questions for mount and blade players

[shootthebandit]

so ive played mount and blade for 80 days (in game) and decided to start a fresh because my game wasnt working out. i tested out a few new characters and finally got a good character who has access to a crest (must be one of the initial backstory options. so my first question is what are the benefits of each back story selection?

also i was wondering what is the best way to start, do you stay with the nords (or whatever home kingdom you choose) until your army is fairly big say 50-100 then start attacking/allying with other kingdoms. or do you start quests with other kingdoms early on

lastly i was stuck on a quest where a king wanted a traitor dead and he was hiding in a village went to that village and nobody knew him so i didnt know how to find him so the quest timed-out. how on earth do you find these people?

 

[Paul-Harvey]

I have put over 6 hours into that game and i still haven't got anywhere. Maybe its the game dynamic its self that I am not use to but i just ran around trying to do some quest with out any real directive and slowly losing all my men

Worst leader ever (biggest army was 12...)

I am also interested in some strategy and tips to get started.

 

[shootthebandit]

I have put over 6 hours into that game and i still haven't got anywhere. Maybe its the game dynamic its self that I am not use to but i just ran around trying to do some quest with out any real directive and slowly losing all my men

Worst leader ever (biggest army was 12...)

I am also interested in some strategy and tips to get started.

my army was around 40ish. you just have to go round villages and recruit people

there is a lot to it, my priority this time round is to focus on my own character and get him to a decent standard then start recruiting and training villagers. once ive got around 50 men i can probably start attacking villages and be able to fend off the pissed off ruler of said village. then advance onto taking down castles and move on from there

 

[The Madman]

The back story selection more or less just determines your initial setup, you obviously chose the child of a noble background thus you began the game with some extra initial fame as well as a banner of your own and probably some extra cash to boot. Had you chosen something like being a hunter for example you'd start with some extra ranged gear and probably a few bundles of fur to sell as well, which can be handy as that goes for a lot of money in the right market.

Ultimately it's not super important however as the back story stuff just determines your starting situation and everything can be improved/changed throughout the course of the game if you decide you don't like this particular setup.

As for gaining power there are a number of ways you can do it. You can travel around competing in tournaments which is a great way to increase not only your fame but your combat abilities as well within a safe environment. You can try to play the merchant game, buying low and selling high for massive profits then using those profits to get better equipment and deadly mercenaries. You can do the whole banditry thing, which is what it sounds like you're doing; raiding villages and trade caravan for cash and supplies. Great way to make money but also something that will inevitably piss some powerful characters off and make it harder for you later in the game. I don't usually recommend it right off the bat, wait till you've joined a faction and use the war as an excuse for it if you must, then while you'll still be pissing people off there's the excuse of war to cover your ass and get you out of a tight spot.

Then there are the various nobles as well. Doing missions for them can be useful as having friends in high places is handy later in the game when you've got to get into politics if you want any real power. You probably wont get nearly as wealthy or powerful doing these as any of the above options, but if you're heading in a certain direction anyway and a noble wants you to deliver a letter, hell, why not? Try to avoid the 'break out of prison' missions however as they're suicidal and not nearly worth the risk.

Once you've got a company of around 50ish men you'll probably be getting offers from various kingdom to join. You can either accept these or go to them as a mercenary if you haven't made up your mind yet which you want to join. Downside of being a mercenary however is that while you get payments to keep your army up, you don't get to keep anything you conquer or help conquer. You can also try backing one of the usurpers if you want instant access to power as you start as their grand marshal and leader of their armies, but it's also tricky since if you're not a good diplomat or if you pissed people off earlier via banditry and such you're probably not going to find many allies and your little attempt to gain power can come crashing down around you.

Trying to establish your own kingdom is not something I recommend for a newbie. Everyone is hostile towards the new guy and if you're not prepared for potentially hundreds if not thousands to come knocking at your door within the first few weeks of creating a kingdom, you wont last long.

Oh, and pick up allies in taverns. The named characters are great as they don't die and can level up with you, making them extremely useful in the battlefield. Some also begin extremely strong and with great gear to boot, always worth having around. Just be careful however as often they'll dislike one another and might leave if you're doing badly.

lastly i was stuck on a quest where a king wanted a traitor dead and he was hiding in a village went to that village and nobody knew him so i didnt know how to find him so the quest timed-out. how on earth do you find these people?

