The Last Days

of the Third Age

a Tolkien-based module for Mount and Blade

Checkourforumsat
http://mbx.streetofeyes.com/index.php/board,20.0.html
AndvisitourModDBpageat
http://www.moddb.com/mods/thelastdays
SubscribeontheSteamWorkshopat

http://goo.gl/yIw0od
FindourTodolistat
https://trello.com/b/ntzYNdEA/
StayupdatedonTwitterat

@tldmod

Rememberthatyoucanalwaysdownloadthelatestversionfrom
https://tldmod.github.io/

0.Installationguide
Youneedeither
Mount&Blade1.011
or
Warband
toplay
TLD.
Installyourfavourite
Mount&Bladegame,thenthemoduleoverit.Theinstructionsvaryslightlydependingonthe
target,theformerrequiressomeadditionalsteps,describedbelow.

Note:
Thismodis
NOT
forMount&BladeWFaS(
ever
)

0.1.0Installing
Mount&Blade1.011
.
Youmaywanttousethe
enhancedversionof
M&B1.011

(morestable,withmanyfixes).You
cangettheenhancedversionfromTaleworldsofficialsiteusingthislink:

http://forums.taleworlds.com/index.php/topic,199418.0.html

Usethelinkabove,nottheofficialdownloadpage.
Thelatterhasoldinferiorversionforgod
knowswhatreason.Ifyouhave
mount&blade.exe
file2Mbinsize,youalreadyhave
enhancedversion,congratulations.Ifyour
mount&blade.exe
fileis3+Mbinsize,youhave
anolderinferiorversion,andwestronglyadvisetoreinstallM&Busingenhancedversionitwill
bemorestableinallthemods.YoucansafelyreinstallatopyourcurrentnormalM&Bcopyyou
boughtfromTaleworlds,orinabox.

IfyouhaveM&BonSteam,youcannotdothiseitherinstalltheenhancedversioninto
anotherlocation,(youcandothat,yes)orfollowourSteamguidefromhere:

http://mbx.streetofeyes.com/index.php/topic,2465.0.html

0.1.1Installing
TLD
modover
Mount&Blade1.011
.
Toobtainthelatestversionofthemodgotoourniftydownloadpageat:
https://tldmod.github.io

Ifyoudownloadedthe
autoinstaller
,justfollowtheinstallwizardthroughtheinstallationand
makesureyou
selecttheproperinstallfolder
.(
E.g.,
ifyourgameisinstalledin
M&B/
,that
folderis:

M&B/Modules/TLD/
)

Ifyoudownloadedthe
manualinstaller
,makeuseofadecentdecompressionutilitylike
7zip
or
PeaZip
toextractthecontentsofthedownloaded
.7z
packintoits
/Modules
folder.

BydefaultMount&Bladeisinstalledinthefollowinglocations,andincludesa
Nativem
odule:

Standaloneversion:
C:\ProgramFiles(x86)\Mount&Blade\modules\
or
C:\ProgramFiles\Mount&Blade\modules\

Steamversion:
C:\ProgramFiles(x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\mountandblade\modules\
or

C:\ProgramFiles\Steam\SteamApps\common\mountandblade\modules\

E.g.
,ifyourgameisinstalledin
M&B/
,unzipthecontentinto:

M&B/Modules/TLD/
.

Note:

TLDisamodthatheavilymodifiestheoriginalgame,soitrequirestochangea
fewfilesofMount&Bladeitselfotherwise,TLDwillnotrun!Thereare2waystodoso.
Theseare:

Way1:usetheallnew
IronLauncher
DLL.

(thisshouldbeyourpreferedchoice.Itsmuchcleanerandeasiertomaintain.Alsoitdoesntproduceany
issuessomeofyoureportasbugs,eventhoughyoujustdidthemanualinstallationwrong)

Swyterhasrecentlyrewrittenhisold
IronLauncher
intoatinypluginloadedbythegame.Which
solvesmost,ifnotall,theinstallationproblemsinanelegant,stableandeasytouseway.

Copythenew
dinput8.dll
file,locatedbydefaultwhereTLDresides(thefolderyou
extractedintothe
/Modules
subdirectory)tothemainfolderofyourMount&Bladeinstallation,
rightintoyourgameroot,wherethemaingameexecutable(
mount&blade.exe
)isfound.

Thenjustrunthegameasnormal,thistinyDLLisautomaticallyandtransparentlyloadedbythe
engine,soeverythingshouldworkmagicallywithoutreplacingcorefiles,avoidingtraditional
Mount&BladelimitationswhileallowingyoutoplayTLDandothermodswithoutfurthercomplications.

Intheunlikelyeventthatitdoesntworkforsomereason,youwillhavetoresorttocopying
themmanually(instructionsbelow).Telluswhyitdidntworkedbypostingthecontentsofyour
dinput8.dll.il.log
file.

Bewarned
thatifyoumistakenlydelete
dinput8.dll
TLDwillnolongerruncorrectlyand
youllhavetocopyitbackinplace,ithastobethereeverytimethegamelaunches.

