How to start this mod (updated)

Users who are viewing this thread

LMjai

Regular
Here is a guide to start this game easily, this will leave you with some nice elite troops, a castle and the ability to defend it (and will spoil your gameplay until that point):

-Don't use money for equipment, save all you can.
-It is best to lvl up Cha to 30 and leadership to 10 first, then all points to int because you can get 63 agi/str with qualis gems later (and because you won't need to fight, just click F1 at start of battles when you have the archers)
-Go from tavern to tavern recruiting Young nobles, they can beat weak bandits 1 to 6.
-Evolve them to Young adventurers/Rogue squires/Adventurers/Hero adventurers.
-Go get the Qualis Gem from Rune and save it.(check forums if you dont know where it is)
-When you need stronger enemies go attack some D'Shar lords. (Capture = For money, Let them go = Cheaper elite troops + you get them as your vassals later on. You will need both.)
-When you have about 10 Hero adventurers and 30 Adventurers go conquer a D'Shar castle, build a Silvermist ranger order in it and upgrade it as much as you can.
-Put all troops you have and rescue that are not pendor archers or adventurers in the castle's garrison.
-Now stop recruiting nobles and start recruiting Pendor recruits at villages and rescuing Farmers and refugees to evolve them to grey archers, then bring them to your castle to get Silvermist rangers.
-When you have around 30 Silvermist rangers with at least 40 agi/str, and 100 more troops in your castle to use as meat shield you can defend yourself against the D'Shar retaliation of 700+ soldiers and start capturing all the map :smile:

Extra tip: I just noticed that setting the battle size below 400 makes the game MUCH more easier. (No matter what difficulty % you get at the end, battle size below 400 = easy, battle size to 1000 = hard)

Also check http://forums.taleworlds.com/index.php/topic,75280.0.html to get an unlimited supply of qualis gems and nice stuff. (cheats) (Rane chest is 743 on troops.txt, qualis gem is item 788 and runic weapons from 793 to 811)
 
Or just go check this
http://forums.taleworlds.com/index.php/topic,75089.0.html

The highlighted and red colored parts are the eyecatchers you want to click for useful information.

then this:
http://popmod.wetpaint.com/page/PoP+Strategy+Guide

Then spend like half an hour or a hour reading, then come back to this forum and start reading again.

Villager just need a couple of sparrings at the training ground and you´ll enjoy evolving them into something useful AND getting your combat skills up. It´s very easy to get them to tier 3 within a day, and in case of archers, they´re good enough to kill off the easier larger mystmountain spawns in SW Ravenstern.

This mod was created for experienced players. This means, you know what you do, and you know about the basic gameplay mechanics. If you don´t know, or can´t fight properly, it´s highly recommended to go back to native or something else, with less frustrating moments, and crank your skills up so you can enjoy this mod. The tip you give belongs to such a thing.

10 minutes spent at the Training Grounds sparring your villagers will make them as useful (or even better) than a Young Adventurer or squire.

There´s a single reason if someone gets 5 pages of responses, wheremost people advise him to go back to native and train some more and it isn´t nastiness or beeing arrogant. It´s where all the longtime players started. And it did help greatly.
 
The best tactic in any mod is this:
1. recieve money from tournament
2. do x
3. recieve fun

However PoP does alter it a bit...
 
I don't know I have only been playing M&B for about a week and a half and I tried PoP because I liked the story, lore, and it looked like more time was put into then any other mod I have read about. I love the challenge it is a bit harder but I don't feel that it is so difficult that someone deserves flames and rants of playing vanilla. I play PoP over vanilla because the world, story, and overall feel of the mod is more enjoyable. The additional difficulty is fun in my opinion and I am not a veteran here.
 
Drizzlin said:
I don't know I have only been playing M&B for about a week and a half and I tried PoP because I liked the story, lore, and it looked like more time was put into then any other mod I have read about. I love the challenge it is a bit harder but I don't feel that it is so difficult that someone deserves flames and rants of playing vanilla. I play PoP over vanilla because the world, story, and overall feel of the mod is more enjoyable. The additional difficulty is fun in my opinion and I am not a veteran here.

Glad for the feedback Drizzlin, and welcome to the community!

Best,

Saxondragon
 
noosers said:
Villager just need a couple of sparrings at the training ground and you´ll enjoy evolving them into something useful AND getting your combat skills up. It´s very easy to get them to tier 3 within a day, and in case of archers, they´re good enough to kill off the easier larger mystmountain spawns in SW Ravenstern.

