I own half the world, now what?

[Budwise]

First, has anyone ever went past the winning conditions and owned half the world. Well, I did it and now except a mild faction here or there, its just down to England (Which I am playing), the Danes and the Bysantines. Well, after NUMEROUS rediculous ceasefires with the Danes giving them whole bankloads of money and them attacking me two turns later caused me to annialate the Danes with extreme prejustice. That wars been going on for decades and I only have been able to move the frontline back about two provinces across their national boarder between them and me. I believe they have at least 25 providences to go.

The Bysantines on the other hand engage just a city or two once in a while but their naval is outnumbering mine at least 3 to 1 and I can't make headway to taking it all out. It seems I sink a fleet and two more come from an area of the map I can't see.

I guess I am writing to say that its still kinda challenging even knowing that I could just hit the End of Turn and do nothing else until all the turns are up and I will still have at least half my empire and its also not a bit at all thrilling to take on whole legions of mixed starter troops with an elite army (Even with the shield bug and 1.1 vanila I clean up) but I am still entertained and play for hours upon hours.

I think the most fun is that the Danes and I have about equal number in the College of Cardinals until just recently and we switch off in power of the papacy. We have been both Excommed for taking on the other and only just recently did I get way more seats than they did. I can even say I tried like hell to own the college and how the Danes compete is beyond me. Most fun ever on MTW.

Any ideas on making the game more fun or challenging. I am playing at .5 and the year is around 1250, I really would like to annialate the world and take on the Timorids ALONE. I think the plague and gunpowder would be a nice addition to try out. I would also like to see America so my few questions are:

1. Does the game end when EVERY faction is annialated but the Aztecs. If I kill off the two remaining superpowers before 1400, is that it? Or, do I get to remain playing until the Aztecs come up. I guess a good counter is trapping the Bysantines to an island or something and blockcade the port with an armada of ships but I would perfer not to have to do that.
2. The Bysantines and Danes are allied. Even knowing I want the alliance to stand for a challange, is their a way I could help break it? To my knowledge their isn't anything I can do but am I wrong?
3. The tech tree is SMALL, I finish building everything a long time ago. Anyone else notice this?
4. I guess how can I make this a little harder, I don't want to do the following.
Destroying buildings
Lowering Taxes
Playing more moral or less moral than corrently playing
Giving land away
Taking land and leaving it to give back
Limiting or Neutering my armies (Hell, I play almost barebones with no calv until just recently.)
I guess another thing I can say is that when everyone gives up, I still see life in a campaign and find it actually more fun at this point when two other nations are just as powerful and I can't protect EVERYTHING at the same time.

[RickooClan]

Try to collect 3 adultress in 1 general perhaps. :laugh4:

[HoreTore]

2. The Bysantines and Danes are allied. Even knowing I want the alliance to stand for a challange, is their a way I could help break it? To my knowledge their isn't anything I can do but am I wrong?

With some cunning diplomacy, you can do this. First off, the danes have to have a princess, and your heir a bachelor(or the other way around). Second, form a ceasefire with the danes. Then marry the two lovebirds, which will cause an alliance with you, and a ceasefire between you and the byzantines. Then, the byzantines(not you!) have to attack you before the danes attack you.

[gardibolt]

I haven't played much past the victory screen myself, but if it's anything like RTW, you just keep playing till you stop. Nothing happens when you conquer the entire world. There was a feature in RTW where a couple turns after you conquer the world unrest spikes and a bunch of your cities rebel, which makes for one of the toughest parts of the game, as far as I'm concerned, because they're usually interior cities that don't have any significant armies nearby to retake them.:juggle2:

[Gaius Terentius Varro]

You can't own half the world since only 40% of it is on the map

[Durallan]

how long did it take for you to figure that out?

historically though that 40% of the world, actually was the world, they didn't think much beyond it existed. and if they did, they didn't really care.

[Budwise]

Thanks smarta**, I was talking about the "Playable World" and I am not counting territories. I just own all of present day Spain, England, France, Germany, Poland and now Scandanavia.

[Moah]

Thanks smarta**, I was talking about the "Playable World" and I am not counting territories. I just own all of present day Spain, England, France, Germany, Poland and now Scandanavia.




I take it you mean all of present day Britain - unless you haven't conquered Scotland, Ireland and Wales yet. Huh? Huh? :whip: :whip: :whip:


(Sorry. Bit of a sore point with this grumpy exiled jock...no offence meant to anyone.)

[crpcarrot]

how long did it take for you to figure that out?

historically though that 40% of the world, actually was the world, they didn't think much beyond it existed. and if they did, they didn't really care.


they were not advanced enough to care yet

[crpcarrot]

i prefer to make other kindoms my vassals and help them defend themselves.

managing half the map would just bore me to death i already take ages each turn with about 20 provinces. so my new strategy is make all neighburing kindoms my vassals. let them worry about the stupid population as long as they bow to me i dont care ;)

[uanime5]

If you want the game to be harder you need to modify the Establisment and Conquest stages. It's too late when you're in the End Game stage (unless you screw up big time).

Establisment stage: each faction is just starting. They have small armies. There are various rebel settlements nearby. Fighting between different factions is normally over small parts of their Kingdoms. This stage ends when the various factions try to conquer one another.

Conquest stage: each faction has established borders. They have medium to large armies. All the rebel settlements and weak factions have been crushed. Fighting occurs between factions trying to conquer each other and enlarge their Empires. This stage ends when the strongest 2-3 factions attack each other.

End Game stage: one faction has emerged as the strongest in the world. There is no faction left to challenge its power (though it may have troubles with internal rebellions). Fighting occurs between this faction and everyone else. This stage ends when there no more land to conquer.

OP since you're in the End Game stage, all that's left is crushing the remaining factions. Giving ceasefires to the Danes and Byzantines is pointless since they won't be able to build up their armies enough to be challenging (it's too expensive for them to create and upgrade an army large enough to have a chance against yours). Also it's very unwise to attack a faction that's much stronger than your factions.

If you're bored just conquer the remaining factions, control everywhere in the game, then spend the rest of the game building up your Empire (improving cities and castles) until you can fight the Mongols, Tirmids, and Aztecs.