Hi Plasquar!
Enjoyed the 5th episode!
A few answers to some questions that came up in the video about VC stuff:
1) The Beda chronicle is just a sort of narrative device, of someone talking from the future. It isn’t the same guy but I think the VC devs were inspired by early English historians like this Beda: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bede#Chronicles
2) You will be able to join a faction later in the storyline. Also, when the storyline completes, the game will transform into full sandbox play, with the old restrictions lifted.
3) Overseas caravan trips—you don’t have to carry the caravan, it has its own ships, you just have to have ships for your own men.
4) Place names—sometimes you can guess what the modern name might be, to get an idea of location. Canterburgh—-> Canterbury, Witan Ceaster —-> Winchester, Jorvik ——> York, Eriuland —-> Ireland (named after a goddess, https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eriu), etc. your guess was right—Dubh Lin is Dublin, a town with its origins in a Viking longphort.
5) You guessed right, Balance Mod did change arena fights a bit. Mostly replacing quarter staff/shield with quarter staff/javelins for increased opportunities to practice throwing, and introducing the 1 1/2 handed axe, so players have an option to train 2 handed weapon skill.
6) You were exactly right on the village name changes, and the new names are all thanks to Philippe at Bay, who generously allowed me to integrate his wonderful village name mod: https://steamcommunity.com/app/48700/discussions/0/517142253864366831/
7) Fort reaves, who stand outside the lord hall in castles, offer a limitied list of town guildmasters quests.
8 ) The best priests to donate to are the Gothi in Lord halls. Give them 1000 and your relations with pagans will go up. Only once a week though or it stop short working.
9) At this point in history, vikings have been raiding monasteries for the better part of a century. They aren’t the easy wealth they once were. And if you raid one, monks will tell the tale of your despicable acts across the Christian world...
10) Congrats on the Danish Elite Prisoner. If recruited, not only is it a top combat unit, but it is a “sailor”. Norse units lvl 23 and higher, any unit with vikingr in the name, and Ship Captains (added in Balance Mod) are sailor units, and the higher proportion you have of them in your party, the faster your ship goes.
11) Actual units called “sailor” count double for the sailing bonus, but are terrible in combat. If you are desperate for men or value speed, then talk to the “old captain” who hangs out by the docks in towns, he will find you some sailors for your party.
12) Trolls are for slaying, not paying.
The ambush battle with assassins was quite exciting!