Way2:Manuallycopythefiles.
Goto

M&B/Modules/TLD/data/

folder.Hereareallthe
TLDfileswhichmustreplaceoriginalM&Bfiles,sothatTLDcanrun.Specifically:
copyallfive
core_*.brf
filesto:
M&B/CommonRes/
(overwriting)
copyallthree
*.txt
andboth
*.xml
filesto:
M&B/Data/
(overwriting)
copy
mb.fxo

,allfive
*.pp
,andthe
*.bik
filesto:
M&B/
(overwriting).
Besuretofollowtheaboveinstructionscarefully!
NowyouhaveallcriticalfilesinplacetorunTLD.

Bewarned
thatM&B,afterthis,willworkonlywithTLD.
Nativeandothermodswillnotrun.
NowlaunchM&Bnormally,chooseTLDfrommodulemenuandenjoy.

0.2Installing
TLD
modover
Mount&BladeWarband
.
Toobtainthelatestversionofthemodgotoourniftydownloadpageat:
https://tldmod.github.io

Asthismodulewasntoriginallymadefor
Warband
itneedsanadditionalcompatibilitypatchfor
ittowork,whichisappliedoverthestandalone
M&B1.011
versionofthemod.Readtheentire
paragraph.

Thatmeansthatyouneedtodownloadthreefiles:Thelateststandaloneversionfor
M&B
1.011
,thelatest
Warband
compatibilitypatch,andthelatest
Warband
nightlypatch.Onceyou
haveallofthemfollowthestepsfor
M&B1.011
describedabove,withthesoledifferenceofthe
IronLauncherDLLbeingoptional,inthiscaseitisjustusedtoplaytheintrovideo.
Thesecond
wayofcopyingcorefilesdescribedintheprevioussectiondoesntworkwithWarbandandwill
corruptyourgamefiles,sodontattemptit.

Bydefault
Warband
isinstalledinthefollowinglocations,andincludesa
Native
module:

Standaloneversion:
C:\ProgramFiles(x86)\Mount&BladeWarband\modules\
or
C:\ProgramFiles\Mount&BladeWarband\modules\

Steamversion:
C:\ProgramFiles(x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\mountbladewarband\modules\
or
C:\ProgramFiles\Steam\SteamApps\common\mountbladewarband\modules\

(Extractthe
TLD
folderfromthestandalone1.011inside
/Modules
)

Openthecompressedcompatibilitypatchwith
7zipo
r
Peazip,
extractthecontentsunderthe
TLD
folderofthecompressedcompatibilitypatchtothe
TLD
folderunderyour
M&B/Modules/
subdirectoryandreplaceallitsfileswhenasked.Afterthatdoitagainwiththenightlypatch.

Launch
Mount&BladeWarband
,select
TLD
fromthedropdownlistandthegameshouldstart.

Protip:IfyouareusingSteamandWarbandyoucanskipallthisanddirectly
Subscribe
toTLDinthe
SteamWorkshop
.Also,dontplayuntilSteamhasfinisheddownloading,
takesawhile:

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=299974223

1.Introductionto
TLD
TLD

TheLastDaysoftheThirdAge
,isatotalconversionmodificationforMountandBlade
1.011.ThemodissetinMiddleEarthafantasyworldcreatedbyJ.R.R.Tolkieninhisnovel

LordoftheRings
andothers.TLDisinspiredbythebooksandisnotamoviebasedmod.
OurgoalistoallowtheplayertoparticipateintheWaroftheRing,inwhichforcesoflightand
darknessbattleoverthefateofMiddleEarth(forpracticalreasonsofwarintensity,onlythepart
eastoftheMistyMountainsiscoveredbythemap).
Version3.0hasbeencreatedin2010and2011,aftermuchprogressandcodewaslostwith
thedisappearingofthemodsleaderAncientwanker.
Followingversionshavebeenreleasedin20112013andcontainedmainlyfixes,polishand
somenewfeatures.
Version3.3whichalsomarkstheenormousachievementofaWarbandportbySwyterwas
releasedinearly2014.
Manypeoplecontributedtothismodandacompletelistofdevelopersandcontributorsishere:
http://mbx.streetofeyes.com/index.php/topic,2465.0.html
(ifyoufeelsomeoneismissing,letusknow!)

2.Whatistheretodo?
2.1Startingtips
Youchooseyourfactionatthestartandyoucan'tchangeitlater.Youcanalsochoosefrom
differentraces:men,elves,dwarves,uruks,urukhaisororcs.Rememberthatboththefaction
andtheraceyouchoosewilllimityouincertainways.Somefactionsprovideexcellentsoldiers,
butinsmallnumbers.Somehaveweaktroops,butyoucanhiremany.Smallerorcscan'twear
armorsdesignedforbigguys,butcanridesomebeastsinstead.Dwarveshaveexceptional
gear,butcan'tridemounts.

Thisisnotdesignedtobefully(artificially)balanced.
Playingweakerracesorfactionscan
bemorechallenging(asafirstgame,youmightwanttopreferoptions,inthestartingmenus,
whichareplacedontopofthelistofalternatives).

Youchooseafactionandyoufightforituntilyoursidewinsthegreatwar,oruntilyourfaction
getswipedout.Inthatcaseyoucanstillkeepfightingforyourallies.

