You guys all seem like pro's.

[Achul]

Seriously I usually have little trouble in games but this game is kinda hard : )
Just got it working some days ago (had to go on directX7 due to ATI card bug, looks like **** but graphics aren't that important)  and I am having huge problems winning melee combats, tournaments, staying away from raiders by the time they become 30+ etc.


Im trying to form my own kingdom but it's not going that well.
Seriously are you all playing on easy level or is it just me?


Basicly most of the time I have normal/normal dmg except in melee arena where I have easy for dmg on myself.
I use Auto block and manual aiming.
Also Realistic saving (save only at exit).

At like level 10-15 raiders and such become really powerfull and often you dont have time to really place the troops as you'd like because everyone are charging like madmen (there should REALLY be a tactical map before entering combat)...


So how come you all have like kingdoms and **** and just fool around?

 

[Orion]

Well, to answer one part of your post, there is a tactical map. Press backspace once you load into the battle. You still have the time crunch, but at least you know which way the enemy is coming from and giving orders is much easier to do.

 

[Achul]

Well, to answer one part of your post, there is a tactical map. Press backspace once you load into the battle. You still have the time crunch, but at least you know which way the enemy is coming from and giving orders is much easier to do.

Well I meant as you have in some other maps where you can place your forces first before the battle commences, like they used to do in these times. Especially in big battles. People didn't just come from the front side and then decide "ahh, let's regroup now".


Anyway how the hell do you guys pwn so much?

Granted I guess you could just sell and buy, sell and buy grain/salt between Ich~ and Tulag~ until you got 200k but that's abit boring.
Do you guys raid villages? I never raid villages...feels a bit lame.


How do you profit from cattle? Is it possible or is it only for quests?

How can you capture a village? If you capture a village do everyone go and kill you?

 

[daredevi1]

Do you guys raid villages? I never raid villages...feels a bit lame.

Actually funny thing is in SP i just raid stuff,**** fiefs and castles,lords and kings,raiding is the way to go 

Only thing i wish that you could become part of bandit faction if you raided enough caravans and villages.

As for difficulty,it drops allot when you master the art of horse archery(and lancing),and hold reserve ammo in your chest.

Not my vid but youll get the picture:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lNA0y99zfg

 

[Goffik]

[quote author=Achul]
Seriously I usually have little trouble in games but this game is kinda hard : )
[/quote]

Which is a good thing. So many games these days are aimed at the 'casual' crowd, meaning they offer little or no challenge for 'proper' gamers.

[quote author=Achul]
Im trying to form my own kingdom but it's not going that well.
[/quote]

If you're trying to do that too early, then you're destined to have a hard time. Founding your own kingdom is supposed to be 'end-game' content... ie, you are an experienced player, your char is a decent level, your army is made up of good troops, you've made friends with a bunch of lords that are willing to help you, etc.

[quote author=Achul]
At like level 10-15 raiders and such become really powerfull and often you dont have time to really place the troops as you'd like because everyone are charging like madmen (there should REALLY be a tactical map before entering combat)...
[/quote]

You should be beating bandits/raiders pretty easily if you have a decent char, decent equipment, and decent troops. As for the charging, I don't think bandits would sit around and give you the time you need to deploy your troops exactly as you want them. When you start fighting other lords regularly, you will see that you generally have more time to organise because they don't just charge in willy-nilly as much.

[quote author=Achul]
So how come you all have like kingdoms and **** and just fool around?
[/quote]

Practice makes perfect. Master the combat system, build up your character, buy good equipment, get yourself a band of high level troops, and don't try to rush everything.

 

[Yoshi Murasaki]

In singleplayer they pawn by using heavy cavalry and watching them destroy everything without any tactics needed.
If you're a horse archer it's also easiest and safest way of killing.

Anything else is increasing difficulty level. And on normal damage, an unlucky hit can kill you easily. It doesn't have much to do with skill, unless you play real safe at the expense of action.

Which is a good thing. So many games these days are aimed at the 'casual' crowd, meaning they offer little or no challenge for 'proper' gamers.

MnB has enough material for both. In original MnB you could do couching or play as horse archer - this was super easy and for casual players. Nothing much changed now. If you want super easy campaign, you use heavy cavalry and that's it. You don't even need to kill anyone yourself.

