difficulty levels

[Hulegu]

I'm just wondering how MTW's difficulty levels will compare with STW's. The reason is, although some players are absolute experts, I am by no means alone in finding STW's normal level pretty hard, and in not having the time, or, sometimes, the energy, to invest in getting better at it. I truly love the game but struggling for years on end, in the face of poor harvest after poor harvest, just to get enough troops to defend yourself, knowing that the AI daimyos have enormous armies and your best hope for years to come will be a difficult defensive battle every single time you hit 'end turn', saps your enthusiasm sometimes, and that's just one possible scenario for those of us who need more practice. So I'm requesting here that MTW's easy level will be just as easy as STW's, and of course I don't mind the hard levels being harder for the benefit of those who find it all too easy.
Right, after that bombardment my six-monthly forum-posting is done: I'll return to the ranks of the silent watchers now.

[Hirosito]

no stay your questions are all very pertinent. whilst i always loved defending (cos you don't get to do much of it in the latter stages) i know what you mean. i'm pretty confident that the difficulty levels will stay the same. as CA is aiming at a broader audience with this game you could expect it to be a bit easier in fact. although the size of the game will make up for that.

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Hirosito Mori

Gentile or Jew
O you who turn the wheel and look to windward,
Consider Phlebas, who was once handsome and tall as you.

[Hulegu]

Well I didn't mean I wouldn't reply to replies, as it were. I am reassured by what you say. I was a little worried that a game which looks like it might just be my all-time favourite would turn out to be one I hardly played because I couldn't get very far with it!

[Sir Kuma of The Org]

I don't expect that playing the 400 year *long version* of the campaign with the winning conditions being to conquer every country will be easier, mostly because i expect the strat map turn base part of the game to be more complex with much more elements to take into consideration.

The good news for Hulegu is, yes they are aiming for a wider audience, expect a few different type of victory conditions that will suit just about every playing style that you will be able to combine with the different difficulty settings.

Also you will be able to cut the 400 year campaign into 3 seperate campaigns spanning different time periods and a few historical campaigns.

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Ils sont grands seulement parce que nous sommes à genoux. Alors levons-nous debout!!!

[Hirosito]

nice of you to quote yourself maybe your powers on the this forum are going to your head http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/wink.gif . What i think we might see is that one can play the game well without conquering the whole map. maybe it will end up with 2 or 3 factions none of which can deliver a killer blow due to the size of the opponents empire.

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Hirosito Mori

Gentile or Jew
O you who turn the wheel and look to windward,
Consider Phlebas, who was once handsome and tall as you.

[Sir Kuma of The Org]

Quote Originally posted by Hirosito:
nice of you to quote yourself maybe your powers on the this forum are going to your head http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/wink.gif . What i think we might see is that one can play the game well without conquering the whole map. maybe it will end up with 2 or 3 factions none of which can deliver a killer blow due to the size of the opponents empire.

[/QUOTE]

Woups! Butter fingers http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/smile.gif or is it a *head* problem http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/biggrin.gif

But as you can see, i have quoted someone else than me (because like any double post, i will delete mine)

Back to subject. This from the FAQ at totalWar.com:

Q16. What will the victory conditions be??
A16. There are a couple of optional conditions - conquer the world (difficult), take 60 regions, or a points victory based on glorious achievements and influence.


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Ils sont grands seulement parce que nous sommes à genoux. Alors levons-nous debout!!!



[This message has been edited by Sir Kuma of The Org (edited 05-18-2002).]

[Hirosito]

aha i must have skipped over that one...very good thx. i'm happy that conquering the whole 'world' will be difficult

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Hirosito Mori

Gentile or Jew
O you who turn the wheel and look to windward,
Consider Phlebas, who was once handsome and tall as you.

[Papewaio]

I hope we have a difficulty level beyond Expert or better just more intelligent AI when it comes to manuevers and feints.

[Nelson]

We would all like the AI to improve but that isn't likely IMO. Too complex ergo too expensive regarding time and money.

[Hirosito]

PAPE the thing was that STW only had one real difficulty level. the rest was just making the opponents units cheaper than yours. hardly a difficult level more of a 'cheat'. i'd rather not have any difficulty levels than have the AI cheat. just make the damn AI better.

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Hirosito Mori

Gentile or Jew
O you who turn the wheel and look to windward,
Consider Phlebas, who was once handsome and tall as you.

[Papewaio]

Quote Originally posted by Hirosito:
PAPE the thing was that STW only had one real difficulty level. the rest was just making the opponents units cheaper than yours. hardly a difficult level more of a 'cheat'. i'd rather not have any difficulty levels than have the AI cheat. just make the damn AI better.

[/QUOTE]

I also thought the opposing units had +1 honour at hard, and +2 honour at expert.

I would like a better AI as well http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/smile.gif

[Hirosito]

might be as i said i don't know much about these things. it's basically a cheat: better units for less money because the devs couldn't code a better AI.

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Hirosito Mori

Gentile or Jew
O you who turn the wheel and look to windward,
Consider Phlebas, who was once handsome and tall as you.

[Wavesword]

It's been given 12 plans of attack this time around, which should help a bit, but unit types, terrain etc. are more complex. It'll probably cheat even more too, in fact a computer at CA has already begun a game against you without you knowing... Oh, and it has probably developed an obnoxious forum personality too.

[Papewaio]

shhhhh!

[Hirosito]

do't get me wrong i'm optimistic and i don't expect them to get it ALL right in MTW. as long as clear progress is being made.

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Hirosito Mori

Gentile or Jew
O you who turn the wheel and look to windward,
Consider Phlebas, who was once handsome and tall as you.

[Wavesword]

It won't be as groundbreaking given the development time and our jaded sensibilities, but it'll be good. The strategy map will probably improve more than the battles, which will get a lot of work before TW3, Krast's Revenge.