Most Challenging?

[TinCow]

I've been playing MTW:VI for about a month now (and lurking these forums). I've played most of the way through the regular campaign several times with different factions. Every time I have won easily, with the exception of my current GA French campaign on Expert, where victory will come soon, though perhaps 50 years later than in the other games.

What is the hardest/most challenging way to play the game without using mods? Essentially... is there one or two particular factions in one particular era that stand out?

[ThijsP]

I would say the Russians in high. It looks promising at the start but after 30 years or so thinks can get really hard when the golden horde arrives. I tried it once but I wasn't able to stop them from kicking my ass. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/frown.gif

[Gregoshi]

http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wave.gif Greetings and welcome TinCow and ThijsP. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wave.gif

Since I've only played the Spanish and HRE, I don't think I am qualified to give you an answer. May I ask what difficulty you are playing? That may help others give you an answer.

[mercian billman]

Try playing the HRE on expert that should give you a real challenge.

[Aymar de Bois Mauri]

Welcome to the ORG, TinCow http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wave.gif

Most chalenging:

-Aragonese, Early, Expert, GA.

To increase dificulty do the following:

1- Go to your MTW shortcut, right-click, then select Properties. Go to the tab that says Shortcut. Select the line that says Target. Where it is written:

C:\Program Files\Total War\Medieval - Total War\Medieval_TW.exe -strictserver

Write:

C:\Program Files\Total War\Medieval - Total War\Medieval_TW.exe -strictserver -green_generals

This command, when one of your generals dies of old age, makes it's sucessor have one less star and one less V&V. Without this command, the sucessor general would have the same characterists as his predecessor.

2- Every time you load a campaign write:

.nuttermode.

This cheat makes the AI more agressive.

Hope this helps... http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wave.gif

[son of spam]

@Aymar

Holy crap That is masochistic. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/tongue.gif

My 2 cents:

HRE/early/expert/medmod

Try it. On like the 5th turn the Italians and French both declare war on you. Then the polish backstab you. Then your worthless son/brother/drunken pervert decides to go rebel with half your army, only to be bribed about 10 turns later. In the meantime, you have a crap economy.

I think the best way to survive is to take out a neighbor but then you risk getting hit with the ex stick.

Try it on .nuttermode., as aymar suggested, for even more fun.
http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wave.gif

[katank]

@ son of spam
medmod HRE + nuttermode? now that's really sadistic

ever tried late almos or byz? they are great in early but kinda suck in late.

high polish is also quite challenging. Medmod and nuttermode for sadistic results.

also, mod your treasury to be like 2k and you should be deep in the hole all the time with factions like the poles. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/bigthumb.gif

[Aymar de Bois Mauri]

Quote[/b] ]@Aymar

Holy crap That is masochistic. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/tongue.gif
Yeah That is a little masochistic isn't it?... http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-whip.gif

But he wants a challenge doesn't he? http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-wink.gif




Quote[/b] ]HRE/early/expert/medmod
One problem though. He said without any MOD... http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-wink2.gif

[Aymar de Bois Mauri]

Quote[/b] (katank @ Mar. 17 2004,18:03)]@ son of spam
medmod HRE + nuttermode? now that's really sadistic
I have to agree on that one. Even more than my own suggestion... http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-grin2.gif

[TinCow]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. To answer the question, I originally started on Normal and Hard difficulty. My current campaign is Expert and certainly a bit tougher, but my eventual victory seems inevitable even so. I've played Aragon before without too many problems (Just have to expand aggressively against Spain ASAP and make friends with the French.

I am very interested in playing Novgorod in early, but I noticed that isn't an option. Is there a way to activate them? I'm interested in them because in every game I have played so far they have been eaten by local rebels who seem vastly superior in military power. This might be an interesting challenge.

The green generals thing I will definitely do, that sounds more realisitic anyway. One question about generals though while I am thinking about it... do generals have a specified age or do they just die randomly? Ive had some that seem to last centuries, but that could simply be me getting names mixed up.

[Aymar de Bois Mauri]

Quote[/b] ]Thanks for the suggestions guys.
Anytime... http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-thumbsup.gif



Quote[/b] ] I've played Aragon before without too many problems (Just have to expand aggressively against Spain ASAP and make friends with the French.
That's one way to do it. But in Expert, Green Generals and with .nuttermode. activated, it's much harder...

Of course, for an even bigger challenge, try intalling the last version of MedMOD.



Quote[/b] ]I am very interested in playing Novgorod in early, but I noticed that isn't an option. Is there a way to activate them? I'm interested in them because in every game I have played so far they have been eaten by local rebels who seem vastly superior in military power. This might be an interesting challenge.
To play Novgorod activated there are several MODs that have that faction activated. Try BKB's SuperMOD. It has 30 playable factions. It is still in BETA and only Early is available though.



Quote[/b] ]The green generals thing I will definitely do, that sounds more realisitic anyway. One question about generals though while I am thinking about it... do generals have a specified age or do they just die randomly? Ive had some that seem to last centuries, but that could simply be me getting names mixed up.
No, you're right. In my experience, they last a lot more than Kings. About 100 to 150 years. Maybe more...

[Mouzafphaerre]

-
Try Turkish/Early and pray for the Horde to blow in Armenia. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/angry.gif

Welcome to the forum

http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/cheers.gif
_

[Bezalel]

Expert: Turks on high.

[Aymar de Bois Mauri]

I've remembered another difficult SP campaign:

-Russians, High, Expert, GA, Green_Generals, .nuttermode.

The Horde is just 25 years away... http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-wink.gif

Try it. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wave.gif

[Fanty]

Zitat[/b] ]medmod HRE + nuttermode? now that's really sadistic

Jesus.... http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-dizzy2.gif


Maybe I am so horribly bad, but with HRE, early, normal..... I get screwed big arse in MED MOD even if I use *deadringer* (1 million florins) and *worksundays* (buildigns finnish in 1 turn) ;)

France, Italy, Poland, Hungary and England attack me nearly at once. (allways, doesnt matter how much I try its allways the same)

While it seems impossble to win with HRE even with cheating. It seems pretty easy with Danes even without cheating.

I cannot even imagine how this could be in nuttermode ;)

[SwordsMaster]

Quote[/b] (Aymar de Bois Mauri @ Mar. 18 2004,10:07)]I've remembered another difficult SP campaign:

-Russians, High, Expert, GA, Green_Generals, .nuttermode.

The Horde is just 25 years away... http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-wink.gif

Try it. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wave.gif
im on that one,and Ijust survived the HOrde
They still hold a couple of my provinces,but i will kick their arses in 4or 5 turns...
(I have to say i was reduced to 3 provinces in my worst moment.)
Ah,im playing on Hard instead of Expert...just for the money..

[SwordsMaster]

oops,sorry i posted twice,stupid mistake http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

Edit: Not to worry, I took care of the double post. - Gregoshi

[Pox]

Quote[/b] (TinCow @ Mar. 17 2004,13:02)]What is the hardest/most challenging way to play the game without using mods?
Lots of good answers here about single player so I won't add to that. I'll go in a different direction with a one word answer:

Multi-player http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

I had been playing single player campaigns on expert and began to get bored. Last November I ventured into the world of multi-player......what a rush I've been reborn. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/bigthumb.gif