Starting tips?

[Permanganate]

I've never been a big fan of native warband SP so I've never really been to this stage (owning a fief). What are some good starting tips for this mod?

 

[Raptomex]

Actually, I would like an answer to this too. What's the equivalent to sea raiders? I find it hard to get started in the game, building up some money, etc.

 

[DrTomas]

Most of the features of the mod are design for middle or end game. Ie when you are as a lord of a faction or you're a leader of your own faction.

But if you want to start from 0. chasing bandits are for absolute beginning. When you only have a few men and don't have anything else. After that, do what vagabonds did at that age - be a mercenary. Either as a freelancer or an actual mercenary captain. Actualy being a captain you will get paid for both your party(as long as it's not too big) and add an extra bonus for you as the party leader.

Trading is also a good start if you're interested in just money.

 

[oroboros]

A good tip for beginners is battlefield looting while freelancing. Which means, if you still are "solo" (no companions, army, etc.) you go to a lord and ask him to join his army (pick a lord that has not too many men in his army as he won't run out any enemies or a lord with too few men in his party as you will get smashed a lot; I usually pick a lord with an army size of around 100 men). Then, when it comes to battle I just avoid going head on into melee, instead I try to wait until the lesser tier troops with their glaives or scythes are appearing on the battlefield of whom I then will try to kill a few, then dropping all my weapons and picking up (by pressing F) 4 glaives or other 2-h weapons. After that I try to run and survive the battle until it's over - if the battle ends you will get the stuff you picked up from a battle. When the battle is over I ask my lord for a short leave and go to the next town and sell the stuff, i.e. the 4 glaives, etc. Independent from your trade skill, well almost, you will get something around 5-6,000 dinar per glaive or 4-5,000 per shortened scythe. This means if you manage to successfully loot on a battlefield and sell the stuff you will get something around 15,000-20,000 dinars. This money I take for either doing trading if my trade skill is somewhat high (4-5 or higher) or I take the money and invest it in enterprises.

And whereever there is a tournament or feast going on, get in and join the tournament. I once managed to make a little more than 100,000 dinar in less than 2 weeks, from scratch, by tournamenting/trading my way down from England over France to Italy.

 

[MariusThePaladin]

A good tip for beginners is battlefield looting while freelancing. Which means, if you still are "solo" (no companions, army, etc.) you go to a lord and ask him to join his army (pick a lord that has not too many men in his army as he won't run out any enemies or a lord with too few men in his party as you will get smashed a lot; I usually pick a lord with an army size of around 100 men). Then, when it comes to battle I just avoid going head on into melee, instead I try to wait until the lesser tier troops with their glaives or scythes are appearing on the battlefield of whom I then will try to kill a few, then dropping all my weapons and picking up (by pressing F) 4 glaives or other 2-h weapons. After that I try to run and survive the battle until it's over - if the battle ends you will get the stuff you picked up from a battle. When the battle is over I ask my lord for a short leave and go to the next town and sell the stuff, i.e. the 4 glaives, etc. Independent from your trade skill, well almost, you will get something around 5-6,000 dinar per glaive or 4-5,000 per shortened scythe. This means if you manage to successfully loot on a battlefield and sell the stuff you will get something around 15,000-20,000 dinars. This money I take for either doing trading if my trade skill is somewhat high (4-5 or higher) or I take the money and invest it in enterprises.

And whereever there is a tournament or feast going on, get in and join the tournament. I once managed to make a little more than 100,000 dinar in less than 2 weeks, from scratch, by tournamenting/trading my way down from England over France to Italy.

I've tried to do that looting trick before, but for somereasons, I can't loot enemies weapons which I picked up at the end of the battle. 

 

[DrTomas]

You have to pick it up before the end of the battle. That's when the trigger trigger

 

[oroboros]

Exactly, you have to have your stuff together before the "battle won" screen appears or even a little bit earlier than that. I always take a look at the minimap and if there are only like 10-20 enemies left and it's the last wave I start running around the battlefield in search for glaives/2-h weapons or 1/2-h swords and 1-h swords. If I get my eyes on a glaive or two before that point in time I try to fetch them but my shield and other personal weapon (mostly a sword) I only drop near the end of the battle in order to fetch me another 2 nice loot weapons.

 

[Saxon1974]

Battlefield looting seems like a cheat really.

A couple other questions for a noob to this mod;

1) does it matter how many days have passed in the game? Does the game get harder later on when lots of days have passed? Im asking because I have been been taken prisoner alot and I am on day 40and and only level 8.

2) I have only found companions who have fighting skills. For trading,healing,path finding should I just train those ob my character? Or I guess I can train the companions but might be hard as some are high level already.

Thanks

 

[sifis172]

1: No it actually get's easier.Pirates-sea raiders don't tend to be so difficult after you get some proper armor,
own a decent army of 30-40 soldiers, and have some enterprises to couter-act the cost.
It's essential though to get a decent armor, a decent foot-mails, and a helmet.

2: There are some companions who have non-fighting skills, such as a low path-finding,
trade, and looting.But don't expect more than 3 points.
A good way of having companions is to speak to the tavern keeper and ask him if "are there
any companions who are willing to join a party like mine?".
In case you didn't know, then a messager takes off to whatever city the companion is at,
and after a few days the companion shows up in the tavern in which you aked the question.
(in case you didn't know that feature)

 

[Saxon1974]

Did not know about that tavern feature....that's great thanks for that.

Also does not appear they tell you their skills before paying to hire them...at least most that I have seen.

 

[oroboros]

I was wrong in my post above about the value of looted weapons from battlefield. I just started a new game on the latest revision and joined Bohemond of Antioch as freelancer. I served for 1 month until I became a knight. We fought in 3 major and 5 minor battles against the Mameluks, during which I tried to loot at the end of every battle. For a shortened scythe I got 623 dinar (trade 2) and for a regular 1-h sword 312, ~400 for a Saracen long cavalry sword. During this 1 month of service I was able to loot stuff worth around 15,000 dinar and I won 1 tournament in Nicosia which brought me another 15,000. After finishing freelancing I had something around 35,000 dinar in my pocket additionally to a knightly armour, a destrier that I looted and some other good weapons and armour stuff. If I had taken the chance on every tournament I met on my ways I would have 45,000 more cash. So, it is quite possible to make 80,000 or more dinarii in the first month if you take on every chance you get.

 

[sifis172]

Also does not appear they tell you their skills before paying to hire them...at least most that I have seen.

That's because they're not finished, but a new system of companions will be introduced.
See companion revision 3 in the sticky threads.