Mount & Blade, I hear it's a good game so a few questions.

[BoogieManFL]

So I hear people talking about this game and it sounds interesting and looks like something I would enjoy so I want to check it out.

I read there is a stand alone expansion or two, a sequel, and an extensive modding community. Sequel seems to add some nifty features, but which do you veterans suggest I focus on? Additionally, what mods are suggested? Any must haves and the like? I assume they'll work with the Steam version.. How's the multiplayer? Any Co-op potential?

Anyway, definitely interested in checking it out so any insight would be appreciated.

 

[Squilookle]

There's a few threads about this floating around, a quick search will get you what you need. For now, the basics are:

Get Warband, as it is basically the first game but with just about everything improved, and Fire and Sword isn't as popular due to guns/less varied factions. Also Warband is the multiplayer to be in. There's a steep learning curve- you will die a lot at first, but it's pretty fun regardless and when you nail that first online kill against another player, it is TREMENDOUSLY satisfying.

 

[Crazedc00k]

Basically what he said ^^^^. Warband (I recommend the hundred years war mod once you learn the basics), and if you love that, try with fire and sword.

You're in for a treat, my friend.

 

[The Madman]

Warband is the game you want and as for mods here's a list of most of the mods available for the game. Take a look after you've played warband a bit and try them out if they seem interesting. The most obvious mod and really the only one I might recommend downloading right away would be the battle size changer, a mod that allows for more enemies in a single battle, but that's about it. Give the default campaign a bit of a go first and just have fun, plus most mods tend to be aimed at more dedicated fans and as a result pretty tough and certainly not newbie friendly.

My current campaign is with Prophecy of Pendor and it's pretty neat, adds a bit of fantasy to what's otherwise a pretty realistic game. It also makes the combat much more difficult however so I wouldn't recommend trying it until you're already a confident and experienced player.

 

[demotion1]

Buy Warband that is all you need and it is standalone. You have to play this game! You also may have to give it a couple of hours and then it will suck you in.

 

[Dandark]

I just recently bought Warband and would recommend it. I have found it to be such a fun game, it's currently one of my favorite ones to play on PC.

I haven't really tried any mods yet other than diplomacy and I haven't even gotten to the end game content yet but so far I am loving it.

 

[Ilikemilkshake]

Warband is great, its basically the original but a thousand times improved.
The only reason you'd want to get the original is if there happens to be a mod you see that only works for the original, however that shouldnt happen often as most of the modding community is in Warband.

Once you buy it i'd suggest you get to know the game first before you start modding it, play through until you own a few fiefdoms or castles.. then you can know what type of mods you're interested in.

 

[Angerwing]

I'm going to agree with the common opinion and suggest Warband. Fire and Sword is good, and has a lot of improvements, but it's a lot more difficult to get started when the peasants you're fighting have guns which can kill you in 2 shots on Easy. It also lacks the interesting factions of Warband.

One of the great things about Warband is the factions. Each faction has its own particular strength. For example, the Nords have crazy armoured infantry, and their Huscarls (the fully upgraded infantry) are practically unstoppable when raiding a castle. However, Nord archers and cavalry are severely lacking. You can get Vaegir Marksmen (for example), though if you're at war with the Vaegirs, they will be very unhappy. The Khergits, being the game's equivalent to the Mongols, are extremely good if you want to focus on a mounted army. Their first level recruits are the only ones to come with horses without needing to upgrade them, so it's easy to gain a powerful army at the start of the game, without having to develop your troops. On the downside, they're not as good late game as say, the Swadians or the Sarranids, in terms of cavalry.

My point is, the factions are very varied, and it is important to choose your faction based on how you want to play the game.

PM me if you want an in depth rundown of each faction's strengths or weaknesses.

 

[dragdev]

I got the set but out of all of them Warband is by far the best. But fire and sword is good if you like the idea of being a Cossack.

 

[Benni88]

Awesome game. Try and get involved with the weekend 200 man games I was playing from some russian server. too much fun.

 

[AlternatePFG]

Warband is the game you want and as for mods here's a list of most of the mods available for the game. Take a look after you've played warband a bit and try them out if they seem interesting. The most obvious mod and really the only one I might recommend downloading right away would be the battle size changer, a mod that allows for more enemies in a single battle, but that's about it. Give the default campaign a bit of a go first and just have fun, plus most mods tend to be aimed at more dedicated fans and as a result pretty tough and certainly not newbie friendly.

My current campaign is with Prophecy of Pendor and it's pretty neat, adds a bit of fantasy to what's otherwise a pretty realistic game. It also makes the combat much more difficult however so I wouldn't recommend trying it until you're already a confident and experienced player.

Yes, I love Prophesy of Pendor. Especially with a lot of the endgame stuff, it's really engaging. (Knight chapters, bosses, etc.)