Info about Mount & Blade:

Official game description:
Calradia is a land at war, offering great riches and even greater dangers to adventurers and mercenaries that flock to shed their blood on its soil. With courage and a strong sword, an unknown stranger can make a name as a warrior.  
*   Free-form sand-box gameplay. You are free to go anywhere in a world with more than a hundred unique locations including villages, castles and towns.  
*   Groundbreaking horseback combat.  
*   Highly advanced and intuitive sword-fighting systems.  
*   Fight on horseback and foot using a vast variety of medieval weapons, each with unique characteristics.  
*   You can be anything from a lonesome adventurer to a commander of armies or an owner of villages, castles or towns.  
*   Sophisticated AI will challenge you in combat and in your strategic plans.  
*   Freedom to interact with hundreds of characters.

Release date: Nov 3, 2008

Categories: Sandbox, Action RPG, Open-World Exploration, Character Customization, Character Progression, Medieval Setting, Horseback Combat, Multiplayer

Feature scans:
- Steam Deck: score 55; verdict: Tinkering Required; summary: The Steam Deck experience is marred by significant stability issues, including frequent crashes and bugs, which severely impact usability. Additionally, the outdated interface and lack of support for modern screen resolutions contribute to a less than optimal user experience.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $3.00 - $6.00
  - Reasoning: The evidence suggests that the game is considered worth its price when purchased at a discount. Users mention specific low prices such as $3.73 AUD and $6 USD, indicating that the community finds value in the game at these lower price points. Additionally, multiple reviews emphasize waiting for sales to buy the game, implying that the full price is not seen as a good value. This sentiment supports a fair price range that is significantly lower than the full price, aligning with typical sale prices.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 20.0h
  - Story completion: N/A
  - Session length: N/A
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The evidence provides some insights into playtime metrics. One review mentions 20 hours of single-player time, which can be considered for game completion. Another review states hundreds of hours of playtime, which could be interpreted as a combination of story completion and endgame content. Session length is not explicitly mentioned, but the extensive playtime suggests long sessions. The mention of multiplayer hours does not directly contribute to the metrics for single-player experience.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game becomes fun almost immediately for players who enjoy multiplayer experiences, with the multiplayer mode being a central feature that enhances the game's appeal and keeps players engaged.
  - Stance: Fun immediately
  - Anchor: Multiplayer mode
  - Time to anchor: 0h 0m
  - Friction: Lack of multiplayer in the original Mount & Blade; Repetitive gameplay without multiplayer
  - Unlock drivers: Introduction of multiplayer; Availability of various mods
  - Conditions: Multiplayer mode; Improvements and polish in Warband; Availability of mods
- Player Archetypes:
  - Sandbox Explorer (buy)
    - Motivation: Freedom to explore and create their own stories.
    - Playstyle: Open-ended, role-playing, and exploratory.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: sandbox lover; role-player
    - Reference games: Mount & Blade: Warband; The Elder Scrolls series
  - Multiplayer Enthusiast (sale)
    - Motivation: Competitive and cooperative multiplayer experiences.
    - Playstyle: Competitive, cooperative, and mod-enhanced multiplayer.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: multiplayer fan; competitive player
    - Reference games: Mount & Blade: Warband; Chivalry: Medieval Warfare
  - Nostalgic Veteran (deep sale)
    - Motivation: Nostalgia and appreciation for the game's evolution.
    - Playstyle: Reflective and comparative, often recommending the game to others.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: deep sale
    - Labels: veteran player; nostalgic gamer
    - Reference games: Mount & Blade: Warband; Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Complex and rewarding combat system (weight 0.5): The combat system is noted for its complexity, diversity, and realism. It requires direct control and strategy, making it skill-based and rewarding.
- Variety in gameplay options (weight 0.4): The game offers a variety of gameplay options, including different factions, units, and activities such as trading, quests, and sieges. This variety provides a unique and complete experience with a combination of different genres.
- Extensive mod support (weight 0.37): The game is highly mod-friendly, with many unique mods available. It has a great modding community that supports and enhances the game.
- Immersive medieval setting (weight 0.37): The game is set in a medieval environment, offering an immersive atmosphere of real medieval life. It is praised for its realistic depiction and engaging medieval RPG gameplay.
- Engaging and fun gameplay (weight 0.26): Players find the game fun and engaging, with an addictive gameplay experience. The game offers an engaging story and complex mechanics that keep players hooked.
- Epic and satisfying battles (weight 0.23): The game features great battles, including epic final battles and large-scale warfare. Players enjoy the chaos and satisfaction of these battles.
- Addictive and replayable gameplay (weight 0.23): The game offers addictive gameplay with high replay value. Players enjoy the single-player experience and find it immersive.
- Unique mix of strategy and RPG (weight 0.2): The game combines strategy and RPG elements, offering a unique blend of combat mechanics and gameplay styles.
- Commanding troops and armies (weight 0.2): Players can command troops and lead armies on the battlefield. This feature adds a strategic element to the gameplay.
- Large and open game world (weight 0.17): The game offers a large open world with many cities, villages, and castles, providing extensive exploration opportunities.
- Character customization and progression (weight 0.17): Players can customize and progress their characters, adding depth to the role-playing experience.
- Horseback combat mechanics (weight 0.16): The game features horseback combat, which is praised for its implementation and maneuverability.
- Full sandbox mode (weight 0.13): The game features a full sandbox mode, allowing players to explore and interact with the game world freely.
- Living and reactive world (weight 0.13): The game world is living and reactive, with multidimensional and unpredictable interactions that enhance immersion.
- Rich in detail and content (weight 0.13): The game is rich in detail and content, providing a deep and immersive experience for players.
- Freedom of actions (weight 0.13): Players appreciate the freedom of actions and the endless possibilities within the game.
- Variety of weapons and armor (weight 0.13): The game offers a variety of weapons and armor, adding depth to the combat and customization options.

