completed

[s_tabikha]

the entire map
finished!
WOO!
Anyone else complete as well?

[centurie]

iv not had the game long , but on my first attempt, i managed to win the small campaign............iv never played any of the total war games before, but i liked the look of this one, i will be getting the addon when is comes out.
I have it installed twice on duel boot machine , one in vista ultimate with the stainless steel mod , and one in XP with the long road mod, and funny enough it playes a lot smoother in vista ultimate than it does in xp, both operating systems are on fresh installs too , strange.

[CMcMahon]

I got close a couple times playing RTR in RTW, but never in vanilla RTW or M2TW. I think I might end up doing it in my Scottish campaign, though, since they're proving fun to play as.

[Ramses II CP]

I did this in MTW a few times, but the different factions are so much fun to play I haven't gotten beyond 45 in MTW II. I keep *intending* to do it, but my campaigns peter out in the management.:whip:

[Askthepizzaguy]

107 regions owned, turn 57

http://www.sendspace.com/file/iaziwo

I did not conquer the new world, because that event hasnt happened yet.
The Mongols and the Timurids will not show up for over 10 turns, however, I have conquered everyone and I own all the old world territories except Rome so as to not get excommed by the pope.

Please note that this file is from version 1.0, or whatever it is out of the box, and may not work with updated versions.

[CMcMahon]

How do you do that so fast?

[Hellenic_Hoplite]

ive never actually done that, I usually quit my campaigns after a certain point just out of boredom.

[Askthepizzaguy]

How do you do that so fast?

Did you download and examine the file?

Remember it only works for version 1.0 (I believe. Correct me if I am wrong)

This file is a textbook example of exploiting the crusade function. The general strategy is as follows:

1. France immediately sends a diplomat towards rome and captures all rebel provinces in the vicinity that are possible. France secures military alliances, trade, and map exchange to keep reputation good until prepared to waste everyone.

2. First crusade should be against the Moors. Once you reach the pope, do the standard diplomacy tactics to get perfect relations, then request the crusade of your choice (typically against Baghdad/Antioch/Jerusalem or the Moorish territories, in this case the Moors if I remember correctly)

3. Make all your generals join the crusade, assemble as many troops as possible and send them in the direction of the Moorish lands.

4. Avoid the crusade target until all other Moorish territories are captured.

5. Use join/leave crusade exploit (join/leave/join/leave) until generals have "the saint" or saintly ruler descriptions.

6. Islamic lands should be exterminated (cities) or sacked (castles), churches and priests are top priority in the build queue.

7. Use massive crusader army (now not on crusade) to smash Portugal in one turn. This can be done by a sudden simultaneous backstab and seige of the typically two portugese cities.

8. Keep relations with pope at perfect so that the maximum penalty for disobeying his order to stop attacking the portugese (or any target) is lower approval. (usually the case)

9. After snuffing portugal, sack Spain, same method.

10. goad the HRE or Milan into attacking you, getting them excommunicated.

11. Luck of the draw, by the time the next crusade happened, denmark was excommunicated too.

12. Create many generals by attacking rebels with standing armies of spearmen and town militia with slightly better strength, promoting captains.

13. Next crusade in 10 turns after Moors taken down, crusade against Baghdad.

14. On the way to Baghdad, sack as many HRE, Milanese, and Denmark cities as possible.

15. Sack as many Byzantine cities as possible.

16. Send two stacks to Egypt and wipe out Egypt with crusaders as well. Convert all orthodox and Muslim lands to catholocism. send train of priests from Spain to africa to egypt to arabia to asia minor.

17. During the 2nd crusade, send a couple armies north and sack the British Isles.

18. Sack Sicily if the get excommed, otherwise send another couple stacks from Spain or France or Africa to Sicily and wipe them out.

19. Hungary and Poland are usually not excommed, so you will have to take them out with non-crusaders. These are a priority after the HRE falls.

20. You should be fielding over 20 stacks by now, on all fronts against all rebel and non-French targets. This takes a lot of military build-up and budget balancing. Budget must be expanded by sacking cities, as taxes alone cannot pay for the troops, especially after crusade where you will go deep into debt.

21. after 75% of the map is conquered, make concerted effort to move all remaining troops against straggler regions and prevent rebellions whenever possible by religious conversion and glory bonus (glory bonus happens when crusade is won or many regions are conquered)

22. Any final crusades can be launched 10 turns later after Baghdad falls, against any remaining non catholic or excommed target

Ruthless efficiency, crusader troops, mercenaries, and pillaging florins are the keys to massing huge armies quickly and moving them swiftly.

