Main questline restricts gameplay and is plain boring.

[Jhaerik]

They were very clear that some aspects of the story line are not yet in the game. I imagine the reason you haven't heard from your brother yet is because that extension of the storyline is not in game yet I think

Who cares about the story... who says I have a brother? Is this an RPG or a book?

 

[kanzy]

Back in Warband, when I wanted to have so really epic quests I got me a epic questcentric Mod, I will probably do the same here.

 

[stevehoos]

Oh god please no. Bannerlord is not Dragon Age and should not try to be Dragon Age. Give us a starter quest to give us an excuse to get a little into the game, and then turn us loose and let us figure out where to take it from there.

This is an open world game. One of the classic mistakes of an open world game is to try to engage in handholding, especially a game like this where key characters in that handholding can disappear from the map.

Hand holding is evident in two design choices:

1. Less options
2. Forced linear path

This is not an EA thing either, it's the core design.

 

[World's Coolest Old Guy]

The introduction to the game is really cool, losing your parents and having to free your siblings - thats very well done and I enjoyed it.
But everything after your brother splits from your group to track down your siblings, is just really poorly written.

1. Why do you have to talk to 10 different Nobles about that battle?

It's an excuse to get you to explore all the corners of Calradia before committing to a faction, I reckon.

2. Why are you forced to betray either Azargos or Istiana in regards to how you will use the Banner? Why do you have to promise them both to stand by their cause? You promise Istiana to use the Banner to save the Empire, while promising Azargos you will use it to destroy the Empire. Not cool that the "guidance" provided by the Campaign-Style single player forces you to such a decision. I would much rather just find out where that banner is by maybe breaking into a Lord's home and finding some documents about the matter in their library for example.
Also, why does a group of 8 weak bandits,100 metres away from a Town, have a piece of the legendary Banner that has the power to help someone destroy or save the Empire? Does not make sense.

Because it's a video game, to be honest. Some things can't be explained.

The best thing tho: why is it day 105 and I still have not heard of my brother about our plan to rescue our siblings? Why would you create such a lengthy set of quests when the most urgent matter should be to rescue your damn siblings?

Now this is the one that gets me. I want to rescue my blasted siblings already!

 

[stevehoos]

Just as "special" as your son in Fallout, right? Because that was a terrific idea.

We do not need a rich main storyline. Add in some side quests, or make the normal interactions more unique - for example, maybe spend some time making more than 1 or 2 speech lines for every bandit and lord in the game. Add somre interesting lore, that different lords actually have personality and might have unique quests. We do not need a hand-holding arc that dictates to us what we should do.

I already feel like parts of the quest pidgeon my character into a specific "hero type" that I am not even interested in.

Lets be serious, the main storyline will probably be modded out anyway, since the modding community, less than a week in, is already fixing all the other blunders, horrific oversights, and honestly stupid decisions made by TW out the gate.

I almost feel like TW should have just released a barebones fighting engine and just let modders do the rest.

I wouldn't even be playing right now if not for 3 mods. Armor in towns, age adjustment, and making armors available. I still can't stand the companion system, the player has zero control over it.

 

[World's Coolest Old Guy]

I wouldn't even be playing right now if not for 3 mods. Armor in towns, age adjustment, and making armors available. I still can't stand the companion system, the player has zero control over it.

... What do you mean RE: companion system? Because I don't feel like I have any less control than I did in Warband. (Also, if you're not part of the garrison you shouldn't be walking around cities in full kit. It's cumbersome, uncomfortable, and most of all makes you look dangerous. But you do you.)

 

[stevehoos]

... What do you mean RE: companion system? Because I don't feel like I have any less control than I did in Warband. (Also, if you're not part of the garrison you shouldn't be walking around cities in full kit. It's cumbersome, uncomfortable, and most of all makes you look dangerous. But you do you.)

This is not worth explaining. Take care.

 

[World's Coolest Old Guy]

This is not worth explaining. Take care.

Ooh, do forgive my imprudence, Ser Master Knight. I meant no offense! May I at least bother Your Lordship for a singular coin on your way to your important duties?

 

[lolxd]

It's like they wanted to create a grand main story line like Skyrim. while keeping the open world, make a name for yourself sandbox like in Warband. But somehow ended up doing both badly because as you said. The main quest line is lame, and there's almost no random jobs or quests around to do.

the quest line is just a placeholder of incomplete player kingdom creation

 

[Dhargo]

Eight years... and this is the best they could come up with. It''s just pathetic.

Yeah, I understand that the story most likely had no high priority to them, and thats fine, I rather play a polished Bannerlord without story than a Bannerlord that feels clunky but has complete story.
But the story is bad, its not like "its not finished", it is bad and boring after the first 3 minutes, and thats pretty poor.

Keep checking your page it will tell you where he's at instead of hoping that he finds you why not look for him, I keep forgetting that NPC's gotta do everything.

Not like the brother literally said that he will approach you once things are set.

On your last point. I am on day 300+, over 60k gold and still no response, unsure of whether this is a bug or not.

