This article identifies and addresses common frustrations players experience while building relationships in Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord. We’ll explore practical, effective solutions to overcome these obstacles, making the political landscape of Calradia far more manageable. Specifically, we’ll tackle the slow grind, the frustrating personality clashes, and the opaque decision-making that can plague your efforts to forge alliances and recruit powerful vassals.
One of the biggest gripes players have with Bannerlord 2‘s relationship system is the glacial pace at which relationships develop. You can perform quests, fight alongside nobles in battle, and consistently support their decisions, but the relationship bar often inches forward at a frustratingly slow rate. This is particularly challenging in the early game when you need to quickly build alliances to survive.
Focus on Personality Compatibility
Not all nobles are created equal, and some will simply never warm up to you, no matter how many favors you do. Pay close attention to personality traits. For example, a honorable and just character will likely clash with a ruthless and cunning one. Use the encyclopedia (accessed by pressing ‘N’ in-game) to research a noble’s personality before investing too much time in them. Aligning yourself with nobles who share similar traits dramatically increases the effectiveness of your actions.
Tournaments and Games: A Friendship Accelerator
Participating in tournaments and winning is an excellent way to improve your relationship with the local nobles. Winning a tournament hosted by a clan significantly boosts your standing with them. Even if you don’t win, simply participating and demonstrating your prowess is a worthwhile investment. The key is to bet on yourself – the payout from these bets is often far more valuable than the tournament prize itself, and it can dramatically increase your wealth early on. Additionally, playing games like Tafl in town taverns and winning can also improve relations. While the impact is smaller than tournaments, these games offer a consistent way to make progress.
The Power of Charitable Acts
Performing charitable acts, such as releasing captured lords after battle, can yield substantial relationship gains, especially with honorable characters. While it might seem counterintuitive to let your enemies go free, the long-term benefits of improving your reputation often outweigh the immediate tactical advantage of holding them prisoner. Look for opportunities to ransom prisoners to lords you want to befriend. The increased relation is often worth more than the denars.
Another common pain point is dealing with conflicting personalities. You might find yourself trying to build a coalition, only to discover that two key figures despise each other. These clashes can derail your plans and create deep divisions within your faction.
Understanding “Known Issues”
Bannerlord uses a behind-the-scenes calculation for relationships that can sometimes cause issues. The “Known Issues” section on the Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord Wikipedia page https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_&_Blade_II:_Bannerlord sometimes lists these problems as they are discovered and patched. Keep an eye on it.
Strategic Clan Placement and Governance
One often overlooked method is careful clan placement. If you’re a ruler, assign fiefs strategically. Avoid placing clans with conflicting personalities in close proximity. Granting fiefs to clans that are naturally aligned will foster cooperation and prevent infighting. When making decisions that affect multiple clans, try to choose options that benefit the clans you want to foster positive relationships with.
The Art of Persuasion
The persuasion skill is crucial for resolving conflicts and swaying opinions. Invest skill points in persuasion and practice your arguments. A well-placed argument can smooth over disagreements and prevent rivalries from escalating. Focus on arguments that appeal to the character’s values. If you’re dealing with a cunning lord, appeal to their self-interest. If you’re dealing with an honorable lord, appeal to their sense of justice.
Many players find the Bannerlord 2 relationship system opaque and difficult to understand. It’s not always clear why a particular action had a specific outcome, making it hard to predict how to influence relationships effectively.
Leverage the Encyclopedia for Deep Dives
The in-game encyclopedia is your best friend when it comes to understanding the relationship system. Use it to research individual characters, clans, and kingdoms. The encyclopedia provides detailed information about their personality traits, relationships with other characters, and political affiliations. This information can help you predict their behavior and make informed decisions.
Tracking Your Actions and Their Consequences
Pay close attention to the consequences of your actions. Keep a mental (or even a written) log of your interactions with different characters and clans. Note which actions led to positive outcomes and which led to negative ones. Over time, you’ll develop a better understanding of the underlying relationship mechanics.
Don’t Underestimate Quest Rewards
Completing quests for lords is the most straightforward path to positive relationship gains, and the more difficult the quest, the larger the reward. However, be aware that accepting quests that negatively impact other clans will damage your relationship with them. Carefully weigh the potential benefits and drawbacks before accepting a quest.
Table of Relationship Modifiers
| Action | Relationship Modifier | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Winning a Tournament | +3 to +5 | Higher modifier if the noble is hosting the tournament. |
| Completing a Quest | +5 to +15 | Depends on the difficulty and nature of the quest. |
| Releasing a Captured Lord | +5 to +10 | Higher modifier with honorable characters. |
| Supporting a Decision | +1 to +3 | In kingdom decisions, consistently siding with a particular clan. |
| Disagreeing with a Decision | -1 to -3 | In kingdom decisions, disagreeing with a particular clan’s preferred outcome. |
| Executing a Lord | -20 to -50 | Significant negative impact on relationships with almost all lords, especially honorable ones. |
As someone who has spent countless hours navigating the treacherous political landscape of Calradia, I’ve learned a few hard-won lessons about building relationships in Bannerlord 2. One of my biggest mistakes early on was focusing solely on completing quests, without paying attention to the personality traits of the nobles I was trying to befriend. I spent hours running errands for a ruthless warlord, only to realize that his inherent distrust of outsiders meant that I would never truly earn his favor.
Another mistake I made was underestimating the importance of tournaments. I initially dismissed them as a fun distraction, but I quickly realized that they were a goldmine of relationship opportunities. Winning tournaments not only boosted my standing with the hosting clan, but also gave me a chance to impress other nobles in attendance.
Finally, I learned the hard way that executing lords is almost never worth it. While it might seem like a good way to eliminate your enemies, the negative impact on your reputation is devastating. Even clans who are nominally your allies will view you with suspicion and distrust.
These experiences taught me the importance of careful planning, strategic decision-making, and a deep understanding of the Bannerlord 2 relationship system. By following the tips and strategies outlined in this article, you can avoid making the same mistakes I did and build a powerful and stable kingdom in Calradia.