The French

[Rowan11088]

I haven't bought VI, and I don't plan to very soon, especially seeing all the bugs that are appearing, but I haven't really played many factions even in the original. I just started a new campaign as the French in High, and wow What a blast. Some early games are tedious, where you build up and up and finally attack some small rebel faction. This was nothing like that; I immediately tried to get some allies, but NO one would ally with me, so I decided to go gung-ho and see what happened. I attack the English, and eventually kick them out of France entirely, after having to appease the pope by doing a siege on a castle with only 3 milita sergeants in it (if you conquer the province, the pope doesn't want you out anymore for some reason). Then out of the blue they send the biggest army they have down from Wessex to Normandy (I think? wherever the France and England "touch" in the game). I had an army composed almost exclusively of hobilars, with only one unit of militia sergeants, one kwarazmian cav. merc. unit, and a catapult. I set up my archer, longbow merc., and arb units in front, actully try to set up an ambush like they teach you in the tutorial (kinda hard to really do), and set up my catapult. The enemy sends a single royal knight in front, it spies my ambush but just leaves, and then the king's unit comes in. It goes right into the woods towards my supposedly hidden units, and I attack it with urban militia and three hobilar units. I kill it down to the lone king, but then get hit by the enemy's main force of spearmen and feudal sergeants, while I crush his archers which are stupidly undefended just outside the woods. He then sends his sergenats and spearmen after my main force, and they must have been high valour, because they kicked some ass against my hobilars, and I managed to almost even the fight by sending in my longbowmen and archers hand to hand. Finally in a lst ditch attempt I target the long king standing behind the spearmen with my ars. Second volley, wham He's down for the count. Everything starts routing, and that's when a largely cav army becomes fun http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif as i run down everything, and kill off the prisoners just for fun. Apparently the king had no heirs at all, so all of England is rebel and mine for the taking Just thought this was like the perfect MTW moment to share...

[The_Emperor]

I prefer not to play as France (being an Englishman is part of it) but mainly its because they have no faction-unique units.

If you like Cavalry armies, try playing as the HRE, the Byzantines, or another Eastern faction. All those horse archer-style units work wonders as harrassment units... and they make for great light cav when the enemy start routing

A must try for any Cavalry commander

Great win by the way, nothing like digging in and fighting a superior foe *remembers the many battles against the Mongol invaders* http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Dhepee]

Hot damn...it doesn't get much better than that. Nothing like fighting a desperate battle and winning it all.

[Basileus]

i love playing as the frensh no unique units, borders with evryone almost no way to be peaceful you have to fight heh, great lands with lots of income when you get going..

nice story btw http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[hoom]

I think of the French more as the architypal medieval/chivalric 'frankish' army, rather than 'lacking' unique units.

I'd just about call the valour +1 Chiv Knights from Tolouse (or wherever it is) a unique unit...

Its very hard to really pull off an ambush.
Basically you can only really get away with hiding a unit or two max.
If you hide more than that, the AI realises that there are units missing & goes searching for them.

You shouldn't be surprised to find spears & sergeants (spears or militia) doing very well against hobilars.
Hobilars are light cavalry, best for flanking or chasing down routers while spears are at their best against cavalry.

Nice getting the 'no heirs bit' http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

Sometimes the AI does some strange stuff when it's desperate.
Like when pressed on one border, the AI attacks with strong force on the opposite border rather than sending reinforcements towards the threatened border.
True, this can be quite effective if done properly & has saved my own skin on at least one occasion, but the AI tends to get armies killed for no gain that way rather than gaining breathing space.

[squippy]

Yeah I enjoy the French, they have a really good set of GA's in the early game.

[Vanya]

GAH

Le francaise... du la mayonaise... http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/dizzy.gif

Vanya asks the francophones here this simple question:

In the movie The Matrix: Reloaded... the French feller that sent that girl in white the "special" cake... who claimed he loved all things french, especially to curse in French... He went on to ramble a bunch of crap in french... WHAT EXACTLY DID HE SAY DURING THAT CURSING RAMBLE?

