You want everyone to know who you are in Mount and Blade II: Bannerlord. The best way to have the know who you are is complete tasks, perform achievements to show your prowess, and compete against other worthy opponents in the game. Much like renown in the game, you want the NPCs to know who you are by your main character’s influence. The more influence you have, the more power you can have in a given kingdom, especially one you did not create.
It’s going to take you quite a bit for time to gain this type of resource. Influence is something players want to worry about closer to the end of their game in Bannerlord, so it’s something that does not get easily handed out. There are a handful of ways to obtain it. The easiest is being allied to another kingdom and completing a battle with an allied army. For example, if you offer yourself as a mercenary or a vassal to a kingdom, and they go to war, you can assist in that war by fighting against the opposing side.
If your kingdom has a large army roaming around the map, make sure to follow them and partake in their ruthless battles, big and small. As long as you participate, the more influence you gain, and the larger battles you partake in means you gain additional influence. If you capture an enemy lord, rather than executing them or keeping them as a prisoner, you can earn quite a bit of influence by releasing them.
Another way to obtain influence is to build a Forum in a settlement you own. A Forum passively provides your main character with at least one influence a day and steadily increases as you improve it and level up. Also, make sure to visit the Kingdom page when you reach clan level 3. You have the option to vote for your kingdom to have a senate, which you would need influence to push forward. If the policy goes through, all level 3 clans in that kingdom gain one influence a day, which works great for you.
For those who truly want to farm it, make sure to focus on the Social attribute, primarily the Charm and Steward skill. If you become good enough with the Charm skill, you can gain a perk called Champion, which gives your character 10 influence points whenever they win a tournament, which is a great way to earn renown, and you can add influence to its list of benefits. The Steward skill also has a perk called Prominence, which gives you additional influence as a vassal to another kingdom.
Gaining influence can take quite a bit of time. It’s a slow burn, but it’s beneficial once you work your way through the game and continually focus on assisting another kingdom. For those who continue through the story, you have the option of creating a unique kingdom or joining another as a vassal. Either choice works well, and it’s up to you.
