Sweet Realistic Medieval Combat (Mount and Blade)

**zelda12** · 06-01-2005, 11:30

MP will not be coming out for M&B 1 but Amargan (One of the only two developers) has hinted that it might be included in M&B 2.

I've had the game for a week or so, and it is amazing. I'm currently lv 27 and with my band of Swadian Infantry. Having 20 crossbowmen in one place blunts any cavalry charge.

**Kraxis** · 06-01-2005, 14:59

I constantly run into trouble as soon as I have a nice army.
I had 3 knights, 5 sharpshooters, 4 crossbowmen, 7 men at arms and finally 7 Footmen.

A nice army that should be able to take on anything, especially bandits (you know those quest bandits). I ended up in a battle against 34 of those bandits. And yup, they managedto take out my entire army eventhough I dropped them like flies. Finally my crossbow ran out of ammo and my horse got knocked out from under me and I still faced some 6-7 enemies, of which 2 were mounted.
I got beat so bad.

Then it was simply goodbye army, one I had used so much time in building to a proper state (I had just handed over 5 knights and 6 men at arms for quests so this was the beginning of a new round of troops). RATS!

**zelda12** · 06-01-2005, 15:07

I travel with 53 men, I can quite easily take down Vaegir War Parties of 90 or more men. Quite Fun really being on my Spirited Charger, ordering my guys to hold a hill and then chraging into the melee as the hail of bolts flies from my men.

**Spino** · 06-01-2005, 17:04

Crazed Rabbit you bastard! Last night I was ready to hit the sack around 11:30 so I could catch some quality REM sleep that I missed the night before. However, just before shutting my computer down for the night I caught this thread here in the Arena and simply had to see what all the ranting and raving was about...

I didn't get to sleep until 2am!

This game is great! Talk about an impressive debut! At first you think it's some obscure 'ho hum' rpg but then you actually get to fight! I found myself yelling at the screen quite a number of times; I yelled at myself, yelled at the enemy and also found myself yelling at my comrades in and out of the arena to warn them or danger or come to my aid!

About the only thing I don't like is that the horse doesn't seem to impart any mass when it hits an enemy soldier. Sure, you can knock the bugger on his buttocks but at the same time your horse will stop and rear up on his hind legs. In the very least swiping a soldier with your horse should provide some kind of hit and run effect. Now I totally understand the realism/balance issue at work here. However it doesn't make sense that a very expensive, high quality warhorse couldn't knock over an enemy soldier (at least those without spears or polearms) while at a full gallop and keep going. In the very least each knocked over soldier could slow the horse down so as to not make mounted troops nigh invincible. The mounted AI also needs some work, horsemen in the arena or in constricted spaces will sometimes run their horses into a wall or obstacle, leaving them extremely vulnerable until they can turn around and ride in another direction. But these are amazing small quibbles considering the game is still a work in progress.

Originally Posted by zelda12

I travel with 53 men, I can quite easily take down Vaegir War Parties of 90 or more men. Quite Fun really being on my Spirited Charger, ordering my guys to hold a hill and then chraging into the melee as the hail of bolts flies from my men.

53 vs. 90!

I didn't know the battles could get that large! That's fantastic! I wonder if the developers programmed a maximum number of men per side in any given battle. How was your framerate during that battle and what CPU & 3D card are you using?

For the next version I'd like to see them add group formations to the orders menu. I see no reason why seasoned, higher tier soldiers cannot set themselves into a rudimentary formation.

The core of this game, the combat, is so brilliantly done that it would be an absolute crime if the developers changed gears and made it into a more 'traditional' rpg or worse, dropped the project altogether!

I seriously hope this husband and wife developer team is able to take this game/idea/engine to the next level. Hopefully they can get some additional artists and programmers on board and flesh out the existing game. Once the word gets out on this little gem I seriously doubt there will be a lack of modding type volunteers who are willing to help out!

**zelda12** · 06-01-2005, 17:14

Originally Posted by Spino

53 vs. 90! I didn't know the battles could get that large! That's fantastic! I wonder if the developers programmed a maximum number of men per side in any given battle. How was your framerate during that battle and what CPU & 3D card are you using?

When I say that much they do it in segments with around 15-20 men o each side. I imagine that you could probaly squeeze more men in but Amargan hasn't commented on it yet.

On the other subjects Amargan has been saying that he is going to get some more people on board to help him out. Here's hoping we are seeing the birth of one of the futures greatest game developers.

**Alexander the Pretty Good** · 06-02-2005, 00:19

About the only thing I don't like is that the horse doesn't seem to impart any mass when it hits an enemy soldier. Sure, you can knock the bugger on his buttocks but at the same time your horse will stop and rear up on his hind legs. In the very least swiping a soldier with your horse should provide some kind of hit and run effect. Now I totally understand the realism/balance issue at work here. However it doesn't make sense that a very expensive, high quality warhorse couldn't knock over an enemy soldier (at least those without spears or polearms) while at a full gallop and keep going. In the very least each knocked over soldier could slow the horse down so as to not make mounted troops nigh invincible. The mounted AI also needs some work, horsemen in the arena or in constricted spaces will sometimes run their horses into a wall or obstacle, leaving them extremely vulnerable until they can turn around and ride in another direction. But these are amazing small quibbles considering the game is still a work in progress.

If you're going fast enough, you will [sometimes] run right over the guy. Strangely, it doesn't do that much damage - less than I would expect. And I have to agree, it would be nice if some of the AI was better. But still...

How do you equip soldiers in your party? Do you have to have the equipment avaliable? Do newly hired people come with any weapons?

I think the engine is mostly done, and they just need to flesh out details (like a plot...). All in all very, very cool.

**Crazed Rabbit** · 06-02-2005, 00:48

All soldiers come with their own equipment, except for the two named characters Borcha and Marnid, who you can equip.

You can even change your character's face! Try and guess who this is:

Crazed Rabbit