There are three types of places you can visit in Mount and Blade and they are all marked on the world map. Settlements all have names and they are divided into villages, castles and towns. You can visit them simply by clicking on the name on the map and the difference is obvious as villages are the smallest, castles next and towns are the largest. The only other type of place you may come across is the training fields which is where you can learn how to wield weapons and fight skillfully.
VILLAGES:
Often when you pledge allegiance to a particular faction the King will award you a small village in his empire. You can collect taxes from the village and build various improvements but villages do not earn you a great deal of money and they are open to attack. You can also attack villages yourself but as there is no option to conquer them, you can simply loot and pillage.
Villages are connected to castles and towns so when you conquer a castle or town the nearby villages will change allegiance as well.
CASTLES:
A castle is a fortified stronghold that holds sway over the surrounding land. You can station troops here, imprison enemy troops and build various improvements. Castles will also provide a tax income for the lord who holds them. Troops stationed in a castle will cost you less money. TOWNS:
These are the bustling centres of life in Calradia, you’ll find markets selling food, armor, weapons and horses. You’ll also find taverns with various shady characters enjoying a drink and the great tournaments take place in the arenas. You can station troops or prisoners in towns and they tend to be very well defended. Any lord holding a town can collect large amounts of money in the form of taxes. Continue to the next page to see how to lay siege to a Castle or Town!