Holy bloody manhunter! I just slogged through 10 bloody pages of man-childs complaining about what is and what's not realism, and how Bannerlord is SOOOO unrealistic. Bloody hell. I'll go by parts:
About the Dev Blog:
T'was an entertaining read. Cem managed to be specific about some aspects and that really pumped me up. I have to say that reading
Until now, we mainly worked on the tactics of formations and armies, but not the tactics on 1v1 fights. I believe that we will add some variety on that only after we feel like the AI is good enough and missing only unique tactics.
kinda gave me the idea that there's still a lot to add AI-wise. Not bad
per se, just it makes my mind push the release close to next christmas so... Good, it keeps my hype down. It's good to know that you intend to add unique tactics, that is one of the essential things that give factions their uniqueness, so it'll be fun. I have to admit that I simply love two armies clashing head-on, but that's hollywood on me, and it is all fun and games, but gets boring after a while, so different tactics is something to be aware of, and learn how to adapt. The problem with this is that it requires even more balancing (it's easy to make a steam-roller tactic for one faction that wins everyone on an open field). It's really good to know those things.
fedeita 说:
the animation seems smooth and fluid but the stiff side weapon make it look less believable, wouldn't be better to rig the scabbards?
I'm not sure it is entirely stiff, the low resolution may eat up some details, the other gif looked more rigged, where the scabbard seemed to balance a bit. But it looks like it could have a bit more of a wiggle. It may be a technical issue for them to implement it into the near-distance lod. But even if it's just on the player, it's good, but it would be perfect to see it on nearby characters as well. Wiggle them weapons on the boddy! I want to see shaky swords and axes as I run or horse around!
Welp, enjoy your holidays, guise, you need it, and you deserve it as much as we do.
Now...
about the thread:
On realism:
Varrak 说:
> Devs put weapons on characters back in Witcher 3
"Wooow so cooool

"
> Devs put weapons on characters back in Bannerlord
"Boooo, not realisticcc

"
Come on now, Callum already told that they don't copy/paste history.
This.
Realism is nice and all, but we don't usually play games to be able to mimic reality. Creating the illusion of reality in a game or a movie or whatever, can do way more harm than good. I hate to use generalizations, but they have truths inherent to them, and more arcadey aspects allow for more freedom in-game. Let's talk about the scabbards on the back:
Yes, they are impractical, they are unrealistic, they are an open sore on 'realistic eyes', but for the most part, they look cool, pretty much like dual-wielding (i'm not defending, condoning nor actively bashing either, just citing them, do not whine). Yes, it's cheesy, it's usually pretty dumb, but it's passable as a feature to distinguish generic from specific. Whut?
In fiction, when a character uses the sword on the back or dual wields, they are being presented as more experienced, 'veteran' fighters, not just another cannon fodder. So what? They serve a practical purpose. [Yes, in M&B we distinguish characters based on more than just where the weapon is sheathed or wielded, but as players, even newbies, we have to learn that, and we spend literally hours doing so, immersing ourselves in the world, whereas movies have larger audiences, for far shorter periods of time, practicality > accuracy]
In M&B and other games, using longswords and heavy weapons on the back provides a practical purpose as well: it allows the player/character to carry more than just one weapon onto the battle. Carrying two heavies on the back, one medium on the left hip, a short one on the right, and a really short weapon on the front allows you to be prepared for any situation. Carrying a bow, two quivers and a twohanded sword is not realistic as well. If it ever were, the person doing so would have squires to carry the stuff for them. Which is how most of the aristocracy went to battle, with their squires donning their armour, carrying their weapons etc. (i'm being generic, don't whine).
KarlXII 说:
Edit:We should be arguing if for example, making something more realistic will hurt the gameplay or make it more immersive and deeper.
For example unlike M&B in real life soldiers couldnt take off their shields from their back that quickly and cavs probably were never able to take off them if they did not dismount.
Now, if we implement this to game it will buff archers since too many infantries carry 2h swords and a shield on their back just in case if they encounter with an archer.Also it will nerf cavalry a lot.Will this be a good thing and force people to think more or will it just break the balance and be a frustrating thing for the inf and the cav ?