Note
:TLDismainlydesignedtoentertainyouwiththe
WaroftheRing.
However,we
encourageactiveroleplayingandexploration.Thereareeastereggs,therearehiddenscenes
andplacesonthemap,uniquequestsandbitsofTolkienlorestrewneverywhere.

Talktopeople
:Seriously.Itsnotjustforroleplaying,talkingtowalkingNPCsinsettlements
providesyouusefuladviceforgameplayaswellasinformationleadingtosomeoftheseeaster
eggsandquests.

Itsnotallaboutthefighting,atleastwehopethatsnotallyouredoinginTLD.:)

2.2Thewar
AtthebeginningofthegametheWarbetweengoodandevilhasn'tstartedyet.You'llbe
notifiedwhenitdoes.(Thisdoes
NOT
dependontimespentplaying,ratheronhowreadyyour
characterisforthewar.)WhileMiddleEarthmightlooklikeaprettyemptyandquietplaceat
start,itgetsfilledwithhostilepartiesveryquicklyoncetheWarstarts.Bepreparedanduse
yourfewdaysofpeacewisely!Youcanperformquestsforthelordsandleadersofallallied
factions,raisetroopsandtrainyourselfinthebarracks.

Thewaritselfcanbewonorlost,unlikeintheoriginalM&B.Everyfactionhasastrengthrating
whichchangesaccordingtofactionsuccessesorfailuresinbattles.Withstrengthdropping
lowenough,itbecomespossibleforenemiestosiegefactioncities/camps.Whenafaction
dropstotheloweststatus,itispossibletodefeatitcompletelybystormingitscapital.

NotethatplayerhimselfcannotinitiatesiegesinTLD.Hecanonlyhelphisfactionandalliesin
siegebattlesiftheirleadersdecidethatitistimetogostormtheenemysettlement.
(thisisadesigndecision,notabug.Itsalsosomethingwewanttotweakinfuturereleases,so
theoptiontosiegeisavailable,butverycostlyanddifficulttoobtain.)

ThereareseveraltheatresofwarinTLD,definedbygeography.Whenonesideeliminatesall
theenemiesinitscurrenttheatre,itwillsendanexpeditionaryforcetohelpalliesonother
theatres.Expeditionaryforcewillbuildanadvancecampintheothertheatreandoperatefrom
there.Ifthegoodforcesarecompletelydefeated,butMordorandIsengardstillstandstrong,
thetwotowerswillbattleeachotherovertotaldominance.

2.3Economics
ThereisnomoneyinTLD.Insteadyoudeveloprelationshipswithfactionsrepresentedby
Resources,InfluenceandRank.

Resources
arewhat'sneededtosustainthefactioninwaryoucanredeemlootedscrapsand
itemsforitandyou'realsogivenacertainnumberofresourceallowanceeachweekdepending
onyourrankwithinafaction.Youcanusethisallowancetogetsoldiers,gear,horsesforyouto
commandandcompanionstofollowyou,butonlyifyouaccumulatedenough.Youhavea
separateresource/influence/rankpoolforeachFaction,rememberthat!

Influencepoints
areawardedforfinishingquestsandwinningtoughbattles.Theycanlaterbe
spentonspecialitemsasarewardfromtherulersoffactionsyougottheinfluencewith.


Rank
pointsallowyoutoriseupintheranksofyourfactionthiswilldetermineyourmaxparty
size,weeklyresourceincomeandunlockotherstuff.

Duetobeingtruetolore,wehavealsodisabledbydefaulttheoptionofthesocalled
crossdressing:aGondorianwouldn'tlikelyeverwearlootedorcarmour,andviceversa.After
mostbattles,youwillfindfewornoitemsinthelootwhichcanbeuseddirectly.Instead,"metal
scraps"aredropped,whichrepresentsalvageableequipmentandcanthenbegiventoyour
smithswhorequirethem,forResourcePoints.

What'sthereforyoutodoinTLD,inanutshell:raiseyourtroops,developyourcharacter,help
youralliedfactionswithbattlesandquests.Riseupinranks,getspecialitems,explore
locations,talktodifferentpeople(andothercreatures),maybeyoucanlearnsomethingquite
useful)

Andofcourse,havefun!

3.Factions
(Notethatwerenotpostingtrooptreesanddetaileddescriptionsonpurpose.Youcangenerate
themeasilyusingthecommunitydevelopedtools,ifyoufeelyouneedtoknowallthis.)

Quickstarttips:
ElvesareVERYpowerful,theonlyfrustrationyoullrunintoislackoftroopsto
recruit.PlayingMordorcanalsofeeleasy,astheevilfactionstendtosteamrollGondorquite
badly.Asaleaderoflargeorcarmiesyoullkeeprunningoutoffoodsoon.Thisisbydesign,so
restassuredweenjoythetasteofyoursweetangrytears.PGenerally,playingGoodinthe
NorthisabiteasierthanintheSouth,itsthereversewithEvil.

