Marriage and Influence - rework maybe, when possible?

[InfinityFire]

So, in my playthrough, I had lawspeakers and some other thing that would subtract influence every day... so I had trouble just maintaining a positive influence, let alone actually gaining any.

I know influence is gained by staying in one of the 'armies' that a lord may form or by winning battles against enemy factions.

However this is not a plausible option as being in an army seems to give .5 influence a day or something, and it is only possible to win so many battles a day, especially during times of peace.

So even if someone is only losing -1 influence per day, it is just a pain to maintain positive influence.

I think the system just needs to be balanced better - or a limit set to 0 influence, so you cannot drop below that.

Edit: (I have just recently learned that it is possible to gain influence by donating troops to friendly garrisons. Despite this, I still think that a limit of 0 to prevent negative influence would be nice, especially for new players who might not know of this or cannot spare troops.)

This leads into my second topic, marriage.

One would think that when marrying a noble or lady of high renown or status - their own influence would increase, right? This was my reasoning when marrying Ira (the daughter of the ruler of the southern empire, a damn princess) - but alas my influence did not increase by a single point.

Now as for the marriage system as a whole - I'm not sure if it's working as intended or simply not fully implemented yet. If it's the prior, I do think it needs to be reworked to add some depth to it.

As shallow as the marriage system was in Warband, effort was still necessary and it provided more of a sense of accomplishment when it was time to get married. (as you would first have to get permission, visit the lady, learn and recite poems, yada yada and gain permission again - all whilst gaining relation with your spouse of choice) Like I stated, quite simple, but at least it took some effort.

In Bannerlord, it seems far too easy to marry a lady or noble of the realm. I've only talked to about 5 different ladies on my playthrough, but for each, the system seems to be the exact same.

- express admiration
- answer three questions correctly (the game tells you the correct answers)
- ask for marriage (answer another couple of questions with no consequence)
- pay some money to parent, get married.

What really annoys me is that all of this can happen within the span of little more than 1 or 2 days in-game. Essentially what it boils down to is: approach lady, get married the next day.

I do hope that this system is a simply a shadow of the actual marriage system waiting to be implemented. The fact that you gain no relation whatsoever with your spouse and can propose marriage to a person you just met, really seems absurd to me.

 

[iimstevo]

In Bannerlord, it seems far too easy to marry a lady or noble of the realm. I've only talked to about 5 different ladies on my playthrough, but for each, the system seems to be the exact same.

- express admiration
- answer three questions correctly (the game tells you the correct answers)
- ask for marriage (answer another couple of questions with no consequence)
- pay some money to parent, get married.

I had an utter nightmare experience of getting married. Every single time I did the questions (and I answered the ones with the highest chance of success), I still failed... miserably. Every. Single. Time.

It really isn't easy to marry someone.

However, despite the glaringly hard task of dice rolling successfully with broken chance margins, it is far too easy to marry someone "above your station" which is probably what you're speaking of really in terms of marrying a princess.
It does lack depth in that regard and really should be a test in itself to even declare your admiration for a potential spouse ahead of the tedius dice rolling.

I also noticed that when failing the dice roll, you cannot bring the topic up for discussion again... so once you're out... you're out out!

 

[InfinityFire]

I had an utter nightmare experience of getting married. Every single time I did the questions (and I answered the ones with the highest chance of success), I still failed... miserably. Every. Single. Time.

It really isn't easy to marry someone.

However, despite the glaringly hard task of dice rolling successfully with broken chance margins, it is far too easy to marry someone "above your station" which is probably what you're speaking of really in terms of marrying a princess.
It does lack depth in that regard and really should be a test in itself to even declare your admiration for a potential spouse ahead of the tedius dice rolling.

I also noticed that when failing the dice roll, you cannot bring the topic up for discussion again... so once you're out... you're out out!

I guess it really depends on your charisma too? As I think my lowest chance for a dialogue option to work was around 74% so I had no trouble whatsoever, when getting married.

But yes, the system itself is much too simple as it is now. There's no time to "bond" so to speak, like there was in Warband.

 

[Shemet]

Talking about marriage, I was hoping to see more husband & wife relationship with some buffs or any new dialogues but they still talk like you were a mere noble no ties whatsoever

 

[iimstevo]

I guess it really depends on your charisma too? As I think my lowest chance for a dialogue option to work was around 74% so I had no trouble whatsoever, when getting married.

But yes, the system itself is much too simple as it is now. There's no time to "bond" so to speak, like there was in Warband.

