Mount & Blade is a medieval action role-playing game for Microsoft Windows, developed by the Turkish company TaleWorlds, and published by the Swedish company Paradox Interactive.
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Mount & Blade initially received a mixed critical reception overall. Reviewers praised the game for its innovative combat mechanics, complex character skill system, and large modding community,[1][2][3][4][5] but also criticized it for its repetitive quests, dialogues, and locations, as well as low graphics quality.[1][2][4][5][6]
A standalone expansion, Mount & Blade: Warband, was released in March 2010, and a spin-off stand-alone expansion, Mount & Blade: With Fire & Sword, based on the historical novel With Fire and Sword, was released in May 2011. As of 2015, the series sold over 6million units.[7] A sequel, Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord, is currently in production.
Gameplay[edit]
Mount & Blade is a single-player, action-oriented role-playing game without any fantasy elements, which takes place in a medieval land named Calradia. The game features a sandbox gameplay style, in which there is no storyline present. The player is able to join one of the five battling factions, fight as a mercenary, assume the role of an outlaw, or take a neutral side.[1][2][8]
An enemy caravan running away from the player. The numbers by the party indicate the combatants, plus the prisoners, respectively.
At the start of the game, the player is offered a set of options to customize the character. The player answers a series of multiple-choice questions about the character's past, including gender, which generate the character's initial attributes. Then the player has the option to sculpt their character's facial features.[8][9][10]
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Traveling to other locations, or interacting with other parties is done by point and clicking the desired destination. Upon encountering enemy parties, the player can try to avoid a conflict, or can engage in a battle with them.[1][10] In Mount & Blade each battle is attributed a renown value, according to the number and power of the members of each party. The player gains the renown if he or she wins the battle. With increased renown, the player achieves higher standing in the game and may be offered vassalage by the leaders of one of the five factions. By becoming a vassal, the player is given control over a certain fief, which he or she can manage and collect taxes from.[2][8] By solving quests or defeating opponents the player is awarded experience points, which can be used to improve attributes, skills, and weapon proficiencies to further develop the character.[9] Weapon proficiencies can also be improved over time by inflicting damage on other opponents.[11]
Combat[edit]
There are four main areas where battles take place: on the open map when two or more hostile parties meet, in tournaments organized in town arenas, in siege combat where the player is either defending or attacking a fortification, or in settlements after a triggering event (e.g. a village is infested by bandits, guards catch the player sneaking into a hostile settlement, the player is ambushed, villagers rebel while the player is collecting taxes, or the player plunders a village).[12] The number of soldiers each party can hold is limited by the 'leadership' skill and the renown of the leader. Participants in a battle can be either mounted or on foot. The player has to indicate the direction in which he or she wants to swing by moving the mouse accordingly, unless they have changed the options so that the game automatically chooses it for them.[13] Aiming with a ranged weapon is also done by using the mouse.[14]
Damage is dealt depending on multiple factors. Aside from each weapon's quality, its effectiveness is also influenced by the character's skill with that type of weapon, and the speed of the player relative to the target: for example, a javelin thrown while running or riding a horse will be potentially more damaging than a javelin thrown while standing still.[15] Further, weapons have certain ranges where they are minimally and maximally effective, which gives the different weapon types different playing styles. A spear, for instance, will do minimal damage when used on an enemy very close to the player, where a hammer could cause maximum damage.
Plot[edit]
Mount & Blade has a very minimal plot, most of which is up to the player. Although certain things are constant, such as towns and kings, the player's own story is chosen at character creation, where the player can be, for example, a child of an impoverished noble or a street urchin. This has little impact besides starting skills and dialogue (e.g. a lord may treat the player better if they are a nobleman rather than a steppe child.) Player choices also make an impact on dialogue; if the player spends time raiding caravans, a lord may treat them as criminals, as opposed to a player who spends time doing tasks for a king or trading items. There is no overarching storyline, however, so the player is left to their own devices.
Development[edit]Phantasy Mod Mount And Blade
The game originated as an independent project of Armağan Yavuz, founder of TaleWorlds, and his wife, İpek Yavuz.[16] According to Armağan Yavuz, the game's inspirations include Sid Meier's Pirates!, The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall, Frontier: Elite II, and older Koeistrategy video games such as Genghis Khan, as well as historical fictionnovels, particularly those by Bernard Cornwell.[17]
Prior to its retail release, beta versions of the game were published on the developer's website beginning in 2004.[18] The game was made available on Steam on September 30, 2008.[19]
Paradox Interactive lost the Mount & Blade license on January 31, 2014.[20]
Reception[edit]
Mount & Blade received 'mixed or average' reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[21] Reviewers acknowledged the game's potential, but also said it suffers from poor production values. GameSpot concluded that the game 'feels more underdeveloped than it does flat-out bad',[1] and Eurogamer made a similar review, saying that Mount & Blade has 'foundations [..] for something really quite special, but in its current state the game is nowhere close to delivering on its promises'.[22] The game also received more positive reviews, IGN saying that it may be 'the best game about medieval life ever made',[5] while TechAdvisor called it 'the first, great medieval role-playing game'.[2]
Mounted combat has been one of the most widely appreciated aspects of the game.
Combat has been one of the game's most widely appreciated elements. Critics like Eurogamer, GameSpot, IGN and TechAdvisor praised it, describing it as one of the best implementations of medieval combat ever created.[1][2][5][22] Not all reviewers agreed on the quality of the combat system; PC Zone criticized it, claiming that melee combat feels random in its effectiveness on both foot and horseback.[10] The complexity and thoroughness of the character skill system was also well received.[1][3]
Mount & Blade has received negative criticism for its repetitive quests, dialogues, and locations, as well as poor graphics quality.[1][5][8][22]Eurogamer said the graphics engine 'does little to entice you deep enough',[22] and GameSpot said that conversations with NPCs feel more like 'consulting a travel guidebook for Calradia than actually speaking to a human being'.[1]
The fandom has received positive attention from both developers and critics. During an interview, TaleWorlds declared itself to be 'most proud' of its community, considering that 'Mount & Blade has arguably some of the best mods developed for a computer game'.[29] Reviewers such as GamePro and Game Industry News also admired the number of mods made available for the beta versions even before the game's official retail release.[3][8]
Mount & Blade series[edit]
Paradox produced a standalone expansion for the game, titled Mount & Blade: Warband, which includes multiplayer support with up to 250 players as well as improved diplomacy, graphics and artificial intelligence. Warband also has an updated map and a sixth faction. The expansion was set to be released in Q3 2009, but was delayed until March 2010.[30] Closed beta testing began on August 2009, and became open in February 2010,[citation needed] before the sequel's release on March 30, 2010.
Paradox released a spin-off titled Mount & Blade: With Fire & Sword, based on the historical novel With Fire and Sword (Polish: Ogniem i Mieczem) by Henryk Sienkiewicz,[31] developed by Snowberry Connection, Sich Studio, and TaleWorlds Entertainment. The game is set in Eastern Europe, and includes the playable factions Poland–Lithuania, Cossack Hetmanate, Russia, Sweden and the Crimean Khanate. The game was released on May 4, 2011.[32]
A sequel, Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord, was announced in September 2012.[33] In an interview with PC Gamer, a TaleWorlds producer confirmed that there would be a prequel to the original game Mount & Blade. A Turkish documentary featured footage of what would be seen as early alpha footage of the upgraded engine.[34] Over time, Taleworlds had released Work in Progress screenshots of Bannerlord.[35]
References[edit]
Fantasy Calradia ModExternal links[edit]
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mount_%26_Blade&oldid=899727671'
