If you've been dying to know what to expect from the Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord full release (October 25th) and beyond, today's your lucky day. TaleWorlds has just released a blog on Steam detailing what's coming. We've got banner formations, AI movement changes, new scenes, audio, voiceovers, and much more. Let's take a look at it all!
Your troops have been without a banner for far too long, and TaleWorlds has recognized this with the incoming addition of banner formations. The banners in the game will be equippable items that players and AI heroes "can use to benefit the formations they lead in battle". There will also be crafting pieces introduced with cloth attachments to give weapons some flair and add to the visual experience.
Scenes, which can include battlefields, towns, castles, and more, are being spiced up. New scenes are also being introduced, which means all 53 towns will be unique and that the scene pool for castles, battle terrains, and locations such as hideouts will continue to grow.
The AI movement system is also being overhauled, which means that sieges will be a lot less congested. While some congestion is obviously expected due to the number of characters in a small space, it isn't a fun gaming experience if you can barely move or fight. This is new system is being implemented through physics adjustments and an increase in situational understanding and manners, such as NPCs waiting for allies ahead of them.
Voiceovers are also being added, which means that AI characters will soon have storyline dialogues and greetings. There are also a bunch of new and updated facial expressions being added, so hopefully they won't look nearly as nightmarish as they have in the past.
Post-release plans
Custom servers, battle mode, and multiplayer modding will continue to receive support, but as many Steam users have reported, we don't have full modding support yet. It's frustrating because even without full modding support, users are stepping up to the plate with crazy projects like the RTS mod. Hopefully, full modding support won't be too far around the corner.
Aside from that, features in the works include taking over common areas such as workshops and caravans, which, while not being "strictly legal ventures", will provide a passive income for you. A system that lets you launch surprise attacks on besiegers is also on its way, as is being able to push ladders off walls, which sounds like a lot of fun if you prefer defending rather than attacking.
Once your characters get too old, they'll be able to hand the reins of power over to the next generation. A new statistics page will show you how badly or how well you've done, which should go hand in hand with the replay editor that's on its way as well. Soon, you'll be able to see how bad of a commander you really are!
For more information on Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord as it marches towards its release and beyond, stay tuned to TechRaptor.
