Hello fellow Fire Arrow fans! Here's an exclusive preview of version 0.75 that will be released sometime soon.
Remember that this criteria is based on the Beta version of version 0.75, bugs are still being fixed here and there
A small percentage of the features being in the new version:
- Added a command menu [menu] > [order] > [trade by your judgment]. Companion party goes to towns and trades by his/her judgment.
- Added menu [menu] > [manage faction] > [manage companion] You can manage companion's fiefs, party, his skills, banner and you can disband him from this menu.
- Garrison in castle and town have morale. If their morale is low, Deserters will spawn around there.
- When a companion is taken prisoner, the enemy will demand ransom from you.
And many,many more.
Here is a squished together version of what I thought when playing the newer version:
I was really happy when I heard that I was allowed to test the Beta version. Ofcourse there had been quite a few complaints about the last version's bugs, so I knew that my testing would be important for the final version.
I was expecting to find bugs in the first minutes I played, and I did, turns out it was because of my crappy internet not even being able to download a small file right, so I had to redownload the mod which fixed the problem. I immediately got back to testing and twenty minutes later, I found one. Turns out that this version is a clean as a clean... thing.
First of all, I was suprised by the good old Fire Arrow feeling that the new version had. To be honest I was
really afraid it would leave us all once the new version was there, but I didn't have that at all.
The new realistic prison added, was exactly what I hoped for, no longer lords in their shiny, polished armor
standing freely in the open without any single guard. Now, atleast we can see the o' well known prison bars
and a o' mighty prison guard. It gives you much more of a feeling that you shouldn't get captured. Sadly the new prison can only be found in Narra, which I hope will be changed in the next version.
The mod is being tested by:
DrDoom151
Rucchi
Achilles_
SCGavin
Headhunter
tansvanio
TIDM2
greater good
Jezze
SXIII
Reviews by testers:
Remember that this criteria is based on the Beta version of version 0.75, bugs are still being fixed here and there
A small percentage of the features being in the new version:
- Added a command menu [menu] > [order] > [trade by your judgment]. Companion party goes to towns and trades by his/her judgment.
- Added menu [menu] > [manage faction] > [manage companion] You can manage companion's fiefs, party, his skills, banner and you can disband him from this menu.
- Garrison in castle and town have morale. If their morale is low, Deserters will spawn around there.
- When a companion is taken prisoner, the enemy will demand ransom from you.
And many,many more.
Here is a squished together version of what I thought when playing the newer version:
I was really happy when I heard that I was allowed to test the Beta version. Ofcourse there had been quite a few complaints about the last version's bugs, so I knew that my testing would be important for the final version.
I was expecting to find bugs in the first minutes I played, and I did, turns out it was because of my crappy internet not even being able to download a small file right, so I had to redownload the mod which fixed the problem. I immediately got back to testing and twenty minutes later, I found one. Turns out that this version is a clean as a clean... thing.
First of all, I was suprised by the good old Fire Arrow feeling that the new version had. To be honest I was
really afraid it would leave us all once the new version was there, but I didn't have that at all.
The new realistic prison added, was exactly what I hoped for, no longer lords in their shiny, polished armor
standing freely in the open without any single guard. Now, atleast we can see the o' well known prison bars
and a o' mighty prison guard. It gives you much more of a feeling that you shouldn't get captured. Sadly the new prison can only be found in Narra, which I hope will be changed in the next version.
The mod is being tested by:
DrDoom151
Rucchi
Achilles_
SCGavin
Headhunter
tansvanio
TIDM2
greater good
Jezze
SXIII
Reviews by testers:
First of all, let me say or rather write that this is a review of the entire Fire Arrow version 0.75 and not only the new features. The last paragraph will deal with the new features only, so if you only want to know about them, read that last paragraph.
For me the main features and attractions of Fire Arrow are the burning arrows and the corresponding feature to burn/destroy structures, as well as the way companions are managed in this mod. For me, someone who really likes his companions, the abilities to grant fiefs to companions, make them unattached parties or to recruit lords from hostile factions are core parts of this mod. Therefore I will expound on those features in this review.
Burning Structures
Shooting fire arrows at battlements, siege towers and ladders and see them burn or crumble to the ground makes the fighting in Mount&Blade more realistic in my eyes. When have you ever seen indestructible ladders? Never? So here is your answer. You can destroy ladders and siege towers, thereby hindering an enemy from scaling your walls. And while they stand around saddened by their inability to fight you in melee, you and your archers can take the enemy soldiers out one after the other. And seeing structures such as battlements burn or the watching the arrow itself flying while aflame isn’t bad either.
Companion Management
You find a downtrodden man in a tavern, hear his story and hire him in hopes of a bit more muscle to help you along in fights. While fighting side by side with him you revel in his victories and defeats. You dance happily when he slays a Nord Huscarl and grow insanely mad when he’s knocked out by a Swadian Knight. Sounds familiar? Of course, that’s Mount&Blade for you – at least it can be if you like the companions.
Fire Arrow goes farther yet and allows you to grant fiefs to your brothers and sisters in arms. And of course you can tell your companion-vassals and even your fiefless companions to form a party and patrol Calradia on your own, always in expectation of new orders from their liege – you: “Raid that village, Lady Matheld!” or “Follow me, Lord Alayen!”.