GAH

[Jeebus_Frist]

He said a lot of naughty things Vanya. I'd have to hear it again in order to remember exactly what. Nothing to do with heads or terranakians though. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[LadyAnn]

Depending on which side of the Atlantic do you claim as Francophone, but on my side, the curse is probably related to things you found in a church.

Annie
ps.: didn't watch the movie...

[Snowhobbit]

Citera[/b] (Rowan11088 @ Okt. 06 2003,23:33)]i run down everything, and kill off the prisoners just for fun. Apparently the king had no heirs at all, so all of England is rebel and mine for the taking
It could be that The King had heirs, but you executed them.

[el_slapper]

I remember he begins with "putain de bordel de merde".

putain : bitch

bordel : bitch's house

merde : (the) shit

that is the most common curse here in France.

I'm pretty sure he also says "chier" : (to) shit. I've forgotten the rest. Same kind of things. Nothing really impressive.

[BlackFireStorm]

A little OT, but we're well OT anyway... Perhaps a French person can confirm or deny this. I heard the other day that the French find adverts for the Toyota MR2 hilarious, as when you pronounce MR2 in French it sounds like "Em Er Du" (phonetically speaking), which translates as "It's shit". True or false?

Bringing it back to the topic: Rowan, once you get a feel for the game and have tried a few factions out, I heartily recommend getting the VI expansion pack. True there are some bugs but they really do not affect the gameplay overly, despite what you may read on the .com and these forums. Well worth it and a few extra units to play with in the main campaign. Nice battle story too.

[HopAlongBunny]

Thanks for the story Rowan11088 http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

Sound s like a great battle, not over til the last drop is spilled

[el_slapper]

Backfire : true. I'd translate it by "et merde..." ==> "and shit..." word for word, but the overall meaning is the one you cited.

On topic(just to prove I'm not only spamming...), France is rater binary to play. Very hard first years, but once you reunified the motherland, it's a roll-over... even without sexy units.

[spmetla]

I have to say the French are one of my favorite factions to play. The abilty to expand easily and early is great because by mid game I've got some awesome heirs and generals. Also because I've mod my own game I can lauch crusades by 1096 which means I've got expansion abroad and nice eastern mediterean income by midgame.

[Derfel Cadarn]

The French are, imo, a very fun civ to play.
I once had King John cornered in Brittany, after which he unexpectedly charged me. I had only low morale and light troops (had to use crosbbowmen to hold the line) whereas he had an advanced and skilled army.
Most of my troops were at point of routing, I was being beaten everywhere, but then my hobilars managed to kill King John and the enemy just fled I was so close to losing that one, still had more casualties than they had, but at least I had won http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[hoom]

Quote[/b] ]Nothing really impressive.But it sounded magnificent http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif (at least to some of us lot that only speak english)
And that was the point the guy was making http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[monkian]

I'm tempted to play as the French but I couldn't face invading Britain as them http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/eek.gif

I'm playing a superb games as the Byzantine Empire at the moment- God they have some superb units

Its a huge clash of the titans at the moment between me and the Spanish who have most of the left side of the map whilst I have the right.

I've just had the Mongols attack with nearly 8000 units I had to plough through Europe with my Steppe horde to escape them http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/joker.gif Poor Polish, they didn't stand a chance untill Novgod sent an Allied force of Boyars to impede my escape http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/mad.gif

[CeeBod]

I'm playing French, early as my current campaign, and I have to say, that despite being English myself, and despite having no unique units to look forward to I'm loving it so far http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

The GA requirements are by far the best I've come across so far - the Krak de Chavaliers by 1200 is both interesting and challenging, and I'm getting a major sense of achievement out of the fact that it appears that I'm ( fingers crossed ) going to be able to complete that, and all 4 crusading goals - The Turks re-appeared just recently in Syria with a huge army, which was a worry for a few years, but they appear to be concentrating on the Byzantines that kicked them out of their homelands in the first place - so Outremer is safe in French hands for now http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif