My king, don't gift me more castles!!!

[a_ver_est]

I started playing recently, so probably the main problem should be my lack of experience... but anyway it is supposed that being rewarded with a new fief (castles in this case) should be a great experience for the player but it turned into game breaking for me. That's my history.

I started with a small war band (about 20 warriors) killing some bandits to earn some money, then I bought a brewery to get some regular income (about 160 per day). with this income I decided to join Sturgians to get married, grow my troops and accompany kingdom armies to get better loot, it looked a nice plan but... the king rewarded me with a castle, intermediately my economy sunk. I had problems to pay the small garrison wages so I couldn't increase my party size neither train more people to properly defending the fief.

The pace was agreed so I decided to kill bandits to be able to open more enterprises but then my income for the brewery get down to a 60 denars per day, I bought a second one but it had more or less the same result... Both of them were in tows - villages that weren't raided for long time and with cheap grain prices (around 10). I avoided caravans because I read that they are currently bugged.

So I totally failed to build up my economy to be able to pay a good garrison for the castle, mastly due the expenses of the castle. After few time war came again and the enemy toke back the castle loosing my few influence because that.

It was a sad experience, but my king wanted revenge and conquered a new Castle and .... again he gifted it to me, even worse, a second castle was conquered and also gifted to me!!!!

So now the situation was double terrible, two fief to defend with a ruined economy so I was unable to build up a minimum defense. They would be taken by the enemy in short time.

I stopped playing and started again.

Some conclusions for me:

- King should not gift you a castle if you are a small lord without resources to defend it.
- I tried to shell to another lord the second castle, I thought that it should be a nice option to get income to reinforce the other one and let him to deal with the defense of the second one... but in the "deals dialog " the option to select a fief didn't show any of my castles, it was empty. I tried it with some lords with the same result. I don't know the reason, maybe low trade skill?
- IMHO Castle + village income should pay the initial garrison+militia. Maybe not at day 1 but for sure after some time without being raided.
- In the next round I will try to be a mercenary so I hope that I will be able to build up my economy without being rewarded with ruining fiefs, but as I said at the start it somewhat sad, getting your first fief should be something nice and exciting for the player not a headache.

 

[geala]

In my experience the mercenary play is not much better. You are not a real mercenary in the sense that the faction pays you for your service. They pay a very very small part of your expenses. So you have to kill bandits or small lords (in case you use for example Calradia at War mod) also as mercenary, or try to buy workshops or run caravans (which both will bring no good results currently, that's bad, even if I overlook the fact that I don't wanna be a trader/workshop owner for god's sake, the same way I don't want to be a smith when I'm a warrior ...; it's a terrible game setting).

In the meantime as mercenary you help the faction and get your men/women killed for their goals (usually my party always has the highest losses during sieges, quite strangely; sieges about which you don't have any control, not even for your party, of course) without the chance to be rewarded. It feels not good for me.

Of course you are right, being rewarded as vassal is a death trap, too (I always only got castles so far, understandable from the rulers standpoint, but a cruel trick given the game mechanic of "don't profit, just suffer").


You know what I did in the end? I decided that I still like parts of the game and don't want to throw it from the harddrive yet, but that I'm also not willing to suffer and grind according to the dev's delight. So I cheated and installed a mod which enables you to strip lords you imprisoned from their armor (this one: https://www.nexusmods.com/mountandblade2bannerlord/mods/1659). Which actually you maybe could do in reality too (I know it's weird and wrong to bring reality into play). Given the crazy prices you get for some items that's enough to battle your money shortages. It's a cheat, of course.

 

[OpenMindedPl]

Its very simple guys. Two options: One- dont accept any fiefs from Your king until you will able to afford, buy three smithies at Marunath, Epicrotea and Saneopa (around 1000 everyday), establish two caravans or just smelt and craft few 2h swords and sell them for 50k

second option is just to improvin Your castle without any garisson in, your castle outcomes are obviously only garissonwages so firstly upgrade your bulidings just to increase prosperity and collect taxes.

 

[geala]

I find it not immersive from a gameplay perspective or justified by any historical experience that you need to be a merchant (or craftsman) to be able to live as feudal lord or mercenary. And it's not acceptable in a sandbox game to have just one (did I say, not very immersive?) way to get money. The same crap as in Warband or many mods for Warband, of course, nothing new here.

Wether you can develop your fief depends on randomness, where it is situated and how much it is affected by wars. I was lucky sometimes and got fiefs in crazy places (deep in the desert as Battanian vassal for example shortly before peace with the Aserai) never again endangered, but usually fiefs are not safe in the constant wars.

 

[OpenMindedPl]

Its obviously Your opinion but i cannot agree with „not acceptable to have just one way to get money”

with smelting/crafting 2h swords and javs you can easily get 50-100k for each. If you dont want, just run few workshops (smithies at marunath, Epicrotea, saneopa = 1000 daily) and two caravans. If you dont want, start to fighting - after beating 2-3 regular parties youll have stuff for 25-30k. If you dont want, go and win tournaments (bet on yourself) and sell rewards. If you dont want, just become a trader and buy/sell jewelery, horses and cows across the whole map. Buy cow at Balgar for 80 and sell in Jaculan for 300-400. And so on

Actually have over milion denars so justcant agree that is no way or just one to make money

 

[Sigaretovic]

First off im assuming lords in the old days werent poor buggers but probably had some starting capital or income. Sound like you didnt. I would suggest that you build up your income before you commit yourself to keeping a fief.

