This article tackles some of the most persistent frustrations within the Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord community, offering practical solutions and insights to enhance your gameplay experience. We’ll explore community-driven fixes for issues ranging from tedious resource management to frustrating AI behavior and limitations in diplomacy.
One of the most common complaints about Bannerlord II revolves around the micromanagement of settlements and troops. Constantly checking workshops, managing food supplies, and training troops can become repetitive and detract from the more engaging aspects of the game, like battles and strategic campaigns.
The Problem with Default Workshop Management
Vanilla Bannerlord II requires players to manually visit workshops in each town to check their production, change their output, or buy resources. This is not only time-consuming but also breaks immersion.
Solution: Improved Workshop Management Mods
The community has created several mods that automate or simplify workshop management. These mods often allow you to remotely monitor workshop performance, automatically purchase resources when needed, and even change workshop production based on market conditions.
Here’s a brief comparison of some popular workshop management mods:
| Mod Name | Features | Link (if available) |
|---|---|---|
| Settlement Management (Example) | Remote Workshop Management, Auto-Purchasing Resources, Market Analysis | Could be found on Nexusmods.com |
| Another Workshop Mod (Example) | Simplified interface, production forecasts, AI-driven upgrades, | Could be found on Nexusmods.com |
My Personal Insight: Prioritize Automation
From my experience, focusing on mods that automate resource purchasing is the biggest time-saver. I used to spend hours running around to different towns buying materials for my workshops. Now, with a good mod, I can set up a system that automatically buys what I need, freeing me up to focus on war and politics. I also noticed that some mods conflict with each other, so read the descriptions carefully and only install one at a time to test it out.
Another frequent pain point is the sometimes-unpredictable and inefficient behavior of the AI in Bannerlord II. Whether it’s allied lords making questionable strategic decisions or enemy armies inexplicably avoiding battles, the AI can often hinder your progress.
The Issue with AI Decision-Making
The AI in vanilla Bannerlord II can make illogical decisions, such as engaging in hopeless battles, leaving settlements undefended, or failing to coordinate attacks. This can lead to frustrating situations where the player feels like they’re fighting against their own allies as much as the enemy.
Solution: AI Enhancement Mods and Tactics
Several mods aim to improve AI decision-making by adjusting their priorities, tactics, and strategic awareness. These mods can make the AI more aggressive, more strategic, and better at coordinating with other lords.
Beyond Mods: Learning to Exploit AI Weaknesses
While mods can help, learning to exploit the AI’s weaknesses is also crucial. For example, the AI tends to prioritize raiding villages, leaving their settlements vulnerable. You can use this to your advantage by quickly capturing their castles and towns while their armies are distracted. Experimenting with different tactics and observing the AI’s reactions can help you develop strategies to outsmart them.
My Perspective: Learning and Adapting is Key
I’ve found that understanding the AI’s tendencies is just as important as using mods. For example, I often use small, fast-moving parties to bait enemy armies into ambushes. This works because the AI tends to chase smaller parties, even when it’s strategically disadvantageous. Learning these kinds of tricks has made a huge difference in my campaigns. I also like to keep a small but elite cavalry force to quickly respond to undefended villages.
The vanilla Bannerlord II diplomacy system is often criticized for being limited and unengaging. Players often feel like they have little control over political events and that diplomacy is largely a matter of luck.
The Limitations of Vanilla Diplomacy
The vanilla diplomacy system lacks depth and complexity. Making peace or forming alliances often feels arbitrary, and players have limited options for influencing political events.
Solution: Diplomacy and Politics Overhaul Mods
Community-created diplomacy mods aim to address these limitations by adding new political options, improving AI diplomacy, and giving players more agency over political events. These mods often include features such as royal marriages, political intrigue, and expanded peace negotiation options.
Modding as a Solution, Not a Crutch
These mods also include features such as royal marriages, political intrigue, and expanded peace negotiation options. It is important to note that modding is a solution, not a crutch. You should be able to play the game without mods, but mods can enhance your experience. Mods are a fantastic option if you have experience with it, however, they can cause instability if not used properly.
My Experience: Playing the Political Game
Before diving into mods, I recommend experimenting with the vanilla diplomacy system. Understanding its limitations will help you appreciate the improvements that mods offer. I used to rely solely on brute force, but I’ve learned that a well-placed bribe or a carefully crafted alliance can be just as effective as a large army. Don’t underestimate the power of influence and intrigue!
The Bannerlord II community has created a wealth of solutions to address the game’s pain points. By utilizing mods and learning to exploit AI weaknesses, you can significantly improve your gameplay experience. Remember, the key is to experiment, adapt, and find the solutions that work best for your play style. This article provides 3 main community solutions to solve game pain points.