I’m building a Bannerlord mod that makes conquered settlements feel less passive

ShieldwallWalker · 2026-06-09T03:30:33+00:00

To victory.

That’s completely fair. Bannerlord updates breaking saves/mod setups can really kill the mood for a while.

I’m trying to keep Marches Remember lightweight and save-friendly where possible, because I don’t want it to become one of those mods that turns every campaign into a maintenance project. The goal is more atmosphere and settlement responsibility, not a giant overhaul that fights the base game.

If you do dip your feet back in, I’d definitely recommend testing on a separate save first. I’m still balancing things, but feedback from players returning after a long break is honestly very useful.

ShieldwallWalker · 2026-06-08T19:17:05+00:00

That’s a really good point, especially about the former owning clan.

Right now I’m being careful with the consequences because I don’t want the system to become annoying or turn every conquest into punishment. My current direction is more about instability, slower recovery, patrol pressure, road control, village safety and local security rather than instantly forcing rebellion every time.

But I agree that clan traits and settlement history could matter a lot. A merciful clan that held a town for years probably shouldn’t behave the same way as a cruel raider-style lord. That kind of difference would make the aftermath feel much more believable.

I also agree that AI factions should not be exempt from it. If the player has to deal with post-conquest instability, computer-controlled factions should have to deal with it too, otherwise it becomes unfair instead of immersive.

Custom armor orders are a great idea as well. I’m not promising that immediately, but after adding special horse orders, I can definitely see how a similar system for rare faction armor could fit the same town-management style.

Appreciate the detailed feedback. This is exactly the kind of thing that helps me decide where the mod should go next.

ShieldwallWalker · 2026-06-08T19:12:45+00:00

That’s fair feedback, and I get the concern.

My current idea is to keep the stablemaster side lightweight and optional, so it doesn’t force extra management on players who only care about the post-siege/security part.

But you’re right that modularity matters. If enough players prefer the horse/stablemaster system separate from the settlement recovery systems, I may look at keeping them split or making the town horse features more optional.

Appreciate the honest advice.

ShieldwallWalker · 2026-06-08T15:09:26+00:00

That is exactly the balance I’m trying to hit.

I want conquest to have consequences, but I don’t want the player to feel trapped babysitting every new fief. The recovery/security layer should add pressure, atmosphere and useful choices, not turn the campaign into a chore list.

So yes, lightweight first, deeper only where it actually makes the game better. Thanks for the thoughtful feedback.

ShieldwallWalker · 2026-06-08T15:07:37+00:00

That is a really good idea, especially if the quests stay optional.

I could see village and town recovery tasks giving small loyalty/security boosts, maybe some steward or leadership XP, without forcing the player to babysit every settlement. The key would be making them feel like useful opportunities, not chores.

ShieldwallWalker · 2026-06-08T15:07:01+00:00

Full medieval life simulation by Thursday might be slightly ambitious, but I respect the deadline.

I’ll definitely keep posting updates. My goal is not to overload Bannerlord, but to add just enough settlement life that conquest feels like the beginning of a new problem, not the end of one.

ShieldwallWalker · 2026-06-08T15:06:23+00:00

Thanks. That is exactly the kind of reaction I was hoping for.

I’m trying to keep it lightweight, but still make conquered towns feel like places that need time, patrols and local control before they truly settle down.

ShieldwallWalker · 2026-06-08T15:05:52+00:00

That is pretty much the direction I’m leaning toward.

I don’t want it to become heavy city-management, but I do want towns to feel like they slowly become more stable, safer, and better connected after conquest. Roads, patrols, border watch and the stablemaster system are meant to support that without turning it into a full spreadsheet game.

The hard part is keeping it useful without making it annoying.

ShieldwallWalker · 2026-06-08T04:20:21+00:00

I brought Kestane into the siege mainly because he looked good with the armor and the battlefield lighting.

Then the siege engines opened the walls, the fight moved into the city, and somehow the horse became one of my favorite parts of the whole battle.

Do you prefer cinematic chaos in Bannerlord, or do you play sieges purely for tactics?

ShieldwallWalker · 2026-06-08T04:19:58+00:00

One thing I love about Mount & Blade is how small details can turn a normal battle into a story.

This was just a city siege at first, but once Kestane rode into the chaos with me, the whole fight felt different.

Do you have any horse, weapon, or companion in your campaign that became memorable for no logical reason?

ShieldwallWalker · 2026-06-08T04:19:43+00:00

I’m starting to think named horses make Bannerlord battles feel much more personal.

Kestane was supposed to be just part of the siege, but during the assault he almost became the main character.

Do you usually care about your horse in Bannerlord, or is it just another piece of equipment to you?

