What Era?

[kawligia]

Well I've always played on Early, because I like to develop my provences the way I want, but I seem to get to that one point in the game a little too early.

You know that point....the point at which you own a large chunk of the known world,everyone is starting to hate you, you have one or two ships in every sea square, you have more florins than you know what to do with, AND you are churning out armies like its nobody's business.

And it always seems to happen before the High era and I never really get to enjoy the cooler units...especially the gunpowder ones.

So I guess I'll have to start a little later from now on.

What about you guys? What era do you like to start in?

[kiwitt]

At what difficulty level ?

[Jeff]

Currently I play on Early @ Expert difficulty. I know what you mean though, there is a point at which your doing so well and it seems so easy. I would suggest you try Expert difficulty. It is a nice challenge and even the fights against the rebels are really tough.

[Sociopsychoactive]

I really know what you mean.

I tend to start in early, ibnfact almost all my campaigns have begun in early and unfortunately the tend to get to that point at about the turn of high, so I get to use high unoits to wipe out the world, but, as you said, rarely get to see gunpowder in the field.

A way of doing I found and liked was to play catholic and obey the popes every command, and not take advantage of the fact that he can onl warn you off one enemy at a time. It slows the game right down, epecially if you are boxed in with no infidels adjacent to you (Germans, English, French ETC.)

I think starting in high might be an idea, but all the factiosn I like to play start high with less that they start early, but then again, more of a challenge isn;t it?

[kiwitt]

Socio...

I do something similar when playing a Catholic faction. You can just conquer sufficient provinces to give you a cetain level of strength and build only those up. Then at High or Late even, springout with your +4D/+4A units.

[RZST]

i usually play early but now im trying out high, my 1st game on high was turks :). i was doing good, got constantinople and defeated teh bzy till they only had their little island. egpytians were more trouble though since they had some large garrisons, almohads totally pwnd the spanish AND aragonese, so now theyre expanding toward egpyt :( and at the same time the bloody mongols came attacking, they took away georgia and attacked armenia, i left like 200 peasants there so they only attacked with a small army, i counterattacked then they counterattacked, it was a big tug of war for armenia. doh. and i was planning on attacking egpyt too. all in all im not dissapointed with the turks on high :), next game on high ill try danes, aragonese were just too bloody hard.

[ShadesWolf]

As a general statement, I find the late era as a more interesting challenge.

Most nations have there own power bases and it makes a good/ short selfcontained game.

This is especially true for

- Byzantine
- turks
- HRE
- Aragon
- Almohads
etc.......

You have the 100 years war between england anf France, which always makes a good play as burgundy and the Swiss always come into play.

On the eastern front the HRE have to deal with many enemies. Poland and Hungary always seems to what to exploit a weak HRE, and any signs of weakness always result in an Invasion by the Horde.

You then also have the chess match between Byzantine and the Turks, who can become superior. Will it be the turks with advanced units they can build or will the Byzantine merc win the day.

Yes I find the late era a very good play http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-2thumbsup.gif

[Seven.the.Hun]

hmm, i dont know, i kinda like the HIGH period really...just split the difference i suppose, EARLY is good to have time to mess around in various parts of the map, LATE is a great challenge indeed, only quirks there is that gunpowder weapons might make some things too easy...but i dont know, depends, mostly siege stuff really, i suppose i really just like the tumbling catapulted rocks better than the cannon thing, always love seeing those smash guys in the path... http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smokin.gif

the viking era is rather interesting, as i have only done 2 campaigns there, i am wanting to go through more of it, i was impressed by how its done...
anyway, cheers http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/cheers.gif

[o_loompah_the_delayer]

With Turks in late, its best ot keep either one of the Mongols or the Egyptians as allies and let them fight it out in Syria. After Egypt taking Edessa provinces rarely change hands, and then when both are weak, strike In the meantime I generally expand into Hungar and build up a fleet to land armies all over the Black Sea (Mongols) or in the Egyptian coast

Generally I play early b/c I can do things in a way I like but games tend to end by 1200 - like your (playing hard/ expert), but I think Late is far more challenging esp as Turks/ HRE/ Danes (vikings arent nearly as effective as in early)

[kawligia]

I only played Late once or twice and I guess racing to beat the clock would add some excitement, but if I fell a little short on time, that would be very upsetting. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-wall.gif

Whan does the game end? 1453?