 

[Raggs]

Lords would in theory have businesses, and invested in trade routes I believe. So caravans and workshops make sense.

When I got my 2nd castle I just let it get defeated, used the troops that were donated to the garrison in the first place, to improve my own army and strengthen my first castles garrison.

Let castle defences play out by themselves, a garrison of 300 soldiers can actually hold off quite a sizeable army.

I'm using javelins to fund my fun and games though.

Finally, this isn't the final product, economy, paying for castles etc, isn't finished, and until it is, I don't see any issue with using javelins etc to fund your armies. If you don't want to be a smith, try and find a smithing companion? Charcoal alone can be very profitable.

 

[OpenMindedPl]

As we all know, wars are the most profitable so if you dont want incomes from workshops/caravans/trade/smithing, then just keep on fighting/beating nobles/ransoming prisoners and selling their stuff until you get your own city

 

[a_ver_est]

I think that economy still needs some balance to be great, a landlord plus workshops owner should be able to maintain a medium size - medium tier war band without going into economic troubles.

And of course, getting rewarded with a castle should be a nice experience for the player (it doesn't have to be easy but enjoyable) not a reason to quit the run.

 

[Worlok]

Eventually you will loose those castles anyway when you will leave the kingdom (to create you own kingdom).
I didn't try it myself but someone mentioned you have 2 options when you leave the kingdom. Keep the fiefs, you will get into war with the kingdom you left or loose all castles and towns and keep peace. This was my choice. So lot of fun

 

[Lord Irontoe]

Its very simple guys. Two options: One- dont accept any fiefs from Your king until you will able to afford, buy three smithies at Marunath, Epicrotea and Saneopa (around 1000 everyday), establish two caravans or just smelt and craft few 2h swords and sell them for 50k

Unless I'm missing an important feature, there's currently no way to refuse a fief when its awarded to you. If they decide to give it to you, you're stuck with it whether you wanted it or not. And if you're the new vassal in town, they will be giving you a fief shortly after joining, so really what you're saying is don't become a vassal if you can't pay for the castle.

They really should just add the ability to refuse a fief, and then it wouldn't be an issue.

 

[Trauko]

I agree you should have an option to refuse a fief, but you made a mistake pledging vassalage without a solid ground.
Also the castle you receive matter. Since you are playing Sturgian, if you ever get Neviansk castle you can safely delete that save lol.

I have a tip for your next run: Select your target faction > follow the leader > wait until they are besieging a town > pledge vassalage during siege > receive town lol. The town give you much more money than castles and its a good starting point. Avoid Revyl, Sargot, Lageta, Amprela and Danustica tho.

 

[OpenMindedPl]

I dont know which branch r u playing guys, but on 1.4.2 beta its simple- when they offer u a fief, then you have an option to just vote on someone else

 

[a_ver_est]

I dont know which branch r u playing guys, but on 1.4.2 beta its simple- when they offer u a fief, then you have option to just vote on someone else

You need influence to do that which I didn't have, but even in this case I have a 100% support so even if I was able to vote NO I will get the castle also or if you vote no you don't get despite the %?

 

[Lord Irontoe]

I dont know which branch r u playing guys, but on 1.4.2 beta its simple- when they offer u a fief, then you have option to just vote on someone else

Sure you can vote for someone else, but that's not always enough to sway the votes away from you if a bunch of lords really want you to have it. And it costs you influence at a point where you probably don't have a lot to spare. It shouldn't cost you anything to turn it down

 

[OpenMindedPl]

to be honest i always choose the option „abstain from voting” for 0 influence and for me its working perfectly. Im avoiding castles until they offer me the one I want, so have no idea how to explain differences

 

[ste636]

before I stopped joining other factions (because of the following reasons)and actually play the game all together, I was given entire cities as a noob with 50 troops, yeah, a bit immersion breaking))

 

[Sigaretovic]

Maybe.. But i think it should cost a lot of relation with the faction. From the point of view of King and fellow lords : what kind of vassal refuses a fief?

 

[Lord Irontoe]

Maybe.. But i think it should cost a lot of relation with the faction. From the point of view of King and fellow lords : what kind of vassal refuses a fief?

The kind that can't afford it. What kind of king gives a fief to a lord that can't defend it? I don't see why it should cost anything to politely decline the honor.

 

[Sigaretovic]

The kind that can't afford it. What kind of king gives a fief to a lord that can't defend it? I don't see why it should cost anything to politely decline the honor.

Im pretty sure it costed relation points in warband. Or it could have been a mod.

Anyway, i think you shouldnt be a vassal if you cant defend a castle. If you can, then i definitly think any King and fellow lords would be upset. This isnt the 21st century were talking about.

Edit : but i guess we agree to disagree