I imagine its just not in the game. They did not manage to get more than 20 minutes of story added so far

Warband and mount/blade's charm because freedom in sandbox and freedom create background of character sort of, all other path is a option, side quest.

Personal it's kind of hard to make background of your character then main quest said you had a brother, ect, what if people who said their character don't had family or not had brother, or come from nowhere, ect.

I agree, no one really asked for the brother or these alleged other siblings. Kinda takes your freedom away to tell your own story about yourself, because these completely unasked for people are now attached to your storyline like leeches, even if you don't give a single damn about them you have to account for them in the story you tell about yourself.

I agree with this. If they cant do a proper story, this half-assed attempt at a very bad one is just doing more damage than its doing good for them.

The storyline was supposed to be optional, this is not optional at all. Not only does it force unnecessary ties upon every character, on every playthrough, it also locks an important part of sandbox gameplay behind quests. I do hope we can disable it in the future.

Also takes away the usual freedom of choosing your starting region in Calradia. All things considered, the story is just way too bad and poorly written to justify all the downsides it has gameplay wise.

Hand holding is evident in two design choices:

1. Less options
2. Forced linear path

This is not an EA thing either, it's the core design.

This is the thing many people here dont seem to understand. I get the "BuT iT iS eArLy AcCeSs!!" answer alot, when this is not even EA related. You cant tell me the very start of the "campaign" is not yet ready. This is absolutely what they want to go with, and its absolutely terrible.

It's an excuse to get you to explore all the corners of Calradia before committing to a faction, I reckon.



Because it's a video game, to be honest. Some things can't be explained.



Now this is the one that gets me. I want to rescue my blasted siblings already!

You could as well explore Calradia by meeting a NPC in every region's capitol. The whole process of chasing a Noble through the giant map is absolutely retarded, for example I did not even see all of Calradia as the Battanians and Aserai came to the center of the map trying to take different cities via siege and I could just talk to them here. I did end up not being to the Aserai region once, so what really does this quest do? Its just a pain in the ass.

 

[GhostTechGaming]

It is not finished yet, and some quests are missing from what i've seen with my brother I love it. It really adds character to the world.

 

[TrashMan]

The introduction to the game is really cool, losing your parents and having to free your siblings - thats very well done and I enjoyed it.
But everything after your brother splits from your group to track down your siblings, is just really poorly written.

1. Why do you have to talk to 10 different Nobles about that battle? Its incredibly boring to track them all down on the big map.

You are going to run into them eventually as you travel around. No need to force it and rush it.
Also, big map, so traveling for any reason is going to feel a bit tedious.

 

[TrashMan]

So Early Access? "All quests not completed..." note carefully shared by developer.

OP has a clue? No...

To be fair, it feels like Early, Early , Early access.

 

[Aragon150]

Honestly the story isn't a story its a tutorial to explain game mechanics for first time playthroughs problem is you can't turn the whole thing off just the combat part of the tutorial.

 

[Princeps Senatus]

Oh god please no. Bannerlord is not Dragon Age and should not try to be Dragon Age. Give us a starter quest to give us an excuse to get a little into the game, and then turn us loose and let us figure out where to take it from there.

This is an open world game. One of the classic mistakes of an open world game is to try to engage in handholding, especially a game like this where key characters in that handholding can disappear from the map.

Doesn't have to be handholding and in fact I hate the way the quest is currently forced and implemented, but they've come up with all this background lore for the game and it would be a shame to lose it.

But what I'd really want to see is, more than a pre-defined story, is a SET of stories for each faction based on their backstory, politics, character personalities, etc. Give you something different to do each time you play, and make it based on the personality and history of the nobles involved and the factions involved.

In other words, less Dragon Age and more Morrowind. It's still open and sandboxy in terms of options, but I don't want it to be empty and bland where every single faction is the same except for what hat they wear and what canned single line of dialogue they have.

 

[imgran]

I think that would take time away from what they should be working on right now, which is polishing the singleplayer open world mechanics until they shine.

 

[Princeps Senatus]

I mean, personally I consider them *part* of the single player open world mechanics because I was bored senseless by how samey everything felt in Warband...

And besides, working on this doesn't mean they can't also make sure the basics of the sandbox function. They go hand in hand because you can't have the one without the other. If the kingdoms don't function properly, giving them flavor doesn't work.

 

[vahadar]

It is most probably unfinished. And even if i like my Mount & Blade without any story line, this one was engaging (i mean the tutorial and after... this quest to buy back your siblings should be another tutorial quest e.g. where you could learn how to sell stuff and trade).

 

[BlackRainZ]

For some reason, I am thinking that the "Campaign" mode will be an option. I think they may just add a full on sandbox mode at some point.

 

[Geoseogan]

It took me almost 120 days and over half a real-world day to complete arduous yet menial task of hunting down lords across Calradia to find out information that I do not need. Additionally, I am bummed about not being able to find my two siblings and continue down that quest line since it's evidently not finished.