I really didn't want to be this disappointed

[enridem]

7 years of development and it simply feels like a graphical update from the first M&B.
I really, really wish I could fathom what the devs spent their time on.
Sure, the graphical upgrade is nice but hardly AAA.

Let me list a few reasons for my disappointment:
- Combat is clunky and lackluster. While this was true for the older games I'm sure most of us expected some innovation on this front.
- The menu-based system for commanding troops is cumbersome - again, I expected this to be improved.
- Gameplay-wise it feels like very little was improved upon from the original games. This feels more like a new map with some mods.
- Which brings me to the cost. Why on earth would you charge so much for a title that is in all respects simply v1.5 of your original game?

Minor complaints:
- Certain cities/towns have no ambient sounds making them rather lifeless.
- Town/City NPC's are as cookie cutter as you can get...and not in a good way.
- The Character Creator doesn't seem nearly as inspired and versatile as they lead us to believe during previous gameplay demos.

Again 7 years? As a fan and a paying customer I truly believe the community deserves some insight into how so much time could have been wasted on something that you had almost the entire blueprint for already? Don't get me wrong, I will still play and enjoy this game...but no more than the previous one as it is in many ways the same product and certainly not what anyone would have expected nearly a decade later.

 

[MKLVN]

My god do you guys read anything from TaleWorlds? This is early access. It IS an modernized Warband, with more features, and most of the major innovative changes are still in the works which they already told us.

You’re a paying customer of an early release developmental project.

And don’t get me wrong, I appreciate people giving feedback on specific things they feel should be fleshed out or seem to be missing but the “8 years for this???” self-entitled **** has to stop. They made it clear the game was unfinished and literally asked people that were concerned with an unfinished product not to buy it.

 

[enridem]

My god do you guys read anything from TaleWorlds? This is early access. It IS an modernized Warband, with more features, and most of the major innovative changes are still in the works which they already told us.

You’re a paying customer of an early release developmental project.

I am very aware of the meaning of Early Access. My complaint isn't about bugs or incomplete features. My complaint is about missing or ill-conceived CORE features. You may have missed the part that points out 7-years of development. THIS game does not reflect that kind of development cycle. You are welcome to "White-Knight" this as much as you like but ultimately the end--result speaks for itself.

The dev team said they would be focusing on bug fixing and balancing as well as making each location unique over the next year. I would be very interested in ANY article you have that proves that they will be implementing or critically overhauling CORE features over the next year.

 

[Lucas Hood]

I don't understand the criticisms about the combat being clunky, did nobody play the original games? Everyone was fine with the combat and for me, I think it's improved, it would be really hard for them to make it a AAA style combat system like The Witcher in a game that has hundreds of NPC's in battle simultaneously. I'll admit I was struggling at first but you get used to the new mechanics of directional blocking & attacks, it's gotten more technical and the death animations are way better.

The menu-system I can kind of agree, I wish they made it a Total War style where you could pause and have a tactic screen, while organizing your troops at the start of the map, placing them where. Like how in sieges where you place your siege weapons, you should be able to position your troops also, like put them on the walls instead of commanding them there yourself.

As for your complaints about cities, a lot of it is down to bugs trust me, go and take a stroll in many and test them out, sometimes they aren't loading correctly, I've had some great experiences and some horrible ones due to bugs. Sometimes they're flowing with life and animations making it an actual city, then sometimes there's nobody there and all the main NPC's are just stood there in the middle.

 

[MKLVN]

My god do you guys read anything from TaleWorlds? This is early access. It IS an modernized Warband, with more features, and most of the major innovative changes are still in the works which they already told us.

You’re a paying customer of an early release developmental project.

I am very aware of the meaning of Early Access. My complaint isn't about bugs or incomplete features. My complaint is about missing or ill-conceived CORE features. You may have missed the part that points out 7-years of development. THIS game does not reflect that kind of development cycle. You are welcome to "White-Knight" this as much as you like but ultimately the end--result speaks for itself.

The dev team said they would be focusing on bug fixing and balancing as well as making each location unique over the next year. I would be very interested in ANY article you have that proves that they will be implementing or critically overhauling CORE features over the next year.

