A few thougths about 1.2.0

[Blacke]

So tactical targeting ? Great !

New hideouts and new battlefields ? Variety is always welcome, thanks for this.

Weather System and better AI combat behavior ? Thanks again, but seriously...about time you start integrating modders ideas to the game.

THAT BEING SAID, even if these are indeed good additions, what we REALLY NEED are more diplomatic/politics/war options and of course random events that can lead to serious crisis, spice the game up and take it to a whole new level.

We need more depth, through better diplomacy and unexpected situations, like siblings/cousins jealousy leading to a succession war, scheming vassals that hit us in the back and of course plagues and diseases so my realm has to deal with a 8yo heir because the king actually just died of flu at 40.

Two great mods exist for this on Nexusmods:

- Succession Laws and Civil Wars (by conleyc86 and 8thor8 )
- Plagues and Diseases (by bloctheworkerbloc) -sadly never updated-

Adding similar ideas to the game, this time officially, would dramaticaly improve our experience once we play as ruler and manage our dynasty.

1.2.0 looks indeed like a nice update, maybe there is hope after all and I'm very happy about it.

But make no mistake: it's still not enough.

You guys need to add a lot more stuff now (and ASAP please) because you took way too long deciding to integrate good mods mechanics into the game, despite selling it around $50. A game that keeps feeling unfinished, repetitive and dull.

It's more than time to stop releasing petty updates made of fixes only and start bringing great contents to the game, Bannerlord deserve it (and players as well btw, since we paid for it, like ages ago...).

 

[Count_Morfetico]

THAT BEING SAID, even if these are indeed good additions, what we REALLY NEED are more diplomatic/politics/war options and of course random events that can lead to serious crisis, spice the game up and take it to a whole new level.

I agree. I think they'll be doing that eventually. Maybe not a full fledged diplomacy system in the likes of CK, but the middle ground is more than enough in my view... Iirc they had said in the past there wouldn't be no weather systems, and here we are..
The same goes for the personality traits system that's ALREADY IN THE GAME. I think they will also revisit those.. hopefully

Took a long time but in the end they make the game half-way RBM-mod, combat-wise, and that make me really happy

 

[froggyluv]

I’ll take a 1/32 a CK system. And yes the weather terrain stuff was a nice and semi-promising late game edition

 

[Albastı16]

This game has a serious lack of depth overall in all dimensions, most mechanics in the game function like demo content and playing the whole game is just feels like testing out someones high school project. And basically almost every single complaint about the vanilla is stemming from the stance that developers have against the so-called "micromanaging".

Look how they massacred this franchise and its potential, a textbook butchery.

 

[Count_Morfetico]

This game has a serious lack of depth overall in all dimensions, most mechanics in the game function like demo content and playing the whole game is just feels like testing out someones high school project. And basically almost every single complaint about the vanilla is stemming from the stance that developers have against the so-called "micromanaging".

that is kinda true.
But there is no denying that last update is a nice addition and a steer in the right direction.
Credit where credit is due.

 

[Blacke]

But there is no denying that last update is a nice addition and a steer in the right direction.
Credit where credit is due.

Indeed 1.2.0 is the best update we had for long time, hats off for this TW, they deserve it.

I just wish this is now the new cruise speed they are involved in, so we can expect having a proper game with more variety in the following months...and not in 10 years, because it would be so unfair for the players to wait over and over, many of us actually bought the game during early access. And it was already a long time ago.

 

[Albastı16]

that is kinda true.
But there is no denying that last update is a nice addition and a steer in the right direction.
Credit where credit is due.

I am not going to lie, I kinda got hyped up for this update too but the fact they only started to implement these stuff three years after the initial release tells a lot of things about the priorities and the vision that developers dedicated to this game. Which is unfortunately contradicting with my aspirations for this game (and most likely with yours too, given your first comment)

And it's not like they did anything better neither. I didn't play this game since last six months until tonight and the game does not feel any better than it used to be. Armies used to fight like ant colonies, they still fight that way. Sandbox and open world content was feeling vacant, it still feels that way. I didn't make it to the late game in my new save yet but this game made me develop a habit to keep my expectations low already

 

[Count_Morfetico]

yeah, i feel ya
I got a little hyped up too, just not in the level I was back in 2020, which is healthy and suits me fine

 

[Fellington]

I believe diplomacy will come to the game at some point. If they are still adding updates that change the game's mechanics like 1.2.0. I'm hopeful.

