Mount and Blade: Warband

[Kazilan]

Anyone played it? I've logged some time with the demo and enjoyed it but don't know if it's worth paying for the full version. I'm worried it will get too repetitive - anyone have any input? Does it become a grind with huge battles once you're successful? Any idea if playing a merchant (what I've enjoyed so far) is still fun after the initial stages?

[Kakero]

I've played it. If you like medieval type strategy game with fief and fiefdom this game might be interesting to you. However if you are looking for battle which involve having clever formation (tetsudo/arrowhead etc etc)/ or even strategy (ambush/fire in volley etc etc). Look elsewhere.

Anyway to answer your question, the game later on does feel like a grind. Huge battle takes long to complete (don't be suprise if it takes 2 hours). You have to constantly raid villages to fund your army. Visit cities repeatedly to buy food for your army. Not to mention having to play cat and mouse games with the enemy again and again to defend a village/castle (if you have big army but the enemy have less, enemy will not engage you but will run away, if you don't chase after them they will come back closer to you but will run away again if you give chase).

It's hard to be successful in this game, once the game reached 150++ turns. Your king's lords will revolt and join others. This means even if you have conquered half of the map, your king's faction size will become small again as the village/castle colour will switch to other faction. There's nothing you can do to stop other lords from revolting even if you are friends with them. Very annoying.

Playing as merchant can be quite fun as you are immune from factions politics (A city has changed colour? Who cares!). Once you determine a profitable route and have enough bodyguards to protect you from bandits attack, your game will consist of going to city, buy item, go to another city, sell item and buy other items repeat and repeat. Your game will feel like playing the sims as you are doing the same thing again and again. Honestly speaking, the game is more fun by joining a faction and fight for your king.

You can of course create your own faction. However during the time I was playing, this will create lots of bug. I'm not sure if there are new patches to fix this problem.

[Luvian]

I really like Mount and Blade. I've been playing since the beta of the first game.

It is a sandbox game so it's possible you might get bored. But personally while I eventually tire of a particular game I never tire of creating new ones.

I suppose the fights can become kind of a grind if you are in a big war and get ten fights in a row without doing anything else. But usually I find it pretty fun. If you let your troops charge randomly the enemy usually does the same. But if you start giving orders to your troop the enemy does the same. It's not the most strategic game, but the enemy does use tactics. Especially in the latest patch.

Expect things like the enemy sending in his infantry first while his cavalry goes around to flank you, or things like that. I remember attacking a group of archer once in my infantry only game and the enemy archers refused to advance. I had to charge them. Battle A.I. is of course better if you raise it in the option menu.

Trading is more fun now that you can own commercial buildings in cities by buying them from the Guild masters. But there will come a point when you are going to want to do something with that money you've been saving up. Personally I use it to recruit heroes and equip them with the best stuff money can buy. So when I decide to start fighting I'm nearly invincible with my troop of heroes in Lordly Full Plates.

Lords do revolts and join other factions from time to time. It depends on their relationship with their king and the other nobles. And it happen more often if their side is losing. If you have a wife she can give you quests to end the enmity between two lords. It helps prevent lords from leaving.

If you have your own kingdom what you can do is constantly hold feasts. This create better relations with your vassals and make them less likely to leave you.

There is also a thriving community of modders for this game on the official forum. One very popular mod is the Diplomacy mod because it gives more depth to the diplomacy system. But there are all kind of mods including total conversions.