IntheNorth
TheGood:
Woodmen
werethose

NorthmenwhodweltintheforestsofMiddleearth,andespecially
Mirkwoodinthe

ThirdandFourthages.
Beornings
wereapeopleoftheupperValesofAnduin,betweenMirkwoodandtheMisty
Mountains.ItispossiblethattheBeorningsbecameknownasapeoplethroughbeing
descendantsofBeorn.DuringtheWaroftheRing,GrimbeorntheOld,sonofBeorn,wasthe
leaderoftheBeornings.
Thesenorthmenonlyfightonfootandtheirinfantryisdecent,ifnotverywellequipped.Various
scouttroopsproviderangedsupportandtherestaremostlylightlyarmouredaxemen.

Dale
isacityrebuiltbynorthmenwhosharetheancestrywiththeRohirrimjoinedbythe
survivorsfromthelakecityofEsgaroth.(afteritwasburntdownbySmaug)
.
MenofDaleprovidetoughinfantryfocusedonpolearms,famousarchertroopstoppedbythe
legendaryBardingbowmenandamerchantguardlineactingasreasonablygoodcavalry.


Dwarves
areshortandtough,verystrongandverywellequipped.TheycomefromtheLonely
MountainandtheIronHills.
Theirarmyconsistsofaninfantryline,ascout/archerlineandanIronHillsline(theheaviest
hardhittinginfantry).

ElvesofLothlrien
areapowerfulgroupofNandorandSindarlivingintheLrienwoods,led
bylordCelebornandladyGaladriel.
Theirforcesconsistofaninfantrylineandascoutline.Alltheirtroopsareveryskilled,well
equippedandoveralldeadly.Arainofarrowsfromundertheforestscover,followedbya
devastatinginfantryattack,istheirmaintactic.

TheWoodelves
areSindarlivinginMirkwood,ledbykingThranduil.
Theytoohaveaninfantryandascoutline,butfocusedmoreonthearchersthantheelvesof
Lrien.Theirinfantryspecializesonspears.

ElvesofImladris
(Rivendell)areSindarandNoldorledbylordElrondandhistwosons.Much
oftheWestofoldremainsintheirhousehold,powerfulelvenlordsandancientartifacts.Under
theirbannertheDnedainoftheNorthmarchaswelltalldarkhairedrangersandnoblesof
mixedDnedainbloodcladinancientmaille.
Verywellequippedandhighlyskilledinfantry,archersandalsocavalry.

TheBad:
MenofRhn
aretribaleasterlingsfromaroundtheseaofRhn.
Thebulkoftheirarmyiscavalryhorsearchersandlancers,bothverylightlyequipped,thetop
tiercavalryismuchheavierorlargermounts.Theirinfantrymenarealsoquitelightlyarmoured
andwieldlargeaxesandswords.

DolGuldur
isanoldfortressofSauroninMirkwoodorcsnowlaunchattacksattheforest
elvesfromthere.
TheDolGuldurtroopsarejustorcs,quitesimilartotheMordortypes.Overalltypicalorc
infantry,archersandalsothewargriders.

Gundabad
usedtobeadwarvensacredplace,lateritbecameamassiveorccityinthe
mountain.Itwasabandonedforawhile,butnowtheorcsreturnedinlargenumbers.
TheGundabadorcsareverysimilartoallotherorcs,buttheirnatureismoresavage.Their
equipmentisprimitiveandtheirfightingstylebarbaric.

OrcsofMoria
occupythehallsofKhazadDm.
Orcslikeallothers,buttheirequipmentisbetter,becausetheyusemetalscrapsandbitsof
looteddwarvenarmour.

IntheSouth
TheGood:
Gondor,
thelandofstone,isinhabitedbydescendantsoftheancientNmenoreans.Proud
menstandingasthelastlineofdefenceagainstthedarknessoftheEnemy,ruledoverby
stewardDenethor.
Gondorsmilitaryiscomposedofforcescomingfromallthedifferentfiefdoms.Yougetthe
standardarmywithsolidandwellarmouredtroopsoverall(infantry,archersandcavalry),Dol
Amrothfamousfortheirheavycavalry,greenarchersandspearmenfromPinnathGelin,
bowmenfromtheBlackrootVale,axemenofLossarnach,heavymarinesfromPelargiror
hardenedclansmenofLamedon.

Rohirrim
arethehorselordsoftheMarkofRohanledbykingThoden.
Rohirrimhaveverygoodcavalryfromheavylancerstoagilehorsearchers.Theyhavean
infantrylineaswell,branchingintoshieldwallformingtroopsandheavyswordsmenbearing
longswords.

TheBad:
Mordor
representsSauronsownforcesbredinthedarknessoftheBlackLand.
ArmiesofMordorconsistoforcs,uruksandevilmen(BlackNmenoreans).UruksofMordor
arethebetterequippedandstrongerbreedoforcs,buthavenoarcheryline.Mostregularorcs
areinfantry,skirmishersorarchers,buttherearealsoorcwargriders.BlackNmenoreansare
arare,butverydangerousinfantryandcavalry.Sauronhasalsobredfiercebattletrolls,but
theyreextremelyrare.

