Assalamualaikum,
Malam ni aku nak update entri pasal video game. Mod pilihan aku kali ni ialah Europe 1100 untuk game Mount & Blade: Bannerlord. Earlier, aku ada review tiga mod untuk game Bannerlord; The Long Night (TLN), Trial of the Seven Kingdom (TOTSK) dan juga Realm of Thrones (ROT). Kesemuanya merupakan fictional mod based on series Game of Thrones, tapi kali ni aku terasa nak try real history pulak dan Europe 1100 merupakan jawapannya.
Bannerlord : Europe 1100 or senang kita panggil EU1100 dalam entri ni dibangunkan oleh Fatrod yang bertemakan zaman medieval di Eropah, Utara Afrika dan Timur Tengah. Of course, ianya mengetengahkan konflik melibatkan post-First Crusade di Timur Tengah, Reconquista di Iberia dan juga konflik between European kingdoms such as France, England, Germans etc. EU1100 utilized mod Lemmy Europe Map which means they are using the real-world map spanning from the northwest kingdom of Scotland to the Almoravid realm' in the southwest to the southeastern Great Seljuk Empire and finally the land of Rus in the northeastern part of the map. Sila rujuk gambar dibawah.
Middle East
Central Asia
Central Europe
Western Europe & Baltic
Iberia & North Africa
Dalam game ni, korang boleh pilih ciri-ciri karekter dari physical appearance, race, traits etc, sebab apa yang korang pilih tu la yang akan main peranan dalam game ni. Untuk review kali ni, aku baru masuk tahun kedua gameplay. So takdelah banyak sangat progress. Character aku dalam game ni pun baru je kahwin. Hehe.
Macho tak? Ni lah hero kita, Farid al-Fadl of the Fatimid Caliphate.
Salah satu feature yang baru dalam mod ni ialah ships dan fleet. Kita boleh travel by sea sekarang, dan if korang tak cukup duit nak own kapal sendiri boleh gunakan servis ferry untuk bergerak dari satu port ke port yang lain.
This is clan menu, kat sini kita boleh review progress clan kita sendiri such as fief owned by us, our businesses (caravan, production) dan juga party. Governing from their ancestral castle of al-Mouwaylih, al-Fadl clan owned four businesses in al-Iskandariyah dan al-Qahirah, respectively. In term of party, Farid employed an active castle garrison dan his own squadron of Mamelukes heavy cavalry.
Macam mod lain, sini pun boleh lepak-lepak kat tavern untuk rekrut tentera upahan, hire companion dan main mini-game. Unlike Warband, dalam Bannerlord takde penyair/penyajak dalam tavern since korang dah tak payah nak mengorat pakai sajak, syair segala jadah tu. Kat tavern pun, dah takde merchant. Pendek kata banyak jugak non-playable character or NPC yang dikurangkan. But, ada banyak jugak NPC baru yang diperkenalkan dekat town/castle. Ada gangster, thugs, barber, merchant, artisan, beggar etc. NPC main peranan untuk korang tingkatkan influence clan. Lagi good relationship korang dengan merchant dan artisan, lagi banyaklah orang yang akan support clan kita.
Watak, tempat dan event yang wujud didalam open world ialah berdasarkan real character. Contohnya Al-Musta'li Billah of Fatimid Caliphate, Godfrey de Bouillon of the Crusaders kingdom, Emperor Alexios I of the Byzantine dan banyak lagi.
Dalam game ni korang boleh setting dua outfit, satu battle outfit yang akan dipakai ketika pertempuran. Satu lagi civilian outfit macam gambar atas ni yang akan dipakai ketika melawat bandar, castles, village etc. Kira takdelah pelik sangat orang tengok kau selalu merayau pakai armor je. Haha.