On the other hand, if you want the game to be more difficult you set damage to normal, you play on foot, you don't use a lot of heavy cavalry, if any.

 

[Urgnot]

To make Denar I mostly do the following, raid enemy villages which the realm is at war with and attack their castles with other lords - grab as much loot as possible and high tail it back to my castle to drop it off to in the chest to be later shifted to a capital city, then go back and get more, I will also drop off a Lord if I capture on and hopefully get a ransom for him. Fiefs from my own villages(2) and my castle(1). Go to the feasts and participate in the tournaments also placing 100 denar bets each time on myself, usually earn 4-5k when I win. Aswell as partcipating in the normal arena tournaments.

 

[Aeon221]

In singleplayer they pawn by using heavy cavalry and watching them destroy everything without any tactics needed.
If you're a horse archer it's also easiest and safest way of killing.

Anything else is increasing difficulty level. And on normal damage, an unlucky hit can kill you easily. It doesn't have much to do with skill, unless you play real safe at the expense of action.

Which is a good thing. So many games these days are aimed at the 'casual' crowd, meaning they offer little or no challenge for 'proper' gamers.

MnB has enough material for both. In original MnB you could do couching or play as horse archer - this was super easy and for casual players. Nothing much changed now. If you want super easy campaign, you use heavy cavalry and that's it. You don't even need to kill anyone yourself.

On the other hand, if you want the game to be more difficult you set damage to normal, you play on foot, you don't use a lot of heavy cavalry, if any.

Hmm, I wonder who might have a mod based around fleshing out fighting on foot. Nope, can't think of anything! Certainly not me!

But yeah, I totally agree that the lack of effective infantry counters to heavy cavalry in native MB & WB is a serious detriment to good tactical play. You're forced to rely either on distance and archers (in which case, you'll die because there is never enough distance), or Nord t6 infantry, which take a long ass time to develop, costs a fortune and heaven help you if they die because you'll be back to playing ping pong with sea raiders.

And I'll just politely suggest that anyone who mentions Rhodok infantry as a counter to cavalry has never in fact actually played as the Rhodoks, or they'd know that this is patently not the case. I myself received a rather rude awakening on this point the first time I took my elite force of an hundred men into the desert. You ever seen what thirty pissed off Mamelukes can do to an infantry force on flat ground? You don't wanna see it -- or, rather, you do, but on the Mameluke's side.

And good luck with trying to outrun a superior cav force as infantry -- because, due to a seriously inane decision in which MOAR HOARSES == MOAR CAMPAIGN SPED, high powered, very large and extremely dangerous groups can zip back and forth to your destination twice before you reach it the first time. Talk about an utter lack of historicity, or even just a totally boneheaded game balance decision.

What a delightful rant I just had!

 

[LOLLord Ben]

... and heaven help you if they die because you'll be back to playing ping pong with sea raiders.

LMFAO 
I do that all the time, but only to take them Prisoner and get the ransom for those suckas.

 

[Reapy]

M&B has been around 4+ years and people who have kept playing it over that time are certainly going to be posting here, and if you've been playing that long I imagine they are pretty good at the game by now.

 

[Aeon221]

M&B has been around 4+ years and people who have kept playing it over that time are certainly going to be posting here, and if you've been playing that long I imagine they are pretty good at the game by now.

Or just immune to boredom. Either way!

 

[Archonsod]

And I'll just politely suggest that anyone who mentions Rhodok infantry as a counter to cavalry has never in fact actually played as the Rhodoks, or they'd know that this is patently not the case.

They can. You can get a bunch of spearmen, order them to hold and stand close until they're a nasty little block. They'll usually see off most cavalry, providing they aren't outnumbered.

Of course, the old M&B trick of just getting 80 or so crossbowmen to form a line on a nice hill still acts like an I win button, though it applies to any ranged troop. Even forest bandits would probably be unstoppable if used that way.

 

[PineconeKing]

Do you guys raid villages? I never raid villages...feels a bit lame.

Actually funny thing is in SP i just raid stuff,**** fiefs and castles,lords and kings,raiding is the way to go 

Only thing i wish that you could become part of bandit faction if you raided enough caravans and villages.