Lmao exactly my point you didn’t even read the steam page. They are still working on fleshing out/implementing the crime system, enterprises, clan management, kingdom management, crafting, aspects of the family feature.

And the combat has new capability such as stance and chained attacks and they’ve been working on balancing this stuff since the beta started.

Even in spite of that, the 1.0 version we have now had more features than Warband and is pretty clearly not just a graphical upgrade. I mean have you not been in a siege? Have you not noticed you can command a unit within a battle while the commander gives you direction on when and where to attack? Have you not noticed there is now a dynasty system with perma death? All types of things that add way more depth than just graphical updates man.

 

[AnnoUltima]

I've never posted here but I made an account just for this. Literally from the Steam homepage.

We are hoping to run a productive and efficient early access for M&B Bannerlord as well. However, due to the nature and scale of game that we have envisioned, there may be various problems or missing features and content during the course of early access.

The game isn't finished. The features will be added later and certain elements will definitely be rehauled basedoff player feedback. That was the whole point of early access to begin with.

 

[Stupid Snake]

lol the combat is better then it was in warband already

 

[Lucas Hood]

Lmao exactly my point you didn’t even read the steam page. They are still working on fleshing out/implementing the crime system, enterprises, clan management, kingdom management, crafting, aspects of the family feature.

And the combat has new capability such as stance and chained attacks and they’ve been working on balancing this stuff since the beta started.

Even in spite of that, the 1.0 version we have now had more features than Warband and is pretty clearly not just a graphical upgrade. I mean have you not been in a siege? Have you not noticed you can command a unit within a battle while the commander gives you direction on when and where to attack? Have you not noticed there is now a dynasty system with perma death? All types of things that add way more depth than just graphical updates man.

I agree, it's way wayyyy better, just the game I wanted, and the character development system they added was amazing, I spent over half hour in the creation screen setting my background and stuff.

They also only plan to be in EA for a year, this will be a vital time for them to iron out cracks and get the correct testing and feedback from players to polish for final release, plenty of bugs are to be expected. I just hope they also rebalance a few things, or allow the player to, such as XP progression and player ageing.

 

[Lemondude]

I'm just disappointing at how demanding the game is on my PC
Never had trouble running any game but bannerlord is so laggy

 

[bheasman]

I don't think this would've been classed as a AAA from the get-go anyway. So think of it this way AAA is analogous to the film industry term "blockbuster". So I'm a huge ass fan of this franchise, don't get me wrong but even if this game was completed I wouldn't class as it being an AAA game.

£31 for a game, which has been labeled "EARLY DEVELOPMENT" I mean once I read that I knew what I was in for which I'm sure 95% of other people did as well.

 

[Hitman™]

I don't understand the criticisms about the combat being clunky, did nobody play the original games?

Yeah, I dont get it too. I dont even remember the last time I played warband, its been years but the moment im into my 2nd war it all comeback to me like muscle memory. Its just like Warband if not better in some ways.

 

[ShaneRoach]

Please not again.

Look. "Early Access" and "Sap" need to stop being made into a synonym. It has been more than enough time for more innovation than this. The issue is no big box developers want to take this on, and that in its turn is because a truly awesome modable game of this type more or less makes game dev obsolete.

What I like, and what I want to know more about, is the modability. That is what will make or break this game for me. Can people keep making it better and better without being forced to go back and back and back to paid DLC?

I am enjoying the game so far, btw... So. FWIW, don 't really agree with the OP's sentiments, but understand their view.

My god do you guys read anything from TaleWorlds? This is early access. It IS an modernized Warband, with more features, and most of the major innovative changes are still in the works which they already told us.

You’re a paying customer of an early release developmental project.

And don’t get me wrong, I appreciate people giving feedback on specific things they feel should be fleshed out or seem to be missing but the “8 years for this???” self-entitled **** has to stop. They made it clear the game was unfinished and literally asked people that were concerned with an unfinished product not to buy it.

 

[BlackRainZ]

I am loving the game so far.