Kingdom panel - kat sini korang boleh access information berkaitan clan lain dalam kingdom, juga fief, policies, diplomacy dan lain-lain. Boleh lah tengok influence point house korang against other houses. Ada banyak cara untuk kita increase influence, such as donate garrison or prisoners to other lords, winning the battle dan seperti biasa, running errand dalam erti kata lain, jadi kuli lah. Haha
Fief management lebih mudah sekarang, just buat queue and let your governor do the rest. Cuma dalam mod ni, character aku belum kahwin so aku belum letak governor. Kebiasaannya gamers akan letak companion as governor but for me aku lagi rela letak family member. Cronism lah katakan. Haha
Macam biasa tak lengkap kalau aku tak share sikit story untuk hero kita ni. This is al-Mouwaylih, the ancestral castle of clan al-Fadl. Located at the southeastern part of the Fatimid Caliphate, the castle served as the administrative center for a few villages, with al-Mouwaylih and al-Wajh are the largest and most populous. The clan is a loyal vassal of the Fatimid Caliphate of which the kingdom spans from the most western Benghazi region to Mouwaylih, sharing border with the Crusader kingdom or known as the Outremer, the Great Seljuk Empire and the Hammamid Caliphate.
1101 AD - our hero, Farid took the clan's leadership at the age of twenty-five, shortly after the death of his father, Farouq. By the time of his ascension, the Fatimid Caliphate is currently preparing to launch their first ever attempt to thwart the growing influence of newly founded Crusader kingdom in the Levant.
Fatimid's vizier, Malik al-Afdal gathered an army of around 10,000 troops and crossed Sinai to invade the Outremer. al-Fadl clan participated in the campaign with Farid leading his own forces of around 500 soldiers consisted of 250 infantry, 150 missile troops and 100 Mamelukes cavalry,
He was tasked to protect the frontier-town of Ascalon, while al-Afdal marched his army towards Ramla to engage the Crusaders under Baldwin I. Assuming the Fatimids already left Ascalon, Baldwin sent his commander, Waldemar to lead a diversionary force of some 1,500 troops to capture the ill-defended town. Waldemar arrived approximately around 6pm and immediately setup camp to rest his army after their hasty march from Jerusalem. He planned to attack the outnumbered Fatimids on the next day.
Although lack of experience in commanding battle, Farid is an avid student of military where he idolized the legendary Khalid al-Walid and often read his battle tactics. Perhaps this is a perfect time for him to make good of his knowledge and use it to defeat Waldemar.
A night before the battle, Farid passed the command to his cousin, Rafiq, while he himself led his Mamelukes cavalry to flank Waldemar. Under cover of night darkness, his cavalry stealthily reached Waldemar's rear and hid behind the hill for the rest of the night.
On the next day, Waldemar mobilized his infantry to engage the Fatimids. He was shocked to saw Rafiq's troops already lined up in a stretched thin formation. This is a part of Farid's plan, intended to entice the zealous Crusaders to attack immediately. Unaware of the ploy, Waldemar ordered a full-frontal attack against the outnumbered Fatimids.
9am - The Crusaders army advanced uphill and clashed against Rafiq's infantry. The Fatimids are facing three to one odd in term of number; however, with the fearsome Ghazi' spearman holding the vanguard, the battle is expected to be intense. Rafiq's flanks are protected by Ghazi' swordsman, supported by archers forming in the middle to provide missile cover.
The long crescent formation employed by Waldemar gave flexibility to the Crusader army as it could envelope their enemy from both flanks, especially when dealing with outnumbered forces.
A brutal melee combat occurred between the two forces where neither side wanted to yield however despite initial resistance, the Fatimid's flank starts to lose ground against sheer number of the enemy. Rafiq himself was mildly injured during his desperate effort to rally his faltering men.
In a nick of time, the galloping sound of horses heard from Ascalon Hill. The cavalry has arrived! Charging at full speed, Farid led his elite cavalry to strike the enemy from its rear.
Armed with lance and sword, the Fatimid cavalry charged the Crusaders. The impact proven devastated as the unready Waldemar's troops were hacked easily which caused an immediate gap at the centre due to broken line.
Seeing the arrival of his cousin, Rafiq pressed the attack by rolling his left flank to support the cavalry attack. The manoeuvre managed to put pressure against Waldemar's troops who are now fighting against three sides. How the table turns, they are now fighting for survival!