You must take out MOST of the map via crusading forces. Get factions excommunicated if you can by goading them into attacking you, and also just plain dumb luck of the draw. If you try to take out most of the map when they are not excommunicated, you will be excommunicated, or you will be delayed by the pope.

Major factions to take out via crusades:
Moors
Turks
Byzantium
Russia (send crusading force there via denmark during Baghdad mission. use join/leave/join crusade to prevent troop loss to desertion for the first 10 turns)

Egypt
Holy Roman Empire (usually you can get them excommunicated)
Milan or Venice (usually one attacks the other)
Sicily (if you can get them to attack you)
any and all catholic factions that are excommunicated while you are on crusade.

You must be prepared at all times with generals at the ready in your French cities, and town militia and peasants (enough to start a crusade), so that you can strike at any recently excommunicated target swiftly. One full stack is usually enough to cripple any faction (avoid their standing armies, hit their relatively undefended cities) but sending 2-4 generals their way ensures victory.

Move in a logical pattern from city to city while on crusade until the 10 turns of joining are over, then quickly move towards the target. Join/leave crusade for all generals every turn for 10 turns so that there is total freedom of movement and no loss to desertion. Pay attention to what turn you joined the crusade and which turn you can no longer join (+10 turns).

When crusade target is about to be captured, use the movement bonus to move stacks not near the target towards other targets. Don't waste a single turn of movement bonus.

Make sure almost your entire standing army is on crusade every time there is a crusade, even if they have no intention of crusading, unless they are actively attacking a weak catholic faction that has not been excommed yet.

If a crusading army captures the target and is nowhere near any other cities that need capturing (like baghdad, after middle east and asia minor are toast) then disband as many as possible. They are now a drain on resources.

This strategy requires you know how to stay afloat when 50000 florins in debt due to massive crusading armies after crusade ends. Those first 10 turns of not crusading can cripple your ability to fight. You must expand out of debt, because disbanding troops will leave you vulnerable and unable to conquer, and ripe for rebellion.

[centurie]

so in plain english...its a cheat..........so that don't count.......whats the point in playing if you use exploits?? what fun is that ??don't get me wrong im not bashing you , but thats one reason i left online gaming too many bloody cheats ..............

[Askthepizzaguy]

so in plain english...its a cheat..........so that don't count.......whats the point in playing if you use exploits?? what fun is that ??don't get me wrong im not bashing you , but thats one reason i left online gaming too many bloody cheats ..............

I wouldn't call it a cheat. This tactic is definitley an exploit, but since there are no code entries/game hacking involved, and I am playing by out-of-the-box rules unmodified, it simply is an exploit. Much like those players who use bridges to beat massive armies with tiny forces because the computer is too stupid to fight effectively. The only part that is remotely cheating is getting +4 free chivalry, which doesnt really do all that much. I could just as easily use dread instead. That is the only thing the computer cannot do; everything else is what the computer does anyway. So it's playing the game on AI terms.

Besides, the game absolutely cheats. Their crusading forces NEVER desert, and apparently they never go into debt.

And by the way, if the object of the game is to capture all territories before the Mongols arrive, the mission is extremely hard. Much harder than a typical game. Under these house rules, the game is more fun, not less. Besides, you cannot crusade against catholic factions that aren't excommunicated, and you can easily get slowed down by the pope or excommunicated if you arent careful.

Anyone can beat the game slow and steady. Using crusades to blitz victory is much much harder than it sounds. If you dont believe me, accept my challenge. It's pretty much you against every single faction at once. There is no such thing as an ally, other than the pope. And even he hates you if you dont bless him every turn with bribery.

100 regions captured by turn 60. I have already passed this challenge. No code entry/game hacking, no mods, and choose any faction.

Basically, what I am saying is... with unlimited turns the game is all too simple. No human is dumb enough to attack an AI with 2 full stacks together unless they absolutely have to. So with 2 full stacks of your own, every single battle is owned. I think thats cheap and prevents you from actually getting better troops. So in order to make the game challenging, I give myself a turn limit to total victory. Then you can't simply take out one city at a time with two stacks of peasants while beefing up your home territory and sending reinforcements every 5 turns.

You can modify the house rules if you don't like them... say 'no chivalry exploit' and try it. Or no 'movement loss to desertion' avoiding. See how fast you can take the entire map.

[danobnano]

cool