What's up with hideouts?

[Arkyll]

Why are hideouts still so weird?

Hideouts have always sucked since they were first added in Warband(?) and they still suck in 2021.

Attack a boring map with boring enemies with a set amount of forces and beat the bandit leader to remove it from the map and get a bit of loot.
This becomes stale after the third time, but the way they are implemented, you basically have to remove them at some point unless you want a swarm of ever-spawning enemies desecrating the economy.

Honestly I'm leaning toward the idea that they should be removed, because they simply don't seem redeemable as a meaningful game mechanic.

Ideally, I think that AI lords should also attack them, but knowing hideouts and how lame they are no matter what is done to them, that is bound to cause issues somehow.

Here is a screenshot:


Pictured: Three hideouts just festering in the corner of the map with literally dozens of sea raider parties swarming the landscape like ants.
This is not including the hideout north that I just defeated, so make it four.

It would be funny if it wasn't such a common sight.

 

[D0c1]

I think that AI lords should also attack them,

lords have a set percentage of solving a settlement issue when they visit it. including hideouts.

 

[Arkyll]

lords have a set percentage of solving a settlement issue when they visit it. including hideouts.

Looking at my picture shows that it clearly isn't high enough.

No player on Earth wants to clear out 5 hideouts.

It is so boring.

 

[Abyssos]

bandits can be converted to tier6 troops?5 hideouts its like 10 minutes of your life...not the end of the world

 

[Gandamula]

Looters are the best train dolls to our new troops, I even have a mod that increases their size.

 

[Arkyll]

bandits can be converted to tier6 troops?5 hideouts its like 10 minutes of your life...not the end of the world

Chores are chores. It is a video game. It is meant to be fun.

 

[froggyluv]

bandits can be converted to tier6 troops?5 hideouts its like 10 minutes of your life...not the end of the world

I think the point is yes they are tolerable but why havent they improved this very stale mechanic in any way at all since this is the new Flagship title of mount and Blade? It reeks of unoriginality and almost contempt for "hey lets make some fresh new things for Bannerlord!" -type development.

 

[sketty1386]

would be cool if the number of bandits and looters would help make a rebellion. have Lords with 100 men party's of low end looters. Might help the rebels not get smashed in 20 days of the revolt

 

[MakinTorf]

i agree that there are too many bandits going around when you dont clear the hideouts from time to time, but they are pretty usefull for skilling weapons, troops or just chill and see how your companoins slice the bandits in pieces.
its good for reknown to fight the boss btw.

 

[LouisVanGaal]

Attack a boring map with boring enemies with a set amount of forces and beat the bandit leader to remove it from the map and get a bit of loot.
This becomes stale after the third time, but the way they are implemented, you basically have to remove them at some point unless you want a swarm of ever-spawning enemies desecrating the economy.

Here are my issues with hideouts:
1. They don't contain anything unique. No unique items, no unique prisoners.
2. Why can't the player visit hideouts as guests? Build good relationship with the raiders as a by levelling up on Roguery, and visit hideouts to buy unique items, sell underground items for higher margins, recruit Sea Raiders' Chiefs into your army.

 

[MakinTorf]

there were more than one such suggestion to make some more from the hideouts.

my idea is to change to poor hideout round rock with some old ruins you can buy or build up and than you have your base for your bandit character and playthrough. you can upgrade it, you can hire some bandits to rob caravans or villages or just have your companions and give them these kind of missions.

 

[Arkyll]

i agree that there are too many bandits going around when you dont clear the hideouts from time to time, but they are pretty usefull for skilling weapons, troops or just chill and see how your companoins slice the bandits in pieces.
its good for reknown to fight the boss btw.

Thats alright for an occasional thing, but I have literally played Warband for years, and I have had enough of these f**king hideouts and want them to go away on their own (AI Lords) or for Taleworlds to give them some substance because I am sick to death of them.

Even decent rewards arent compelling enough to do them at this point.

As for the other comments, I think in the absence of something decent, AI Lords should be dealing with them at a higher rate, enough that Calradia's economy isnt dependant on the player to bore themself destroying them all.

There is a big feeling of 'Janitor' in this game.

Doing everything for everyone, and not in a meaningful way like the Courier in New Vegas for example, but being essentially forced to do the same dull, repetitive, garbage over and over, hideouts to me, being the literal worse of these that have been boring to me for the better half of a decade.

