My favorite quote:
Y U TAKE TEN YEARS?
Taleworlds has said they created a new engine for Bannerlord.
But I have no sympathy for their excuses. I want my mounted blades two.
Playable at E3 this year:
https://www.taleworlds.com/en/Games/Bannerlord/News/169
E3 is just around the corner now and this year we’re back in force! For the first time at an event, we’ll be giving hands-on demonstrations of battles in Bannerlord to the world’s press. Look forward to our videos that will come out during E3 and hopefully the thoughts of those who try out the game!
I sure hope I don’t have to wait till I’m freaking retired (with luck in 6 years, barring another financial crisis) to play this.
But at least you’d have plenty of time then.
True, but by then there will be 50 MORE games I want to play! :-|
I saw a rumor/report that the hands-on is just a battle, so they could still be years away on the campaign or whatever else they’re working on.
Or, hey, almost done! Release next week!
At this rate it’ll come out the day before our sun goes nova.
So it’s just like the original except not ugly?
The most impressive thing I saw in that trailer was at the end when it’s showing the casualties. Maybe we’ll at least get that kind of data in a table that you can sort.
Hey, all I want is a Mount and Blade with better graphics and more coherent RPG bits
The Sun has an article on this? No idea it reached that kind of status. Weird.
As far as I can tell from skimming the article, the “one detail” is the lack of release date.
I see the news articles cribbing this from the press release from TaleWorlds. So here it is:
- Advanced Formations – Merge and split forces at your behest, with intuitive but powerful control over the movement, form and behavior of every unit! Order heavy infantry to hold together, shoulder-to-shoulder in a slowly advancing but near impenetrable shield wall; or launch your cavalry in lightning charges using the skein formation.
- Battlefield AI – AI commanders can execute complex tactics, utilizing the advanced formation options to present a formidable challenge. Their behavior is drawn from actual historical tacticians, for example Alexander the great, who used his superior cavalry forces to rout their counterparts in the opposing army, before delivering a crushing blow to the enemy’s main force. This not only creates the feeling of an authentic medieval battle but also proves effective in-game, as in reality.
- Sergeant System – Commanders now designate units to other lords in battle, including the player! Execute the orders issued by your commander throughout the fight, and use your own instincts to do your part and help secure victory on the field of battle. Lead the horse archers as they skirmish and harass the enemy to disrupt their lines before your allies finish them off, or take control of the cavalry and charge into the fray to devastate entire units at once!
I was wondering about that from the video. It will probably be a lot of nonsense spam once the battle becomes chaotic, but it’s still a neat idea to try.
Here’s the other bit from yesterday’s press release:
Key Combat Updates
Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord also features greatly updated combat, which builds on previous instalments in a number of ways while retaining its intuitive, direction-based core that made it so popular among players.
- Directional Shield Blocking and Shield Bash – These two features revitalize the sword & board gameplay, making it a more engaging experience than ever before! Blocking in the wrong direction will not necessarily get you killed but it will cause your shield to break faster, leaving you defenseless against missiles and vulnerable against multiple foes. Shield bashing, a highly requested feature, temporarily stuns your opponent and knocks them back, lowering their defenses and giving you room to breathe.
- Attack Chaining – Swings that complete their motion can now be chained into follow-up attacks which can catch your opponent off-guard after a miss. Unbalanced weapons such as hammers and axes also use the momentum of the first swing for a faster follow-up!
- Improved Animations and Combat Engine – Huge effort has gone into making Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord’s combat as fluid and visually appealing as possible. Damage dealt is now calculated with a great degree of physical depth, factoring in the weight distribution of every individual weapon. This means that whether you are executing a perfectly timed thrust while thundering towards a hapless archer on horseback or shooting an arrow across the battlefield to whittle down your opponent’s infantry forces before the melee, the game will understand all of the forces involved and produce consistent, realistic and satisfying results every time.
Looks like they really didn’t have much for the journalists at E3. Another report that looks like more of the same. Really looks like it’ll be next year… :(
Le sigh. Did the first game take this long?
It did, but Talesworld released in what was one of the very first Early Acces type of release, and I got into the game 3 years or so before its actual release.
Me too, alpha 0.6xx or 0.7xx or something like that.