Enter the Dark Age [Archive]

Lacker

11-03-2004, 07:03

So this is a first.

I have played MTW several times through, at least 5 or 6 times on expert. This time I'm playing as the dutch, focusing completely on my economy and avoiding war at all costs. I'm rolling in money (12k a year and sitting on a treasury of over 800k), selling lumber, food, and iron to the other nations of the map as they slaughter each other with abandon. Here's the odd part.

1369 - the map consists of myself, the egyptians, the French, the Almohads, and the Polish. The French and Almohads have been clobbering eachother for centuries to a standstill, splitting mid-western Europ with France owning all the isles and the Almohads owning all of Spain. Egypt and myself have been duking it out on the seas but essentially at peace with me occupying the north lands, greece and constantinople (both acquired from a bout of rebellions before the Byz fell to Egypt)

here's the kicker

1370 - France AND the Almohads see their kings die without an heir in battle and LITERALLY 45% of the map is now in the hands of rebels. I've never seen such a transformation. Germany reappeared, as did the Sicilians and the Swiss but they occupy only one province each. It's like someone ussered in a dark age of lawlesness with 2/3rds of Europe without a leader. We're talking Acquitain to Milan, Scotland to Cyrencia, Britannia to Friesland and ALL of Spain. I'm like a kid in a candy store picking the provinces I like best and bribing up their garrisons to secure all the land I could hope for without a drop of blood spilled. I can also send my Cogs from the north who were there to deter a growing French navy down to turn the remaining Egyptian ships into drift wood. What an odd turn of events. Anyone seen anything like this before?

A

bretwalda

11-03-2004, 11:25

Nope, I haven't seen any such interesting happening, but anyhow I am a relatively new player... I'd love to be a peace loving nation of traders, I try to do it with the Sicilians ;) But please keep us updated what happens - if possible with screenshots and such!!! ;)

Marquis de Said

11-03-2004, 12:38

In one game I was playing as the turks, and the Spanish pwned everything west of Egypt and Constantinople. I pumped v4 assassins from Syria and succeeded assassinating three successive Spanish kings. All of western Europe went rebel. The pope re-emerged, so did the Italians and Almohads in the former Spanish lands.

I love a game were there is one evil empire against you with overwhelming force. It makes you think twice about every move you make.

bretwalda

11-03-2004, 13:18

Oh yes: that is the hidden bonus of Syria! I remember seeing those hidden province bonuses, but I don't recall where... could you point to the right direction...? Or copy paste in a pm? Thx!

Marquis de Said

11-03-2004, 15:16

Bretwalda,

you can download the MTW Info Pack here http://www.3ddownloads.com/strategy-gaming/totalwar/FAQs/mtw/mtw%20info%20pack.zip#

It is in the Guides section and contains detailed lists of all MTW units, building requirements and province bonuses. Hidden bonuses aren't listed separately, but you can compare the bonuses in the lists with the ones you see on the map.

bretwalda

11-03-2004, 16:20

Lacker

11-03-2004, 18:39

I have the before and after dates saved in my game, but don't know how to take or post a screen shot.....anyone wanna give me that info so I can stick them up?

A

EatYerGreens

11-04-2004, 02:11

I have the before and after dates saved in my game, but don't know how to take or post a screen shot.....anyone wanna give me that info so I can stick them up?

A

F2 key takes the screenshot - as you may have seen from examples here, it works both in strategy map and in the battles. You'll find the grabs under ...Program Files\Total War\Medieval Total War\TGAs

Use a suitable program to view then resave/convert the file type to JPEG (reduces the file size from a few megs to under 200k), which saves on forum bandwidth.

In the reply composition window, you should see a strip of icons (bold, italic etc) which insert html tags for you and one of those is for "insert image".

I've not attempted an image insert for myself yet so, hopefully, someone else will chip in with a tip about the fine detail of uploading the image.

Marquis de Said

11-04-2004, 02:21

The way I posted images on the forum was to open an account with Photobucket.com (free) and I uploaded the image to my account. When you upload an image, it will show you the image's URL, which you can paste in the window that opens when you click on the "insert image" button when you're writing a message.

I look forward to seeing some snapshots of your campaign.

bretwalda

11-04-2004, 13:21

You can resize and convert the pix with irfanview which is free to use and works fine and easily.

I am looking forward to the screenshot and possibly savegame post, if you can!

You can also pm me if you have trouble with conversion.

Lacker

11-06-2004, 05:11

hmm, so I figured out the screen shots, have them now converted to JPEG's but can't seem to post them here yet. I'm trying to open the Photobucket.com thing but says I have to wait two hours until they'll accept a new account....

Anyhow, I havn't forgotten, it looks pretty funny!

A

Lacker

11-06-2004, 07:33

Lets see if this works...

Now you see them; 1370
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v502/Lacker/00000001.jpg

Now you don't; 1371
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v502/Lacker/00000002.jpg

talk about a lack of organization...Almohaad, and France both down the tube in one year. Kinda hard to see, but as mentioned above 1/2 the map just cleared out. France in the north (UK down to Britany and Flanders etc) and the Almohads in the rest (all of Italy, most of N. Africa, Spain and S.W. Europe.) just vamoosed. The Bergundians (never seen this faction before this campaign...rebels in Bergundy with their own name?) all alone in Western Europe. It sure made the naval situation easier in the north. I was worring about a messy sea war to establish primacy in the north, you can see the masses of French vessels in the first shot, and was fretting about excommunication....but fortunately for me...no French King...no French boats!!!

It wasn't until 1389 that the Almohads had come back and even then it was incrementally in parts of Northern Africa and spread out bits of Europe. France didn't make another go at it until 1440. By then the map was washed in the clean white of DENMARK!!! :charge:

A

Ludens

11-06-2004, 13:08

The little fort with the blue-and-yellow flag belongs to the Burgundians? I already wondered what the Russians were doing in France ~D .

The Burgundians are a hidden faction, a bit like the Swiss. They only appear in late and only because of a 'faction resurrection' event. But even this is rare: I understand Burgundy first has to become neutral before the resurrection takes place. Historically, Burgundy was given by the French king (Jean II I think it was) to one of his sons. However, the new dukes of Burgundy did not feel much loyalty to the French crown, which had been severly weakened by the hundred years war. They tended to make deals with the English and the Holy Roman Empire at the cost of the French. However, since the game cannot represent this situation they made Burgundy a bit like the Horde, except that it doesn't appear on a set time.

Ash

11-06-2004, 15:38

MuseRulez

11-06-2004, 16:29

You can play as the Dutch?

No you can't. At least not in an unmodded game. If there is something like a Dutch mod I would like to know. ~:)

Silver Rusher

11-06-2004, 17:05

I think he meant Danish.

Lacker

11-06-2004, 19:27

ah, yes...yes I did...

A

Ash

11-07-2004, 13:09

If there is something like a Dutch mod I would like to know. ~:)
Unfortunately the Netherlands didn't excist as an independant country till at least the 16th century.

The Netherlands was a part of the HRE and later belonged to Bourgondy before being hand over to the Spanish.

But I'd definitely like to see a Dutch faction...

henoch

11-07-2004, 18:49

fine map you created.

the netherlands/hollanders are in the game!!!!

me as atm-HRE-devot see them every turn. all you have to do is make flanders and friesland revolt against you.

there are also *mercs* units (common with gunners in high..) who bear these names ..at least.

but it if would be you, who succsed in revolting there via .conan., you could probably have a... nm.