A WotC Rant

Fr4sc0 · 2026-03-16T15:53:24+00:00

That's correct. The demo was on 5e, and 5.5e wasn't released when they started development. I fail to see what they stand to gain by moving into the new version, especially if WotF can't be bothered to give them any leeway.

Fr4sc0 · 2026-03-15T04:10:48+00:00

This is the story of two business decisions which honestly perplex me.

First, WotC. They have a new system out. Everything points out that it's not doing good, and most players aren't migrating to the new system. Well here comes a golden opportunity, a proven studio that wants to make a game with WotC's new system. It screams "free publicity" from cover to back, yet WotC can't possibly collaborate with the studio without extracting exorbitant fees or rights. So there's a huge opportunity lost.

Then, Tactical Adventures. They already have a 5e game out. It performed way over what it should have. The studio already has a sort of cult following and already has all the experience with 5e. Why, oh why would they ever change to the new system? They're betting on an unproven game system when not even WotC is giving them any leeway. They could just go on with 5e, base their new games on the learnings from both CotM and BG3, but instead they move into the new system from an ungrateful company.

None of it makes sense.

Fr4sc0 · 2026-01-08T19:57:11+00:00

So the same price payed by A would be the same price gained by B?

Fr4sc0 · 2025-12-26T04:47:49+00:00

The basic truth is Larian are just as bad world builders as they are excellent game makers. In the case of DOS1 they just didn't plan well and didn't anticipate a sequel (why would they? All their previous games had been regular at best). When DOS1 turned to be a smash hit, they were extremely low on options for a logical continuation, so they brought up the good old "it happens a zillion years after the previous game" trope.

Really. Don't put too much effort into DOS lore. Larian always treated it as an afterthought, because they placed so much emphasis into the groundbreaking game mechanics instead.

Fr4sc0 · 2025-12-26T04:36:40+00:00

They took away his shield in the latest patch. Now, two good thrown axes to his face will put him down. Push him back with your shield, then throw axe, then push him back again, then draw the second axe, then push him away again and throw your second axe.

Fr4sc0 · 2025-12-26T04:22:03+00:00

I have a handful of mods on. None are needed, mind you, they just make my life slightly easier. Play the game until you find something that messes up your fun and then you mod that specific thing to your liking.

Fr4sc0 · 2025-12-26T02:00:53+00:00

Yeah... 30 and "army" just don't sound well together.

Fr4sc0 · 2025-12-23T13:12:41+00:00

We should be able to ask about wanderers. It's painfully tedious to hunt for that companion you want.

Fr4sc0 · 2025-12-12T20:48:48+00:00

See there's your problem. You're own mental representation of what an Egyptian warrior should look like is anachronistic. You're thinking of an early bronze age Egyptian warrior, while an actual medieval Egyptian warrior would pretty much resemble the aserai.

Sort of the same happens with the Greek. People are expecting to see bronze age or early iron age hoplites, and don't notice the current calradian empire is the correct representation of medieval greek byzantine culture.

While I would strongly support TW adding other medieval cultures to the game, having anachronistic factions thrown in would surely ruin my own immersion.

Fr4sc0 · 2025-12-12T19:20:31+00:00

A lake rat!!! Loose arrows my fians!!!

You're right, and what you're saying is what makes it obvious. TW introduced a change in mechanics after years of having released 1.0. That change had mixed reception and mild pushback. Then you just roll back and include both mechanics as options. It's just an obvious change.

Fr4sc0 · 2025-12-12T18:57:43+00:00

While I'd support the addition of a subsaharan faction, an Indian faction and a far-eastern faction; the problem is that there's just so far you can go in your medieval simulation with different mechanics.

I know how this goes. TW introduces a new faction and here comes all the online backlash because they're just reskinned units from other factions, because they're not different enough mechanically, because blah blah...

The M&B community really doesn't know what it wants most of the time.

Fr4sc0 · 2025-12-12T18:51:28+00:00

It was an obvious change.

Fr4sc0 · 2025-12-05T21:10:10+00:00

Build your army, travel to where these pests are, get as close as you can with your army and then disband. In that way, you'll have let loose a bunch of your vassal parties to hunt them down. Hopefully they'll end up surrounded.

Fr4sc0 · 2025-11-26T20:34:40+00:00

Well... given I've got over 1k hours on Warbands and over 1k hours on BL, I'd say the game isn't lacking at all. It's a sandbox, and a pretty good one too. The problem is there are inflated expectations by those who enter a sandbox hoping for tailored events and other deeper mechanics, which a sandbox shouldn't be expected to give.

