Once beloved, this Bannerlord War Sails feature is now widely disliked. ‘It’s literally pointless and a waste of time”

by

The Mount & Blade games are unlike anything else, which explains why the latest version, Bannerlord, has been so popular. It was inevitable that a downloadable expansion would follow, and unsurprisingly, it focuses on naval combat – called War Sails. This expansion launched with the 1.3 update, which also introduced stealth gameplay. While initial reactions were very positive, players are now noticing some problems with the expansion, particularly with the new hideout mechanic.

That didn’t go well

Previously, attacking bandit hideouts was a great way for new players to gain experience and get useful equipment. These hideouts could also drop valuable items that helped boost your early-game income. You’d simply gather a team, defeat all the bandits, and then defeat their leader in a one-on-one or team battle. However, the system now functions differently.

The recent update offers a trade-off. Players can now automatically resolve hideout cases instead of attacking them directly, saving time. However, choosing this automatic option means you won’t capture any prisoners, and you’ll also miss out on bonus reputation points with local leaders – a benefit many players previously enjoyed.

Okay, so another way I’ve found to clear these camps is to go in sneaky. I can slip past the guards, take out a few quietly, and then reach a signal fire. Once I light that, I can call in reinforcements to finish off the rest of the enemies. But here’s the thing – just running past the guards doesn’t work. I actually have to take them down to activate the signal. It’s a key detail!

While some players dislike the new stealth features, the biggest problem is actually the reduced loot in hideouts. They no longer drop useful gear, and overall, you get much less valuable items than before.

Many players were frustrated by the forced sneaking mechanics and reduced rewards in hideouts. The issue could have been easily addressed by simply adding an option for stealth instead of removing the original, direct-attack method. As one Steam user put it, dealing with hideouts now feels “pointless and a waste of time.” It’s no surprise, then, that the Classic Hideout Battle mod is currently very popular on Nexus Mods.

How to quickly earn some money?

Let’s end on a positive note with a quick way to earn money. Begin by completing the naval tutorial, starting with the ‘Inquire at Ostican’ mission. This will give you troops, equipment, around 15,000 currency, and most importantly, a free ship. Use this ship to hire more soldiers and attack pirate ships. You’ll gain valuable experience, gear, and even more ships, which will help improve your economy.

The latest update appears to have benefited traders. Now’s a good time to invest your earnings from seafaring into equipping a team of two traders. This strategy is most effective if you aren’t aligned with a kingdom, as wars can increase the risk of losing your trading party.

Read More

2025-11-30 17:02