Mount & Blade?

[Tonitrus]

The problem isn't the key that is used.  The problem is that it is completely non-intuitive.  I spent a half-an-hour yesterday on the practice range for horsie combat and my best run-through ended as "that practice didn't go well at all."

I suppose I could really, really practice at it and get to the point where it wasn't a monumental pain in the ass, but I refuse to take that time for a game that isn't absolutely fabulous.  If I can play the game without using horsed combat, then I will play the game.  If I cannot, then I won't.  Thanks for the input, though.
[/quote]

Then the game might not be for you.

Though, in even the vanilla version, there are factions that work mostly without cavalry (Nords/Rhodoks), but it is imperfect.

Some mods have features to mitigate it, such as Native Expansion, which has a "spear bracing" feature that harshly neuters the cavalry advantage. 

[Tamas]

How the hell are you playing skirmish in Warband beta?

[DisturbedPervert]

Click on quick battle in the main menu

[crazy canuck]

I tried out the demo last night (its the full game that lets you play up to lvl 7).  I went through all the tutorials and then set out to see the world.  After my first battle with 10 brigands I exited.

It would likely take a fair amount of time for me to get used to the interface and I am not sure the game is worth it.

[grumbler]

I've found it's easier to practice horse combat against looters and bandits, rather than at the practice range. I'm now very good at horse combat, but still suck at the practice area. 

Okay.  I will try to use the horse in combat and see if the same holds true for me.  Not that it is likely to make any difference (my problem is oversteering, in general) but it will be worth knowing.

[Syt]

I found that arena combat is a good way of honing your skills and gaining some XP to level up. It'll be frustrating as hell (esp. when you're drafted as a spear chucker against horses, but it teaches you the basics of all combat options (1H, 2H, spears, bow/arrow, all on foot and on horse) and you have nothing to lose.

[Tonitrus]

Also should note, in horse combat, going in slow with precise steering and just hacking away is something I would rarely do, and would get you killed often.

Horse combat really requires multiple passes,at speed, on the target, as your speed adds more damage to the swing(often making you just need one/two wide passes).  And there's also just straight-up running a guy down with a lance.

[Syt]

Also should note, in horse combat, going in slow with precise steering and just hacking away is something I would rarely do, and would get you killed often.

Horse combat really requires multiple passes,at speed, on the target, as your speed adds more damage to the swing(often making you just need one/two wide passes).  And there's also just straight-up running a guy down with a lance.

This.

[sbr]

  And there's also just straight-up running a guy down with a lance.

That is my absolute favorite thing to do, probably in any game.  Charging across the field, getting the correct angle and running an enemy knight through with a lance make me giggle like a school girl every time I do it.

[Lucidor]

  And there's also just straight-up running a guy down with a lance.

That is my absolute favorite thing to do, probably in any game.  Charging across the field, getting the correct angle and running an enemy knight through with a lance make me giggle like a school girl every time I do it.

Arrow to the face is another favorite. Especially if you are going full tilt.

[grumbler]

Arrow to the face is another favorite. Especially if you are going full tilt.

The archery is another thing I am having trouble with early on.  It certainly doesn't seem anything like real archery.  But I haven't worked enough with it to reach any conclusions, other than "it's hard."

[Tonitrus]

Arrow to the face is another favorite. Especially if you are going full tilt.

The archery is another thing I am having trouble with early on.  It certainly doesn't seem anything like real archery.  But I haven't worked enough with it to reach any conclusions, other than "it's hard."

Archery, especially horse archery is rather iffy until your work your skill(both bow and horse archery) up.  But chasing other cavalry while bowing them down at full speed is fun. 

[Alcibiades]

Archery sucks until you get skilled with it ( by skilling up), but then it's great, especially, as mentioned, you nail them in the face.   

[Lucidor]

Arrow to the face is another favorite. Especially if you are going full tilt.

The archery is another thing I am having trouble with early on.  It certainly doesn't seem anything like real archery.  But I haven't worked enough with it to reach any conclusions, other than "it's hard."

It's a combination of skill of the character, but it's also a reflex and feeling thing for the player much more than swords and lances. You aim with the left part of the targeting reticle, a few pixels to the right of the target, when going at a speed. It feels a bit counter-intuitive in the beginning.

[DisturbedPervert]

I've never bothered with horse archery.  Don't like that it takes up two spots in inventory and it seems difficult to use.  I go with lance, sword, shield, and throwing spears to take care of any cavalry that I'm having problems catching.