Post by Morreion on Jun 8, 2010 8:29:35 GMT -5
Finally, a Medieval Age FPS!
Mount & Blade: Warband official site
Mount & Blade: Warband is the eagerly anticipated sequel for the game that brought medieval battlefields to life with its realistic mounted combat and detailed fighting system.
In a land torn asunder by incessant warfare, it is time to assemble your own band of hardened warriors and enter the fray. Lead your men into battle, expand your realm, and claim the ultimate prize: the throne of Calradia!
In a land torn asunder by incessant warfare, it is time to assemble your own band of hardened warriors and enter the fray. Lead your men into battle, expand your realm, and claim the ultimate prize: the throne of Calradia!
Game Features:
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Multiplayer battles with up to 64 players. Multiplayer modes include Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, Conquest, Battle, and Siege
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A campaign allowing you to become the ruler of a faction and convince lords to become your vassals
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The ability to upgrade your companions to vassals by granting them lands
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The ability to marry a lady of the realm for romance or cold political gain. Try to win a lady’s heart through poetry or bravery
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Improved mechanics for soldier morale: Soldiers will break and run away if their morale gets too low
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Pick any projectile off the battlefield for use as additional munitions
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Numerous improvements to the combat system: Your shield will still stop arrows even if you are not actively defending
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The ability to play multiplayer matches on random maps as well as hand-designed ones
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Multiplayer equipment system: Earn money by fighting opponents or accomplishing goals
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The ability to use most throwing weapons in close combat: Switch to using a javelin as a short spear when the enemy gets close
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Spend gold on more powerful equipment, using a carefully balanced system that will make combat more exciting without giving too much of an advantage to the leading team
*
Graphical overhaul: Support added for HDR, FSAA, depth of field, soft particles, tone mapping, and many other effects
*
New models with greater detail and high-quality textures
*
New motion-captured combat animations
*
Multiplayer battles with up to 64 players. Multiplayer modes include Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, Conquest, Battle, and Siege
*
A campaign allowing you to become the ruler of a faction and convince lords to become your vassals
*
The ability to upgrade your companions to vassals by granting them lands
*
The ability to marry a lady of the realm for romance or cold political gain. Try to win a lady’s heart through poetry or bravery
*
Improved mechanics for soldier morale: Soldiers will break and run away if their morale gets too low
*
Pick any projectile off the battlefield for use as additional munitions
*
Numerous improvements to the combat system: Your shield will still stop arrows even if you are not actively defending
*
The ability to play multiplayer matches on random maps as well as hand-designed ones
*
Multiplayer equipment system: Earn money by fighting opponents or accomplishing goals
*
The ability to use most throwing weapons in close combat: Switch to using a javelin as a short spear when the enemy gets close
*
Spend gold on more powerful equipment, using a carefully balanced system that will make combat more exciting without giving too much of an advantage to the leading team
*
Graphical overhaul: Support added for HDR, FSAA, depth of field, soft particles, tone mapping, and many other effects
*
New models with greater detail and high-quality textures
*
New motion-captured combat animations
Mount & Blade: Warband Review (Gamespot)
Still, basic combat movements in Warband are so natural that you quickly become accustomed to them and soon start running enemies through like a good medieval knight. Battles here are incredibly addictive, even when you're just feeling your way around because the sheer anarchy is crazy fun no matter how skilled you are--no matter how often you get killed. Simply experimenting with the many different weapons is entertaining all on its own, such as seeing how you can best swing a long pike from a distance and deal out death from close range with a sword. Once you develop a knack for melee, you can also turn to playing crossbowmen and mounted knights. They provide very distinct challenges and combat that is more exacting. Crossbowmen, for instance, are tough to manage because you need to time attacks due to lengthy reloads and standard aiming concerns. Just firing away incessantly will only waste a lot of bolts and get you killed. Playing cavalry is even more of a trial due to the speed of horses and the necessity of perfectly timing attacks in order to hit enemies as you gallop past. It's a very enjoyable trial to take on, however, particularly when you start mastering timed attacks and begin to lay the smack down on hapless enemies on foot...
Even if you don't bother with the single-player campaign, Warband is worth the buy for the outstanding multiplayer alone. The combat is addictive and exciting, with a good number of people crowding onto the servers. While the core of Mount & Blade is still relatively primitive due to its underdeveloped solo campaign and a few limitations with graphics, there is a lot of charm here. The simple fun of smashing skulls with a pike and charging into a gang of enemies atop a fine Arab charger really makes this game stand out in a world of cookie-cutter RPGs.
Even if you don't bother with the single-player campaign, Warband is worth the buy for the outstanding multiplayer alone. The combat is addictive and exciting, with a good number of people crowding onto the servers. While the core of Mount & Blade is still relatively primitive due to its underdeveloped solo campaign and a few limitations with graphics, there is a lot of charm here. The simple fun of smashing skulls with a pike and charging into a gang of enemies atop a fine Arab charger really makes this game stand out in a world of cookie-cutter RPGs.
The Forsooth Saga (Rock Paper Shotgun)
The Rock Paper Shotgun folks have formed a multiplayer warband of their own in the game and are organizing military formations and battles:
My humble aim for Knight II was to get the 50 odd who showed up again to divide into their allotted Divisions: Archers, Cavalry and Infantry. With everyone on one side (no enemies), and the teamspeak channels divided into corresponding rooms (with channel commander officers), the idea was to test our chain of command, see if we could get a group of people who’ve only just met to listen to each other, work together, and fight as one. Dashed if we didn’t pull this off to some degree. In very short order we had ranks of Archers (two rows count right?) volley firing in unison, Infantry practicing an advancing maneuver where the front rank held up a shield wall while the second poked through the gaps with polearms, and… erm… some sort of dressage from the Cavalry involving synchronised rearing and lines of horses jumping over the Archers (but it was organised, which was the point).