The Top 10 Best Mount and Blade ModsMount and Blade is an independently developed action-adventure role playing game released in 2008 for the PC. It combines an overhead map display and free roaming gameplay with visceral and intense horse and sword play. However, Mount & Blade also looks like an independently developed game, and fittingly also has some bugs as well as gameplay that is pretty bare bones. Luckily, there is an active community making mods for Mount and Blade that fix some of these problems. But with so many available, it can be impossible to choose the absolute essential Mount and Blade mods for you. Well, the top 10 best Mount and Blade mods guide is here. Continue reading to discover the best Mount and Blade mods available today. 10. Graphical Enhancement 2.5Mount and Blade is fittingly gritty when it comes to both combat, and unfortunately, graphics. Luckily, there is a fix for those blocky, dirty textures. The definitive Mount and Blade graphics mod is Graphical Enhancement 2.5. GE 2.5 overhauls many of the default textures and increases their resolution. The result is a fantastic increase in overall graphical quality, so much so that many larger mods have used GE 2.5 as a building block for their own graphical takes on Mount & Blade. 9. Polished LandscapesIn keeping with the theme of spectacular Mount and Blade graphics mods, we come across Polished Landscapes. Mod maker gutekfuitek has taken the sparse battefield landscapes of M&B and transformed them into believable and beautiful killing fields. Lifeless looking single trees have been replaced by clusters of beautifully full pine and fir trees. Dead, ugly brush has been transformed into lush, flowing fields of flowers and wispy grasses. Polished Landscapes even adds seasonal effects to the field, with some maps having pockets of snow or leaves instead of dreary dirt. 8. Native ExpansionWhile Mount and Blade has its moments, such as a mass of Vaegir archers obliterating a furious rush of filthy Nord huscarls with an arrow storm, there is not a whole lot to the game besides the standard find-and-fight gameplay. Thankfully, Native Expansion was one of the first mods to try and remedy that issue. With a bevy of new options, Native Expansion has improved troop trees and many more troop types, alongside of expanded kingdom gameplay. One delicious example of Native Expansion's flair is that you will have at least one or more assassination attempts against you, and you can hire a hitman to get back at those dirty Nordic Lords. Native Expansion does make a large number of changes to Mount & Blade's gameplay, but because there is now so much to do, it really is a good Mount and Blade mod. Continue reading to find out how to hack and slash your way through the rest of the best Mount and Blade mods. 7. Chronicles of TaleraFor the magic lovers worldwide, Chronicles of Talera makes the list of the top 10 best Mount and Blade mods. After all, what would a role playing game set in medieval fantasy land be without fancy magic? While not my personal cup of tea, what the modding community has done with COT is impressive. Miui launcher pro apk free. Chronicles of Talera's main draw is the extensive magic and special abilities system. Each faction ability – over 16 – is a unique ability for the player that can wreak havoc on enemy forces. Some examples include area-of-effect storms that damages enemies but heals allies, the ability to convert enemy soldiers to your side for a short time, and knock-down effects against foes. Aside from the fun new powers, COT also delivers an overwhelming amount of unique quests, unique lore, unique troops, and interesting locations. The sheer amount of new stuff worth doing makes COT worth a look and is why it made the Mount & Blade best mods list. 6. More Metal SoundsIncorporated into nearly every Mount & Blade mod, More Metal Sounds adds, well, more metal sounds to the game. Almost every action sound file has been edited, resulting in fantastic clinks and clangs as maces pound suits of armor and arrows pierce shields. Specifically, the hoof sounds of horses make it seem as though you really are riding a humongous war stallion into battle. Also of note are the ranged weapon sounds; when you pull back an arrow to fire at some poor sod, you can feel the tension in the drawstring. As if the general sounds of war weren't enough, More Metal Sounds also includes relatively good death groans and screams, although a few are deliciously over-the-top. Still, when most big mods use your file specifically, you know it is good enough to be in the top 10 Mount and blade mods list. 5. Expanded Gameplay IIIIt just wouldn't be Mount and Blade without the emphasis on blade, or brutal combat. Luckily, Expanded Gameplay III has taken that statement to heart. EG3 has numerous ambitious design elements to it, but the best is the addition of enhanced troop AI, extra combat abilities, and a greater emphasis on character diversity. Battles are actually difficult now, instead of a game of find the high ground before the zerg gets you. AI troops will faint attacks, lower the guard then raise it as you attack, and group up much faster than in vanilla