Dev Blog 18/04/19

[parsehtml]<p><img class="frame" src="https://www.taleworlds.com/Images/News/blog_post_86_taleworldswebsite.jpg" alt="" width="575" height="290" /></p> <p>Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord’s deep and immersive sandbox doesn’t just facilitate an emergent narrative, it actively encourages it. And while the game includes quests and tasks to help guide you on your travels, ultimately, you are free to chart your own course and plot your rise to power using the many different game features at your disposal. In this week’s blog, we talk with, Rabia Adigüzel, one of our campaign team programmers who is responsible for ensuring that these different features and systems work together, and provide you with an engaging and fulfilling experience during your adventures in Calradia!</p></br> [/parsehtml]Read more at: http://www.taleworlds.com/en/Games/Bannerlord/Blog/106

 

[Do not look here]

The more I learn about Bannerlord, the more I see we're no longer PC, we're some timeless being lifted from CK2 that governs over the clan via the temporary avatar. This and the diplomacy mana (probably tied to clan entities existence, to lessen the impact of individual deaths) are two major bumming things about the game right now.

I get that this is the direction you took and I hope that you accommodate the gameplay for it well, but seeing all the small stuff you can do, back-alley dealings, building up relations with small settlement NPCs and pairing it with faster timeflow and all the heir/death of old age doesn't click for me.

 

[Butterlord of Praven]

This was exactly as I feared it would be...

Dying of old age? In a SANDBOX game?

To me this is the worst idea you guys could come up with, honestly.
This probably means the slow character buildup (which was one of the very things I loved the most in warband) won't be viable in Bannerlord as level ups will need to be fast enough to allow you to reach full potential in a short lifetime.
I'm not at all interested in the whole succession thing, I'm among those who wants to create a character and keep playing it. Now if this thing is just forced on me and I haven't the option to turn it off, I'd like to know if at least I will be allowed to export and import my character in a new game, like in warband (and I'm not talking about saving a preset appearance I mean the exact same export mechanic).
If the answer is "No" then this pretty much puts a big heavy tombstone on Bannerlord for me, I'm sorry guys 

Well, I hope modders can also modify your lifespan so that we can play LOTR mods where certain characters age slower or are completely immortal so that we could just choose an Elf and not worry about aging anymore and have sort of the old Warband type of character development.

 

[Memoefe]

Nice blog.
My questions will be:
-What happens when your heir is not grown up? Does time fast forward to the time which they become adults?
-What happens if you don't have any heir at all?
-Are your children mortal too? Like the castle or village which they are in get assaulted. Would they die?

 

[LordTheodore]

This was exactly as I feared it would be...

Dying of old age? In a SANDBOX game?

To me this is the worst idea you guys could come up with, honestly.
This probably means the slow character buildup (which was one of the very things I loved the most in warband) won't be viable in Bannerlord as level ups will need to be fast enough to allow you to reach full potential in a short lifetime.
I'm not at all interested in the whole succession thing, I'm among those who wants to create a character and keep playing it. Now if this thing is just forced on me and I haven't the option to turn it off, I'd like to know if at least I will be allowed to export and import my character in a new game, like in warband (and I'm not talking about saving a preset appearance I mean the exact same export mechanic).
If the answer is "No" then this pretty much puts a big heavy tombstone on Bannerlord for me, I'm sorry guys 

The player death feature is optional. I don't know whether it is optional for AI though they might just eventually die of old age.

 

[Mad Vader]

The player death feature is optional. I don't know whether it is optional for AI though they might just eventually die of old age.

If death is optional, why would anyone choose it? There's got to be some bonus over an immortal play-through.

This blog was fine.
I had a death and heir system for a mod I was planning for Bannerlord (in 2015 lol) and it's similar (like several other improvements in VC and Bannerlord). I handled the issue of the sudden stat loss on "reincarnation" by giving the player options to school their children, so he would have a reasonably competent character when he dies. I wonder how they'll handle this.

This is from a blog last November: https://www.taleworlds.com/en/Games/Bannerlord/Blog/87

As [the child] grows, we will be able to spend more time with her, interact with her, share our experiences and skills with her, and develop her into a fine young woman.

Looks like some form of "schooling" is on the cards to allow players to shape their potential heirs' stats as they grow up into adults.

Thanks, I guess it's not really rocket science how to design this. The devil is in the details, as always. Would tutoring be an annoying mini-game when you have to talk to your kids every day to get bonuses or simply abstracted and hassle-free as in CK2? I hope they get this right the first time, but I predict many gameplay-related patches.

 

[Memoefe]

If death is optional, why would anyone choose it? There's got to be some bonus over an immortal play-through.

It might be fun  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

It might cause you to always progress and never reach the state of 'i have everything'. But can't tell before seeing it. 

 

[NPC99]

This was exactly as I feared it would be...

Dying of old age? In a SANDBOX game?