Isengard
isruledbySaruman,thebetrayerwizard.Hecreatedhisownversionoforcs:the
urukhai.
TheforcesofIsengardarequitewell(ifcrudely)equipped.Theorcsarecomparabletoany
otherorcs,buttheurukhaiaretrulydeadlykillingmachineswieldingpikes,halberds,heavy
axesandnastycleavers.Theyalsohavelargestbowsamonganyorcs.

Dunlanders
arewildmen,enemiesoftheRohirrimwhodrovethemfromtheirhomeland.
Theyreverypoorlyequipped,almostnorealarmourandsharpenedwoodenpikesandantler
axes.Theirchieftainswearoldmaille,crudelhelmetsandrareswords.Theyalsohavea
cavalryline,butitsalsoquiteweak.

VariagsofKhand
arefierceeasterlingraiderswearingterrifyingbattlemasks.
Theyrelyonfastlightinfantry(skirmishersandblademasters)andheavyaxemen,whiletheir
cavalrylinecontainsbothlightlyarmouredagileskirmishersandheavycataphracts.

Haradrim
comefromthedesertsandrainforestsofthefarSouthdarkskinnedwithan

affectionforgold.
Haradrimhaveaverageinfantry(skirmishers/archersandspearmen/swordsmen)fromGreat
Harad,acavalryline(bothheavycavalryandhorsearchers)fromHarondorandaFarHarad
lineoftribalwarriors.

CorsairsofUmbar
aresouthernenemiesofGondor,descendantsoftheBlackNmenoreans.
Corsairsemploybothlightlyarmouredskirmishersandheavierswordmastersaswellasiron
longbowmen.

4.Controls/Features
TLDoptions:
Youcantweakthebehaviourofthegameinanumberofwaysthroughthe
TLD
Options
campmenu.Youcanaccessthemenuwhenyoucamponthemap.Alloptionsare
ON/OFFswitchesforthesakeofsimplicity.

Traits:
Youcangettraitsinquiteafewways.Theydescribehowyouplayyourcharacterand
rewardorpunishyouforthesedecisionsandactions.
YoucanviewthelistanddescriptionsofyourcharacterstraitsintheReportsmenu.

Others:
Thereareotherfeatureswhichonlyapplytocertainsituationsorfactionslikeorcs
abilitytoeatprisoners,orNPCsbeingkilledinbattle.Wedliketokeepthoseasurprise,you
shouldfindthemyourselves.Intheworstcase,somegoodsoulwillmakeagameplayguide,no
doubt.

4.1FormationsandBattleAI
Yourtroopswillpositionthemselvesandholdatthebeginningofeachbattle,insteadofblindly
charging.
Onlymajorfactions(all18ofthem)useformations(+deserters),banditswillsimplycharge.
Thereisaslightdifferencebetweengoodandevilfactions,goodinfantrywillformshieldwalls
(usuallydefensiveshieldedtroopsfirst,butitcanformaphalanxifyouhavepikemen),while
evilinfantrywillformranks(besttroopsfirst).

Formationsonlyworkinfieldbattles(meaningnotincustombattlesandsieges).

Anytimeingamethatyouhaveaformationformor"Hold,"itwillsetupnearthepositionthat
theplayerhadwhenthecommandwasissued:infantrytotheleft,cavalrytotheright,and
archersupfront.Additionally,theformationsmaymaintainthesameFACINGthattheplayer
had(dependingonmoddesign).

Wheneveraunitfirstformsaparticularformation,troopsmayspreadoutforeaseofformingup
(dependingonmoddesign).
Playertroopsstarteverybattleinformation.


Unlesschangedbymoddesign,formationkeybindingsare:
"
J
"forranks
"
K
"forweaponbasedranks(shieldwall,phalanx)
"
L
"forwedge(theplayeroughttoreassignthe"L"for"Log"mapping)
"

"forsquare
"
U
"fornoformation(undoformation)

The"ranks"commandforarchersputstheminastaggeredline.

Cavalrywillnotmakeanyformationotherthanthewedge.

Charge(andDismountforcavalry)willundoaformation.TheplayermayAdvancemultiple
timestohaveaformationmovetowardtheaveragepositionoftheenemy.Orusetheorder
panelorholdF1toplacethem(orsweepthemacrosstheenemyforthecavalrywedge).

4.2BattleMorale
Asaleaderitsyourresponsibilitytokeepyourtroopsinorderduringbattle.Themore
casualtiesyoursidesuffers,themoretheirmoralecrumbles.Keepwatchingformessages
poppingup!Youcansupportyourtroopsintwoways:

1.Killingenemies.Ifyoudowell,youimpressyourmenandtheyfightharderanddontflee.

2.Rallyingthem.Ifyourtroopsarefleeing,press
V
.Yourcharacterwillsoundahornandrally
thetroops.Yougetonlyalimitedamountofralliesperbattle!(theamountisbasedonyour
CharismaandLeadership)

Itcanbequitetheadvantageifyoumanagetodefeattheenemycommander,becausethat
robsenemiesoftheirleader,theycannotberallied.Thereforeonceyoumanagetoroutthem,
theyregone.

