custom server when?
So you all probably don't need reminders why the lack of custom servers is majorly holding multiplayer back. We're currently limited to a handful of game modes that only cater to a small section of the playerbase. The rest of us are waiting for battle mode (RIP), duel mode, and mods like cRPG, Kingdoms, and Full Invasion. These mods are massive, and takes years to make and perfect. I should know, I worked on FI2 for 5 years.It takes the time it takes because we have a limited amount of people working on MP. We aren't a huge AAA studio that can throw 100 people at MP development and pump content out. We are doing the best we can with the rescources we have, and a lot of the time we have to prioritise work which we deem to be more important. But, at the end of the day, the game is still in early access and we were quite clear to people that the game was in an unfinished state and that they should hold off until the full release if they wanted a complete game.
However, we can't do anything until we have access to custom servers. Just look at any of the threads above: these mods are dead in the water until we get access to the custom servers to start experimenting and modding.
Mods are the only reason Warband survives (even still now), and the same goes for Warband multiplayer. The same is vital for Bannerlord; its multiplayer cannot stand on its own without mod support. Even if Native Bannerlord MP were the best it could be (which it's not), it still can't cater to every player the way that good mod support can.
Now, I'm aware that TW has (finally) communicated their reasons why MP development is slow and custom servers aren't here: the multiplayer team is limited in size, and currently has other priorities than custom servers. That is... mildly infuriating, but better than radio silence.
Therefore, I have two questions for the developers:
- Are you aware that multiplayer mods cannot be created without custom servers?
- Is there any option at all where us multiplayer modders don't have to sit and wait for 2 more years?
TL;DR: with the game's current trajectory (which became even slower since I first posted this), multiplayer mods can't be made until
Edit January 2022: So even my (what I thought to be) realistic take of 16 months ago was too optimistic. We're still no centimeter closer to custom servers or multiplayer mods, at least not officially. I updated the title to reflect that.
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