To me this is the worst idea you guys could come up with, honestly.
This probably means the slow character buildup (which was one of the very things I loved the most in warband) won't be viable in Bannerlord as level ups will need to be fast enough to allow you to reach full potential in a short lifetime.
I'm not at all interested in the whole succession thing, I'm among those who wants to create a character and keep playing it. Now if this thing is just forced on me and I haven't the option to turn it off, I'd like to know if at least I will be allowed to export and import my character in a new game, like in warband (and I'm not talking about saving a preset appearance I mean the exact same export mechanic).
If the answer is "No" then this pretty much puts a big heavy tombstone on Bannerlord for me, I'm sorry guys 

In Warband’s character creation you could choose your age. It will probably be similar in Bannerlord. If you want a long game life, start young. Equally, if you want more character swaps, start older. With 12 weeks in each year, Bannerlord time/ageing is accelerated 4.33 times vs Warband.

Nice blog.
My questions will be:
-What happens when your heir is not grown up? Does time fast forward to the time which they become adults?
-What happens if you don't have any heir at all?
-Are your children mortal too? Like the castle or village which they are in get assaulted. Would they die?

If you’re worried, you can choose to start with a sibling as an insurance policy.

This is very cool. But I do have questions.

1. Are all characters mortal? Including companions, clan and faction leaders? If so, how do you ensure that the population of NPCs doesn't swell or shrink too much?

I suspect NPC heirs/replacements will be randomly generated as required to maintain the NPC population.

2. You have established faction leaders with narrative basis from the blogs. Are their successors, assuming they have them, similar in that regard?

I doubt it. I expect narrative critical NPCs will be immortal until their quest role is done, especially for named rulers with specific roles and personalities as described in the faction blogs.

3. Are succession problems a thing that can occur? If I end up with two sons, and I choose one as my successor, will I have to worry about the brother causing problems for me later? Can I pass on territories to my children or possibly split them?

Disputes would be cool, but seem unlikely as the player chooses his/her successor.

4. How have you approached character writing in this game as compared to Warband? Is it still a case of broad character types with minimal differences between individuals of that type, or is it something with more finesse and potential for surprise/character moments?

https://steamcommunity.com/games/261550/announcements/detail/1647623139641323383

5. Are you planning on a "history of the world" tab or something, that shows the lineages of different notables, who killed who and how, exc?

Nothing other than the Encyclopaedia visible in the Gamescom demo.

 

[Terco_Viejo]

As I said in my previous comment, this informative level is what is expected of this sort of publications.

when you are in Khuzait territory, you see mounted bandits more often.

These little details add up to one more positive point for immersion. Now that we have knowledge of this data as a feature within the game, discovering the rest of the other factions will be our thing. (We like to be spoiled like this... nothing bad happens, Taleworlds.)

we already have quests and town management, but they are separate features as RPG and strategy elements. We implemented a tiny connector named “Issues”. When there is an “Issue” in a settlement, the settlement’s morale, food, prosperity, etc. decreases. If the player wants to solve this issue, he/she solves it with a quest. With this system, quests are not just an RPG element anymore and take on more of a strategic element.”

This is technically not new (17/01/19), but a new mention is to be welcomed. A blog dedicated to it would be appreciated... because for example...this would be the result of a Settlement Issues?

Save & Load system

Many of you have overlooked it, however this is really important and praiseworthy that you are conscientiously designing it to avoid possible problems and game malfunction with eventual updates.

Yes! In Bannerlord, the player can die because of old age.

Relatively confirmed, waiting for a clarifying and forceful blog. It's a really exciting feature for me, but it' s still to be specified that little point that connects "death" with other features.  I hope that the statement Lust uttered in 2016 "you can kill a lord, steal his unique weapon and kill all his family with it" will be a reality and the "tactical elimination" of family members will be a feasible reality among your presumably legendary Advanced Diplomacy.

We have different types of production in the game

I really cross my fingers for you to have implemented this feature + productive enterprises + caravan routes (possibility of set up ours) satisfactorily for the player's playable experience.

 

[LordTheodore]

It is well known that horseback riding and slashing 2 will greatly strengthen the economic system. The economy is divided into output and consumption. If the weapons built by the factory can be used all the time, the factory will lose the meaning of long-term existence, so I boldly make a prediction. The weapons used by all people riding and slashing 2 have wear mechanisms, and there are various logistical replenishment mechanisms.

maybe. But it may also be that weapons and horses are consumed when soldiers are recruited and since soldiers die in battle and most of their equipment isn't plundered by the enemy as loot more weapons and horses will be needed to recruit more soldiers. I suspect that recruitment and upgrade costs will be fixed but that the amount of upgrades/recruitment will determine the profit of the productive enterprises that produce weapons and horses. I hope that recruitment and upgrade costs fluctuate depending on supply and demand but I expect that will have to be modded in.

 

[Mad Vader]

Yes! In Bannerlord, the player can die because of old age.

Relatively confirmed, waiting for a clarifying and forceful blog. It's a really exciting feature for me, but it' s still to be specified that little point that connects "death" with other features.  I hope that the statement Lust uttered in 2016 "you can kill a lord, steal his unique weapon and kill all his family with it" will be a reality and the "tactical elimination" of family members will be a feasible reality among your presumably legendary Advanced Diplomacy.