5.FAQ
5.1GeneralQuestions

DoyouhaveaquestionnotansweredintheFAQ?Askawayonourforums:
http://mbx.streetofeyes.com/index.php/topic,2479.0.html

Ifitsagoodquestion,welladditrighthere!

(HeresaplayercompiledFAQforabsolutedummieswhorefusetoreadtheManual:
http://mbx.streetofeyes.com/index.php/topic,2926.0.html
)


Q:
Yourintroisannoying!CanIdisableit?!
A:
Whyyes.Inthemain
Mount&Blade
folderthereisafilecalled

binkplay.exe
.
Renameittosomethinglike
binkplay_disabled.exe
ordeleteit,thevideoswont
playanymore.Ifyoueverchangeyourmind,renameitbacktoitsoriginalfilename.

Q:
Myorcarmyisconstantlystarving!WherecanIgetmorefood?
A:
Enemiesareawalkingpantryforthesavvyorccommander.Reviewyourtroops
andslaughtersomeprisoners,youllhaveplentyofmanfleshtofeedyourlads.

Q:
Whycan'tIseeshops/vendorsfromthemenu?
A:
Youhavetohavemetthesevendorsfirstinorderforthemenutobeenabled.
ThisissothatpeoplecantakethetimeandenjoythebeautifulrecreationofMiddle
Earthbythetalentedartistsoftheteam!

Q:
ButIwanttoseetheshops/vendorsfromthemenuNOW!
A:
YoucanenablethisthroughTLDoptions,withintheCampmenu.

Q:
WhatcanIcraft?
A:
Craftingisanincompletefeature.Donotspendanypointsonit.

Q:
Lordsarentsiegingtheenemysettlements?WhatcanIdo?
A:
Weakentheenemyfurther,astheirfactionstrengthgoesdown,theybecome
morevulnerableandrequirementsforsiegeswillgodown.Youcanalsosetthesereq.
inTLDoptions.

Q:
WhyarentweeversiegingIsengard?
A:
IsengardandthetowerofOrthancarespecial,youhavetogrindtheenemy
forcedownsothattheyspawnalastdefenceparty.Whenyoudefeatthatparty,
Isengardfallsastheentsjointhefightandcrumbleitswalls.

Q:
HowcanIgetridoftheOathbreakertrait(SPOILER!)
A:
Youneedtosuccessfullycompleteanotheroath.Killlotsofsmallerparties,don't
gethelpfromallies(thatdoesn'tcount).Alwayskilltheprecisefactionwho'dslainthe
hero!

Q:
Myurukcantrideanything?Thatblows!
A:
Therearehugewargsyoucangetasrewardsfromfactionleaders,urukscan
ridethose.

Q:
WhatsthedealwithMoria?WhatcanIdowiththeitemIfoundthere?
A:
Nothing,atthemoment.Itsplannedtobeexpandedintoaquestitem.(no,you
cantminemithril)

Q:
Lookingforeastereggsishard.Istherea(SUPERSPOILER)threadwith
allofthem?
A:
Yes,thereis:
http://mbx.streetofeyes.com/index.php/topic,2564.0.html

(youlazybutt)

Q:
IcantfindthemountaintrollsforSaruman,wherethehellarethey?!
A:
Letssee,trollsliveintheMistyMountains.Theyliveincaves.Now,wherecould
theybehangingaround?.

Q:
Whycan'tIcaptureenemycommanders?
A:
Youcanonlycapturethemifyouhavethequest"captureenemycommander"
active.AsfarasIknow,ifyouhavethequestactive,yourchancesofcapturearehigh,
anddependantonyourprisonermanagementskill.IFyouattackanenemycommander
onyourown,youwillusuallycapturehim,butifyoujoinin,thismaynothappen.AFAIK,
thisisduetoM&Bnativemechanics.

Q:
Whycan'tIcaptureorcs/elves?
A:
Onlyhumanscanbecaptured(truetolore)ifyouagoodfaction.Ifyoureevil,
everyoneisgameforcapture.Elvescanneverbecapturedifyouareanevilside.

Q:
HowdoIgainrankandinfluence?
A:
Rankissimilartothe"renown"inM&Bvanilla.Yougainitbydoingquests,
fightingbattles.Rankpointsletsyougainrankinaparticularfaction.
Influenceisgainedatabout1/6ofrank.Soifyoufightabattleandgain6rank,yougain
1influence.Thereareotherwaysofgaininginfluenceaswell.

Q:
Icanonlyseemtogetmaximumof13rankinanybattle?
A:
Thisiscoded.Atmostyoucanget13rankand2influencealthoughifyouassist
others,yousometimesgettwochecksatrank,ieyoucanget13+2andthen13+2.
Thisalsoencouragespeopletodoquests.

Q:
A:

Q:
A:

Istherealistofitemsyoucangetforeachfactionandtheinfluencecost?
Yes:
http://mbx.streetofeyes.com/index.php/topic,2546.0.html
Istherealistofcompanions?
Yes:
http://mbx.streetofeyes.com/index.php/topic,2546.0.html

Q:
Whatisthepointinthe"gifttoanotherfaction"quest?
A:
Transferresourcepointsfromonetotheother.

