First feedback

[DaTurtle]

Hey TW Team and Community,

alright so this will be my first feedback post after roundabout 300 hours in Bannerlord. This will also contain suggestions, but is not purely a suggestion thread and mostly concerned with the current state of the game and things i noticed in the last month of playing.
To begin with i have to say that Bannerlord has absolutely blown me away. I had it sitting in my Steam Library for while without touching it because i thought it was too early to even have a look at and now that i started i lack the words to state how impressed i am with the work you have so far delivered - yet i feel there is so much left to do.
Leaving the obvious bugfixing and stability work aside, here are a few things that sort of burn on my nails:

1. The ability to assign troops to formations, present in 1.6.5 and removed in e1.7.0, i hope you bring this back for the stable branch of 1.7!
2. Interactions with NPCs need massive improvement - at least to the point where we left of in warband, but given that you now have a family in Bannerlord obviously there is a lot of room to build on as well.
3. Speaking of NPCs - It would be great if the player could switch freely at an time between all mature characters within their family. I would not include companions in this because that would be taking things a bit too far and make things too easy, but switching between husband and wife, sisters, brothers, children, would be great.
4. It would be great to see the ability to create a fortification for the player (and maybe other clans too). Like a hideout to begin with that can be constantly upgraded until it becomes a castle by itself - i remember a mod in Warband allowing for this but it would make the beginning part of Bannerlord that more appealing because as a T2-3 clan there is really not much the player can do.
5. Including number 4 the player should be able to become a criminal. In theory this is already possible, but there are no consequences to it. It would be great if the player could start out with a small highwayman group robbing caravans, possibly link up with criminal elements in the cities, and have various ways to make ends meet in criminal ventures and deeds such as assassinations, robberies, etc. Then retreat to their hideout and grow stronger there, fortify and build it to become a better defended position.
6. Custom troops/and culture would play a great role in this as the player goes from building their own standard of troops, starting with lowly looters or recruits and growing into the higher tiers with better equipment and increased cost.
7. Speaking of culture, there is a mod that does this right now but it would be good if settlement culture would change to that of the occupying culture gradually over time and based on factors such as loyalty, security, and to a certain extend also the differences between cultures. Battanians would probably be more prone to accept Empire, Sturgian, or Vlandian culture while Aserai or Khuzait would have a much harder time of it, and visa versa.

So far i really enjoy the fact that you didn't shy to copy and bring into solid format what was good in mods in the past, adding the clan system into Mount&Blade is a definite and great upgrade on the previous games. Also the fact that infantry now actually plays a vital role in the field and it's no longer "Get 200 Swadian Knights and trample them into the dust" is a much appreciated advancement. I absolutely love those moments before the final clash of the armies where archers and infantry move into position behind their shield walls, how my Vlandian Sharpshooters reign lethal destruction from afar onto the enemie's Phalanx until it breaks apart and the cavalry charges in. You have done a tremendous job on this one TW, please keep doing what you are doing and take your time to get it right - and never mind the complainers who think that it's "taking too long", for every patch you guys deliver. And if they can't see that it's clearly their problem.

Kind Regards,
Chris

 

[Sweynforkbeard]

Also the fact that infantry now actually plays a vital role in the field

Absolutely, they are vital for leveling Medicine!

 

[vota dc]

You should use criminals to weaken enemy Kingdoms as a lawful lord, not just playing as outlaw.

 

[xGreedo]

Also the fact that infantry now actually plays a vital role in the field

Is this what people call Copium?
If this game was a legit online game right now using infantry in your army in this state of the game would make everyone else to target you for free xp.
Playing with infantry is my favourite thing in Mount and blade but in bannerlord infantry is so bad.

 

[DaTurtle]

Is this what people call Copium?
If this game was a legit online game right now using infantry in your army in this state of the game would make everyone else to target you for free xp.
Playing with infantry is my favourite thing in Mount and blade but in bannerlord infantry is so bad.

In the first M&B the basic strategy that would allow me to take over Calradia was:
1. Get a ton of Swadian Knights
2. Charge
3. Automatic victory
In Warband it was pretty much the same, although you could suffer some losses but wasn't bad.
Now if you take Vlandian Bannerknights and try the same thing you will most likely lose against Battanians and Imperials because their Infantry can actually stop a cavalry charge and turn things around. Even if you win you will suffer such heavy losses that this is not a good practice.
I now have to use Archers to thin out and break apart the enemy lines, but Archers are vulnerable, so i need Infantry to protect the Archers from the enemy's Infantry and soak up Arrows from the enemy Archers.
Infantry plays a vital role.

 

[xGreedo]

In the first M&B the basic strategy that would allow me to take over Calradia was:
1. Get a ton of Swadian Knights
2. Charge
3. Automatic victory
In Warband it was pretty much the same, although you could suffer some losses but wasn't bad.
Now if you take Vlandian Bannerknights and try the same thing you will most likely lose against Battanians and Imperials because their Infantry can actually stop a cavalry charge and turn things around. Even if you win you will suffer such heavy losses that this is not a good practice.
I now have to use Archers to thin out and break apart the enemy lines, but Archers are vulnerable, so i need Infantry to protect the Archers from the enemy's Infantry and soak up Arrows from the enemy Archers.
Infantry plays a vital role.

I really don't want to expain this in detail. Archers can win against anything you don't need infantry as much as you may thing. Try it out your self

 

[black_bulldog]

In the first M&B the basic strategy that would allow me to take over Calradia was:
1. Get a ton of Swadian Knights
2. Charge
3. Automatic victory
In Warband it was pretty much the same, although you could suffer some losses but wasn't bad.
Now if you take Vlandian Bannerknights and try the same thing you will most likely lose against Battanians and Imperials because their Infantry can actually stop a cavalry charge and turn things around. Even if you win you will suffer such heavy losses that this is not a good practice.
I now have to use Archers to thin out and break apart the enemy lines, but Archers are vulnerable, so i need Infantry to protect the Archers from the enemy's Infantry and soak up Arrows from the enemy Archers.
Infantry plays a vital role.

In Bannerlord the basic stategy is:
1. Get a ton of archers
2. Find a hill
3. Win

And how is this any better than Warband? The idea shouldn't be to cheese the game. You can use infantry but you're not going to be as effective and you'll lose a lot more troops that way. Infantry should be viable but since armor is dog in this game they very lacking in comparison.

 

[xGreedo]

He doesn't know what he is talking about. He obviously haven't tested any "cheese" strategy in bannerlord and that is fine. But he shouldn't be defending stuff he doesn't know about.