This mod was created for experienced players. This means, you know what you do, and you know about the basic gameplay mechanics. If you don´t know, or can´t fight properly, it´s highly recommended to go back to native or something else, with less frustrating moments, and crank your skills up so you can enjoy this mod. The tip you give belongs to such a thing.

10 minutes spent at the Training Grounds sparring your villagers will make them as useful (or even better) than a Young Adventurer or squire.

This didnt work for me. In 10 mins I only got 4 ppl to evolve to tier2 (sparring fights 1v1), in 30 mins i got 6 tier2 (militia) and 4 tier3 (archers). a party of 11 looters crushed me.

I still think the way with the nobles is easier faster and better. (I mean I can actually win against 20 xD)
 
Well, no wonder if you did 1vs1.

You should be able to punish at least 2 recruits without difficulties, 3 for sure and 4 on a regular basis :razz:
Looters shouldn´t be able to whack any party - the impact of the player is too much for that. Just park your troopers a way off battle and ride foward to lance/slash/crossbow them away.

Though young nobles are easier, yes. Less thinking and less personal skill needed. Still, I pretty much dislike all the soft cavalry units. Means all squires, squire at arms, and pre-adventurer units. I´ve exploited the sparring routine to it´s fullest using Ravenstern recruits. Once you got a bunch of 5+ skirmishers and some trained milita´s the mystmountain bandit parties are managable without too many losses. And sooner than you´d imagine can you upgrade a few of these fella´s to archers. Once you got 5+ archers, it´s time to go after the Vanskerries. :razz:

Try to go after Vanskerries with your Young Nobles and see them all slaughtered whereas the hailstorm of arrows will utterly destroy them. And the loot they give is excellent, the perfect easy cheesy exploit early on, especially if you started with the looting 9 +3 character for some more stuff´n loot.

Don´t get too greedy though and get a few heavy cavalry units and heavy infantry before you start messing with the Renegade Knights in that area - or they´ll sweep the floor with your intestines. Heavy horse is most dangerous, especially early on, when it´s really difficult to replace foolhardy losses fast.
 
One of my recent battles that illustrates the level of skill, as the player, you need to be successful at Pop.

I started a new character, had starting equipment: a light lance, shield, hunting crossbow and a basic riding horse. 
I encountered a group of bandits (not outlaws)..maybe 15 of them.. armed with bows and crossbows.  I defeated them all..

Please note that I am no where near as skilled as the majority of players on these boards.  I am what I would term an "Average" player.

Best regards,

Saxondragon
 
noosers said:
Try to go after Vanskerries with your Young Nobles and see them all slaughtered

This can be the most hilarious and frustrating thing (for a commander) in POP to watch.  It goes something like this:
Ansen-esque young nobles charge in with a wooden pole on a lame saddle horse at a Vanskerry warrior.  Horse stops dead when it hits said warrior who unflinchingly cleaves young noble in one downward chop.  Commanding officer cries a little bit.
I have even seen Vanskerries surround the poor lads, kill the horse almost instantly and then kill the hapless noble before he even hits the ground after getting bucked from the dead horse.

Awesome.
 
I've posted my way to start in this thread:
http://forums.taleworlds.com/index.php/topic,93400.60.html

It's easy. The other ways are much harder.

In fact, when you have good skills you can defeat dozens of noldors only with your character if their nobles will be out of ammo when you'll remain the last man standing of your army.
 
saxondragon said:
I started a new character, had starting equipment: a light lance, shield, hunting crossbow and a basic riding horse. 
I encountered a group of bandits (not outlaws)..maybe 15 of them.. armed with bows and crossbows.  I defeated them all..


My common start-up is to go after a group of 5-20 looters and take them out with my 9+3 loot skill.  I don't think I've started with a lance before (Go weak sword!).  I typically just kill a few, then pick up a club and whack the rest so I can sell them for money :mrgreen:  That's solo mind ya.  No reason to slow yourself down with recruits until later.

It seems to be the best way to get skill too.  You get used to melee fighting and you have plenty of chances to practice it before taking on anything bigger, while being able to run from those you don't want to fight.
 
What I usually do is go after bandits while searching for a larger faction battle. 

When you find one of them, joing the winning side (duh)  Then keep yourself alive (don't be a hero)  When it's over, you will have no xp, or loot but you will capture the lords.

