Mount And Blade Warband Faction Specialties
Sorry, shortly kinda went a bit longer then we expected.
Well, the major thing of this update is to tell about the Grey Folk's role in our mod.
You will occasionally encounter grey folk ruins, (they will be a haven for grey folk related salvage) which you can explore. We shall give the player the opportunity to discover the fate of the Grey Folk, and the reason they chained the wild magic to their tongue.
Also, there will be a hidden grey folk stronghold that has some of the last remaining grey folk, (not that many of them, just a few dozen.) And last but not least, there will be a grey folk hero, who will play a major part in the main quest.
The Grey Folk armor and weapons will be mostly based on late Indian styles, but they will also have a little of late Russian and Turkish equipment in there.
Now, onto the Dwarfs, (One of our favorites)
The Dwarfs will have a complicated hierarchy, the clans will always be conniving to increase they're political power. But, when they are united, the dwarfs have one of the most adaptable armies in the game. Here are some of the specialties that Nord has developed.
The only thing you can somewhat predict is that the Swadians willl have a rough time because of their geographical position. So thats a difficult faction if you're new to the game but becomes really fun once you understand all mechanics. Other than that, anything can happen so there isn't reallya wrong/right/best faction. This article will look at the map of Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord, as well as Bannerlord factions, their inspirations, unit specialties, and play styles. The story of Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord is set hundreds of years before the events of Mount and Blade: Warband.
Knurlcarathn and Gedthrall: Blunt weapons
Az Swelda rak Anhuin: Stealth magic
Quan: Magic
Ragni Hefthyn: Heavy (Feldunost) cavalry archers
Feldunost: Heavy (Feldunost) Cavalry
Vrenshrrgn: Axes
Fanghur: Archers
Nagra: Spears
Ingeitum: Mattocks, pony cavalry
The Dwarfs will have early and medieval Russian armor and weapons, but will have some Byzantine styles.
And yes, they have their big goats.
With The Empire, we had to keep in mind that Galbatorix, being the main power in Alaegasia, would naturally outfit his troops the best. So you will see many Italian and Renaissance equipment. Imperial troops can quickly be trained into a massive and effective army, but they lack experience, and lose to the upper tier troops of the other factions. The Empire will be VERY centralized, and the Imperial settlements will be much more poorer then other faction's settlements.
The Varden are a bit like the Dwarfs in a way, except instead of seeking to advance the status of clans, the Varden Leaders will be constantly trying to be top dog. This might cause destabilization within the Varden ranks, making it difficult for Varden players to get anything done. Imperial players that take advantage of the bickering Varden Leaders will find their gameplay much easier. Varden Troops are mostly rabble at low levels, with poor training and shoddy equipment, but at their higher tiers, they easily outmatch Imperial forces. Varden tend to have a lot of chainmail and leather armor, not as protective as Imperial armor, but much lighter. Dark Age armor and weapons as an example.
The elves, quite a pain in the behind to tell the truth. We have to divide them into their six sub factions, (aquatic elves, regular elves, wild elves, etc.) The elves will have the smallest armies, but some of the most skilled soldiers. Even their low tier troops can give the elite troops of other factions a run for their money. Elven equipment will be mainly based on Chinese and oriental weapons and armor.
We do have an elven armor concept, but it's not finished yet.
The Urgals can be described in two words, tough and strong. What they lack in tactics, they make up for in brute force. They will have a large assortment of weapons and low quality armor, but they make up for it with a high strength and agility. The Urgals will be divided into five sub factions. Expect to see them with a lot of equipment usually only used by specific factions, (We leave how they got it to the player's imagination)
Surda will be their own faction, mainly based on Arabs. Focusing on heavy cavalry, but not lacking in other categories.
Carvahall will be a minor faction, only existing until it's destroyed by the Empire, but until then, they field an army slightly better then base Imperial troops.
And last but not least, the name change, we could go into a long explanation of why we did, but the short answer is, Legend of the Dragon Riders is generic, the new one is, well, awesome.
So now,
welcome,
TO DOMINANCE OFFATE!
I let the titular concept roll around my palate like a fine cognac. A strategic layer of force creation, base acquisition and development, massaged into a cross-country Full Spectrum Warrior and an engine that can deftly hold its own as a tactical FPS.
Surely, that sounds too good to be true? Going by part abortive attempts to bring back Jagged Alliance, I remain sceptical... but here it is, Freeman: Guerrilla Warfare, telling me to shut up and keep playing.
Overview
It's been a good few months for Early Access games. I've enjoyed a variety of rather fine, rather functional works-in-progress, and Freeman (henceforth pruned for brevity) continues this streak. It's an enticing twist on the Mount & Blade formula, and while the core conceits remain 'develop mercenary army, serve your allies, destroy your rivals, trade and prosper', Freeman impresses with a very strong tactical element.
At a glance, KK Game Studio's effort might be deemed a mis-matched, jumped-up Warband mod, and if we care to return to the paltry Fire & Sword expand-alone to illustrate, Mount & Blade's strength was never in firearms. It is pleasing to report there's sufficient and satisfying bang for buck in Freeman.