As for difficulty,it drops allot when you master the art of horse archery(and lancing),and hold reserve ammo in your chest.

Not my vid but youll get the picture:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lNA0y99zfg

now that guy is LEET! and also, mount and blade was released in 2008. 2010 -4 is 2006, not 2008. just sayin

 

[Bahamut]

Do you guys raid villages? I never raid villages...feels a bit lame.

Actually funny thing is in SP i just raid stuff,**** fiefs and castles,lords and kings,raiding is the way to go 

Only thing i wish that you could become part of bandit faction if you raided enough caravans and villages.

As for difficulty,it drops allot when you master the art of horse archery(and lancing),and hold reserve ammo in your chest.

Not my vid but youll get the picture:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lNA0y99zfg

now that guy is LEET! and also, mount and blade was released in 2008. 2010 -4 is 2006, not 2008. just sayin

The final version, sure... the open beta development took a long, long time.

 

[Aeon221]

And I'll just politely suggest that anyone who mentions Rhodok infantry as a counter to cavalry has never in fact actually played as the Rhodoks, or they'd know that this is patently not the case.

They can. You can get a bunch of spearmen, order them to hold and stand close until they're a nasty little block. They'll usually see off most cavalry, providing they aren't outnumbered.

Of course, the old M&B trick of just getting 80 or so crossbowmen to form a line on a nice hill still acts like an I win button, though it applies to any ranged troop. Even forest bandits would probably be unstoppable if used that way.

Right, you go try that.

I did, many times, with F1 on top of the nearest dune, F2->F4 x5, and the end result was Mamelukes wading right on through the four deep line of infantry, killing as they went. When I've beaten the Sarranids as Rhodoks in vanilla, it was either because they had very few Mamelukes, or I had a sufficiently greater army that the severe beating my men took wasn't sufficient to win them the day.

Which is wrong, if those spearmen are actually intended to be a counter. I should have been able to pull off wins with the same ease that I did using an army of Mamelukes against many armies of Rhodoks (3, F1-F3) at odds of four or even five to one.  At the very least, I should be able to handle an equal number of the intended target effortlessly with the intended counter.

Neither is the case. In fact, if you try out my mod you'll find that even the  heavily armored, theoretically-perfect-counter Rhodok pikemen that I've implemented are in fact no match for Mamelukes that charge into them in any sort of realistic fight. All they can plausibly do is slow the bastards down long enough to prevent them raping the rest of the army, which is frantically doing its best to wipe out the enemy infantry and win the numbers game.

Which is fine, because I've made possible all sorts of tactical maneuvers by adding in infantry with a number of different roles, so you're not just stuck with the brain dead "cower on a hill in front of the archers and hope for the best" "strategy" that vanilla gives you. Or the age old shibboleth that an army of crossbows will save the day. What happens when you can only get forty of your eighty amazing crossbows onto the field, because the enemy outnumbers you? Oh right, they die. Why? Because it is mathematically impossible for you to reach the magic minimum level of fire required to silence the field, meaning they'll crawl right up your butt and own you to death.

I guarantee you that there is no such thing as an army of eighty Mamelukes or Swadian Knights that would think twice about half their number not being on the field.

And that's the difference between actual balance, and balance by pretending the problem doesn't exist.

 

[Ruthven]

Do you guys raid villages? I never raid villages...feels a bit lame.

Actually funny thing is in SP i just raid stuff,**** fiefs and castles,lords and kings,raiding is the way to go 

Only thing i wish that you could become part of bandit faction if you raided enough caravans and villages.

As for difficulty,it drops allot when you master the art of horse archery(and lancing),and hold reserve ammo in your chest.

Not my vid but youll get the picture:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lNA0y99zfg

now that guy is LEET! and also, mount and blade was released in 2008. 2010 -4 is 2006, not 2008. just sayin

IIRC the first beta version was released in 2004, so...

 

[rooperi]

At like level 10-15 raiders and such become really powerfull and often you dont have time to really place the troops as you'd like because everyone are charging like madmen (there should REALLY be a tactical map before entering combat)...

Just mod the battlefield bigger, you'll have plenty of time to setup your troops properly. http://forums.taleworlds.com/index.php/topic,101731.msg2588106.html#msg2588106

 

[Achul]

Greetings.