Mount and Blade. Also, a heavy armor mounted character with a big sword is no longer the death machine it used to be. There are other more flavorful ways to destroy your enemies. Aside from the combat improvements, EG3 also adds in interesting elements like a 'death' system that is actually the perfect mix of frustrating but exciting, magical charms with different effects, and large variations in troops and armies. All of these improvements launch EG3 into the top 5 of the best Mount & Blade mods. Click on next page to see what mod are in the top 5 best Mount and Blade mods list! 4. Sword of DamoclesThe real question for the Sword of Damocles Mount and Blade mod is what can't you do in this world? One of the most comprehensive mods available today, SoD manages to nearly completely overhaul Mount and Blade, but still keep the gritty, intense feel of Calradia intact. The main attraction in Sword of Damocles is the addition of true kingdom management, including recruitment of lords and leading war parties to crush the still filthy Nords. You can delegate tasks to your chancellor, monitor the building and health of a variety of options for cities and villages, and even declare a specific faith for all of your peasants to obey.Aside from all of these Civilization-esque additions, random events come into play, such as rogue knight attacks, or even a humongous undead invasion after a certain time has passed. Sword of Damocles is absolutely deserving to be in the top 5 of the best Mount & Blade mods ever. 3. Eagle and the Radiant CrossThe one type of Mount and Blade mod we have not covered yet, Mount & Blade with guns, is a very popular mod type. The best mod with guns is absolutely the Eagle and the Radiant Cross. A half steampunk, half Britannica combination, the Eagle and the Radiant Cross mixes a strong background story, all new factions with very different combat styles, and a large number of item and troop options with handguns, rifles, shotguns and in some cases, cannons. While guns, if handled without care, can make things a bit messy, EatRC gets it right. It is absolutely still viable and fun to be a horseback lance and sword combo of death, but there is almost nothing better than handcannoning that really bad dude off his horse. Whatever the case, the steampunk medieval atmosphere of EatRC gets it right, and that is why it is a top 3 Mount and Blade mod. 2. Prophecy of PendorMy personal favorite mod for Mount and Blade, Prophecy of Pendor is one of the most popular Mount and Blade mods. Set in the contastly shifting world of Pendor, PoP has some of the most challenging gameplay around. To start, enemies are much stronger than they used to be, and you are not. Mount And Blade Free DownloadOne of the best additions to PoP is the completely unique, and perfectly balanced, faction troop types. Add in difficult to recruit uber knights of differing skills, a myriad of recruitable companions and unique troops, a ton of new items, and enhanced enemy AI, and you have yourself a winner. But PoP doesn't just desert you after some good hard work leveling up, oh no. There are randomly spawned massive armies, each with their own unique fighting style and equipment. Add in some divine inspiration and a hidden faction, and PoP comes out heads above the rest. For advanced Mount and Blade players, PoP offers something new and challenging every time. Also, it has unlockable achievements for the completionist in all of us. That is why Prophecy of Pendor is the second best Mount and Blade mod out today. 1. Battle Size ChangerAnd the number one best mod for Mount and Blade is…the Battle Size Changer! No it is not an error, a simple mod really is the best Mount and Blade mod ever. Let me explain, because Mount and Blade has a battle size limit of 100, that means that only 50 combatants from each side are available on the field of battle at a time. After a certain number goes down, reinforcements in the form of spawned waves come forth, ruining immersion and slowing the game down tremendously. However, the Battle Size Changer changes the entire game, allowing entire armies to be on the field at a time, ending in epic movie style battles that require true skill to emerge victorious. Most of the mods mentioned earlier in this list would simply be a nice fluffy candy coating on a decent combat simulator if we were not allowed to have massive battles. Thank goodness the Battle Size Changer gives us that real sense of warfare we have all craved before. The Battle Size Changer is absolutely, unequivocally the best Mount and Blade mod…ever. This post is part of the series: Mount and Blade Mods
A guide to the best mods, patches and expansion packs for Mount and Blade.
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