Info about Mount & Blade: With Fire & Sword:

Official game description:
The standalone expansion for Mount & Blade! With Fire & Sword builds and expands upon the highly regarded combat system from Mount & Blade: Warband. Firearms have been introduced to the battlefield.  
In an open sand box world you choose your allies, your enemies, what provinces to conquer, what castles to siege and what quests to embark on. With Fire & Sword builds and expands upon the highly regarded combat system from Mount & Blade: Warband. Firearms have been introduced to the battlefield. Additionally, muskets and pistols can now be used as sidearms in hand-to-hand combat to quickly drop your foes. In addition to the enhanced singleplayer mode, With Fire & Sword also provides a host of original multiplayer content including the new game mode: Captain.
Key Features:
-------------
*   A storyline based on the cult novel, "With Fire and Sword", from Nobel-prize winning author Henryk Sienkiewicz.  
*   A new century of warfare that brings pistols, muskets, grenades, and other advanced weaponry to the battlefield.  
*   Fully customizable armies; players can outfit their soldiers with each piece of weaponry & armor.  
*   Additional quest types. More political intrigue with colorful factions. More adventure in a new land.  
*   Multiple endings to increase re-playability.  
*   Deeply researched historical component encompassing every aspect of the game's assets.  
*   Ferocious new multiplayer action, bringing players the thrill of pitting old technology against the looming threat of firearms.  
*   3 Main Story-driven quest-lines for the player to delve into once they've become known in a particular faction.  
*   Additional quest types.  
*   Implementation of firearms, adds a whole new layer of strategic depth to the franchise's proven combat model.  
*   New Siege options to choose before besieging a town or castle.  
*   New multiplayer Maps and new multiplayer mode, “Captain Team Deathmatch”

Release date: May 3, 2011

Categories: Sandbox, Open-World, Historical Simulation, Action RPG, Tactical Combat, Multiplayer, Siege Mechanics, Character Customization


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $10.00 - $20.00
  - Reasoning: The evidence shows mixed sentiments about the game's value. Some users feel the game is worth the price, indicating a positive sentiment towards its value. However, others suggest that it should not be bought at full price or even feel it should be free, indicating a lower perceived value. Balancing these views, the fair price range is likely below the full price but not as low as being free.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 535.0h
  - Story completion: N/A
  - Session length: N/A
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The evidence provided shows that players expect to spend a significant amount of time on the game, with mentions of hundreds of hours and even over a thousand hours. This suggests that the game has high replay value and can keep players engaged for extended periods. The quotes also indicate that players have already invested hundreds of hours into the game, further supporting the idea of long playtimes.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game's multiplayer mode is highly enjoyable and fun from the start, but the player base is not as active as it used to be. Playing with a close community and using mods can enhance the fun.
  - Stance: Fun immediately
  - Anchor: Joining a multiplayer battle
  - Time to anchor: 0h 5m
  - Friction: Small player base; Lack of active players
  - Unlock drivers: Close community; Mods
  - Conditions: Playing with a close community; Using mods
- Player Archetypes:
  - Multiplayer Combat Enthusiast (sale)
    - Motivation: Engaging and dynamic multiplayer combat.
    - Playstyle: Focuses on multiplayer battles, enjoying the unique combat mechanics and large-scale engagements.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: Multiplayer fan; Combat enthusiast
    - Reference games: Mount & Blade: Warband; Mount & Blade: Bannerlord
  - Sandbox Explorer (buy)
    - Motivation: Freedom and variety in gameplay.
    - Playstyle: Enjoys exploring different roles and activities within the game's sandbox environment.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: Sandbox lover; Explorer
    - Reference games: Mount & Blade: Warband; Mount & Blade: Bannerlord
  - History Buff (buy)
    - Motivation: Historical context and unique gameplay elements.
    - Playstyle: Enjoys the historical setting and the specific gameplay mechanics tied to the era.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: History enthusiast; Era fan
    - Reference games: Mount & Blade: Warband; Total War: Medieval II