So then ransom the lords and buy yourself some good gear and then start taking on the better class of bad guy and build an army :smile:
 
These battles are excellent source of renown early in the game. Tons of renown to get larger party of hero adventurers to defeat anyone. And you can kill expensive (in terms of XP) units with couched strikes with your lance. It may be considered as "abuse" but it works very fine :smile:
 
When I start, I usually hire a few recruits, train them into semi functional archers using the training grounds, go start killing looters and mystmountains to train them up, then hire a few of the nobles and go attack the vanskerry, leaving the nobles holding position behind the archers. This allows the nobles to start lvling up without getting beat down by the vanskerries. Most of them attackers will be severely weakened if not dead by the time they get to you. Judicious use of your couched lance will also help.
 
Noone uses mercenaries early on?

Come on, I can´t be the only one purchasing the odd Mercenary Horseman for some heavy duty vs Vanskerries and Renegade Knights.
 
Drizzlin said:
I don't know I have only been playing M&B for about a week and a half and I tried PoP because I liked the story, lore, and it looked like more time was put into then any other mod I have read about. I love the challenge it is a bit harder but I don't feel that it is so difficult that someone deserves flames and rants of playing vanilla. I play PoP over vanilla because the world, story, and overall feel of the mod is more enjoyable. The additional difficulty is fun in my opinion and I am not a veteran here.

Slightly OT... What game is your avatar from?
 
Maeglin Dubh said:
Drizzlin said:
I don't know I have only been playing M&B for about a week and a half and I tried PoP because I liked the story, lore, and it looked like more time was put into then any other mod I have read about. I love the challenge it is a bit harder but I don't feel that it is so difficult that someone deserves flames and rants of playing vanilla. I play PoP over vanilla because the world, story, and overall feel of the mod is more enjoyable. The additional difficulty is fun in my opinion and I am not a veteran here.

Slightly OT... What game is your avatar from?

It looks like a modified version of a "Fire Emblem" gif.
 
Noosers, you are not the only one who hires mercenaries ASAP - I use them until I get some decent troops trained up - mercenary cavalry.  They help a lot in the first bits of the game.

Edit: Plus a number of them get killed before you have to pay them again!
 
I always make sure I select "Scholar at University" or whatever it is called whenever I start a new character so I can sell the book is given to you through  that selection.
I hightail to whatever city is closest and I get a decent bow.  I also check the taverns for any horseman mercenaries.
Then I recruit some peasants from villages and start out with simpler mobs, maybe brigands and such.
I typically solo the brigands with my PC, being a horse archer and then use the Mercenaries as backup.
I typically avoid the groups of Renegade noblemen like the plague since I can't solo them and keep my troops from whatever troops come with them (Huscarls and the like).
Keeping your villagers alive is key to me, you need to level them up so they can stand a chance.
I keep on taking all the loot and selling it until I have at least 4-7 mercenary troops and then try to track down smaller Vanskerry troops, they give good loot.
I use the Vanskerry loot to beef up my PC and maybe whatever NPC I picked up that is cheap (Simon, Ansen, Donovan) and then get a better bow and horse. For those that can't fight very well, maybe put all your money into a charger or other horse that has high charge rate, you can just ride over the mobs of bandits and such and "soften them up" for your mercenaries.
Eventually, get rid of the Mercenary Horsemen and such but keep the Young North Noble guys since you can turn them into Hero Adventurers eventually and then keep on levelling up your other troops so they become elites.
 
If you like to be an infantry character like me I would highly recommend a good percentage of your army be infantry/archers too.

I know it is tempting to get lots mercenary horseman and nobles to turn towards hero adventurers and they are the strongest troops to help you at the start but you will need infantry too. We have all seen the occasionally dodgy AI and if you have 12 cavalry and 3 infantry against 2 cavalry 20 infantry (for example) we have all seen 1 enemy horseman charging off leaving a queue of your cavalry all chasing him, all looking for the same kill. Then it is 20 onto 4 and it can get a hassle so get backup for you if your cav go charging off.

Another bit of advice for startup infantry characters is support your troops over going on a personal rampage. I always find that leveling up some good infantry sidekicks is more important than levelling myself up as quick as possible at he start of the game. So see who needs help and help them, leave those who don't and maybe deliberately wound enemies and leave them for other troops to finish off. You don't need to go elite, I always feel safe with some Fierdsvain armoured axeman or Sarleon man at arms at my side. Then once they are there I concentrate on killing mass troops all to myself.
 
Back
Top Bottom