Key features revealed for the first time at E3:
· Overhauled graphics; HDR, FSAA, Depth of Field, Soft particles, Tone Mapping and many other effects are all now implemented.
· Majority of Models are being redone.
· Multiplayer battles can now handle up to 64 players with Mods including ‘Team Death Match’ and ‘Search & Destroy’.
· Ability to become the ruler of a faction and convince lords to become your vassals in the Single Player Campaign.
· Ability to upgrade your companions to vassalage by granting them land.
· Improved Mechanics for Soldier Morale: Soldiers will break and run away if their morale gets too low.
A summary of additional features previously revealed at GDC are Multiplayer for up to 32 players, improved strategic AI, improved graphics and optimization including customizable quick battles, extended diplomatic options and new weapons, armor and animations, a new faction with unique troops and equipment.
Other aspects introduced in Mount&Blade: Warband are improvements to the combat system with more physically accurate horse archery, a variation in horse sizes, and more options when embarking on sieges.
· Extensively moddable: from damage values, to trade item prices, to ship textures.
· Multiplayer support for up to 12 players.
· Multiple ways to win the game: accomplishing all campaign missions, forcing all other companies out of business or conquering the whole of the East Indies.
· Multiple approaches possible: focus on trading, warfare and conquest or use diplomacy to reach your goals. East India Company can also be played as a pure trading game.
· Dynamic economy where supply and demand affect prices of trading items.
· Create your own armada with a maximum of 100 ships.
· Different multiplayer battle modes including ‘Last Man Floating’ and ‘Domination’.
· Unlock new ship types as they become available, from smallest sloop to 90 gun ship-of-the-line.
After several members of the Valve South team -- which Lombardi described as only ever numbering "nine or 11 in total" -- moved up to Bellevue, the remaining staff were not enough to justify a fully-fledged studio.
At that scale, "the idea of having an office with a receptionist and all of that kind of goes out the window," Lombardi said. As far as Booth and his current team, "that group of people looks like the original Turtle Rock again, and I think they may even prefer to call themselves that," he added.
No details were offered regarding that group's upcoming project, but Lombardi did conform it is once again a collaboration with Valve.
Reconciled Links: | Thanks Ant and Mike Martinez. |
Play: |
Doom 2D. Spark. Go Home Ball. Thanks Jay is Games. |
Link: | Geeks Gone Bad. Thanks Digg. |
Story: | Coldstone Breakthrough: Ice Cream That Transforms Into Pudding. |
Science: | Unmanned sub touches deepest part of world's ocean. |
Images: | Princess ALWAYS In Another Castle. An Airedale fail dog!! |
Media: | Demon Attack- Can You Survive the Lawsuit from Atari? Thanks Digg. |
Follow-ups: |
Space 2.X- The Private Rocket Race Takes Off.. Armstrong's 'poetic' slip on Moon. |