In a thick of battle, Farid saw his trophy, Waldemar. Both commanders were caught in a duel, but Farid came victorious due to his excellent swordsmanship and of course, still in his youth against forty years old Waldemar. With the death of their commander, the Crusader's army lost their will to fight and most of them surrendered.
In the aftermath from the battle of Ascalon, Farid lost approximately 150 men dead or wounded. The Crusaders is utterly defeated. Their commander was dead. The army were crushed with over 900 killed while the Fatimids took approximately 400 wounded captives, some 200 men managed to escape the carnage and fled back to Jerusalem even without their armors and weapons.
Despite his stunning victory, Farid was being informed that al-Afdal was soundly defeated by Baldwin at Ramla. The entire Fatimid's army is in full retreat back to Egypt, al-Fadl has been tasked by the vizier to protect the rear of the army during its withdrawal. Godfrey de Bouillon decided not to chase the Muslims since he is now threatened by another invasion from the Great Seljuk Empire and later proposed a truce with Al-Musta'li Billah.
1102 AD - A year later, al-Afdal led another incursion into Levant and this time, he is well prepared. The Fatimids destroyed the Crusaders army and retook Ramla, thus avenged his defeat against Baldwin a year ago. Capitalized on his early victory, al-Afdal ordered his deputy, Ikthifar al-Dawla to secure the important port of Jaffa. As a part of al-Dawla's expedition, al-Fadl clan joined a force of around 6,000 men and advanced northwest towards the Mediterranean.
The siege of Jaffa begins with the Fatimids troops constructed three miles of battlement to hinder the city from receiving reinforcement and supply from land. Crusaders forces were already in-tatter after their early destruction a couple of weeks ago. The city is now defended with less than 3,000 forced Muslim and Jews conscripts, together with less than three hundred Knight of Hospitaller led by Grand Master Gérard Martigues.
Fatimids's artillery began to shell the wall mercilessly throughout day and night, intended to bring the defender into submission. Martigues still reluctant to surrender until the angry conscript turn away against their commander and took up arms. They managed to overpower the guards and seized the castle before capturing Lord Gérard who's on his way to escape via sea. The rebel leader, Muiz' present Martigues' head to Ikthifar and opened the city's gate, thus ended the brief siege of Jaffa.
Farid, with his retinue upon capturing the port of Jaffa. The war is yet to be won as long as Jerusalem is still in the hand of the infidels. The Muslim, particularly the Fatimids and the Seljuks continue to wage war against the Crusaders for the next three years. However, due to resource constraints and lack of coordination between the two Muslim kingdoms, the Crusaders prevail and ultimately defeated the Fatimids forces at the Third Battle of Ramla on 1105
1106 - Farid wed Qhaizurah, daughter of Ikhtifar. He was impressed with Farid's bravery in leading a daring cavalry charge to relieve the Fatimids army during the fateful Battle of Ramla. His manoeuvre managed to delay the Crusader's attack, thus provided ample time to allow most of the Muslims to withdraw in relatively good order.
The newlywed couple spent a week in the citadel of al-Qahirah, before Farid left to participate the defence of al-Nekhel fortress, the gateway to Egypt. The siege only lasted for three-months after successful breakout and further offensive operations which succeed to repel the invasion.
Two months later, with so much loss for only a little gain, Al-Musta'li Billah sued for a peace treaty with Godfrey. Seizing advantage, Godfrey agreed and quickly launched his counterattack against Seljuk's holding of Antioch. The lighting attack managed to recapture the city which later established as the second Crusader states in Levant, the Principality of Antioch.
After the war, Farid reconciled with his wife at al-Mouwaylih and had time to welcome the birth of their son, Zulfiqar. Cerita aku habis sampai sini je, sebab dah takde perang dengan si kafir ni. Haha.
Baiklah, that's the end untuk review EU1100 ni. To be honest aku memang layan mod ni je sekarang. Memang layan, maybe sebab character Muslim kot. Huu. Sebenarnya tengah tunggu mod In the Name of Jerusalem, tapi macam lama lagi nak keluar beta version.
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