But it isn’t as easy and comfortable as that. You can’t just order them around and lean back satisfied because your borders are patrolled by your trusted companions and their growing armies (they can recruit by themselves). They need food. Their morale isn’t constantly perfect. You have to make them trade, which means that trading companion can’t accompany you on a campaign at the same time. Or you have to trade yourself and give the food you buy or steal to your companions and your holdings. Your garrisons need food now too – you can’t just fill your towns and castles with men after men of reserves, but have to balance the number of men you keep there with the amount of food the town or castle has. Luckily for you, the towns and castles acquire food every day on their own, so you don’t need to buy food every spare minute to keep your garrisons well fed.
Another feature of Fire Arrow is the recruitment of (formerly) hostile lords. If you take them prisoner you can recruit them to your party and have the high-level lords as companions. Of course you can tell them to form a party just like you can to your other companions (note: you can even tell your units to form parties and have them patrol areas or follow you).
The New Stuff
As previously mentioned companions can trade (and have to in order to get enough food for their troops). With the new version you don’t have to tell them where to go next, but can simply order them to “trade by your judgment” and have them visiting town after town searching for good merchandise and something good for their stomachs.
A feature I especially like is the new menu where you can manage your companion – his or her skills, party and fiefs. I don’t think they can manage their fiefs very good or at all, if not helped, so I think this is a very neat addition. You can also select an own banner for your companions/vassals and see them moving around the map carrying the banner you gave them.
When you send your companions into battles or even fight a battle together with them and lose, there might be consequences, namely imprisoned companions. You can ransom them for some money, if they happened to be taken prisoner.
Review written by SCGavin
Thank you very much SCGavin for taking time to write this well-written and interesting review of the version
The Review can also be downloaded here
For me the main features and attractions of Fire Arrow are the burning arrows and the corresponding feature to burn/destroy structures, as well as the way companions are managed in this mod. For me, someone who really likes his companions, the abilities to grant fiefs to companions, make them unattached parties or to recruit lords from hostile factions are core parts of this mod. Therefore I will expound on those features in this review.
Burning Structures
Shooting fire arrows at battlements, siege towers and ladders and see them burn or crumble to the ground makes the fighting in Mount&Blade more realistic in my eyes. When have you ever seen indestructible ladders? Never? So here is your answer. You can destroy ladders and siege towers, thereby hindering an enemy from scaling your walls. And while they stand around saddened by their inability to fight you in melee, you and your archers can take the enemy soldiers out one after the other. And seeing structures such as battlements burn or the watching the arrow itself flying while aflame isn’t bad either.
Companion Management
You find a downtrodden man in a tavern, hear his story and hire him in hopes of a bit more muscle to help you along in fights. While fighting side by side with him you revel in his victories and defeats. You dance happily when he slays a Nord Huscarl and grow insanely mad when he’s knocked out by a Swadian Knight. Sounds familiar? Of course, that’s Mount&Blade for you – at least it can be if you like the companions.
Fire Arrow goes farther yet and allows you to grant fiefs to your brothers and sisters in arms. And of course you can tell your companion-vassals and even your fiefless companions to form a party and patrol Calradia on your own, always in expectation of new orders from their liege – you: “Raid that village, Lady Matheld!” or “Follow me, Lord Alayen!”.
But it isn’t as easy and comfortable as that. You can’t just order them around and lean back satisfied because your borders are patrolled by your trusted companions and their growing armies (they can recruit by themselves). They need food. Their morale isn’t constantly perfect. You have to make them trade, which means that trading companion can’t accompany you on a campaign at the same time. Or you have to trade yourself and give the food you buy or steal to your companions and your holdings. Your garrisons need food now too – you can’t just fill your towns and castles with men after men of reserves, but have to balance the number of men you keep there with the amount of food the town or castle has. Luckily for you, the towns and castles acquire food every day on their own, so you don’t need to buy food every spare minute to keep your garrisons well fed.
Another feature of Fire Arrow is the recruitment of (formerly) hostile lords. If you take them prisoner you can recruit them to your party and have the high-level lords as companions. Of course you can tell them to form a party just like you can to your other companions (note: you can even tell your units to form parties and have them patrol areas or follow you).
The New Stuff
As previously mentioned companions can trade (and have to in order to get enough food for their troops). With the new version you don’t have to tell them where to go next, but can simply order them to “trade by your judgment” and have them visiting town after town searching for good merchandise and something good for their stomachs.
A feature I especially like is the new menu where you can manage your companion – his or her skills, party and fiefs. I don’t think they can manage their fiefs very good or at all, if not helped, so I think this is a very neat addition. You can also select an own banner for your companions/vassals and see them moving around the map carrying the banner you gave them.
When you send your companions into battles or even fight a battle together with them and lose, there might be consequences, namely imprisoned companions. You can ransom them for some money, if they happened to be taken prisoner.
Review written by SCGavin
Thank you very much SCGavin for taking time to write this well-written and interesting review of the version
The Review can also be downloaded here