Common complaints:
- Inferior to Warband (weight 0.39): Players feel that the original game is inferior to Warband in every aspect, lacking many features and improvements found in Warband. Warband is considered a superior version with more content.
- Lack of coherent story (weight 0.28): The game lacks a significant plot or a full-fledged story campaign. Players note the absence of a linear narrative or story mode.
- Game crashes repeatedly (weight 0.17): The game is described as unplayable due to repeated crashes, including issues during character creation.
- Lack of detailed world and consequences (weight 0.16): The game's world is seen as generic with repetitive elements. Players also note the lack of significant consequences for player choices and actions.
- Clunky interface and controls (weight 0.15): The game's interface and controls are described as inconvenient, old, and clunky with poor ergonomics and hand feel.
- Feels like a test version (weight 0.12): The game is described as feeling more like a test version with substantial room for improvement in various aspects such as missions, map details, and character flexibility.
- Missing features like achievements (weight 0.12): Players note the absence of an achievement system and other features like a marriage system.
- Limited language support (weight 0.12): The game lacks support for languages other than English, with specific mentions of the need for Turkish language support.
- Excessive grinding required (weight 0.08): The game is described as requiring a lot of grinding, which players find tedious.
- Initial learning curve (weight 0.08): Players find the game initially difficult with a steep learning curve.
- Difficulty in chasing enemies (weight 0.08): Players find it difficult to chase and catch up with enemies during gameplay.
- Cannot become a ruler (weight 0.07): Players note the inability to become a ruler or king in this version of the game.
- Limited music variety (weight 0.07): Players note a limited variety in the game's music.

Gameplay feedback:
- Extensive character customization (weight 0.42): Players can create and customize their characters with various skills and progression systems, allowing for deep character development and personalization.
- Squad recruitment and management (weight 0.42): Players can recruit and manage squads of soldiers, including training and building armies for battles.
- Skill-based combat mechanics (weight 0.38): The game features a realistic and skill-based combat system that involves directional attacks and blocks, requiring players to master the mechanics for effective real-time combat.
- Variety of factions and roles (weight 0.36): The game features different factions and a variety of roles for players to choose from, such as diplomat, battle leader, lord, blacksmith, and merchant.
- Large-scale battles and warfare (weight 0.34): The game includes large-scale battles, castle sieges, and realistic warfare, allowing players to lead armies and engage in combat on horseback.
- Open-world exploration (weight 0.31): The game offers a large, interactive open world for players to explore, featuring various role-playing elements and activities.
- Medieval setting and atmosphere (weight 0.25): Set in a realistic medieval environment, the game simulates medieval life, including battles, trading, and capturing cities.
- Mod support and community (weight 0.15): The game supports modding, allowing players to create and use unique mods, enhancing the gaming experience.
- Sandbox and multiplayer modes (weight 0.12): The game includes a sandbox mode and multiplayer support, offering a variety of gameplay experiences.
- Strategic and tactical gameplay (weight 0.09): The game requires strategic planning and tactical decision-making, adding depth to the gameplay.
- Emergent storytelling (weight 0.08): The game features emergent storytelling, where the story morphs based on player actions and decisions.
- Faction-based warfare and relations (weight 0.08): Players can engage in faction-based warfare and manage relations with different factions, adding a layer of political strategy to the game.