隐藏

That's just the sort of nasty thing Frank Khan would do.

But the interesting thing is that you could be immortal and all other death-and-heritage features can stay in place and apply to everyone except you. I hope they took the Highlander route and made you a sterile immortal.
This somewhat balances things. You want to be immortal? No kids for you. No marriage alliances and free vassals that look like you. No terrifying genetic experiments for you assholes.
The key to convincing people mortality is a good thing, is to make kids valuable.

 

[Mirkvidr]

I think the guards should carry the spears in this way, maybe even the infantry when they aren't in combat mode

I totally agree, those spears on the backs are really ugly unfortunately I don't think they will change them 

 

[vota dc]

This was exactly as I feared it would be...

Dying of old age? In a SANDBOX game?

To me this is the worst idea you guys could come up with, honestly.
This probably means the slow character buildup (which was one of the very things I loved the most in warband) won't be viable in Bannerlord as level ups will need to be fast enough to allow you to reach full potential in a short lifetime.
I'm not at all interested in the whole succession thing, I'm among those who wants to create a character and keep playing it. Now if this thing is just forced on me and I haven't the option to turn it off, I'd like to know if at least I will be allowed to export and import my character in a new game, like in warband (and I'm not talking about saving a preset appearance I mean the exact same export mechanic).
If the answer is "No" then this pretty much puts a big heavy tombstone on Bannerlord for me, I'm sorry guys 

In Sid Meier Pirates it worked but it has a faster pace and your character couldn't level up. Anyway something like 2500 days are 30 years. My only worry is if you die 80 years old and then switch to the 60 years old son that was handed by the AI and you can't develop as well as your previous character that you controlled from 20 to 80 years!

 

[Terco_Viejo]

I think the guards should carry the spears in this way, maybe even the infantry when they aren't in combat mode

I totally agree, those spears on the backs are really ugly unfortunately I don't think they will change them 

There are some screenshots that say otherwise. It may not be fully implemented.

隐藏: properly applied

The fact that a castle guard or a soldier walking through the city has his spear properly held and not glued to the back is a point in favor of immersion. Where my faith is null is on the battlefield; I hope I am wrong but surely the " spear stuck " to the back is not intended to fix it.

隐藏: ugly as ****

 

[Echtel]

The player death feature is optional. I don't know whether it is optional for AI though they might just eventually die of old age.

Player death in battle is optional; I've seen no indication of old age being optional.

And the question about the export\import feature is one I would really like answered, because if the warband style RPG element in the game gets completely wrecked I'm personally not interested in Bannerlord, plain and simple.

 

[HUMMAN]

Death is optional. Just like how you can choose damage taken in warband; you will choose whether you are mortal or not.

 

[Gurkhal]

I wonder how many Augustus plays we'll have? You're the greatest thing around and has conquered the world, but your heirs keeps dying so you wonder if there will be anyone left to carry on the family's rule?

 

[Oxtocoatl]

I think the dynasty aspect might solve one issue with warband that I always had, which was that I would get bored of the character and begin to long for the early game excitement. In CKII the succession was always a moment of realignment and reflection. Your skills, priorities and relationships change abruptly. If your old character died in battle (or was murdered, if that's a feature) you now have to take vengeance. You also get a handy chance to change your play style if you want to.

Dying of old age should be fleshed out with some RPG elements, such as having emotional final words with your relatives and old friends or taking a look back and pondering on your achievements. Playing as the heir I would like it if organizing a funeral and a coronation were to be my first tasks. Medieval political life was full of ritual and I feel like it would enhance the RPG side of things. Then the new ruler could decide what to do with the old ruler's widow and other retainers. Will they be provided for or chased out of the court?

I would also love it if succession crises were a thing. If the PC dies in battle without choosing an heir or the potential heirs have a very bad relationship, or even if the chosen heir has a very poor reputation or honor, others could contest the succession. This could range from an attempted palace coup to one pretender fleeing to a foreign court and asking for help to a full scale civil war where every clan member has to pick a side. I wouldn't want it to happen automatically, but in rare instances, under the right circumstances.

 

[HUMMAN]

One problem about succession, in mb with one character you can conquer all Calradia anyway. In Ck2 for example, there are always challanges and growth is relatively small.

 

[Do not look here]

Player death in battle is optional; I've seen no indication of old age being optional.

That. The optional part is your character dying randomly in battle. It looks like from the start you're ageing and will eventually die.

I am kind of glad that is the case, at least it means the game should be built around it. It would be double offense if it would just be a gimmick that you could toggle off. I'm just worried the playthrough pace won't be suited for me but... oh well.

 

[Oxtocoatl]

One problem about succession, in mb with one character you can conquer all Calradia anyway. In Ck2 for example, there are always challanges and growth is relatively small.

I thought about this too. I'm guessing they're hoping that speeding up the time and having the major factions divide into clans (which I read as increased decentralization and potential infighting) the player juggernaut will slow down. So much hanging on the new influence mechanic could also make a difference: it's harder to get ahead until your reputation and influence grows.