Q:
Animalambushesareannoying!HowcanIgetridofthem?
A:
Animalsareafraidoflargegroupsofsoldiers.Ifyourpartyssmall,avoid
Mirkwoodandthemountains.

Q:
HowdoIfinishtheGoldenSpearsquest?
A:
Thatisanincompletequest.Donotspendtoomuchtimeinitasitcurrentlycan't
becompleted.

Q:
HowdoIincreasethenumberoftroopsIcanhire?
A:
Increasingcharismaandleadershipincreaseyourranklevelinafaction.

Q:
A:

IcantseemtorecruitXcompanion
Thereare3thingsyouneedtomeet.
1.
Theappropriaterankforaparticularfaction,forexample,forGalmyne,you
needtobea"
closefriendofRohan"
.
2.
Youneedacertainamountofinfluence
3.
Thecitystillneedstobearound(especiallyUlfas,whoisinWestEmnetand
whichusedtogetrazedquiteearly)

Q:
Theredoesn'tseemtobemuchactionatthebeginningofthegame.Isn't
thereawaron?
A:
Thewardoesn'tstartuntilyouarelevel8.Usethistimetogetafewquests
underyourbelt,getsomecompanions,moneyandexplore.

Q:
Whyisn'tElrondcomingtoGondortohelpout?
A:
Thenorthernfactionshadtheirownhandsfullwithawartoo.Ifyouhelpclear
theirenemies,Elrondmightbeinclinedtohelpthough...thesamegoesforGondor
armies.

Q:
Whereisthegold?
A:
Resourcesreplacegold.Youhaveabankaccountwitheachfaction.Becareful
ifyouareforexampleRohanandyouhirelotsofelves,youmaynothaveenoughelf
cashtosustainthem.

Q:
HowdoIobtainresources?
A:
1.
Havearankinaparticularfaction.Eachhigherrank,forexample,bea
Friend
ofRohan
,
CloseFriendofRohan,a
ndsoonallowsyouadailyincomeforthatfaction.
2.
Quests.
3.
Lootingenemies.Eitheryougetscrapmetalorenemyweapons,etc.

Q:
Whatisfactionstrength?HowdoIincreaseallies/decreaseenemies?
A:
It'sacomplicatedalgorithm.Allfactionsregeneratestrengthovertime.
Winningbigbattlesgainsstrength,losingthesedecreases.
Ifyoulosealotofbattlesinashortperiodoftime,youtendtolosemore,and
viceversa.

5.2Optimization/PerformanceTweaking

Hint:
Forthemostuptodatetipsonoptimizationandperformance,readthisthread:
http://mbx.streetofeyes.com/index.php/topic,2503.0.html

FirstuptoavoidabugthatcorruptsyoursavefilewhileplayingtheMount&Blade1.011
version:

1.Ifyoucan:saveonlyinsceneslikeTowns,notonthemap.Ifyouhavetosaveonthe
map,STANDSTILLwhilesaving.Dontsavewhilemoving!
2.Saveoftenandintodifferentslots.Donthaveonlyonesaveslot,ifitcorrupts,youre
done.
3.Ifyouloadagameanditalwayscrashesafteryoumoveanywhereforafewseconds,
yoursavefileiscorrupted.CheckthebackupwhichMount&Blademakes!Thebackedup
savefilesometimesworks.
4.Ifyourestartingagainafteracorruptedsave,tryloweringtheamountofpartieson
mapinTLDoptions.

TLDspecificperformancetipsthatseemtohelp:

1. Ifgettingcrashesinbattles(eitherRGLerrors,orjustnomessagecrashes)
a. Turnoffragdolls.(explanation:theragdollengineinMaBisreallyoldand
doesntlikeourcustomskeletons.Experiencesaysthispreventsmanycrashes
midbattle.)(
MnB
)
b. LowercorpsesinOptions.Tryloweringitslowlyandseewhatamountoftroops
yourcomputermanagestohandle.(turnthemoffcompletelytobesure)
(
MnB
and
Warband
)
c. Loweryourbattlesize.Tryloweringitslowlyandseewhatamountoftroopsyour
computermanagestohandle.
(MnB
and
Warband
)
d. Trysetting
IronLauncher.exe
(ifyoureplayinganolderversion.Whydontyou
getthenewestonewithSwytersupdatedlauncher?)and
mount&blade.exe

compatibilitytoWinXP(someuserssayWinXPSP3doesntwork,trySP2inthat
case)(
MnB
)
e. (
Warning:
Thisoptionisonlyforskilledcomputerusers!DONOTTRYTHISUNLESS
YOUREABSOLUTELYSUREYOUKNOWWHATYOUREDOING!
)Tryincreasing
yourpagefileto1.5x2xyouramountofRAM.(
MnB
and
Warband
)
f.

(
Warning:
Thisoptionisonlyforreasonablyablecomputerusers!!Ifyou'renotsurehow,

there'sathreadaboutitsomewhere.Searchforthat.
)
IfyouhaveWin7andenhanced

version(M&B.exe2.0Mbinsize)trysetitas"
LargeAddressAware
".E.g.by

usingCFFexplorertoedit.exeunder'
FileHeader>Characteristics>clickhere
>andcheck"appcanhandle>2gbaddressspace"
,(hattipBarf)(
MnB
only,
becauseWarbandisalreadycapableofusingmorethan2GBorRAM)

g.

