing to be more involved, so you couldn't just ride around mowing everything down without even trying. I never really bothered with lancing much though, so I am not too sure about how much worse it is.