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:
- Engaging and fun gameplay (weight 0.36): The game offers a highly engaging and enjoyable gameplay experience with fun combat mechanics and high replayability. Players find the gameplay addictive and challenging.
- Unique historical setting (weight 0.34): The game features a unique and interesting historical setting, particularly focusing on 17th-century Eastern Europe. This setting is atmospheric and appealing to history enthusiasts.
- Variety of factions and storylines (weight 0.22): The game offers a variety of factions to join or play independently, along with multiple engaging storylines and quests. This adds depth and replayability to the game.
- Immersive and atmospheric world (weight 0.19): The game provides an immersive world with a high level of immersion and atmospheric setting. The storytelling and plot setting are attractive and engaging.
- Satisfying combat mechanics (weight 0.15): The combat mechanics are satisfying and demanding, offering a variety of combat options and good rhythm in combat. Players enjoy the combat mechanics and find them engaging.
- Potential for modding (weight 0.11): The game supports modding, offering many mod options and availability of mods. This enhances the game's longevity and customization.
- Strategic sandbox gameplay (weight 0.09): The game features a unique sandbox strategy with political elements, providing players with a strategic and immersive gameplay experience.
- Variety of weapons and armor (weight 0.09): The game offers a good variety of weapons, armor, and troops, enhancing the combat experience and providing players with multiple options.

Common complaints:
- Frequent bugs and crashes (weight 0.38): The game suffers from a variety of bugs, including minor technical issues, mission bugs, and frequent crashes. These issues significantly impact the gameplay experience.
- Less freedom than Warband (weight 0.2): Compared to Warband, the game feels more restricted and less free due to its attachment to the plot and powerful factions.
- Missing features and mechanics (weight 0.2): The game lacks several features and mechanics that were present in other titles in the series. This includes missing mod support and certain gameplay mechanics.
- Quest and storyline issues (weight 0.2): Quests are critically bugged and poorly guided. The main storyline is also considered boring and lacking.
- Outdated graphics (weight 0.19): The graphics are considered outdated and below current standards. Players have noted that the visual quality does not meet expectations for the year of release.
- Balance and diversity issues (weight 0.14): The game has poor faction balance and lacks diversity. Combat and overall gameplay are also noted to be unbalanced.
- Limited kingdom creation (weight 0.1): Players are unable to create their own kingdoms from scratch, which is a significant limitation compared to previous titles.
- Poor AI and economy (weight 0.1): The game's AI makes erratic decisions, and the economy is considered one of the worst aspects.
- Repetitive and complicated gameplay (weight 0.09): The gameplay loop is repetitive, and some mechanics are complicated, making it less accessible for casual players.
- No autosave feature (weight 0.08): The game lacks an autosave feature, which is a significant inconvenience for players.
- Poor shooting mechanics (weight 0.08): The shooting mechanics are noted to be poor and frustrating, impacting combat effectiveness.
- Empty and unbalanced multiplayer (weight 0.07): Multiplayer servers are often empty, making the online experience less engaging.
- Lack of developer support (weight 0.06): There is a notable lack of support from developers after the game's release, which has left many issues unaddressed.
- Slow character progression (weight 0.05): Character progression and movement are noted to be slow, which can be frustrating for players.
- Stiff animations (weight 0.05): The animations in the game are noted to be very weak and stiff, detracting from the overall experience.

Gameplay feedback:
- Historical 17th century Eastern Europe setting (weight 0.44): The game is set in a historical context, specifically in 17th century Eastern Europe. This setting includes real-world locations, events, and factions, providing a rich and immersive historical backdrop.
- Faction-specific quests and storylines (weight 0.28): The game features faction-specific quests and storylines, providing narrative-driven gameplay. Players can choose from a variety of factions, each with its own unique quest lines and narrative arcs.
- Innovative gameplay mechanics (weight 0.22): The game introduces several innovations, including full customization of the army, three main storylines tied to factions, and new siege options. Firearms and improved AI also enhance the gameplay experience.
- Political intrigue and diplomacy (weight 0.19): The game includes elements of political intrigue and diplomacy, adding depth to the narrative and gameplay. Players can engage in diplomacy and betrayal mechanics, as well as warfare and political struggles.
- Character progression and customization (weight 0.18): Players can customize and develop their characters through a progression system. This includes character customization options and a variety of gear and equipment.
- Story-driven content (weight 0.18): The game includes story missions and a rich storyline based on a Nobel Prize-winning novel. This provides engaging and narrative-driven content for players.
- Cavalry and tactical combat (weight 0.17): The game features cavalry combat and tactical formations, allowing for a variety of combat tactics. This includes the use of pikes and shots, as well as Polish cavalry.
- Sandbox gameplay (weight 0.17): The game combines story and sandbox gameplay, offering a strategic sandbox experience. This includes high freedom and replayability, as well as various roles and activities.
- Recruitment and mercenary mechanics (weight 0.15): Players can recruit soldiers and hire mercenaries, adding depth to the gameplay. This includes recruitment mechanics and the ability to recruit soldiers in mercenary camps.
- Multiplayer modes (weight 0.13): The game features various multiplayer modes, including 'Captains' mode, which adds team tactics, and other modes such as capture, siege, and deathmatch.
- Mount and Blade-like gameplay (weight 0.1): The game features gameplay mechanics similar to Mount and Blade Warband, including a skill tree and familiar mechanics such as unit management, feudal relations, and trade.
- Siege mechanics (weight 0.08): The game includes improved siege methods, allowing players to besiege cities and attack castles. This adds depth to the combat and tactical gameplay.
- Open-world exploration (weight 0.06): The game features an open world for players to explore, adding to the immersion and freedom of the gameplay experience.
- Difficulty modes (weight 0.06): The game offers adjustable difficulty modes, allowing players to customize their gameplay experience to their preferred level of challenge.

