Hi everyone!
As Colossus has already shown, the M&B II: Bannerlord team were at Gamescon in Cologne, Germany, where they demonstrated some new gameplay footage, which is here if you want to see it:
There is a lot of context missing from the video as-is, hence the new blog. There are a lot of things demonstrated in the trailer, some of which are more obvious than others.
https://www.taleworlds.com/en/Games/Bannerlord/Blog/13Siege Engines - Hooray! Not only are there new Siege Engines (With at least a battering ram and catapult to add on to the returning siege tower and ladders), but the engines themselves are fully player-interactable, meaning that the player can push them in to position and 'use' them. What is also not seen in the video is that all Siege Engines can be placed manually during deployment, and aren't simply static objects with set paths like in M&B I. You can also climb ladders!
Combat - The animations are a lot more fluid and look to be a lot more varied and dynamic. Whereas before, hitting someone in a specific attack direction caused a specific death animation to play, the death animation played in M&B II seems to be based on the attack direction, weapon used, relative positioning and point of contact (Possibly some others as well). The characters also ragdoll a lot earlier in the animation, and do so more logically (Based on momentum and gravity) and more realistically (No stiff corpses). Heavy and large weapons can now also hit multiple targets with one attack! Wounds also look to appear more logically (Appearing where the weapon strikes the flesh, rather than all over the body). Animations in general, both combat and non-combat, also look to have been improved.
Character screen - Massive changes to the UI, which seem to make it look a lot smoother and better looking. Mouse-over on equip-able items brings up a comparison tooltip to allow for easier decision-making for whether to change out your sword for that new one you just picked up.
Seasons - Snow isn't just for the Vaegirs any more! As the game progresses, the changing of the seasons changes both how the game looks and how you need to play it! Waging war in winter is now a strategic decision, as morale is lost quicker, and the soldiers demand more food and fuel for their fires! All scenes change dynamically based upon the season (And presumably, overarching weather conditions) as well as on the World Map. Adds a little bit more immersion and a sense that time is passing.
The new World Map looks gorgeous, by the way, doesn't it?
Villages, Castles and Towns - The various settlements around Calradia are now more than just static objects with an interior scene and lots of menus. The management of settlements is a lot broader than M&B I and the interactions with them and the poeple within them are much more realistic. The settlements themselves can have upgrades built, which will confer various bonuses, but building one upgrade could be at the expense of another (For example, building a village outside a castle would make the village easier to defend, but you could have built a salt or iron mine there). The time taken on projects can also be varied by increasing the number of workers tasked to build, though this could impact the number of fighting men that are trained up in that settlement. Taxes can also be fine-tuned (With obvious morale effects). AI Lords will also undertake management of their settlements, so the face of Calradia will likely change over time.
Game-ception - In the unlikely event that you get bored, or just need some more money, some taverns contain a game host, who will offer you a challenge in a board game based upon the culture of that town. The games can also be played with ladies (Perhaps some enjoy more it than others? Another layer of interaction to woo the lady of your choice?) and other NPCs for role-playing or even diplomatic purposes.
Crafting! - Outgrown your current sword? Don't want to trek across Calradia to try and find a Merchant that actually has something better? Make your own! You can craft a custom sword, axe or polearm, changing various parts on each type of weapon. You can even name your new creation, too! This isn't just a cosmetic feature, either, as each part changes the weight and centre of mass of the weapon, changing the 'feel' of the weapon, the speed of attack and how far it reaches. There is also the very real chance of losing your prized weapon and seeing it among the wares of a Merchant!
Replays - For those of us (Like me) that walk the hallowed halls of YouTube brandishing gaming videos, this is a feature that will come in handy for anyone that goes beyond simple reviews or let's-plays. All battles (Single and Multi-player) are saved and can be watched back from any angle, with several adjustable environmental settings.
That was quite something. I need to rest now...
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