Look around for someone with a name like 'suspicious person' and whatnot. They'll sometimes only pop up at certain times of the day as well. Sometimes these missions can be a pain, sometimes they're incredibly easy as the person might be standing right there in the open. Really it's mostly just a matter of luck with those.

 

[Paul-Harvey]

I have put over 6 hours into that game and i still haven't got anywhere. Maybe its the game dynamic its self that I am not use to but i just ran around trying to do some quest with out any real directive and slowly losing all my men

Worst leader ever (biggest army was 12...)

I am also interested in some strategy and tips to get started.

my army was around 40ish. you just have to go round villages and recruit people

there is a lot to it, my priority this time round is to focus on my own character and get him to a decent standard then start recruiting and training villagers. once ive got around 50 men i can probably start attacking villages and be able to fend off the pissed off ruler of said village. then advance onto taking down castles and move on from there

Well there goes my next free day.

And is there any multilayer to the game? My friend gave me three different games (or explanations to M&B) and i think i remember one of them having a multiparty option.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

so ive played mount and blade for 80 days (in game) and decided to start a fresh because my game wasnt working out. i tested out a few new characters and finally got a good character who has access to a crest (must be one of the initial backstory options. so my first question is what are the benefits of each back story selection?

also i was wondering what is the best way to start, do you stay with the nords (or whatever home kingdom you choose) until your army is fairly big say 50-100 then start attacking/allying with other kingdoms. or do you start quests with other kingdoms early on

lastly i was stuck on a quest where a king wanted a traitor dead and he was hiding in a village went to that village and nobody knew him so i didnt know how to find him so the quest timed-out. how on earth do you find these people?

The different backstory options provide you with different starting stats and weapon skills. The latter are easily remedied if you don't get what you're after, as they rise quickly and a quick trip to the arena can make up for a lot. The former can take a long time to bring around, so choose carefully. Remember also that party skills can be supplied by party members, so it's not necessary (and not recommended) to be a jack of all trades.

You're usually best off staying independent until you get a fairly sizeable army of well trained troops. Say, 100+. Once you ally with a nation and start claiming your own holdings, etc, you're going to be involved in wars between nations, where you're going to be dealing with large armies fielded by nobles, and they'll run right over you if you're still faffing about with a bunch of brigands armed with sharp sticks. You'll also want some quality armor and a good horse for yourself if you don't want to get dropped by a random arrow and spend the entire fight on your back.

Random Tips

Investing in a quality surgeon as quickly as possible can help save a lot of lives and prevent you having to constantly train up new troops.

Cavalry is extremely powerful, to an unbalanced degree. A strong cavalry force can run over an army of foot many times its size. They also keep you mobile, which leads us to...

Large armies are slow armies, and are difficult to feed. Higher level troops are slightly faster than lower level troops, and cavalry doubly so. A good pathfinder will speed things up significantly, which is necessary if you don't want to end up fruitlessly chasing around smaller armies.

Swadia is the easiest starting area, followed by the Rhodoks, then the Sarranids. Khergits, Vaegirs and Nords can be difficult for newcomers due to the large and well armed bandit types in their areas, particularly the Nordic sea raiders. They can make short work of a new army.

Do not attempt to start a new faction, or ally yourself with a pretender, unless you have a significantly advanced army. You're going to be deep in the shit once you do so and will be facing war on many fronts.

Companions are compatible/incompatible with other companions. You can check a wiki for this, or find out through trial and error.

You can give your companions horses, and change their arms/armor around. Some become quite fearsome combatants when geared up, most particularly Nizar.

Unlike other weapons, you don't click to attack with a lance...just point it at an enemy and ride at them with speed. Since the lance is utterly useless while at a standstill (or dismounted), if you find yourself with a lance in a tournament I STRONGLY advise stripping a corpse of a more conventional weapon as soon as possible.

Towns that like you give you more troops. This might seem pointless early on as your army size will be limited by both your leadership and gold/food stores, but later on, when you're trying to garrison up a town or castle, having access to a steady flood of troops in nearby towns is a godsend.