Performance notes:
- Poor graphics quality (weight 0.2): Many players have noted that the graphics are subpar, with comments describing them as not very good, average, simple, dated, or poor. The models, textures, and effects are also criticized for feeling outdated.
- Frequent crashes and stability issues (weight 0.14): The game is reported to crash frequently, with many players experiencing crashes to desktop and general instability. Some players have noted that the game may not launch without DirectX 7 and runs stable only on DX7.
- Bugs affecting gameplay (weight 0.14): There are various bugs reported by players, including minor persisting bugs, bugs affecting gameplay, and bugs during dialogues. Some bugs are specific to certain areas like battlefields.
- Performance and optimization issues (weight 0.09): The game has optimization issues, with some players reporting that it is worse than the original. There are also reports of high VRAM usage and always video memory errors.
- Mixed loading times (weight 0.06): Players have reported very short loading times in some instances, while others have experienced long loading menus.
- Clunky user interface (weight 0.03): The user interface is described as clunky, which may affect the overall user experience.
- Sound issues (weight 0.03): The sound in the game is noted to serve more as a background element, which might not be ideal for some players.
- Shader error (weight 0.03): There are reports of shader errors, which can affect the visual quality and performance of the game.
- Siege lag/freeze issues (weight 0.03): Some players have experienced lag and freeze issues specifically during siege scenarios.

Recommendations:
- Historical context and interest (weight 0.28): The game is suggested for players interested in the historical period, particularly those who enjoy the historical context and storyline of the 17th century and Eastern Europe.
- Recommended for Mount & Blade fans (weight 0.23): This game is highly recommended for those who enjoy the Mount & Blade series, particularly fans of medieval games and the specific gameplay mechanics found in Mount & Blade.
- Mixed purchase recommendations (weight 0.22): Opinions on purchasing the game are mixed. Some recommend buying it highly, while others suggest thinking twice or waiting for a sale.
- Gameplay variety and quality (weight 0.19): The game is praised for its variety in gameplay, including trade, city development, character equipment, and strategic, action-packed combat.
- Specific audience recommendations (weight 0.18): The game is recommended for specific audiences, such as history enthusiasts, fans of the pike and shot era, and those interested in Polish history.
- Consider other Mount & Blade games (weight 0.14): Some reviews suggest considering other games in the Mount & Blade series, such as Warband or Bannerlord, as alternatives.
- Not for casual or beginner players (weight 0.1): The game is not recommended for casual players or beginners, as it may require a deeper understanding and familiarity with the series.
- Graphical and technical drawbacks (weight 0.1): The game is not recommended for players who are annoyed by bugs, lack of polish, or those looking for a graphically beautiful world.
- Research before purchasing (weight 0.08): Some reviews suggest researching the game, watching gameplay on YouTube, or trying a free demo before making a purchase decision.
- Modding and community support (weight 0.06): The game has support for modding through the Steam Workshop, which can enhance the gameplay experience for those who enjoy mods.
- Single-player and open-world focus (weight 0.06): The game is recommended for those who enjoy single-player and open-world experiences with a focus on medieval settings.