Well I don't know if this happens to you. But let me give you an example of what recently happend that screwed me up.


By the way, I agree that horce archery makes things easier, I basicly "beat" old Mount and Blade but I never used to have Normal/normal I think I had easy/easy.



Regular 1 party of sea raiders or any other raiders is no problem. 20 of them are an easy slice.
But what has happend to me is that out of nowhere there's like 5-10 groups of 20x raiders at one place or 5 groups of steppe bandits. These babies have capture veagir knights and everything for example.


Now usually these things run away from me, but now when there's so many of them they seem to converge on me.
My men and I get wounded, especially considering I play on normal/normal. And after 3 battles every damn man I have is either wounded or dead. Including myself and my "heroes".Maybe I was unlucky.


At my level wish I think was like 12 I had like 10-15 veteran and normal horsemen/horsearchers of different sort and some crossbowmen.
How you deal with this on normal/normal or even easy/easy is still beyond comprehension. Perhaps I should really concentrate on making money and training troops. I mostly run around, doing quests and having fun. Buying stuff that I see is cheap and selling it when I get to a town where it's expensive. I don't raid villages since I was hoping to get a village to join me. Perhaps I'll start raiding villages in the future.


Again I need help with capturing villages. I'd like to start my own kingdom as I was a vassal in normal mount and blade and got bored of it.
I've sent a bunch of heroes to "spread the word" and tried to court ladies (nobody is interested and I'm not invited to feasts yet). Is it at all possible to get a village by having a very high rating with them? or to capture it somehow? Buy it?





By the way I downloaded the 1257 mod (think it was 57) and it's interface has really helped. The map and such helps alot in combat.


Also still curious what I can do with cattle, can I make profits from them somehow?

Thanks.

 

[DanAngleland]

Rhodoks don't seem to have enough actual spear troops, which is one problem. The best chance of getting a Rhodok with a spear is actually the first couple of tiers I think, and they just have normal (length 135) spears. Against heavy cavalry, this isn't enough, especially as the horsemen usually have long lances.

I have actually played as the Rhodoks against Sarranids and managed to soak up the Mameluke charge, but only when there are 8 or so. My troops, in tight bunches (F2, F4 like Aeon does), slow them down to a crawl and we manage to eventually beat up the riders. I have found that moving your infantry a few metres just after the charge hits can help as well sometimes. However, with larger numbers of Mamelukes, I just avoid the battle, because the troops just get run over. The Warhorses bowl over anyone in their path, and when there are enough the infantry line isn't thick enough to absorb the charge. Only I had a pike in the entire army, and I can only take out 1, or 2 if I am lucky, before the charge hits.

In my opinion though the major issue is the proportion of heavy cavalry in AI armies. Some Sarranid armies go around with huge numbers of Mamelukes, and the same probably goes for the Swadians (I haven't really played against Swadian armies yet, so haven't noticed them having excessive numbers, but I imagine it is the same case). Further more, I think the Sarranids in particular shouldn't have such powerful shock cavalry. I think their horses should be Sarranid or Desert horses, rather than hunters and warhorses, as they are a desert faction and heavy armour on a horse will impair its stamina. Perhaps they should have more missile cavalry as well, perhaps jarid, javelin or bow wielding. I would like to see Sarranids have more of a medium cavalry feel, as well as a very small minority of heavy cavalry (but even these shouldn't have Warhorses, maybe Hunters). At the moment they are not only unbalanced compared to infantry, but their cavalry is basically Swadians in the desert. I think the devs were worried about them being too weak if they used the Sarranid faction horses we see in multiplayer, but it would give them something unique at least.

 

[Achul]

At like level 10-15 raiders and such become really powerfull and often you dont have time to really place the troops as you'd like because everyone are charging like madmen (there should REALLY be a tactical map before entering combat)...

Just mod the battlefield bigger, you'll have plenty of time to setup your troops properly. http://forums.taleworlds.com/index.php/topic,101731.msg2588106.html#msg2588106

Thanks, that might help alot actually. Though it also creates new problems like completely overpowered cavalry(especially horse archers) and very long battles, even the small ones, due to retreating foes and long distances. But it seems to be possible to change at any time, so it is definelty a good tips. Thanks again.