Performance notes:
- Frequent game crashes (weight 0.3): The game is reported to crash frequently, especially during battles and when saving. This includes random errors and crashes that disrupt gameplay.
- Clunky and unresponsive controls (weight 0.13): The controls in the game are described as unresponsive and clunky, with specific mentions of sluggish turning and delays in attack to block transitions.
- Low system requirements (weight 0.12): Despite some performance issues, the game is noted to have low system requirements, making it accessible to a wide range of hardware.
- Save game issues (weight 0.1): Players have experienced issues with saving their progress, including lost saves and runtime errors that cause the loss of saved games.
- Texture and stability problems (weight 0.09): There are reports of texture issues and overall stability problems with the game, affecting the visual quality and smoothness of gameplay.
- Performance issues on newer computers (weight 0.09): The game does not perform well on newer computers, experiencing lag and other performance issues that hinder gameplay.
- Indie-level quality (weight 0.05): The overall quality of the game is considered to be at an indie level, which may not meet the expectations of some players.
- Various unspecified problems (weight 0.04): Players have reported encountering various unspecified problems while playing the game, indicating a range of issues that affect the overall experience.

Recommendations:
- Warband recommended over original (weight 0.61): Many players suggest that Mount & Blade: Warband is a better choice due to its improvements, additional content, and more mods. It is often recommended for both new and experienced players.
- Game recommended for various reasons (weight 0.3): The game is recommended for its historical significance, mods, and appeal to medieval fans. It is also suggested for those interested in the series and nostalgia.
- Recommendations based on price and collection (weight 0.16): The game is recommended based on its price and for collection purposes. Some players suggest giving it a chance past the first few hours.
- Consider Bannerlord for modern experience (weight 0.15): Players recommend trying Bannerlord for a more modern experience, but the original game is suggested for those who can't afford Bannerlord.
- Gameplay features highlighted (weight 0.12): The game is praised for its realistic battles, chill army-building, and sandbox gameplay with full freedom of choice.
- Original game for series curiosity (weight 0.11): The original game is recommended for veteran players curious about the series' start and for those who want to experience the game in its default form first.
- Mod recommendations (weight 0.09): Specific mods like Solid & Shade, Sword of Damocles, and The Last Days are recommended for enhancing the gameplay experience.
- Recommendation for Total War fans (weight 0.04): The game is suggested for those who enjoy Total War games, indicating a potential crossover appeal.
- Original for specific mods (weight 0.04): The original game is recommended only for specific mods, indicating a niche appeal for certain gameplay enhancements.

Other player notes:
No miscpoints

Emotions:
- Excitement (weight 0.2): Players are excited about the game's detailed and realistic combat system, the freedom and depth of gameplay, and the variety of roles and experiences. The anticipation for the sequel and the unique combination of mechanics, such as character progression and battle mechanics, also contribute to this excitement.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.18): Players feel nostalgic due to memories of playing the game in their childhood and the enduring appeal of the game's unique experience. The game's classic status and the personal history players have with it, including memories of playing with family and friends, evoke a strong sense of nostalgia.
- Frustration (weight 0.15): Players experience frustration primarily due to frequent game crashes, bugs, and performance issues. Additional sources of frustration include outdated graphics, poor combat mechanics, and various gameplay limitations such as economic difficulties and unfair mechanics.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.1): Players enjoy the game for its fun and engaging gameplay, great battles, and immersive sandbox experience. The combat system, variety of activities, and the overall positive experience despite some frustrations contribute to their enjoyment.
- Disappointment (weight 0.08): Players feel disappointed due to the game's lack of significant improvements over its predecessor, Warband. Unmet expectations, ugly graphics, and the lack of language support also contribute to this disappointment.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.06): Players feel satisfied with the game's variety of gameplay options and mods, which enhance the experience. The game's performance, enemy behavior, and the extensive character customization also contribute to their satisfaction.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.04): Players are enthusiastic about the game's features and positive aspects, such as detailed gameplay and progression. Sharing personal achievements and experiences in the game also fuels their enthusiasm.
- Joy (weight 0.03): Players experience joy from the variety in gameplay options and the rewarding combat system. The addictive and immersive experience, as well as achieving goals and building an army, also bring them joy.
- Love (weight 0.02): Players express love for the game due to its interactive world and the overall experience it provides. Many consider it their favorite game of all time.
- Appreciation (weight 0.02): Players appreciate the game for its high freedom and playability, as well as the amazing core mechanics. The high content value for the price is also a significant factor in their appreciation.
- Surprise (weight 0.01): Players are surprised by the consequences of helping a character and finding the game better than anticipated. These unexpected elements add to their overall experience.
- Engagement (weight 0.01): Players feel engaged by the gameplay that devours whole weekends and grabs their attention, not letting go. The immersive nature of the game keeps them engaged for long periods.
- Admiration (weight 0.01): Players admire the game for its history of development and the dedication of its creators. Describing the game as a masterpiece also reflects their admiration.
- Pride (weight 0.01): Players feel pride in mentioning the purchase of the game and supporting the developers. The fact that the game is Turkish-made also contributes to their pride.
- Fascination (weight 0.01): Players are fascinated by the game's unique focus and obsession. The detailed and immersive aspects of the game capture their fascination.}