I failed several 94% dice rolls LOL.

 

[Ragratt]

Other things should be considered. Including inherent compatibility (mercy, generosity etc). I’m trying to hookup with a cruel, decieptful hottie, but the game is giving bonuses for question that are the opposite. Why can’t I express I’m a full blown megalomaniac and have that be appealing to a similar character.

Also.. reputation within faction isn’t considered. Why should I be able to use 300 influence to woo this lady. There should also be multiple paths to marriage. If I break her out of prison and confess my love to her. I’m thinking the feeling might be mutual at that point!

And.. I should be able to go directly to the father. If my influence reknown and wealth are sufficient I should be able to make a marriage pact without the woman / man’s approval. Maybe the marriage would start at -20 and I’d have to win my spouse back over time.

Next. Once married there should be influence or relation gain not just with all family members but that faction and any friends as well.

 

[InfinityFire]

Other things should be considered. Including inherent compatibility (mercy, generosity etc). I’m trying to hookup with a cruel, decieptful hottie, but the game is giving bonuses for question that are the opposite. Why can’t I express I’m a full blown megalomaniac and have that be appealing to a similar character. Also.. reputation within faction isn’t considered. Why should I be able to use 300 influence to woo this lady. There should also be multiple paths to marriage. If I break her out of prison and confess my love to her. I’m thinking the feeling might be mutual at that point! And.. I should be able to go directly to the father of my influence reknown and wealth are sufficient I should be able to make a marriage pact with without the the woman / man’s approval. Maybe the marriage would start at -20 and I’d have to win my spouse back over time.

Next. Once married there should be influence or relation gain not just with all family members but that faction and any friends as well.

Exactly. All of this. Like many other aspects of the game, the marriage system needs to be developed upon.

I do hope they were already planning to add on to it; and how it is now isn't how it's intended to work.

 

[BattanianDruid]

Marriage needs a lot of work.

I didn't realize it at first but if you fail a single dialogue check you can't marry that girl. Ever. In the old game in you messed up you could still build that relationship back up with poetry and such. In Bannerlord it is all or nothing.

I much preferred the old system. You had to either earn a ton of renown to convince the father you're worthy or go around learning poems that your specific girl likes to build relations with them. You could even potentially elope if the girl liked you enough.

I mean shoot. My wife didn't even attend our wedding! What the heck?

 

[Skurkanas]

It also irks me that not only do you not gain any influence, your wife actually "loses" some in the sense that after switching clans, all her holdings and previous relations are gone. Ira became a random noble of my house - and treats me as such

I agree that rn marrying someone is too easy, but given that it has 0 consequence other than costing you some money, that's more than fine.

The most pressing issue isn't marriage being too easy, it's marriage meaning nothing

 

[InfinityFire]

It also irks me that not only do you not gain any influence, your wife actually "loses" some in the sense that after switching clans, all her holdings and previous relations are gone. Ira became a random noble of my house - and treats me as such

I agree that rn marrying someone is too easy, but given that it has 0 consequence other than costing you some money, that's more than fine.

The most pressing issue isn't marriage being too easy, it's marriage meaning nothing

I agree.

Though I believe how 'easy' it is to marry someone is a big factor in making said marriage seem so pointless. The player puts very little effort into it (three questions with dice rolls and some gold) and, like you've stated, the player gains nothing.

It's simple. No challenge = no feeling of accomplishment for the player once completed.

Of course, the fact that your spouse looses her standing and such and treats you indifferently also is a big aspect of that shallow feel that marriage in Bannerlord possesses rn, I don't disagree at all.

The fact that you don't gain anything from defeating 'the boss' of marriage only takes from whatever sense of achievement one may have felt.

There's no depth to it. It has less effect on the actual game than a damn quest from some villager.

 

[Marcolino]

I agree. If you get turned down, there should be a way, after a certain time, to go back and try again when you have better reputation/renown etc.
Also, if your wife dies on childbirth, as it has happened to me, even if you convince another lady to marry, when you go and speak to her clan leader, the dialogue doesn't come up again and you simply do not marry

 

[Mikey]

Marriage needs a lot of work.

Everything needs a lot of work. Which has me a bit worried, to say the least. Already been through a few games with shining potential that, after protracted and painful EA phases fell rather far short of the mark. A few of them eventually (after 2+ years) get closer, though.

Anyway, yeah, marriage is incredibly barebones, from the wooing procedure to the finale of the parent going "ok you're married!" -> gets booted right back to overhead map, though the spouse is now magically at my castle.