 

[enridem]

Lmao exactly my point you didn’t even read the steam page. They are still working on fleshing out/implementing the crime system, enterprises, clan management, kingdom management, crafting, aspects of the family feature.

And the combat has new capability such as stance and chained attacks and they’ve been working on balancing this stuff since the beta started.

Even in spite of that, the 1.0 version we have now had more features than Warband and is pretty clearly not just a graphical upgrade. I mean have you not been in a siege? Have you not noticed you can command a unit within a battle while the commander gives you direction on when and where to attack? Have you not noticed there is now a dynasty system with perma death? All types of things that add way more depth than just graphical updates man.

I will give you that. The Steam page does indeed mention a few elements that will be improved. My sources were mostly online articles. Still, I stand by the fact that this title doesn't showcase the many years of development that went into it. Many AAA title have a 3-4 year dev cycle and then they have far more to show for it...granted, they likely also have larger development teams but that's not always the case.

Now, while I can appreciate your particular feelings about the game, and you are certainly entitled to it. You should also realize that I have every right to be disappointed and that the current product doesn't live up to my expectations.
Finally, it wouldn't hurt to lighten up on the condescending attitude.

 

[Mynas]

I completely disagree with OP. Its the first day after EA release. New bros need to calm down.

 

[enridem]

Let me just repeat something in case it wasn't clear.
I enjoy this game. Just not a whole lot more than Warband.
There simply isn't enough to justify the many years of development.

I love M&B Warband but I simply wish this was more than a rinse and repeat project.

 

[Midnitewolf]

I have to admit, I was expecting....more I guess but if I have to be honest what made Warband so fun over the years was really the mods, not the native game. That being the case, I think the game will really start to shine once the total conversions come on line. Still like many, I was kind of expecting....more (hehe)....out of Bannerlord even in early access. I mean there are features like buying an enterprise that aren't in the game. Also I was kind of expecting them to have taken all the great features from all the great total conversions and integrate them into Bannerlord 2, things like Freelancer for example. With so many years to develop the game, I figured all this and more would be in, even at early access.

Unfortunately, I am not certain, but I don't think this game is going to become what I was hoping it will be, until a few years pass and total conversion mods finally release.

 

[Midnitewolf]

Let me just repeat something in case it wasn't clear.
I enjoy this game. Just not a whole lot more than Warband.
There simply isn't enough to justify the many years of development.

I love M&B Warband but I simply wish this was more than a rinse and repeat project.

Actually this is how I feel. Right now the game feels a lot like Native Warband, but missing a few features like Enterprises, while adding in a few features that I am not sure are actually better like aging and dying. As I mentioned in a previous post, I was really expecting Taleworlds to have incorporated most of the best features from all the mods over the years but many, if not more are shockingly not in the game. Bannerlord 2 is fun to play, but there is nothing new enough, different enough, to make it stand out from playing Warband, especially since so many of the Warband total conversion mods are so feature rich compared to Bannerlord 2.

 

[kiano0413]

My god do you guys read anything from TaleWorlds? This is early access. It IS an modernized Warband, with more features, and most of the major innovative changes are still in the works which they already told us.

You’re a paying customer of an early release developmental project.

And don’t get me wrong, I appreciate people giving feedback on specific things they feel should be fleshed out or seem to be missing but the “8 years for this???” self-entitled **** has to stop. They made it clear the game was unfinished and literally asked people that were concerned with an unfinished product not to buy it.

Ture that, and yet they complain, someone who has wait "8 years" would have a number of ways to approach this game, tbh i am 8 hours in and i am enjoying every second of it, yes there is the crappy combat system, the graphic, the crashes. But these ain't the only way to progress in game isn't it.
Why not embrace the chance to be a merchant and talk you way out in the land of citadel. Why not be a cleansleeve warlord that never swing a sword at your foe.
I mean yes the combat is bad but the tactic and troops command was amazing,
The graphic is a little bit out dated but the content is fantastic. Looking back when the OG mount and blade came out it was unbearable this time at least you have a game to start with.

 

[ForTheEmporer]

i am also confussed about this too, i hope the devs wil come with an explanation