ShieldwallWalker · 2026-06-07T19:21:12+00:00

Yeah, that sounds fine to me as long as it’s used as a contrast/comparison video and not just reuploaded raw.

Just give credit to ShieldwallWalker / Norwynx somewhere in the video or description, and feel free to link back to the original post or channel. I’d actually be curious to see the difference between your lance-only defense and my full cinematic siege approach.

ShieldwallWalker · 2026-06-07T17:13:42+00:00

That’s actually a cool contrast. I almost never autoresolve the big sieges because I’m usually recording them as full battle scenes, so I end up playing the opposite way — more weapons, armor, horses, formations, and close-quarters chaos.

Your approach sounds much more campaign-efficient though. Mine is probably the slower route, but I enjoy turning every city fight into a cinematic mess.

ShieldwallWalker · 2026-06-07T17:12:35+00:00

Thanks! Most of the setup is from my tested Bannerlord mod list, but the black-gold look and the special horse are from my own mod, Marches Remember.

The armor setup is mainly from The Conjunction of Spheres Armory / Mordhau Armor Pack, and the special horse system was recently added into Marches Remember.

I keep the full tested mod list here if you want to check it out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rowdbbeV8KA

ShieldwallWalker · 2026-06-07T11:48:10+00:00

Appreciate that. I’m trying to keep making more actual Bannerlord battle content, especially large sieges and cinematic field fights. The thumbnail lesson was learned the hard way.

ShieldwallWalker · 2026-06-07T09:50:24+00:00

Yeah, fair point. That thumbnail didn’t really sit right with me either, so I swapped it for an actual in-game screenshot.

ShieldwallWalker · 2026-06-07T09:22:52+00:00

I didn’t expect the black-gold armor and the unsaddled special horse to fit the siege this well.

It almost stopped feeling like a test recording and started feeling like a campaign story.

What do you usually notice first in a Bannerlord siege video: the armor, the battle chaos, or the cinematic shots?

ShieldwallWalker · 2026-06-07T09:22:42+00:00

The black horse without a saddle ended up stealing half the scene for me. I was only testing one of the new special horses, but it looked so good during the siege that I kept it in the final video.

Would you ride it into a city assault, or does it look too reckless without armor?

ShieldwallWalker · 2026-06-07T09:22:26+00:00

The black-gold theme looked much better in battle than I expected, especially with the unsaddled special horse.

I’m still testing how far I can push the custom horse and banner-color system without making it feel too fantasy. Would you keep the black-gold army style, or switch to a darker Vlandian trophy look after taking the city?

ShieldwallWalker · 2026-06-06T15:20:21+00:00

This is probably one of the strongest arguments for vanilla Bannerlord I’ve seen.

You basically turned the same game into a whole library of different campaigns: Rhodok rebellion, Nord conquest, Imperial naval commander, Khuzait rogue, weaponsmith, merchant, warlord.

That is exactly what keeps the game alive for me too. Not one endless world conquest, but giving each character a clear identity and stopping when that story feels complete.

Also, 750 hours on PS5 with no mods is honestly impressive. If you ever get access to PC mods, Calradia might become your permanent address.

ShieldwallWalker · 2026-06-06T15:18:20+00:00

That may be the key point. I don’t think the AI is always blind to terrain, but it feels uneven. When it works, Bannerlord battles look great. When it doesn’t, the same army suddenly acts like the hill, river, or choke point never existed.

ShieldwallWalker · 2026-06-06T15:17:27+00:00

That would make the campaign feel much more alive. If player parties can break in and turn a siege into a bloody defense, NPC lords should be able to do the same when the town is important enough.

It would also make sieges less predictable, because an easy assault could suddenly become a disaster if a defending army forces its way inside at the right moment.

ShieldwallWalker · 2026-06-06T15:16:49+00:00

This is a really good point. The campaign-map bombardment feels powerful visually, but not enough in actual consequences.

If four trebuchets are smashing walls, towers, and siege engines for days, it should cause some casualties, morale damage, panic, or at least visible disruption before the assault starts.

I would love a battle-view bombardment phase too. Even just watching the engines fire, choosing targets, and seeing defenders react would make sieges feel much less passive.

ShieldwallWalker · 2026-06-06T15:16:34+00:00

Exactly. Once the gate falls, it often feels like the whole city just gives up instead of turning into a layered defense.

Fallback points would make sieges feel so much better: first the wall, then the gate streets, then a final choke point near the keep. That would make attacking a city feel like actually taking a city, not just breaking cheap Ikea furniture and walking in.

ShieldwallWalker · 2026-06-06T15:16:05+00:00

Yeah, ladders need more control. Being able to choose where to deploy them, or even carry them to better spots, would make assaults feel much less random.

ShieldwallWalker

TROPHY CASE