 

[Blacke]

I am not going to lie, I kinda got hyped up for this update too but the fact they only started to implement these stuff three years after the initial release tells a lot of things about the priorities and the vision that developers dedicated to this game. Which is unfortunately contradicting with my aspirations for this game (and most likely with yours too, given your first comment)

You are absolutely right, couldn't agree more.

To be fair, I'm concerned by this weird trend that spreaded in video games industry, where releasing unfinished products (in purpose) seems to be an acceptable business model.

Studios just have to polish stuff for years, fixes after fixes, update after update, despite their games have been officialy released and sold at full price. It might be justified for a multiplayer product only, such an MMO, FPS and E-Sport stuff, but for solo games...really ?

Good thing they still "thanks" everyone for still being here, by eventually giving some free virtual token/medal/cosmetic/whatever from time to time.
That's great, I guess.

I remember an age, probably in an another life, where I bought completed games and played them. Nothing less, nothing more. Studios thought their game could have been better ? Well, they eventually learned from their mistakes, released a better sequel and so on. At this time, thinking about the future of video games was actually thrilling.

Fine fine, I'm starting to write complains again, bad habits, years of frustrations I suppose, sorry about that.

Ok, I'll say it loudly in order to convince myself:

"1.2.0 is a good omen and the indisputable proof of a glorious future for Bannerlord (but not in 10 years, isn't it ? Is it ?), amen"

 

[froggyluv]

I remember an age, probably in an another life, where I bought completed games and played them. Nothing less, nothing more. Studios thought there game could have been better ? Well, they eventually learned from their mistakes, released a better sequel and so on. At this time, thinking about the future of video games was actually thrilling.

I too remember such an age -Pepperidge Farm remembers

 

[Blacke]

Pepperidge Farm remembers

Never tasted, but looks like very good cookies .

 

[babelfisch]

This game has a serious lack of depth overall in all dimensions, most mechanics in the game function like demo content and playing the whole game is just feels like testing out someones high school project. And basically almost every single complaint about the vanilla is stemming from the stance that developers have against the so-called "micromanaging".

Look how they massacred this franchise and its potential, a textbook butchery.

I don't want to disagree, but the predecessor that we all love basically *is* someone's high school project and I am not surprised they want to make it similar to the original. On the other hand it's perfectly fair to expect better considering all the money, time and manpower they put into it.
However, I am happy that Taleworlds still owns the license and not some other studio. Activision / Blizzard has all the manpower, talent, money and time in the world and Diablo 4 is still worse than Diablo 2. Which is just one example for the mismatch between current video games and people's expectations.

 

[Blacke]

On the other hand it's perfectly fair to expect better considering all the money, time and manpower they put into it.
However, I am happy that Taleworlds still owns the license and not some other studio. Activision / Blizzard has all the manpower, talent, money and time in the world and Diablo 4 is still worse than Diablo 2. Which is just one example for the mismatch between current video games and people's expectations.

Yes but it's like taking the worst example to accept what we currently have to deal with.

Blizzard is now a cash machine that has basically losts it soul over the years (because of Activision, as far as I know), they now release bad sequels, take bad decisions, their remakes attempts are laughable (oh hi "Warcraft III: Reforged"...) and bonus: their work environment is toxic. It's a mess.

In the other hand TalesWorld allows everyone to provide great ideas through modding, but they don't seem to know what are to prioritise, take ages making decisions, seem stuck in a "fixes updates" loophole, keep the community in a constant fog and despite all of this they consider their game completed enough for a proper release. And they sell it around $50. Another kind of mess.

Having expectations because a studio has money, manpower, talents, ideas or even some independance is fair, but it's is even more legitimate when you actually bought the game. We buy because the studios tell us it's worth it and we believe them.

And I'm not sure a bad sequel/remake from a billions dollar studio or a game that will still need updates 5 or 10 years after release from a indie (?) one is worth it.

Whatever Blizzard/Activision or TalesWorld, at the end of the day we end up with products that turns to be disappointing or unfinished (and usually expensive in both case). I suppose that makes us, the players, the real losers.