Jon von
11-26-2002, 04:16
Here is an example of how a potentially inspiring dare has been totally ruined by the strategic AI.. note I'm playing on Expert..
It's 1230: My Byzantine empire is from more than 3 decades the richest and more powerful faction of Europe. After a century of battles against the Turks (I modded the Early file making the Turks a harder enemy, giving them Tripoli, Palestine, Siria, Anatolia and Antioch -> historical accurated), Costantinople empire re-saw the magnificence and the strenght of his great past. Abusing to the civil war that outbrake in the northern Italy, a greek army occupied Venice then took Milan, Genoa and Tuscany.
It was 1221: after more than 400 years now there was only one Empire and one Emperor (In that time only who had the Italian crown could claim for the title of Emperor...), and he was a Roman Emperor, not a barbarian one http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/cool.gif
So after less than 150 years of playing the situation of my faction was very firm: 100 points followed by the 76 of the English, 180k florins, 180 or more of loyalty and 150 or more garrison in every province, very safe borders with no chance of having a province conquered by an enemy faction... very good, yes, but even very boring... so I was waiting for the Mongol Invasion with impatience.
1230: 23k Mongols, almost all knights, invaded Khazar, the eastern province of the Empire. A real barbaric invasion, just as Byzantines had to face 7-8 centuries before. I was very satisfied: "This could be the harder situation I've ever faced playing this game http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif " I thought. I was wrong.
I abandoned Khazar and I prepared to defend the Empire in Georgia; I placed a 8000 men army mad up of heavy cavarly, spearmen and archers (infantry is totally useless against Golden Horde): it was the best thing I could do.
Now, the Horde got three possibilities:
-Guided by the hunger for the richness of my provinces, it could launch a massive attack against me and try to spread into my Empire.
- to spread into the steppe. Steppe provinces were controlled by rebels with armies of 200-500 per province. Novgorod had only his province and another one.
-to try to make both the things.
As I could expect, the Horde attacked me in Georgia, but "only" with 8300 ca men. Maybe they just wanted to "taste" my defence, I supposed. I won killing 6000 of them and losing 3000 of mine.
But in the next 5-6 turns the Horde attacked me in Georgia ever with 200-300 men more than mine, and their remaining troops were left in Khazar. It never tried to attack other provinces (all with 200-300 rebels per province), it never tried to attack me with all its army http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/mecry.gif
This forced me to play many long battles on the same terrain, with the same troops, using the same tactic (I could,t use the auto-mode 'cause I could't risk to lose too many troops)...
Epilogue: in 1241 ca I re-took Khazar, giving a kick in the ass to the remaining of a Horde that could potentially spread all over Europe and change the History (and the challenging) of the game. Probably my Byzanyine Empire is going to be attacked by each faction, finally it will win the campaign.. mmh dunno if I'll continue that.. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/frown.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/eek.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/eek.gif
It's 1230: My Byzantine empire is from more than 3 decades the richest and more powerful faction of Europe. After a century of battles against the Turks (I modded the Early file making the Turks a harder enemy, giving them Tripoli, Palestine, Siria, Anatolia and Antioch -> historical accurated), Costantinople empire re-saw the magnificence and the strenght of his great past. Abusing to the civil war that outbrake in the northern Italy, a greek army occupied Venice then took Milan, Genoa and Tuscany.
It was 1221: after more than 400 years now there was only one Empire and one Emperor (In that time only who had the Italian crown could claim for the title of Emperor...), and he was a Roman Emperor, not a barbarian one http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/cool.gif
So after less than 150 years of playing the situation of my faction was very firm: 100 points followed by the 76 of the English, 180k florins, 180 or more of loyalty and 150 or more garrison in every province, very safe borders with no chance of having a province conquered by an enemy faction... very good, yes, but even very boring... so I was waiting for the Mongol Invasion with impatience.
1230: 23k Mongols, almost all knights, invaded Khazar, the eastern province of the Empire. A real barbaric invasion, just as Byzantines had to face 7-8 centuries before. I was very satisfied: "This could be the harder situation I've ever faced playing this game http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif " I thought. I was wrong.
I abandoned Khazar and I prepared to defend the Empire in Georgia; I placed a 8000 men army mad up of heavy cavarly, spearmen and archers (infantry is totally useless against Golden Horde): it was the best thing I could do.
Now, the Horde got three possibilities:
-Guided by the hunger for the richness of my provinces, it could launch a massive attack against me and try to spread into my Empire.
- to spread into the steppe. Steppe provinces were controlled by rebels with armies of 200-500 per province. Novgorod had only his province and another one.
-to try to make both the things.
As I could expect, the Horde attacked me in Georgia, but "only" with 8300 ca men. Maybe they just wanted to "taste" my defence, I supposed. I won killing 6000 of them and losing 3000 of mine.
But in the next 5-6 turns the Horde attacked me in Georgia ever with 200-300 men more than mine, and their remaining troops were left in Khazar. It never tried to attack other provinces (all with 200-300 rebels per province), it never tried to attack me with all its army http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/mecry.gif
This forced me to play many long battles on the same terrain, with the same troops, using the same tactic (I could,t use the auto-mode 'cause I could't risk to lose too many troops)...
Epilogue: in 1241 ca I re-took Khazar, giving a kick in the ass to the remaining of a Horde that could potentially spread all over Europe and change the History (and the challenging) of the game. Probably my Byzanyine Empire is going to be attacked by each faction, finally it will win the campaign.. mmh dunno if I'll continue that.. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/frown.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/eek.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/eek.gif