unfair starting conditions

[Matthew1]

so Im a Warband veteran, really played the game alot and finally decided to give this viking mod a shot. So I make my way through the lore-inspired char-creation that I find rather time consuming but oh well...

Finally I'm in the game (sandbox campaign) and I realize I got nothing but a dagger and a bow, no shield, no horse. It's well known that if you play this game on "normal" difficulty with no dmg reduction to your char it's unplayable, specially when you're on foot. So I set it down to 1/4 ("easiest" making me feel like some loser, thank you). So I go to a town to buy a horse. Horse is like super expensive so no thanks. Shield is just about affordable but would consume all my funds, so no thanks. So I go to a village and try to get some recruits. So I have to convince some elder and he wants more money, so I'm pissed and try to take on some 6 thieves all by myself. Bad idea. Without a horse and just with a crappy bow and dagger I am completely chanceless against their rocks. I try to hide behind a tree and snipe them seeking cover. But they are faster delivering their shots before I can even aim properly, so I fall. Next time I go up against only 3 thieves. It takes an age to kill 2 of them with the dagger and of course I die to the 3rd one b/c I got no health left.

Seriously? What kind of nonsense is that? The start to this game is so unfair or complicated that I'm not even willing to play further. I'm already pissed and regret that I ever attempted to play this mod.

 

[kalarhan]

it is a DLC, not a mod 

you can start as a adventurer with different types of equipment. It changes based on your answers. Try a noble born next time.

You can also start as a lord (with a village, small army, money, ...)

And you can start as the king of any faction, a bigger army, money, few companions with you, ...

It is your choice and from that point on... its your adventure!

 

[MaHuD]

"normal" difficulty with no dmg reduction to your char it's unplayable

False!
It is in fact, the only way to play this game!

 

[kalarhan]

It is in fact, the only way to play this game!

That depends on each player's skill in combat. If you have more fun playing on easy, then why not? This game is not Dark Soul

(the only one to play it is on INSANE damage  )

 

[Matthew1]

ok, finally I got somewhere by putting all my initial funds into an axe weapon. I was lucky to encounter only 2 tieves who had 2 elite units as prisoners, that I hired. With them I could beat some small enemy groups and got some more units and a decent loot on one occasion to outfit me properly. But now with all the armor, if I run too much I get penalised. Man, this mod does plenty to stall your progress.

 

[apostrophe]

Man, this mod does plenty to stall your progress.

Don't tell me about it! I think a game never frustrated me so much... only to awe me twice as much! It's surely difficult.

This is my first Mount and Blade playthrough. After finishing the campaign, I'm going to play the native one, and let's see how different it is. But I suppose, mechanically this game ressonates with the period, as of scarcity of horses and archers, and plentiful infantry and skirmish combat. A low tech vibe, hits the mark as a Dark Ages game.

 

[Adorno]

If you follow the storyline things are a bit easier.
Early on a lord offers you to raise a small warband with funds he gives you,
and soon you'll be hunting down petty bandits all over Frisia making good money.

I've always enjoyed the first difficult days/weeks, even in native.

 

[apostrophe]

But do save every so often. You never know when you'll be in a plot sensitive fight, which if you die, you really die, and if you didn't save recently... 

Spoiler

**** Doccinga shore defense battle taught me that

This is one of the few gripes I have with the mod, the game surely is epic and wishes to convoy that with important encounters, but this "you die you die" at the most sensitive moments is a hugh turn off. In no other moment of the game you really die, you are taken prisoner!

Spoiler

I'm at the Aesculum(correct?) battle, as West Seax, and I've died two times, after the second or third dane wave. I'm playing with 300 pop, so I suppose the battle wil rage for quite a number of waves. Having died twice means having to talk to Aethereld once more, listening to his battle speech once more... I'm trying again tonight (and that's right, a third time listening to the his speech) and I'm just going to chill in the back. It's cowardly, but I really don't have the patience

 

[kraggrim]

I don't think there's a way around that for story stuff. They'd need to implement branching storylines for the possibility of capture in every story event. Would add massive complexity.

Unless you were just released and then try again with no NPCs acknowledging that you'd already tried.

I've always enjoyed the first difficult days/weeks, even in native.

Starting out in Brytenwalda was a real shock to me. So many weeks of running through the woods hungry, scared and crying .

 

[apostrophe]

I don't think there's a way around that for story stuff. They'd need to implement branching storylines for the possibility of capture in every story event. Would add massive complexity.

Unless you were just released and then try again with no NPCs acknowledging that you'd already tried.

That's mightly elegant, and a top mark design-wise in an RPG. And equally complicated to produce, as you know.

I was thinking simply of respawning. No risk of losing (dear) progress nor time.
I'm playing Ironman-like, with only one save slot, but to die and throw my character in the trash? Well, screw you, sir.

 

[kalarhan]

I'm playing Ironman-like,

unless you are playing a very old save that is not a concern. You can't start storyline with ironman since at least RE (1 year ago).

 

[Utfred]

Just wait for next patch and there you're gonna cry for real... I'm sometimes a bit annoyed by the hardcore logic the devs keep implementing in this game. As if this wasnt a grind orgy already....

 

[apostrophe]

I'm playing Ironman-like,

unless you are playing a very old save that is not a concern. You can't start storyline with ironman since at least RE (1 year ago).

Yes, I bought Warband and the DLCs a month ago, in the Steam sale, and have been playing it since. My experience is with the game at its most fresh.

 

[kalarhan]

Yes, I bought Warband and the DLCs a month ago

then you have nothing to worry about concerning autosaves killing you off 

 

[apostrophe]

Yes, I bought Warband and the DLCs a month ago

then you have nothing to worry about concerning autosaves killing you off 

No, because I save at every moment, and I believe there's an autosave before battles.

But still, there is permadeath at plot moments.

Spoiler

The rebel leader raid in Friese, Doccinga coast defense; the battle with Olvir at Ulf's place; the berserk fight at Ulf's place; Aesculum west seax vs danmark battle

, I died in all these situations, which meant the "you fall on the ground wounded and hope someone remembers your name" screen, reload the game, start obligatory dialogue with everyone involved and then try the fight part again.

This is not game-breaking, but it is awfully frustrating, and work wonders to break the flow of an othewise fluid and down to earth game. Is it beyond Mount and Blade engine to reload a fight lost? Black Hawk Dawn comes to mind. A RPG blew you up out of friggin nowhere and you've been at it for 10 minutes? Reload, and open yer eyes kid, you'll find and shoot that guy sooner or later!

edit:
actually, I get furious mad at this. Here we have a game that is harsh, but fair, to the player, giving him a phetora of elements to play with, keeping in sight the prizes you'll have for striving on and on, growth at every effort you put at it.

And here comes a plot battle. You try a hit at a wrong moment, your character is struck and you fall, bloodied. "Ok, stumble 7 times, stand up 8" as you have, being taken prisoner dozens of time, running scared from petty bandit patrols, having to gather once again a party and valiantly trudging on, showing those bandits you're worth your mettle.

Then comes the crow screen, hit ok, cue menu screen and music. What the ****. Really.

 

[kalarhan]

Is it beyond Mount and Blade engine to reload a fight lost?

nope, the engine was not even created for quests as a storyline, so its all glued together with workarounds 

The storyline is pretty much a long tutorial with RP elements, and its quite easy overall. If you are having trouble with fights remember you can modify game settings to fit your current skill level.

There is no autosave, before or after a battle, if you are not playing with ironmode/ironman/realistic (which you can't).

Have fun raiding!