Trying to hunt looters and bandits and going bankrupt

[Pistachio]

Seems like this whole outlaw thingy is vastly different from Warband.

Chasing any outlaw group means following them halfway across the continent while spending troop upkeep and food.

Then, even if I corner them up the mountain or in the river, the loot is meagre and the ransom is pitiful. It just make no financial sense to hunt outlaws.

Back in Warband Sea Raiders used to be high risk high reward thing to hunt, but now every outlaw is dangerous to fight and the return is hardly worth it.

I just can't seem to keep up with my troop upkeep with how things go.

How do other players make money in the early game?

[DX]

It gets better! Especially with the hideout payouts.

If you can’t catch them — try recruiting less troops at the start. 5-10 is a good number to stay nimble. Sell the clothes loot for a nice profit, and only use grain as your food source until you have enough money to level up your units to teir 2 or 3.

Stick to looters and try to stay away from bandits til you have a few 3 teir units.

[TheLuckyAce]

You need more horses.
I can outrun EVERY bandit group, besides Step Bandits on their Horses. As I have more Horses in the inventory than I have troops (lategame I have 300+ Horses with me... so I can carry thousands of items and be faster as every Army)...

Rolls out your "chase" issue, but the risk/reward point - yes.
Sea Raider can oneshot you until you have good armor which takes ages...
In my new game I attacked 6 Looters... normally an easy win (did this in Bannerlord 100+ times already) but this time? 6 Rocks to the head INSTANT death... game over in fight 1.... bad luck.

Later when you have around 10-20 Soldiers just send in Troops... dont fight looters yourself. And keep away from Montain Bandits and Sea Raiders... the Javelin guys oneshots troops and you alike... from half across the map sometimes.

[Tactical Drongo]

Your army sounds slow - try to get a few sumpter horses or mules

getting food and money is actually pretty easy, even with hunting looters one can get easily a few thousand denars with settling their equipment (it will take a little)

Looter ransom is pitiful - you ransom high ranking soldier (you don't want to recruit yourself) and nobles

Sea Raiders, Wood Bandits and Steppe Bandits are higher up on the risk/reward scale, the offer you better potential troops and better loot - but you will most likely loose some recruits

[jfoytek]

Originally posted by Seisho:

Your army sounds slow - try to get a few sumpter horses or mules

getting food and money is actually pretty easy, even with hunting looters one can get easily a few thousand denars with settling their equipment (it will take a little)

Looter ransom is pitiful - you ransom high ranking soldier (you don't want to recruit yourself) and nobles

Sea Raiders, Wood Bandits and Steppe Bandits are higher up on the risk/reward scale, the offer you better potential troops and better loot - but you will most likely loose some recruits

????

Strange Advice you know that Sumpter Horses are Pack Horse the same as Mules and they Don't speed up infantry on the map...

You need riding horses for the infantry to climb onto when there not in battle to move faster on the map!

[TheLuckyAce]

Originally posted by jfoytek:

Originally posted by Seisho:

Your army sounds slow - try to get a few sumpter horses or mules

getting food and money is actually pretty easy, even with hunting looters one can get easily a few thousand denars with settling their equipment (it will take a little)

Looter ransom is pitiful - you ransom high ranking soldier (you don't want to recruit yourself) and nobles

Sea Raiders, Wood Bandits and Steppe Bandits are higher up on the risk/reward scale, the offer you better potential troops and better loot - but you will most likely loose some recruits

????

Strange Advice you know that Sumpter Horses are Pack Horse the same as Mules and they Don't speed up infantry on the map...

You need riding horses for the infantry to climb onto when there not in battle to move faster on the map!

But... Stupy's are riding horses... they should work fine.

[Tactical Drongo]

Originally posted by jfoytek:

Originally posted by Seisho:

Your army sounds slow - try to get a few sumpter horses or mules

getting food and money is actually pretty easy, even with hunting looters one can get easily a few thousand denars with settling their equipment (it will take a little)

Looter ransom is pitiful - you ransom high ranking soldier (you don't want to recruit yourself) and nobles

Sea Raiders, Wood Bandits and Steppe Bandits are higher up on the risk/reward scale, the offer you better potential troops and better loot - but you will most likely loose some recruits

????