The game is split between a strategic overland map and the tactical combat module. The former will be familiar to any Mount & Blade-er; an undulating topography dotted with friendlies, enemies of various factions, and settlements. Players start with a very small clutch of squads, and must trade, recruit and encroach their way across the map to eventually hold ten towns and trigger a win state. Each town has a basic complement of services -- hospital, merchants, recruitment -- and when players take a town, there's an infrastructural element to consider. Build a police station, you've boosted garrison options. Build a farm, your daily income swells. It's simple, but effective and helps sell the Jagged Alliance aspirations.
There are several factions in the game, alongside unaffiliated trash mobs of looters and marauders. Each faction has strengths and weaknesses in combat, handily available at a tab's notice if you want to see what you're likely to face in the next combat encounter. There's also a light diplomacy injection, with the ability to order tributes and rustle alliances. A few nascent elements are going to be activated down the development line, such as karma -- related specifically to player choice -- but as Freeman stands right now, there's a lot to work with. I'd really appreciate a better menu system with tabulated sub-screens, but that overhaul will no doubt come when all the modules are in play.
Tactical Combat
The game's tactical combat element dumps players and as many of their active retinue as the command level allows into several sprawling outdoors maps. Or, in the case of assaulting a town, on the outskirts of a rural village, crawling with defenders. The tactical map lets players place and deploy squads, as well as delegate movement and stance via a simple node system. This map can be flipped to at a moment's notice and is where all the big decisions are made in terms of your squad's behaviour. Once you're made or adjusted your squad's orders, players then get their run and gun on. Or, crouch-walk and adjust for distance.
Freeman's gunplay is really exciting. Engagements are never close-quarters. It's about moving to higher or wooded ground, scanning the vales and making the most of your troops' strengths. Friendly AI squads can hold their own, and I'm consistently impressed how well they move and engage; they tend to gravitate towards trees and stumps for cover, and when starved of a place to hide, often go to ground and fire prone. Bullets whizz and crack, grenades pop and being in the thick of it is as exciting as any ArmA or Battlefield game. There are some current animation-related oddities, but Freeman conveys one hell of a scrap even at this early stage.
Much like Jagged Alliance, there's an experience-based upgrade system for both players and their squads. Squad upgrades lack a granular touch -- no individual arming as such -- but units can be upgraded with an eye towards specialties. Veteran militia could become a sniper unit, a rifle unit or as an MG support squad.
Relentless Updates
Perusing the roadmap, one might spot special companion units planned for an upcoming patch. These NPC companions are special units, mirroring the kind of detailed weapon and inventory customisation afforded to the player character.
Each unit demands an incremental pay upswing as they level and specialise. Moreover, troops are affected by morale. If they get chewed up in a firefight and lose squad mates, their morale decreases, as well as excessive deployment without rotation. This can be countered by rewarding squads atop their salary. On the flip-side, nothing is better than winning the day, and this also has the desired effect on morale.
The player character's upgrade system is much more nuanced and detailed, with every level gained providing a clutch of points to massage into proficiencies. Beyond the three governing branches -- vitality, dexterity and intelligence -- are finer upgrade options like increased squad deployment, better accuracy, more profitable trading and the like.
And, of course, Freeman has a comfortably Jagged Alliance-like inventory system, so scavenged and purchased loadouts can be equipped to a player's liking. The itemisation is getting more granular with every update, too. Scopes and silencers in addition to a plethora of armour across head, eyes, chest, hands, legs and so on. Some cosmetic, others with a sizeable armour or tactical value.
What we have at the time of writing is a game whose core combat is pretty much ideal. Tactical engagements only need small quality of life tweaking. Unit barks could do with more polishing. Weather and dynamic time of day would be nice. Certainly a few more assets like houses or roads or bunkers...
... and of course moments after I type this, I receive word that the latest patch includes dynamic weather, day/night cycles, buildings and roads... Touché
Freeman's surrounding strategic level is also coming along nicely, though does need some work. Currently, there's just enough friction in moving around the map -- the closer you are to enemy towns, the higher chance of being accosted-
Mount And Blade Warband Faction Strengths
Steam has snagged another Freeman update. Prisoners could now be taken, coerced via a variety of means to bolster a player's ranks as an active or garrisoned unit... and there's another update. Tweaks of acoustics to help pinpoint fire at range. Do these people not sleep!?
I could spit-ball for hours on the things I'd like to see in Freeman -- sabotage, spying, logistics networks, field bases and so on -- but the heartening truth is, the KK Game Studio guys are outdoing themselves with updates, and are very open about implementing community ideas.
Steam buzzes with updates anew. Activation of flashlights, binoculars and the promise of dynamic faction missions and companion units. Show offs.
Closing Thoughts
That the game has its fundamentals in such good state is the reassuring bulwark against overload and feature creep. The developers have also stated they're supporting community mods, so anyone could conceivably insert their lofty vision down the line.
I haven't been this impressed with an Early Access title since City of Brass. In an age of ambition raking open projects and leaving them to founder in a sea of consumer indignation, Freeman just keeps on keeping on. It has already met my Mount & Blade expectations and is making ground towards Jagged Alliance in its own enthusiastic way. I pause and check Steam. Another update is ready. Once more into the breach...
Freeman: Guerrilla Warfare launched onto Steam Early Access on February 1st, 2018. At the time of writing, the plan was to remain in beta until the end of the year.