I'm not sure why this isn't included somewhere in the mod description, but AD1257 significantly changes the game mechanics and takes a little getting used to coming from vanilla M&B.
Firstly, some useful links: the AD1257 wiki: http://mountandblade.wikia.com/wiki/Anno_Domini_1257 the AD1257 forum: http://forums.taleworlds.com/index.php?board=167.0 FAQ on the above forum: http://forums.taleworlds.com/index.php?topic=231208.0 - the FAQ has links to other posts at the forum with some short guides, they are certainly useful.
{I'll abbreviate 'dinars' with a '.D' after the amount, so 500.D is '500 dinars' }
The things I most noticed during my first three weeks of gametime in AD1257:
0. Inflation: Money is easier to get in large quantities, but things cost more: - Paying a band of 25 men can easily run you over 500.D a week in wages. - A good weapon can easily run over 25,000.D and a decent one will run at least 500.D, depending on what you buy. - Caravan escort jobs, which you can usually run half asleep, can easily pay well over 5000.D. - looted weapons can be extremely valuable.. so picking nice polearms from fallen troops before a battle ends to sell later can net you over 20,000.D. - not all looted items are all that valuable .. bandits are bandits because they are poor. - betting and performing well in tournaments can net you around 100,000.D. The large income of cash versus large costs can lead to a 'rise fast, fall hard' situation. Things are great when you are making money hand over fist, but if you aren't careful mounting costs can eat you alive. Tournaments, high-paying missions and good loot are not sure things.
1: Food lasts a LOT longer: - The food consumption rate is actually pretty reasonable. A band of about 25 can subsist for quite a while even on a single smoked fish.
2: Towns are more spread out, villages are closer: - Hamlets and manors are fairly close to the town or castle they are associated with. This means it is much easier for lords or garrisons to react to raids. - Large towns and castles are much more far apart. Except for the heavily-populated central regions of Europe, most towns are a fair distance from each other. This means that leaving your fief to raid or go to war is a bit more of a commitment; you can't easily rush back.
3: Battle is more tactical: - Firstly, troops are either specialized or generalized, both make them more effective. By this i mean that even archers usually have okay armor and melee weapons to fall back on. Front line melee troops usually don't have any ranged ability, but often are VERY heavily armored. - Archers are much more deadly at a greater range. Catching a stray bolt or arrow can end your day in a hurry. - Weapon damage depends on the weapon and the target. Using a sword on bandit wearing a heavy cloth shirt it likely to work out well - trying to slash a guy wearing mail or plate is just going to leave you tired. Slashing weapons do little to no damage to armored troops. Be sure to have a blunt or piercing weapon ready for those. - Spears aren't lances. You certainly can ride down someone and hit them with a wooden spear, but all that force goes somewhere. If you use a spear as a lance it will likely shatter on the first hit. You will be able to use it next battle, but it is unavailable after you break it on someone's face in your current battle. - People on horses are big targets. Even more so than in M&B vanilla, you're going to attract attention all through the battle if you're mounted. You may want to dismount and join your archers or infantry unless you have a cavalry unit along with you.
4: Healing takes time! - Did you ever sprain a wrist or break a leg? Remember how long it took to heal? How about getting a sword to the head ... might take a bit longer. Especially when you just start out it takes a LONG time for your companions to heal up and quite some time for you as well, as opposed to vanilla M&B. You can't go skipping from battle to battle and expect your entire force to be ready to go.
As far as a basic starting blueprint, I'd recommend doing the intro quest. It will help you to get some soldiers together. As a freelancing mercenary you can NOT hire soldiers from hamlets - you must hire other mercenaries in taverns. You can hire companions separately from the town menu. I'd recommend starting out with 2 companions and 6 to 8 mercenaries. Then outfit yourself with the best armor you can buy. Weapons are a little less important. There are often Belligerent Drunks in taverns. Beating them will net you a Nordic Sword - a pretty decent one-hander. Be sure to buy a blunt weapon and a good shield. A spear isn't a bad idea either. Most infantry units will carry spears as well as melee weapons to fend off cavalry. If you 'brace your spear' while on foot {read the FAQ!} and a horseman charges at you, their horse will be killed and they will be thrown to the ground, taking damage. Afterwards I'd recommend finding some caravan escort missions. Try to get one that goes pretty far. It will give you a big bag of cash for very little work and will level you up a lot all at once. My first two escort missions netted me about 12,000.D and about 8 levels, plus plunder from bandits that I ran down along the way. Using that cash I established industries in a few towns. From there, if you want to live by the sword, look for a faction that is in more than one conflict {Notes -> Factions -> pick one and look at their relations with others} and sign on as a mercenary.
