Why do people play Battle so much?

[Ozwan]

I've been playing Warband for a long time and this question keeps bothering me. I play mainly siege but still it's sometimes irritating to see my siege server almost empty and two/three battle servers at full capacity.
So the question is: why do people play battle so much? For me it seems that it's nothing more than team deathmatch without respawns, without any sort of objective aside obliterating enemies. Add to that it usually turns into boring campfest without any sort of epicness or fun (maybe for archers, lol).
The other reason why I dont understand the fascination with this mode is that its a colossal waste of time. When its 90+ players after death - usually to one of the several thousand projectiles flying everywhere - I just alt tab and do other stuff but if you spend more time alt-tabbing than playing that means theres something wrong. Not to mention that most infantry players - which should be the core of the team unless you disagree that Warband is/should be melee-based game - dont get to actually fight that much until the battle is half-way done after archer/xbow/throwers spam and its often just a task to mop up. That really puts me off, wait behind the hill for couple of mins until ranged f-s run out of arrows or just die, dont get backstabbed by random cavalry and when the actual melee fighting commences its usually interrupted either by another wave of projectiles from either side or cavalry.
So you wait behind the hill (or go solo to get some and join the team when the battle is done) for a couple of mins, catch random arrow, go afk for another couple of mins. And after several times you might finally get a decent melee fight.

Like I said, I couldnt care less about battle since I just dont play it unless I have to but I simply cant understand why do people like it so much. I get it that most of you come from FPS games like CS and such where no-respawn based mechanics is a default setting but in these games there's always some sort of reasonable objective to struggle for, like rescuing hostages etc. In Warband its just pure and boring carnage for no purpose.

CTF or Conquest anyone?

[ManOfWar]

Conquest would be very VERY good practice for strategus

[Overdriven]

Battle is a way of players who want to play death match, but don't want to admit it, nerfing it a little by not being able to respawn and playing it out once. In all reality, this is why I made the open plains maps thread, because I feel at least then you have some sense of a big battle. Rather than a random clusterfuck of players just running where they want.

I've been playing on siege more and more recently as well, simply because I'm bored of the deathmatch style battle quite often. And I'm a horse archer, siege isn't my natural playground

[The_Bloody_Nine]

I don't have the time right now to elaborate why battle is such a great game mode and for me its 10 times more fun than siege. Just a few points:

1) I'm alot more concentrated in battle, and the satisfaction i have from surviving rounds or even doing very good in rounds or seeing some tactic workin is much greater.
2) You have to learn to survive longer in Battle. I'm pure 2h without shield and of course there are these rounds when you get couched, lanced or shot within the first ten seconds. That can be frustration pure. But normally I have simply learned where to go, when to engage, when to draw back, when/where to hide to survive most of the time. Of course you have to be very aware or sometimes carefull, but simply waiting before you finally get into a melee is surely the wrong way, this way you end up dead fast because you don't notice whats going on.

For me it seems that it's nothing more than team deathmatch without respawns, without any sort of objective aside obliterating enemies.

This is actually funny, because when I ask for a TDM server in crpg many players answer: why do you want a TDM? we already have siege for that. personally I think the three game modes are nothing alike. And I wait for CTF since chadz talked about it in autumn last year. oh, and I'd like to see some Siege without respawn, with very few defenders (in relation to attackers) and less backdoor and stuff (=more tactical advantage for Defenders), can't have anything...

[Armpit_Sweat]

Hmm... I have played cRPG around 1200 hours now, and since the "big patch" i have played battle mode less then 10 times.

I play only Siege, and some DtV from time to time. Siege is fun, full of action, and has very little waiting time. The only downside is - i cant use my horse, so Rebecca is getting fat in the stables most of the time She is old now, and has every right to enjoy her last days in peace.

I find battles boring for the reasons stated in the OP. I want to charge the enemy, not sit behind some bushes half of the time... I am not being critical towards battle mode itself, I am just saying - it's not for me

Siege satisfies me 100%, DtV might give a bit more gold/XP, Battle - not interested.

Some sort of a "Hold 3 points to win" mode might be a good idea Battlefield style. With respawn tickets and such... But i am sure it have been proposed 100 times before.

[Blueberry Muffin]

I find battle quite fun because it is a test of survival and brains. You needs to know where you should be and not follow the herp derp horde and get killed. You need to think strategically and place yourself where you will be most effective. I am usually alive at the end of the round and you do get an adrenaline boost from being the last one vs 3,4,5 people. Battle is the test of a player, seige is easymode. If you die, dont worry, you will respawn soon. Also even after you die it is quite entertaining to watch your clan mates and guide them through the battle via teamspeak.

Those are the reasons I love battle.

[okiN]

When I kill people, I like for them to stay dead. That's really what it all comes down to for me.

[Thovex]

When I kill people, I like for them to stay dead. That's really what it all comes down to for me.

Mostly this, I prefer no respawns, siege without respawns?

[Thomek]

Stakes are higher in battle, that's why its more fun and rewarding. You know your enemy has to wait a few minutes before respawn when you kill him.. Loosing your x5 feels like a real loss etc, and strategies may work. You also face overall better players in battle, at least on EU.

Siege.. Is of course insta-hack and slash, but since you seem to get autobalanced much more often, the x5 etc becomes arbitrary and not satisfying to try to keep. Siege is for no brainers, random encounters, random arrows and pure desperation.. It is also the easiest mode by far..

[Camaris]

I still wait for ctf finally getting into the game.
Its one of the biggest wishes i have (+ strategus).

[Armbrust_Schtze]

i play battle because first it is   

- more exciting

and second it brings

- more prestige

[Glyph]

in siege if you have a big ass crushthroug weapon, you'll be in the top 5 for surtain. battle is more challanging than siege, more tactics than awsome gear and i like playing as cav.(also, imagine 10 leed attacking you in one round, scarry )

[Spawny]

A very big factor not mentioned: The average multiplier is higher for battle compared to siege.

When you play siege, you can expect to get switched to the other team EVERY ROUND. It's MUCH harder to get a high multiplier going on a siege server and there's very little you can do to improve the odds by yourself.

On battle, if you kill 10-20 people by yourself every round, there's a good chance your team will win. This doesn't matter in siege, as they will just respawn and take the other route to the flag to avoid you.
Also, 1 retard can open the backdoor and let the attackers in to make you lose a game in less than a minute.

[Miranda]

i play battle because first it is   

- more exciting

and second it brings

- more prestige

This.

Its more satisfying for me to do a good round in Battle then the (almost) instant respawn, and basicly throwing away your life, in Siege.
Its just a matter of opinion i guess.

[Kafein]

People are generally more skilled in battle, there is WAY less teamwounding. It is also more exciting because you don't want to die. Furthermore, the autobalancing makes the xp and gold slower on siege.


I would love conquest mode. Real objectives, without buildings everywhere.