We shouldnt even argue whether or not we should implement things that will make the game more realistic while -obviously- will not negatively effect game play(such as realistic trees).
We simply should write them and let the devs decide whether or not they worth spending recources&time on.
Being able to sheathe the weapon on the back allows the player to have the weapon and quickly switch to another with no risk. That's it. That's why they allow it, because it would be really useless to program an npc to carry your stuff for you, or to drop everything. It would be a royal pain to lose some arrows from the quiver whenver you're knocked back as well. Remember, people, this is a game, made for entertainment. (as everyone here should be aware of: it's a low fantasy game, both as in scenario and setting, as in gameplay mechanics. (Using a longbow with a two-handed heavy axe... not quite there).
I'm saying this to anyone in particular, but we have to take into account the practical side of things, and remember this is a mass-market game, not your personal pet project. Neither for me, nor for you.
[/spoiler]
Just my two cents:
"Realism" can be as boring or fun as the devs make it. A good mechanic is good independent of its realism.
In regards to switching weapons, I would support limitations if only to encourage proper preparation.
For example: If lances were dropped instead of stored every time I switched to my sidearm I would need to take that into consideration whenever I would want to get stuck in. It adds a level of tactical thought to pull off well. Same with greatswords and polearms. It would add considerably to the difficulty which I think would be more fun. It also has the bonus of being realistic.
If we apply it to your example, a player should decide if he wants a greatsword OR a shortsword and shield. Not both at the same time. You pick your pros and cons ahead of time and stick with them (or loot something during the fight).
This is subjective of course so others will just see it as "annoying" and spoiling their fun because now they "have" to pick up their lance/halberd/etc later.
[/quote]
I understand this and somewhat agree to it, but in M&B it would be entirely impractical to drop your long/heavy weapons just to switch to the bow to kill off one horseman. Most players would probably avoid even carrying such weapons around and would invest into lighter stuff, like carrying 3 packs of throwables and a shortsword. Yes, it would put emphasis on
preparation, but that's not usually the point of this game, so it would detract for
most, and the majority wins. It would make a complete change in the way battles are fought, and it would take away the freedom the player has, such as just using 4 packs of javelins, and when it's empty, take a sword from the ground. Yet taking stuff from the ground
SOUNDS believable and nice, but there's one huge problem with that:
there's no animation,
[fix:] the animation may not look natural in all occasions, so it could look too game-y, or too simplistic in some instances and would detract from the experience (just like playing my animations mod). And, most importantly, if the devs have not coded the AI to grab stuff on the ground, only the player would be able to do so (exploits or just plain dumb enemies detract from the awe we should feel when being outmanned, outnumbered, et al.), and for the devs to implement it at this stage, would probably require major rewritings in the AI battle codes. As they said somewhere, they made their choices beforehand and they knew this sort of thing was a "flaw", but it would allow more freedom for the player (hence the 'fantasy aspect).
Even with the animation, Bannerlord would still feel pretty much like any other game on that aspect: grabbing things means pressing a button
and that thing teleporting to your hand/inventory and you awkwardly bending over a downhill or uphill place and seeing your hand go through the ground, it would require waaaay too many adjustments to
LOOK natural.
[end of fix] On paper it sounds okay, but during the game it feels lazy,
unbelievable. It doesn't look natural to press E on a sword on the ground to get it back, you don't see the character lowering themselves to grab it, and it looks just awkward, so instinctively many will avoid it. So the practicality of PRESS E detracts from the believable aspect, just because it doesn't look natural, so the practicality of carrying the weapon on the back wins again. This is not
my opinion, this is an assertion made on previous knowledge and experience in design, and apparently this seems to be a fact based on the way Bannerlord is taking shape. (All of this just to avoid saying 'thats a fact')
Ki-Ok Khan 说:
You guys want realism its fine and all but it will ruin the M&B feel we all used to have , which made us fall in love with this game in the first place.
The game is in a good direction. You might think that it will be better to have more realism but it will actually be boring in my opinion.