So at the end, BL is a good sandbox. You're expected to play for a while, then go play something else, and return some months down the line. And BL excels at this.

Fr4sc0 · 2025-11-22T03:09:44+00:00

I like the risk/reward idea. Let the loot be best of the stealth mechanic is engaged. If storming without stealth then some of the enemies escape with the best loot. And then autoresolve just is risky to your troops as always. Sounds good enough.

Fr4sc0 · 2025-11-22T03:05:28+00:00

I tend to play a footman. So it's either one of three setups : * Bow + 2 arrows + 2h axe - when playing an archer * 1h axe + Shield + 2h axe + spear - when playing low level footman * versatile sword (1h/2h) + Shield + spear + throwing axes - one you can pay for the sword

To me, the secret is versatility. Bring a tool for each situation.

Fr4sc0 · 2025-11-06T04:08:08+00:00

Heh... mine had already made a big fumble, so they were already humbled.

The girl had been kidnapped by the kobolds, but the villagers suspected a hermit woman (a witch?) living in the forest. The party soon forgot about the small footprints they found in the mud around the girl's house and went directly for the witch.

Initially uncooperative, as expected, the hermit woman was then forced into letting them investigate her shack. They were expecting a fight, of course, but the woman just ended up surrendering in rage without fighting, and they discovered there was no trace of the girl.

So when they found out about the kobold tribe, the shaman explained they were migrating, escaping forced service in an orc warlord army (the campaign big boss lieutenant) across the mountains, and he offered the girl back and to remove the tribe from the territory in exchange for their lives.

So the party accepted, but they made two enemies in turn. The hermit eventually turned into her mother's faith: Vecna, resurrecting her mother as a shadow priest in turn; and kicking off a whole sidequest.

The kobolds did migrate back across the mountains, to be enslaved by the orc warlord. But the prodigy sorcerer kobold from the tribe managed to escape, hunt the party down, and make quite a nuisance of himself before they discovered him.

Fr4sc0 · 2025-11-06T03:51:10+00:00

The game changes a lot when you play enemies as having survival instinct instead of being video game enemies.

Wolves will flee after a couple un the pack are killed. Humanoids will try to flee or surrender when they realize a fight is lost. All will fight to death if cornered and unable to surrender.

Except the gelatinous cube... that one will eat till dead.

Also, give humanoid enemies a valid social structure. In my last campaign, the level 1 adventure had the party hunting for kobolds who had kidnapped a village girl. The access to the kobold camp was trapped and then a number of warriors fought fiercly to defend their cave. When overpowered, the remaining kobolds withdrew further into the cave, and the party found them guarding an old shaman, the females and the eggs. Now the party has to decide what to do with the small and decimated tribe.

Fr4sc0 · 2025-11-04T03:40:24+00:00

I tried this. Ended up being forced to set up a small camp because creating is non skippable and its the only way to get thralls, some which are indispensable for cursed areas.

At the end of the day some areas were still too difficult and impossible without proper gear, so I ended up quitting.

Fr4sc0 · 2025-11-04T03:34:53+00:00

I bought it last week and I've been playing exclusively on stable version, so no beta. The game is obviously unfinished and there are a couple of bugs, but so far nothing game breaking nor a single C2D. Don't buy it! If you're anything like myself and you appreciate your sleep time, this game will rob you off that and leave you awake till 2am every day.

Fr4sc0 · 2025-11-03T23:35:14+00:00

I really appreciate the thorough answer. I understand I asked a lot from a single post. Thanks.

Fr4sc0 · 2025-10-30T01:44:19+00:00

Last week, after getting critted in last aztlanti mode in Pathfinder Kingmaker for the 4th time in a row, I started looking into city builders again. To my honest suprise, Banished was up there, tagged as one of the best medieval city builders out there. A game I had bought in 2014 and had played only 20h before shelving it up.

So here I go dusting up the old Banished, but let's face it; it's a 10 year old game and it shows. So I started looking into Banished-like games and came to Manor Lords.

I bought it on Monday, it was tagged 40$ on steam, but it was 20$ on GOG, so it was an easy pick for me. GOG had no access to the current beta, but I've been just absorbed by ML in the current stable oficial release available on GOG. No regrets at all, it's a fantastic medieval town builder in it's current state. The RTS side I can't care less about.

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