Playing the Mod (2 comments)
I'm not sure why this isn't included somewhere in the mod description, but AD1257 significantly changes the game mechanics and takes a little getting used to coming from vanilla M&B.
Firstly, some useful links:
the AD1257 wiki: http://mountandblade.wikia.com/wiki/Anno_Domini_1257
the AD1257 forum: http://forums.taleworlds.com/index.php?board=167.0
FAQ on the above forum: http://forums.taleworlds.com/index.php?topic=231208.0
- the FAQ has links to other posts at the forum with some short guides, they are certainly useful.
{I'll abbreviate 'dinars' with a '.D' after the amount, so 500.D is '500 dinars' }
The things I most noticed during my first three weeks of gametime in AD1257:
0. Inflation: Money is easier to get in large quantities, but things cost more:
- Paying a band of 25 men can easily run you over 500.D a week in wages.
- A good weapon can easily run over 25,000.D and a decent one will run at least 500.D, depending on what you buy.
- Caravan escort jobs, which you can usually run half asleep, can easily pay well over 5000.D.
- looted weapons can be extremely valuable.. so picking nice polearms from fallen troops before a battle ends to sell later can net you over 20,000.D.
- not all looted items are all that valuable .. bandits are bandits because they are poor.
- betting and performing well in tournaments can net you around 100,000.D.
The large income of cash versus large costs can lead to a 'rise fast, fall hard' situation. Things are great when you are making money hand over fist, but if you aren't careful mounting costs can eat you alive. Tournaments, high-paying missions and good loot are not sure things.
1: Food lasts a LOT longer:
- The food consumption rate is actually pretty reasonable. A band of about 25 can subsist for quite a while even on a single smoked fish.
2: Towns are more spread out, villages are closer:
- Hamlets and manors are fairly close to the town or castle they are associated with. This means it is much easier for lords or garrisons to react to raids.
- Large towns and castles are much more far apart. Except for the heavily-populated central regions of Europe, most towns are a fair distance from each other. This means that leaving your fief to raid or go to war is a bit more of a commitment; you can't easily rush back.
3: Battle is more tactical:
- Firstly, troops are either specialized or generalized, both make them more effective. By this i mean that even archers usually have okay armor and melee weapons to fall back on. Front line melee troops usually don't have any ranged ability, but often are VERY heavily armored.
- Archers are much more deadly at a greater range. Catching a stray bolt or arrow can end your day in a hurry.
- Weapon damage depends on the weapon and the target. Using a sword on bandit wearing a heavy cloth shirt it likely to work out well - trying to slash a guy wearing mail or plate is just going to leave you tired. Slashing weapons do little to no damage to armored troops. Be sure to have a blunt or piercing weapon ready for those.
- Spears aren't lances. You certainly can ride down someone and hit them with a wooden spear, but all that force goes somewhere. If you use a spear as a lance it will likely shatter on the first hit. You will be able to use it next battle, but it is unavailable after you break it on someone's face in your current battle.
- People on horses are big targets. Even more so than in M&B vanilla, you're going to attract attention all through the battle if you're mounted. You may want to dismount and join your archers or infantry unless you have a cavalry unit along with you.
4: Healing takes time!
- Did you ever sprain a wrist or break a leg? Remember how long it took to heal? How about getting a sword to the head ... might take a bit longer. Especially when you just start out it takes a LONG time for your companions to heal up and quite some time for you as well, as opposed to vanilla M&B. You can't go skipping from battle to battle and expect your entire force to be ready to go.
As far as a basic starting blueprint, I'd recommend doing the intro quest. It will help you to get some soldiers together. As a freelancing mercenary you can NOT hire soldiers from hamlets - you must hire other mercenaries in taverns. You can hire companions separately from the town menu. I'd recommend starting out with 2 companions and 6 to 8 mercenaries. Then outfit yourself with the best armor you can buy. Weapons are a little less important. There are often Belligerent Drunks in taverns. Beating them will net you a Nordic Sword - a pretty decent one-hander. Be sure to buy a blunt weapon and a good shield. A spear isn't a bad idea either. Most infantry units will carry spears as well as melee weapons to fend off cavalry. If you 'brace your spear' while on foot {read the FAQ!} and a horseman charges at you, their horse will be killed and they will be thrown to the ground, taking damage. Afterwards I'd recommend finding some caravan escort missions. Try to get one that goes pretty far. It will give you a big bag of cash for very little work and will level you up a lot all at once. My first two escort missions netted me about 12,000.D and about 8 levels, plus plunder from bandits that I ran down along the way. Using that cash I established industries in a few towns. From there, if you want to live by the sword, look for a faction that is in more than one conflict {Notes -> Factions -> pick one and look at their relations with others} and sign on as a mercenary.