Being more "realistic", if we go the douchebag way, would also require us to piss, **** and eat. It all sounds cool and all to be damaged by cold and hunger, but have you played those survival games? They're fun, for a while, but the devs have to spend so much time making a 'realism' that
feels real, but
is not. That is precisely the balance between fun and realism. A game like The Forest manages to spend almost 2 years refining the survival aspect so it's fun, and it is, but it took 2 years just on that. Other games are not as fun, and they are made solely for that, with virtually no story, no depth... just a bear grills simulator. Have you tried the realism mods for Skyrim? A purely fantasy rpg, that becomes tedious because of those features, not counting the technical problems that come with that. Of course, I compared two different games, with different goals in mind. And pretty much like Skyrim, Bannerlord is not meant to add those survival and realistic aspects into its mechanics. It's not designed for that.
Now, if you go towards the selective realism of "realistic headbutting" and what nots just in combat... yeah, again, it's not actually realistic to just add some real moves and remove others. If the game was to become a realistic gory battle, it would have to account for the weight of characters, and whenever they touch shields, they would have to attach to each other, and both clashing characters would become slower, more tired, less able to run and move and attack, it would have to allow for knocking others down and jumping on top of them... Else it becomes too arcadey, too displaced from the reality of the game.
In this sort of game we do want some sort of illusion, but not
reality.
lolbash 说:
The Bowman 说:
[...] A compromise can always be achieved by having the game play the same, and yet make it look and feel believable. I suppose this is exactly what the people mean by "realism".
+1
Honestly, we should stop saying "realistic" and start saying "believable"
Are dragons, magic spells and 369 noscoping crossbow men believable in the MNB universe? Hell no.
Is having different shield positions when choosing blocking direction believable? Yes.
THIS. I, being a man interested in the nuances of language, have to whole-heartedly agree with this. We have to stop using "realistic features", and start using "believable features" so people stop led into flame wars (like 10 pages in an almost unrelated thread, or spending 3 hours to write a single reply). It's a pain that we have to always use the same arguments "hurr durr it's a double-edged-halberd-sword-axe on the back thats STUIPD!" "derp de derp ITS NAHT A SIMULATIONISTIC REALISM REALIST SIMULATOR! DURR HURR BECUZ FANTAZY!"
cherac 说:
Its the hollywood style of gameplay we want and its exactly what taleworlds is delivering , once it doesn't break immersion and points don't pop up on the screen after every hit, its real enough . Please Devs don't change this feature , I really want some cinematic battles and I bet even those complaining do
The way the game plays now is really fine, it's what has allowed the two-people-designed project from Yavuz to develop into the endless wait we have for Bannerlord. It is as it is, if it changes too much, it stops being M&B and becomes something else. You make it more simplistic, you change it into Dynasty/Samurai warriors, you make it more complex, it becomes Kingdom Come or whatever. The way the combat goes is part of the
M&B identity, something they stated in one of the blogs, maybe the last one, or in an interview, I can't remember. They didn't want to change it too much, else it'd be a different game.
The animations look really natural for me, I have to say, and I dabble in kendo, so i'm a retarded person. It's really good the way it is, and I'm sure it took a lot to reach the way it is now. It
shows.
But, I have to agree with
Yaga that the commands animation is a bit strange. After the first time I saw it, I tried imitating it on my daily life, and more than once it felt a bit awkward. Circling the arm overhead is tiresome, doesn't feel natural. But it does call the attention of others (yeah, it does), so I'm undecided about changing or leaving it as it is. Maybe it'd feel a bit out of place if it was just the arm raised, especially when you're in the thick of battle, but maybe not.
Owen Wulfson 说:
Speaking of rpg mechanics, what does it mean that most players will encounter the Empire first? Do we have a set starting position?
I have mixed feelings about that. At least with choosing where you start off you have your reasons for being there but now we have to formulate reasoning for how we got to the beginning area and then why we go to our chosen faction.
I am leaning towards 2 possibilities: multiple starts, and the empire being the largest culture, thus one of the first we see everywhere; or a single start somewhere near the empire.
Both are really fine for me, just a minor nuisance if I want to go to one of the corners of the map, but still... I wouldn't worry too much about that.
Well, that's a lot of ****s for someone who usually doesn't give a ****. I honestly forgot what else I was going to comment on, and at this point I'm afraid to even try to remember.