Whew I don't think thats enough time for domination, especially with the Swiss Maybe I should try out GA for once.

[Mysterium]

I'm actually a fan of high for non-catholic factions, esp. Byz. I love re-gaining the former glory, retaking Constantinople and all, and I have having to wait for arbalesters. But I'll usually start early with the catholic factions. Don't really know why that is . . .

[Beirut]

The English or Mongols. Late.

Just gotta have them longbows http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smokin.gif

[Cid]

Early and I run into the same problem -hated superpower by 1200...in fact I begin to hate me too I do that "obey the pope or die trying" thing also and try to set myself hard short term objectives like take so & so by 1150 etc.

THIS is where the one major flaw of MTW rears it's ugly head btw--DIPLOMACY If the player could predefine allies or allied blocks such as Muslim factions allied- rest of the world at each others throats or England and Aragon against France, HRE and Spain for example, things would be much tougher. But I guess I'm cursing the darkness....just out of curiousity for any of you computer programming whizzes, how hard would something like that be for CA to do in a future patch/expanson? I ask from the perspective of total ignorance.

[Crash]

I've tried High and Late, but keep coming back to Early because there's nothing as satisfying as building up your empire from nothing. If you really want a challenge in Early then try one of the more difficult factions at Hard or Expert.

I'm currently playing the Italians in Early, Hard level. It is definitely more of a challenge being sandwiched in between the HRE, French, Austrians, and the Papacy. My navy dominates the seas, but that has brought me into war with the Byzantines - it seems that the AI Byzantines always war with the faction that has the strongest navy. Even the Papacy just attacked me, stabbed me in the back after being allies for more than a century. So I am at war with four factions, and have no allies. and I am not even being very aggressive and this is a GA game.

Try playing the Aragonese, the HRE, Turks, Novgorod, Poles, French, or Austrians if you are really looking for a challenge. Don't play the Byzantines, Egyptians, Almohad, Sicilians, Spanish, Danes, or English if you don't want an early win.

[Crazy Duke]

Usualy I play on expert, start at Early, develop the things I like more.

But for the last few months I start at High and Late, just to take the challenge.

With Egypt at high, is very interesting, seing several war between catholic factions, and for 100 turns I have almost 60% of the map, crushed several crusades like a piece of cake, and my spies and assassins doing an excellent job. I've notice that spies vs Danish are the best role in the game. And it's easier to crach their kingdom (not only this time). My 2 star spies in just few turns eliminate their faction. it was few stacks of rebels that killed Danish king with his 5 heirs.

Playing with Suisse/Late/Expert, is very easy, and for 90 turns I have all western Europe, Aragon, British isles, Scandinavia, border with Pope and Hungarians who are the second main faction in this game. Also good for Suisse is that pope excommunicated me 2 times, and nothing happened. The loyality was on same, maybe 10% less, but my taxes are very high and aproximately loyality is 170%. Also I have in each provnce one spy, bishop and church at least.

[Rowan11088]

Hm...I play Early a lot of the time, because I feel High eliminates the usefulness of some cool units. For example, horse archers: very useful against early, less armored units, but not so hot against heavy duty infantry and cav. They also have at least some use in melee against earlier units. Once you get to High I feel like (at least for catholics) all you need is chivalric stuff, plus some arbalesters. Javelins are less useful too, because they will get absolutely slaughtered in melee if they're caught. Starting in High though does present somewhat of a challenge, in that some advanced infrastructure is in place in enemy provinces, and they have some better units.

[Servius]

E3, Early England Expert.

I retreat all my forces out of Aquitaine and Anjou to Normandy, and my Northumbrian and Mercian archers to Wessex. Next turn, I through everyone at Flanders. Then, while holding Flanders I take Wales, Scotland, and Ireland. Then I work for a massive Christian alliance and I always defend the Pope.

Right now it's High, I am allied to every Catholic faction save the Germans cause they're at war with the French and I own Friesland and Norway but don't have any keep or garrison, guaranteeing rebellions and easy military victories for my king and his heirs.

I've modded in all the river crossings on the strat map, so holding Flanders is basically all river battles unless you get attacked from Lorraine.

[Basileus]

I awlays play Expert Early but its quite boring now, so i´ll do some high and late games http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-yes.gif

[The Wizard]

Lately I've started on Late (no pun intended...)

First with the Byzantines (ask Nowake why) and now with the Ottomans... http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif



~Wiz