Other player notes:
- External video link mentioned (weight 0.02): Some reviews mention an external video link, which may not be directly related to the gameplay experience.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.24): Players experience frustration due to a variety of technical issues and gameplay challenges. Frequent game crashes, bugs, and lost progress are major contributors. Additionally, unbalanced combat scenarios, confusing quests, and constant interruptions by authorities or enemies add to the frustration. The game's difficulty, especially for beginners, and issues with game mechanics and storyline also play significant roles.
- Disappointment (weight 0.13): Disappointment stems from the game's perceived lack of development and missing features compared to its predecessor, Warband. Players feel let down by the game's poor quality, lack of proper endings, and the removal of beloved elements such as the Russian folk soundtrack. The game's repetitive structure and the realization that it is more of a mod than a fully developed game also contribute to this emotion.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.11): Enjoyment is derived from the game's unique combat feel, immersive gameplay, and the introduction of firearms, which adds a new tactical dimension. Players appreciate the rich and diverse game environment, engaging combat, and strategic elements. Despite its flaws, the game is found to be fun, challenging, and highly replayable.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.08): Nostalgia is evoked by memories of playing the game with friends and the personal connections formed during childhood. Players reminisce about the game's multiplayer heyday and the historical learning experience it provided. The game's ability to make players feel younger and its impact on their childhood contribute to this sentiment.
- Excitement (weight 0.08): Excitement is generated by the game's variety of activities, depth, and the introduction of firearms, which adds a new tactical dimension. Players are thrilled by the engaging storyline, character interactions, and the rich historical context. The game's high freedom, replayability, and challenging gameplay also contribute to this excitement.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.05): Satisfaction comes from the enjoyment of the game's music, command, strategy, and character development. Players appreciate the innovative features, realistic combat mechanics, and engaging gameplay. The management of troops and the strategic depth of the game, along with new features and improved graphics, add to the overall satisfaction.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.04): Enthusiasm is driven by the game's exciting new features and content. Players are eager to share their positive experiences and highly recommend the game. The detailed storyline, freedom, and engaging storylines contribute to this enthusiasm, making players eager to praise and recommend the game to others.
- Happy (weight 0.03): Happiness is derived from the enjoyment of the game's historical context, faction variety, and setting. Players find joy in the game's atmosphere, combat feel, and the inclusion of real countries and improved graphics. The game's interesting setting and the enjoyment despite its flaws contribute to this positive emotion.
- Appreciation (weight 0.03): Appreciation comes from the game's unique and historically accurate factions, challenging difficulty, and unique weapons. Players value the educational aspects and historical knowledge gained from the game. The refined gameplay and unique setting, along with the effective introduction of firearms, add to this appreciation.
- Joy (weight 0.02): Joy is experienced through the fun and immersive gameplay, enjoyable quests, and the sense of growth and achievement. Players find happiness in the sense of accomplishment and the engaging activities the game offers.
- Frustrated (weight 0.02): Frustration arises from the numerous bugs and performance issues that make the game difficult to play. Players are frustrated by the inability to make progress due to game crashes and quest issues. The difficulty in achieving goals and the painful gameplay experience contribute to this frustration.
- Amusement (weight 0.01): Amusement is found in the humorous aspects of the game, such as nicknaming enemies and the fun actions of shooting NPCs. Players are entertained by the unexpected and funny situations that arise during gameplay, adding a lighthearted element to their experience.
- Excited (weight 0.01): Excitement is generated by the game's fluid combat, which is perceived as better than previous iterations. The introduction of firearms adds a new layer of tactical depth that players find thrilling. The overall positive feeling after engaging with the game's content contributes to this excitement.
- Anger (weight 0.01): Anger is caused by the game being unplayable and buggy, leading to a poor gaming experience. Players are angered by the game's flaws compared to its predecessor and the destruction of villages by certain factions. These issues lead to a sense of frustration and anger.
- Engagement (weight 0.01): Engagement is driven by the rich narrative and political depth of the game. Players are drawn into the immersive storytelling and geopolitical struggles. The connection to literature, movies, and historical trivia enhances this engagement, making the game more compelling.
- Humor (weight 0.01): Humor is found in the unexpected and funny situations that arise during gameplay. Players are amused by the humorous descriptions of gameplay mechanics and the activities that can be done during reload time. These elements add a comedic relief to the gaming experience.
- Interest (weight 0.01): Interest is piqued by the game's attractive plot setting and historical context. Players are intrigued by the historical setting and storyline, as well as the various scenarios presented. The rich historical context and engaging scenarios keep players interested.
- Determination (weight 0.01): Determination is fostered by the player's resolve to overcome crashes and grow a large army. The challenge of not declining like a historical empire adds to this determination. Players are motivated to persist and succeed despite the game's difficulties.
- Pride (weight 0.01): Pride is felt through the historical and cultural representation in the game. Players take pride in recapturing significant locations and the emotional impact of the storyline. The game's ability to evoke a sense of historical and cultural pride contributes to this emotion.
- Positive (weight 0.01): Positive feelings are generated by the enjoyment of the game's setting and mechanics. Players appreciate the great freedom and open world offered by the game. The overall positive experience and enjoyment of the game's features contribute to this emotion.}