Mount & Blade Warband: Napoleonic Wars

Overview

Mount and Blade: Napoleonic Wars is an expansion for Mount and Blade: Warband that features only multiplayer. Set in early 19th century Europe during the Napoleonic wars, this expansion features five playable nations: Prussia, Austria, Russia, France, and United Kingdom.

Also, it is important to note that this is not a standalone expansion and requires Mount & Blade: Warband, unlike previous expansions from the series.

Gameplay and mutliplayer are similar to native Mount & Blade: Warband multiplayer, except for a restrictive class system and some additions and changes to the combat mechanics.

Features

• 5 playable nations: Prussia, Austria, Russia, France, and United Kingdom
• Historically accurate firearms, artillery and uniforms from the early 19th century
• New commander mode; akin to the mode introduced from Mount&Blade: Fire and Sword
• Playable musicians with historically accurate sounds
• Destructible buildings
• Features over 40 classical music tracks
• Supports 200+ player matches
• 8 game modes

Weapons

Historically accurate firearms and artillery . All classes ranging from line infantry to cannoneers can use all firearms, but only cannoneers can use artillery. All firearms, with the exception of pistols require the player to be stationary to reload.

Muskets: The most common weapon on the battlefield; it has average accuracy and reloading time ,deadly damage through melee and long range(bayonet). Shots are relatively straight in 50 yards of in-game and goes into random directions after. Also, in melee mode (key-bind to X) and crouch(key-bind to Z) the player will be in a brace-mode that would kill either the horses or the rider of incoming cavalry.

Pistols: Quickest reloading time, worst accuracy and average damage. Usually used by the officer rank of classes.

Rifles: Longest reloading time, best accuracy and deadly damage. Usually used by skirmisher units such as light infantry, riflemen and the like. The melee mode of this weapon is half as deadly as the musket and shorter melee range.

Carbines and cavalry muskets: Both feature above average reloading times, below average accuracy. The melee mode of the carbine is quick and low-ranged. Whereas, the melee mode of the cavalry musket lacks a bayonet and functions similar to the rifle, but slower.

Swords and sabres: Both have variants in sizes, the shorter ones usually go to the infantry-men and the rest go towards the Officers and cavalry. The damage and range is average or above average, depending on the type of sword or sabre used.

Lances: Mainly used by cavalry or Russian partisans, long ranged and average damage, but can be deadly if used by cavalry charges. Couch-lancing on horse can be activated via pressing X on the gallop.

Cannons: Deadly damage, long ranged, slow reloading times. Can level some environments and are vary from 6-pdr to 12-pdr ranges.

Assortment of other weapons: The Russian partisans used a variety of random weapons ranging from farming equipment to a wood log.

Classes

Most classes includes the following ranks: Ranker, Sergeant, Captain, Drummer, Fifer, Bugler, Piper. Armaments may differ by faction and class. Also to note that Officers and musicians give specific singular buffs for melee, accuracy or speed of reload time.

Infantry classes:

Have the highest stats of strength and agility. Usually highly skilled with polearms(bayonet) and firearms.

Militia: Low melee and accuracy

Line infantry/Line Militia: Average melee stats, average accuracy.

Light Infantry: Low melee stats, better accuracy.

Skirmisher: Low melee stats, great accuracy.

Foot Guard / Grenadiers: Better melee stats, same accuracy as line infantry.

Specialized classes:

Usually have specialized roles in the battlefield.

Lower stats in terms of strength and agility and not specifically skilled in any weapons under the rank of ranker.

Sappers/Engineers: Able to construct various forms of cover for infantry and cannons, as well as TNT packs to breach buildings, destroy bridges, etc.

Cannoneers: Able to use artillery tools, such as the ramrod, and able to ride some horses for limbering.

Ship Crew/Marines: Includes the Sailor class who, similar to the Partizani, is spawned with random weapons each time. Marines include an infantry class wielding an infantry musket. Also includes an Officer rank.

Generals: Higher base defense and skilled in one-handed melee. Gives a buff that is the combination of the all the buffs given from Officers and musicians.

Cavalry classes:

All are able to ride horses, but have low stats in strength and agility compared to infantry.

Dragoons: Skilled in firearms and one-handed melee.

Hussars : Highly skilled with one-handed melee.

Lancers: Highly skilled with polearms.

Cuirassiers/Carabineer/Heavy Cavalry : Very high base defense and skilled with one-handed melee

Game Modes

Conquest

Capturing and holding as many flags as possible. Respawn is available corresponding to the number of tickets available to each faction. If your enemies’ ticket reaches zero or capture all the flags you won the battle.

Commander Battle

Take control of bots into line-battles with or against other players.

Battle

Two factions set against each other with no respawns.

Siege

Where you try to capture or defend the fort via holding the flag in the middle of the fort. Usually the attackers have unlimited respawns, whereas the defenders are limited.

Capture the Flag

Try to capture the other team's flag.

Team Deathmatch

Two factions against each other with unlimited respawns.

Deathmatch

A free for all with respawn available.