You have got largely optional things, like quests, that are good for an early character, and then you have these hideouts, which at the moment are a mandatory chore that the player must do at some point.

 

[scarface52]

You have got largely optional things, like quests, that are good for an early character, and then you have these hideouts, which at the moment are a mandatory chore that the player must do at some point.

How are clearing hideouts are mandatory compared to quests? Quests have negative effects too. Besides, hideouts are generally not that closely packed on the map. That particular part of the map seems to be problematic.

Honestly I'm leaning toward the idea that they should be removed, because they simply don't seem redeemable as a meaningful game mechanic.

And how will bandits spawn if they remove them? Out of nowhere? Then you won't even have any way to combat bandit infestation.

 

[MakinTorf]

There is a big feeling of 'Janitor' in this game.

aaaannnnnddddd.... thats why should implement the manhunters again.
just to get rid of these hordes over hordes of bandits. that would be the best solution imo.

 

[Hammerhi99]

I still like doing hideouts from time to time. But i liked them better before they got nerfed. They where a good way to skill my companions and when you learned the pulling mechanics, even big hideouts with 50+ enemies where doable.
Now with the limited amount of enemies (17 was the highest I experienced so far) it´s not really worth the effort anymore. On the other hand the bossfight at the end is even harder (because the groups you can get in the final fight can get really big) and because of the danger of losing companions in battle, I just use the duell option, which I hardly ever did earlier.

And then they crippled my loved steppe bandits hideout by blocking the pass up to the hill on the right. WHY? I loved it to send my guys up there, putting them into a nice firing line and then lure the enemies group by group up to the "Hamburger Hill".

 

[MakinTorf]

boss fights are so easy with jav. just one hot on boss and its done ?

 

[Arkyll]

aaaannnnnddddd.... thats why should implement the manhunters again.
just to get rid of these hordes over hordes of bandits. that would be the best solution imo.

Wow I literally forgot about Manhunters.

Turns out they existed for a damn good reason because I have lost literally a dozen caravans to bloody looters to the point that caravans arent even profitable.

They definitely must make a return at some point.

Honestly that is the trick. Manhunters MUST return to the game and those devils can attack hideouts.

How are clearing hideouts are mandatory compared to quests? Quests have negative effects too. Besides, hideouts are generally not that closely packed on the map. That particular part of the map seems to be problematic.

And how will bandits spawn if they remove them? Out of nowhere? Then you won't even have any way to combat bandit infestation.

Hideouts seem to just breed the longer you ignore them and the effects on the local economy just stacks. They are your chore one way or another. Villages may or may not be under your jurisdiction. I can't say I have had to do any quests for villages.

+ you really think hideouts are the only means in which bandits should be spawning?

Bannerlord has many fancy (poorly implemented) game mechanics beneath the surface yet we are still using paint-dry-watching hideouts as a system of spawning endless ant parties that somehow swell into the hundreds if unchallenged (why is this still a thing?).

 

[Hammerhi99]

boss fights are so easy with jav. just one hot on boss and its done ?

You speak about the one on one duel? They are no prob at all, no matter what weapon you use.

I spoke about the other option, when you let all of your guys join in and the final enemy group is really big. The danger of losing a companion in that clash is just too high to take the risk. And in earlier patches I most of the time used the second option to give my companions the maximum of experience. When reaching midgame skilling companions is the main reason (plus making prisoners that can be converted into high tier troops) to do hideouts, at least for me.

 

[Arkyll]

boss fights are so easy with jav. just one hot on boss and its done ?

They suck and that makes it worse. They arent even worse the axe chop to the face.

 

[Lluid]

You speak about the one on one duel? They are no prob at all, no matter what weapon you use.

Well, not everyone is as good as you it seems. At the beginning of every campaign these guys are a threat to me. Yet I never refused a duel, by fear of losing men. ?
When my character gets more skill, it becomes easier, sure, but then my "honorable" mindset forbids oneshoting them unarmed. I must block their first strike and provoke them (right click + E). Makes the experience less boring.

About the general topic here, I like the fact that hideouts provide some ground combat, but they sure need some work. We should have the option to launch an assault immediately, or wait and ambush parties getting out before the assault to reduce difficulty. Currently it's funny how they can leave the hideout while you're waiting just outiside. Maybe even ambush the leader himself and duel him to skip the whole assault.