What Difficulty Should You Really Play Bannerlord On? A Deep Dive
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So, you’re diving into the brutal, engaging world of Calradia in Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord, eh? Excellent choice! But a question looms large for every aspiring warlord, merchant prince, and kingdom founder: What difficulty setting should I actually choose? The simple answer? Start with Realistic. Then, based on your enjoyment, adjust the individual settings to taste. It’s the most rewarding and strategic way to experience the game.
Why not just jump to the hardest setting, you ask? Because Bannerlord, unlike many modern games, doesn’t scale linearly in difficulty. It piles on the hurt in unpredictable and often frustrating ways. “Realistic” provides a fair challenge that highlights the core gameplay loops: army management, tactical combat, and strategic decision-making. From there, you can fine-tune to create your perfect Calradia.
Understanding Bannerlord’s Difficulty Settings
Bannerlord‘s difficulty isn’t a single slider. Instead, you’re presented with a matrix of options that govern different aspects of the game:
- Combat AI Difficulty: Affects the decision-making of enemy AI in battles.
- Campaign AI Difficulty: Dictates how aggressively AI lords expand their territory, manage their economies, and interact with you.
- Trade: Determines prices of goods at trade.
- Clan Member Death: Enables or disables perma-death for clan members.
- Player Received Damage: Controls how much damage your character takes in combat.
- Friend Received Damage: Similar to the setting above.
- Recruitement Difficulty: The price of recruits and the amount available
- Party Morale: How much morale is generated.
Each of these settings has a “Very Easy,” “Easy,” and “Realistic” option. This granular control is what makes Bannerlord‘s difficulty both intimidating and ultimately rewarding. It allows you to tailor the experience to your individual preferences.
Why Realistic Is the Sweet Spot
Here’s why starting with Realistic is generally recommended:
- A Balanced Learning Curve: “Easy” can lull you into bad habits and trivialize the game’s mechanics. “Realistic” forces you to learn how to manage your troops effectively, use terrain to your advantage, and make smart strategic decisions.
- Meaningful Consequences: In “Realistic,” mistakes actually matter. A poorly planned battle can result in significant losses, forcing you to rebuild your army and rethink your strategy. This creates a more engaging and immersive experience.
- A Sense of Accomplishment: Conquering Calradia on “Realistic” feels genuinely earned. You’ll have to master the game’s complex systems and outmaneuver your opponents to succeed.
- Easy Tweaks: If “Realistic” feels too punishing in a specific area, you can easily adjust individual settings to your liking without sacrificing the overall challenge. Feel the grind on campaign? Lower the campaign AI difficulty. Take too much damage in combat? Scale the setting to fit you.
Fine-Tuning Your Experience
Once you’ve spent some time playing on “Realistic,” you can start to experiment with the individual settings to create your ideal level of challenge. Here are some common adjustments:
- Player Received Damage: Many players find that “Realistic” damage can be frustrating, especially in the early game. Lowering this setting can make combat more forgiving, allowing you to take more risks and learn the ropes without constantly getting knocked unconscious.
- AI Aggression: If you find that the AI lords are too passive, increasing their aggression can make the campaign more dynamic and challenging.
- Recruitment Difficulty: Bump up the difficulty here for more expensive, and less troops.
The Allure of Ironman Mode (Clan Member Death Enabled)
For the truly masochistic, Bannerlord offers the ultimate challenge: Ironman mode (achieved by enabling “Clan Member Death” and resisting save scumming). In Ironman mode, every decision carries immense weight, as the death of a key family member can have devastating consequences for your clan.
While Ironman mode is not for the faint of heart, it can create some truly unforgettable stories. The stakes are higher, the victories are sweeter, and the losses are more devastating. Ultimately, your clan member’s death will have severe consequences, but you might get to play again as their child. Just make sure you had one!
Finding Your Perfect Balance
The beauty of Bannerlord lies in its flexibility. There’s no “right” way to play. Experiment with the difficulty settings until you find a balance that challenges you without becoming frustrating. Don’t be afraid to adjust the settings as you progress through the game and your skills improve. The journey to conquering Calradia is a personal one, and the difficulty should reflect that. Also, don’t be afraid to read guides from the Games Learning Society to aid you in your journey! Check them out at GamesLearningSociety.org.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What’s the difference between “Realistic” and “Very Hard” AI difficulty?
“Realistic” AI aims for smart, logical decisions based on available resources. “Very Hard” AI receives significant stat boosts, essentially giving them an unfair advantage. “Realistic” focuses on strategy and resource management, while “Very Hard” relies on artificial buffs.
2. Should I enable Clan Member Death on my first playthrough?
Probably not. Clan management is a complex aspect of Bannerlord, and losing key family members early on can be crippling. Save it for a subsequent playthrough when you’re more familiar with the game’s mechanics.
3. How often can I change the difficulty settings?
You can change the difficulty settings at any time by accessing the Campaign Options menu. This allows you to adjust the challenge as you progress through the game.
4. Does the difficulty affect the amount of loot I receive?
No, the difficulty doesn’t directly affect the amount of loot you receive. However, playing on higher difficulties can lead to more challenging battles, which may result in better loot drops.
5. What’s the best way to make money on “Realistic” difficulty?
Trading is a reliable way to make money, but it requires knowledge of market prices and trade routes. Completing quests for lords and towns, and smithing is also good ways to make money.
6. Is it possible to lose in Bannerlord?
Yes, it is possible to lose in Bannerlord. This can happen if your clan is wiped out, your family members die, and you lose all your territories.
7. What are some essential skills to focus on early in the game?
Leadership, Steward, and Tactics are all essential skills to focus on early in the game. These skills will help you manage your army, govern your territories, and win battles.
8. What is the strongest unit in Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord?
The Battanian Fian Champion is widely considered to be one of the strongest units in the game, thanks to their powerful bows and high accuracy.
9. How many hours does it take to beat Bannerlord?
The amount of time it takes to “beat” Bannerlord depends on your definition of “beat.” Completing the main story quest can take around 45 hours, while achieving 100% completion can take over 137 hours.
10. What are the negatives of executing lords in Bannerlord?
Executing lords can have severe consequences for your relations with other clans. It can also make it more difficult to recruit new lords to your kingdom and can trigger rebellions.
11. How many horses should I have in my party in Bannerlord?
Ideally, you should have one spare mount and one pack animal for every foot soldier in your army. This will optimize carrying capacity and speed.
12. What causes my party to become disorganized in Bannerlord?
Laying siege to a settlement or castle and then abandoning the siege will cause your party to become disorganized.
13. Is Bannerlord a demanding game to run?
Yes, Bannerlord can be a demanding game to run, especially on max graphics settings. It requires a powerful CPU and a modern video card.
14. Does Tactics skill matter in Bannerlord?
Yes, Tactics is one of the most essential skills in Bannerlord. It allows you to use formations effectively, outmaneuver your opponents, and minimize casualties.
15. What is the best culture to pick in Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord?
The best culture to pick depends on your play style. The Khuzait are known for their cavalry, the Battanians for their archers, and the Vlandians for their heavy infantry. All the cultures have unique perks and can be seen on guides from the Games Learning Society! Check them out at https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/.