Duel

Challenge another player to a 1 versus 1 match for a contest of skill and honour.

Factions

Mount & Blade: Napoleonic Wars will have five historically accurate factions upon release: Kingdom of Prussia, Austrian Empire, Russian Empire, French Empire, and United Kingdom.

French Empire

Led by Napoleon Bonaparte, the French Empire in 1812 was the most powerful continental European state. Although, the disastrous Russian invasion of late 1812 led to her downfall in 1814 as the coalition of opposing European powers marched into the heart of France. The exiled emperor returns in 1815, ready to fight against all of Europe once again to regain his and France's former glory.

United Kingdom

The British Empire is steadfast in the expansion of her holdings and influence in the world, but there is growing problem back in the continental side; the French Empire. Now, with the return of Napoleon in the reins of France. Britain once again pressures other European powers to form another coalition against France.

Kingdom of Prussia

Prussia's humiliation and subjugation from France in 1806 was a hard lesson to Kingdom of Prussia, but it was a well learned lesson. The Fatherland's army has been reformed to early 19th century standards from a inept relic of the "Seven Years' War" ready to fight for their homes and family against the French Empire.

Austrian Empire

The early periods of the Napoleonic Wars has left the Holy Roman Empire into shambles with numerous lands lost to France. Now, the newly named empire under the name of the Austrian Empire is ready to strike back at France for the honour lost.

Russian Empire

Throughout most of the Napoleonic Wars Russia has always been patient and slow to move, albeit humbled by the French Empire on occasion. Nevertheless, her soldiers are brave and obedient, patriotic fueled defiance towards French influence at the ready. The ambitious Czar of the Russian Empire now seeks out not lands, but to defeat Napoleon to "save Europe" from French dominance.

Mods

North & South: First Manassas :

A early American Civil War(1861) mod for Napoleonic Wars; currently a complete re-texture of the game with tweaks in game-play, i.e. firearm accuracy.

Blood and Iron :

A War of 1870 mod for Napoleonic Wars, the setting pits the Second French Empire against the Prussians/German Confederation(later known as the German Empire) . As part of Chancellor Otto von Bismarck's plan for German unification, a common enemy was required for the remaining independent German state to align themselves with Prussia. The dispute for the Spanish Throne and the resulting ill-mannered diplomacy by the Prussians was the casus belli for France to declare war on Prussia.

Anglo-Zulu War :

The setting is the Anglo-Zulu conflict in 1879, the war was a result of a intentional casus belli between a British Commissioner and the King of the Zulus over an insulting ultimatum. The main gameplay for this mod is an hybrid of commander battle and battle modes, where commanders control regiments of Zulu Warriors and the British soldiers only have a single life per round.

Development History

This expansion is a spiritual successor to a highly active multiplayer mod called Mount&Musket. The mod developers of the Mount&Musket, now under the company name of Flying Squirrels Entertainment obtained the license to use the Warband engine and with the aid from Taleworlds were able to optimized and improve the engine. A Quote from Vincenzo on the announcement of the upcoming expansion, a developer from Flying Squirrels Entertainment :

" It has finally come to the point where we can show you what we have been working on the past year. Some of you may already have seen it, but for those who haven’t, please take some

moments to read the announcement here:

http://www.paradoxplaza.com/press/2012/3/mount-blade-warband-napoleonic-wars-multiplayer-dlc-announced

Watch the announcement trailer here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPv56deYrsQ

So what does this mean? Well, first of all - Mount&Musket: Battalion doesn’t exist anymore. It is now Mount&Blade Warband: Napoleonic Wars - a multiplayer-only DLC that you can buy for Mount & Blade: Warband. We hope you will find it even more enjoyable than the mod ever was.

The base is still there - the idea of large multiplayer battles, trying to realistically show the Napoleonic Wars while still maintaining enjoyable and rewarding gameplay. But it is now wrapped in a new shiny and professional package. We re-made it completely from scratch: bigger, better and more. Graphics have been vastly improved with new beautiful units and environments - while focusing on performance means it will run just as good as, and hopefully even better than, before." (From the

http://forums.taleworlds.com/index.php/topic,222384.0.html

)

System Requirements

Minimum:

• • OS: Windows® XP, Vista, Windows 7
  • Processor: Intel Pentium 4 2.0 GHz or AMD 2.5 GHz
  • Memory: 1GB RAM
  • Hard Disk Space: 1.2 GB available space
  • Video Card: Graphics card (128 MB+) (does not support integrated graphics card)
  • DirectX®: Directx 9.0c
  • Sound: Direct X-compatible sound card

Recommended:

• OS: Windows® XP, Vista, Windows 7
• Processor: Intel Core Duo 2.0 GHz or AMD Athlon 64 X2 3600+
• Memory: 2GB RAM
• Hard Disk Space: 1.2 GB available space
• Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce 8600, ATI Radeon HD 2600, or better (does not support integrated graphics card)
• DirectX®: Directx 9.0c
• Sound: Direct X-compatible sound card