Mount & Blade II Gameplay Vid Shows Siege Defence

The last we got to see of Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord [official site] was a castle siege, and what a grand siege it was! Now developers TaleWorlds are showing off their medieval sandbox action-RPG's sieges from the other perspective, with a new six-minute gameplay trailer showing defenders fighting back as siege towers roll in and cannonballs rain. It looks pretty swish and a big improvement over earlier games, though mostly I'm into it for hurling rocks down at people's heads. Observe:

Sadly, while Gamescom has brought a new trailer, it hasn't brought any clearer indication of when we can expect Bannerlord to launch. The only other new information I have to share is, er, an announcement saying "TaleWorlds Entertainment wish to draw players' attention to the advancements made in the strategic portion of Bannerlord". They continue:

"TaleWorlds have implemented new interfaces to conduct diplomatic affairs, both personal and of the state. Conduct a parley from the ramparts of your castle and break a siege with words instead of weapons, or make use of your standing to turn the king against your fiercest rivals.

"Behind epic siege battles and thrilling combat lies the game's core as a simulated feudal world of politics, romance and intrigue. Bannerlord puts you at the negotiating table and presents you with the freedom to strike game-changing deals with both friend and foe.

"Use the Influence you accumulate within your faction to arrange peace, when a war no longer suits your interests and swing the deal by offering up your land, goods or gold. Bannerlord is set to advance the series meaningfully, in every aspect, offering players variety in the way they can approach the game and achieve their goals."

Which is all a bit vague, isn't it? But you can now consider your attention drawn and hey, those six minutes of castlewars aren't bad, are they?