2. Ifgettingcrashesinsieges,butnotbattles
a. LoweryourbattlesizetoabouthalfofyournormalBS,orlower.(explanation:
siegeshandlethetroopamountsinadifferentway,experiencesaysthishelps
avoidcrashesduringsieges.)(
MnB
and
Warband
)

3. Ifgettingbadperformance(stuttering,lowFPS)

a. Lowertexturedetailslowlyuntilyouseeimprovement.Somepeoplesayeven
90%helps,someneedtogolower.(
MnB
and
Warband
)
b. Inthemostextremecases,tryplayinginDX7mode.Itsnotpretty,butitllallow
youtoplay.(
MnB
and
Warband
)

Moregeneraltips:

1. OptimizeMountandBlade/Warbanditselfmanyusefultipscanbefoundhere:
http://forums.taleworlds.com/index.php/board,6.0.html
M&B1.011
http://forums.taleworlds.com/index.php?topic=183782.0
Warband

2. Wevealreadyconvertedsoundsto
.wav
,toincreaseperformanceandavoidthevertex
buffercrashes.Still,ifyouregettingthesecrashes,trybuyingandinstallingasound
card.

3. Saveoften
.Thegamewillcrash,forsomemorethanforothers.Beespeciallycareful
withlargebattles,siegesandgoingintocomplexscenes(largesettlementsandsoon).

4. Floraisoptimizedaswellaswecanmakeit,butonceinawhilethegenerationoftrees
andgrasswillgocrazyandyoullendupinajunglescenewhichmaycrashthegame.
Unfortunate,butwehaventfoundawaytofixthisyet.

5. GetmoreRAM
.AbetterGPUwillresultinsmootherplayandnicergraphics,butlackof
RAMseemstocausefrequentcrashes.EspeciallyifyourerunningWindows7,you
definitelyneedatleast4GBofRAM.

5.3TLD,YUNO...

Thissectioncontainsthecommoncomplaintsweusedtogetandwhichweexpecttogetagain.

So,TLD,why...

Q:youdontlooklikethemovies?
A:
BecauseTLDisamodbasedonthebooks.

Q:doessomeofyourstufflooklikeinthemoviesthen?!
A:
Becauseitdoesntcontradictthebooksandbecausewelikeit.

Q:dontyouchangetheelves/wargs/gondorianarmour/orcstolooklikethemovies?
A:
Becausewelikethemthisway.

Q:aretherenomumakil/oliphantsasbattletroops?
A:
Becauseitdbeverydifficulttomakethemworkproperlyandlookgood.

Q:cantImeet/killtheFellowship,havethemandGandalfandLegolasinmyparty?

A:
Theyhavetheirownjourney,theirowntasktodo.YourefightingtheWarofthe
Ring.

Q:isntthereanEriadorfaction?
A:
BecausetheEriadorareaisnotinthemod.

Q:isntEriadorinthemod?
A:
Becausebythetimeofthe
WaroftheRing
itwasmostlydesertedandnothing
importantforthewarhappenedthere.

Q:arentthereanyhobbitsandmenofBree?Anywhere?
A:
Becausetheprevioustwoanswers.

Q:arentthereanyspiderridingorcs?
A:
Becausepunchyourself.

Q:isntthismodforWarband?
A:
BecauseitstartedbeingdevelopedforMnBandportingitinitscurrentstatewould
requiremuchmoreadditionaltime.Nonetheless,Swyteriscurrentlyportingitonhisown
initiativesinceearly2014andaprereleaseversionmaybereleasedsoon,withastable
patchfollowingitshortly.

Update:
Ifyourereadingthis,theWarbandporthasbeenreleased.Yay!\o/

5.4ForthePurists

Q:Whyarentelvestallerthanmen?

A:
Becausewedhavetomakeanotherskeletonforthemandscaleallarmoursand
overallitdbetoomuchworkforlittlegain.
Update:
Nowtheyare.Hah!(justabit,butstilltaller)

Q:WhydoesthestarofArnorhaveonly4beamsandnot6?(likethestarofarendil)
A:
Asmallinventionofoursthemissingbeamsmeanthereisnoking(dom)ofArnor.

Q:Whyarethereorcsoutinthedaylight?Shouldnttheybeafraidofthesun?
A:
Itsforconveniencessake.Weareawareofthistraitoftheorcbreedanddealwith
it
usingpenaltiestoskillsandstatsduringtheday..

Q:

Whydontthetrollsturntostoneindaylight?
A:
Similarreasonsitdbeahugepaindifferentiatingbetweenthevariousbreedsof
trollsandtheirin/abilitytobearthelightofthesun.TheshadowofMordorisspreading,
thetrollscanbearthesunfornow.

Q:

WhyisnttheouterringofMinasTirithmadeofblackstone?

A:
Itjustlooksadamnedlotbetterthisway.MayTolkienforgiveusoursin...

Q:

WheresRammasEchor?
A:
Notinthemod.(yet?)Fortechnicalreasons.