Strange Advice you know that Sumpter Horses are Pack Horse the same as Mules and they Don't speed up infantry on the map...

You need riding horses for the infantry to climb onto when there not in battle to move faster on the map!

Actually didn't knew that - I thought all horses help (if indirectly through reducing the marching load of the troops)

Thanks for correcting me

[I got 1984'd]

I made my first 5000 denars hunting looters and bandits. Also spent everything I had to bulk buy goods and sell them elsewhere. Made bank.

[White Knight]

My current game is one step lower than maxed out difficulty, and what you described in the OP is exactly what I remember from the older games.

Hunting bandits has never been a way to succeed, as I remember it. It's just something to pass the time and get some half decent gear in the early game. I'd do it to keep the roads clear for caravans mostly.

In my game, bandits in the field are losers. They are literally just target practice. The bandits in the hideouts are Robin Hood and his Merry Men! Well, that or a meaner and sweatier version, but you get my point.

Maybe dropping the difficulty will be more fun?

[Lalaland]

Fight Mountain bandit and recruit them as prisoners. You will have a bunch of calvary/Highwaymen.

[Onimaho]

Originally posted by Pistachio:

Seems like this whole outlaw thingy is vastly different from Warband.

Chasing any outlaw group means following them halfway across the continent while spending troop upkeep and food.

Then, even if I corner them up the mountain or in the river, the loot is meagre and the ransom is pitiful. It just make no financial sense to hunt outlaws.

Until your map travel speed increases(get tons of horses, get a scout companion, level up riding or athletics)...you make money doing these three things in early game

Tournaments (sell what you win)
Trade
Level 1 hideouts

[I got 1984'd]

Originally posted by Parrhesiastes:

My current game is one step lower than maxed out difficulty, and what you described in the OP is exactly what I remember from the older games.

Hunting bandits has never been a way to succeed, as I remember it. It's just something to pass the time and get some half decent gear in the early game. I'd do it to keep the roads clear for caravans mostly.

In my game, bandits in the field are losers. They are literally just target practice. The bandits in the hideouts are Robin Hood and his Merry Men! Well, that or a meaner and sweatier version, but you get my point.

Maybe dropping the difficulty will be more fun?

No dropping the difficulty will make it even less fun. And you are right, they are not a way to succeed. But hunting them, looting their gear and taking in prisoners or ransoming them help tremendously to jumpstart you financially, and farm renown.

With high enough money and renown, you get a larger party, able to trade bulk loads of goods, and eventually become a merc fighting and capturing enemy lords.

Ransoming lords also net you a lot of money. You can also buy workshops to lessen the upkeep of your party.

[PeaceMaker]

For me it`s very simple- I bandit hunt.
If a bandit is too fast I use tactics. I act as if I`m going to go past, i then turn into the bandit. I avoid going through trees as much as I can (faster). Pretty easy to get them.

If that`s not enoygh then do some of the jobs for the peasants of cities such as caravan guard work or the Poacher quest which gives a fair bit of cash and some leather.

Just look and talk to people in cities who will give extra jobs.

[Mechagran]

MY top tip - see my thread above.

NORTHERN HAUBERK will get you 15k. Find them off forest and sea raiders. GET STUCK IN MATE

[Mechagran]

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2048228254

[Count D'Cinamon]

just curious, OP, but did you realize that having horses (that req riding skill) in your inventory help making your army move significantly faster in the map? I have a medium sized army (40 ish) back then and are able to chase down any looters and the like easily. i'd recommend to have horses till your movement speed on the map is around 5.4 above (aka at least have the ammount of horses as close as the number of your on foot soldiers)

Also im pretty sure the game kinda scale with your party size. usually i got around 500-1000 worth of loot from each decent sized enemy squad. Also, taking destroy bandit lair quest or kill poacher quest give you a lot of money quick, if you have the men power. Then after getting around 15k, invest in workshop. it should generate 100-200 if optimal, which is enough to keep decent sized army. rinse and repeat