A little guide how to use your new Unofficial Patch at best
Hi,
this guide will show you how to use the new Unofficial Patch at his best, mantaining also roleplay in the same time.
1)
Start to think what you want really do with your freshly created character:
Are you for Moors, and want unite all Hiberian Peninsula under Almohad Califate, or maybe you want join Christian kingdoms and be part of the Reconquista?
You like see Castilla win and rule as in real history, or you want try to modify what's happened and give to Almohades, Portuguese or Leon a chance to change the outcome that was already written in real world?
Well, first of all, think at it, and do your choice, then come to
2)
Start to make some useful friendship, then go for your new career!
Usually, after you have choose a place where start, you will encounter easily the King and his nobles: well, do some little and easy errand for gain the interest of the ruler and the nobles, and in the meanwhile, if you find some little party of Salteadores, battle them and get money and objects for make some easy extra gold at the major cities markets: when the errand is done, ask to the ruler or noble to be taken in their party, and remember to sell fastly your horrible swaypacked horse, now your lord will give a new, fresh and healthy horse, use this!
3)
Remember to control your info panel with regularity:
Usually your info panel will give very useful info about you and your service status: what you are now, how much XP's need for the next step, and so on. Also, you can control also how much rulers or nobles you know, their fame or infamy, and other useful info, because not all nobles come from the same stock, not all nobles are good, chivalrous and like you, then, make some control sometimes will be a very good thing to do.
4)
Take your time and you will gain good money and and advance fastly:
Usually the real military service in times of peace is very boredom, and also under rulers or nobles in the Middle Age not change much: a way for change a bit things and make some money and loot, is to ask for a temporary leave, then go to battle bandits and brigands, gaining loot and battle experience, that will be counted in the XP's no. needed for gaining a new place in the noble army, then, for make an example, if you need 400 XP's to become Sergeant on Horseback, and battle a group of Deserters gaining 100 XP, whern you come back and see the info panel, you will see that the need it's only of 300 XP's (400-100).
In this way, you can do some good loot, and easily sell to markets, bettering also your financial status
5)
Talk regularily at the nobles (Facultative):
Usually, after a great battle or a siege, talking to nobles augment their disposition to you of 1-2 pts. I have signed this point as facultative because you can do the same when you have stopped your military career and returned at the usual adventuring status, but if you want more frriendship, simply ask for the usual temporary leaving, and check them one after one. It's up to you doing or not this.
5a)
[Only Christians] Travel a lot, and make friends everywhere:
As Christian character, you will not know what kingdom will win against the others, and also if you like a particular kingdom you aren't sure that this kingdom will conquer the others. For make an example, usually I like much Leon for this history and tradition, but if Leon will lose, I will go to serve somewhere else: for this, I prefer serve nobles of all the 4 kingdoms, and have friends everywhere, then, when I will come back at my usual adventurer status, I will join the kingdom I like much, or another pleasant in my own value ladder: of course, I will refuse to join Almohads (and with my Almohad character I join Christians only if my sidi the Calif lose). For the curious, my own value ladder is the following: 1-Leon; 2-Portugal; 3-Navarra; 4-Castilla; 5-Aragon
6) Develop your character more personally:
For what I have seen, the Unofficial Patch give a great chance to develop your character in a very interesting way: you not need to use the usual leader skills, but you can make a real, very powerful warrior on horse.
With my Christian character
Ambrogio da Milano, I have pushed my skills to have a good strenght but a very good defense and horsemanship, like a real knight: STR-12, AGI-15, then Sir Ambrogio has 5 in Shield and Horse, he can use every horse and has a real powerful defense with shield, while his melee ability is 4, a respectable +32% on every blow he give: not bad for a member of the lower nobility
My Almohad character (secondary character, in develop)
Saad al-Milani, as former university student, then a member of the gentry, and with Arabic habits, has put his points on defense (Shield) Bows, and Throwing on Horse: this because he come from a world when know how shoot with bow or throw javelins in saddle has more importance than be a muscled man with a ton of heavy armor over his body: Crusades has showed that the "lightly armed" Saracens on their fast horses can be deadly like the most valiant Westerner knight.
7-
Stay in the line of battle:
One very nice thing to do, and that give great sense of RP, it's to follow the other NPC's in the battle line. Like a faithful member of your army, you must follow slowly the other knights and horsemen until they start to charge, then, it's free hunt, get your prey everywhere you like, only be careful and pay good attention to avoid infantry, they can block you easily, chop and trust your horse and then come at you until you are defeated. Better stay around,and move to battle other horsemen, with a more fair game: of course, when you will become knight, you can charge with all the weight of your powerful horse and destroy every footman that dare come at you, or have a good battle with another knight, with your 50-50 chances of win: knights are honorable, after all.
8-
A Knight follow the Code and the Measure:
Oh, grand day! Finally, after months and maybe years, you was knighted from your Lord! Now you have a marvelous charger, a beautiful armor, a lance, and your own arming sword! Very well, now after the feast, toast and cheers, the less better new: You are a knight, and you MUST follow the Chivalric Code. Oh, yes, then, heard from my own fluted voice the basic rules:
a)
remove every throwing weapon from your backpack: a Knight must fight only in melee , then, you will be allowed to use bow, crossbow or javelins only when someone will make a mod for adjoin hunting animals to Hispania 1200 as they are already in Brytenwalda mod
Of course, this rule is invalid to the contrary:
archers, javeliners and crossbowmens aren't honourable people, and have any right to fill yourself of arrows and bolts. HAHA! nice, mm?
b)
A Knight must be corteous: fight his own opponents in front and never at back, otherwise he will take infamy;
c)
a Knight must be the first to attack and the last to retreat: this not want say that you must be doomed at the first attack on the castle ladders, as member of nobility and intelligent man you can choose your time for attack, and also where and what attack, but if you start to go into the fray, you can't make a single pace back. Oh, yes.
(Really I amused a lot writing the Code and the Measure for the new Knights)
8a-
After have reached your goal, come back at the high adventure:
Well, you have spent your times under lord Juan or lord Ibrahim, and I suppose you had did this because wanted reach some objective: you came from the poor, and wanted become Sergerant? or you wanted be acknowledged as a Knight, and show to all the world how brave and faithful you are?
Well, it's time to come back at the usual adventuring, now: you have developed your skills, your purse is full of money, and you have good armor and weapons, and a nice horse: it's time to become someone in the Hiberian Peninsula now, your name will be cheered by rich and poors, now go in the first friendly village, and take your first hillbillies!