Expert....what????

[Teedius]

I'm getting smoked on normal, but i see people playing on expert. I had shogun, but never got into much, wasn't into asian warfare and didn't know the heirachy but mtw is a bit better http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/smile.gif

Anyway, if playing on expert, are you writing down all stats for all citys and ensuring that everything is a perfectly matched as possible (ie best general to best title deeds etc)? I was thinking that might be a winner, work to maximise everything but it seems an awfully dry way to play, but then since it's turn based, whats the rush http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/smile.gif

Also, maybe some simple ideas for a patch....resizable information parchments, and moveable too....they're always where i want to see what units are in the area http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/smile.gif

also just read in the manual tonight (no wonder people say rtfm http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/smile.gif) to change the way units are face, alt right click on the battle field and it'll get them facing that way...i (and i saw other posts complaining about the facing) have be re-dragging my formation to turn them around, just incase anyone else missed that part of the manual http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/smile.gif (but it'd be good to get them auto facing the closest group (so it'd track them too while trying to set ambush)

[ltj]

hmm, i've played a couple campaigns on hard, and it wasn't too difficult. im going to go to expert next as the AI let me get away with way too much on hard.

as with all things, it gets easier with time. http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/smile.gif

[ltj]

actually, using a notepad sounds like a darn good idea. http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/icons/icon14.gif list what provinces build what unit and go from there.

i do wish CA had put some kind of automated rally-point feature in the strat part, though, so you didnt have to drag a bunch of single units each turn as you form your army.

[zipnar]

expert isn't that hard, to *me* it seems like the ai maybe has more money, and/or can build buildings faster maybe.

played expert last night and lost my bloodline with 80% of the map beaten down.

oh yeah and i went from start of early period to when i lost my bloodline in 1384 i had -zero- revolts, rebels, civil wars, revolutions, re-imerging factions, whatever you want to call them.

how? you may ask. just leave your taxes all at "normal" and every couple of turns hit the finance button, look at the loyalty collumn and hold the pagedown key. if you see something under 150, garrison it more.

the way i see it, the extra money you get on very high taxes will all be spent fighting the rebels it makes, and rebuilding the buildings/units the rebels destroy. on "normal" taxes i got the "adored by the populace" popup basically every time it came around.

(i took so long because i wanted to see if i got any diffrent or intersting GA goals could have won in a lot less turns than the game took.)

my verdict: expert = not that hard.

computer gets more money and can build faster, and can run around with 10 full armies of high tech units without the economic infrastructure to possibly support it. if anyone has noticed any other advantages ai gets on expert i'd like to hear your experiences/ideas. thanks.

[Vlad The Impaler]

i finnaly got the game http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/wink.gif
i started as Otomans high era in expert and it was no problem ; i didnt played too much ( just 50 yrs )
i switch on the spanish early era in expert too
no problems to beat the AI ;same thing with England in early era too;
my verdict is the same as zipnar's verdict;

------------------
One sword to behead the white ruler sitting on the white throne in the Vatican.
One sword for the ruler who will come and unite us under the sign of the cross
with broken arms. Eleven swords to behead eleven lords and rulers of the land
united under the blue banner. A hundred swords to defend our southern
boundaries against black plague and half moon.
And one axe for me to defend my stronghold, and may I call this axe, "Bane of
Christendom" soon.

[Yoko Kono]

i havent really had any rebellion problems as yet with all provinces on very high taxes with small garrisons but it is only on hard
i may see what its like on expert
the only province i have with lowering loyalty is scotland \o/ but its my only governer without any happinnes vices-building 20% and 40% farming improvements should give the steward vice boosting agriculture income and happinness in the province

[Kraellin]

nope. i dont write down a thing when i play. and those that are having trouble with revolts and loyalty really need to study how all that works. the same is true with running taxes on normal. i ALWAYS run my provinces on very high, with just a few exceptions from time to time, and never have problems with rebellions or civil wars. and, i also get the most popular message at times. and yes, this is on expert. if you know your causes and effects, it's not that tough to manage a stable kingdom, even scotland and portugal :)

K.


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The only absolute is that there are no absolutes.

[Dionysus9]

Quote Originally posted by ltj:
actually, using a notepad sounds like a darn good idea. http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/icons/icon14.gif list what provinces build what unit and go from there.

i do wish CA had put some kind of automated rally-point feature in the strat part, though, so you didnt have to drag a bunch of single units each turn as you form your army.[/QUOTE]

I totally agree about troop movements. I like the old, original, Warlords game. You would produce units in a city, and you could target a destination where they would walk to on their own. This way, you can build units in your homeland and have them automatically march to the front lines.

It was nice, and would work in TW.

[ltj]

thinking about it, the more i want that feature. select a province, click the "rally point" button down in the admin tools section, a giant flag-type icon appears. click on the provence you want units to move to, and kazaam, rally point.

would it be so hard? :\

[pdoan8]

Quote Originally posted by ltj:
actually, using a notepad sounds like a darn good idea. list what provinces build what unit and go from there.[/QUOTE]

Or a building/training summary page which tells you which province is building/training which.

Quote Originally posted by ltj:
i do wish CA had put some kind of automated rally-point feature in the strat part, though, so you didnt have to drag a bunch of single units each turn as you form your army. [/QUOTE]

Nice idea. Dropping a few army stacks from Ireland onto Palestine is manageable, but moving 15 spies on the same route before that is simply a pain in the @$$.

[This message has been edited by pdoan8 (edited 09-10-2002).]

[Paladin]

Quote i finnaly got the game
i started as Otomans high era in expert and it was no problem ; i didnt played too much ( just 50 yrs )
i switch on the spanish early era in expert too
no problems to beat the AI ;same thing with England in early era too;
my verdict is the same as zipnar's verdict;[/QUOTE]

Are you saying that you played 50 turns, figured you beat the game and then stopped? If so, I recommend you play a little longer, like say, to the end and see what happens.

As the Byzantines on Expert in Early, I was doing great within the first 50 years, then as time went on, around the mid-1200's, I sat looking at my screen resigning myself to the fact that I was dead. My empire was crumbling all around me. I was being attacked on all sides, rebels everywhere, my treasury at -35,000.

It wasn't until some rebels joined my faction that I had enough men to stop the invasions and put down the rebellions that I was able to stabilize my situation.

Eventually I came back and re-conquered much of what I lost but it was by the skin of my teeth that I stayed alive. I'm still playing and now the Almohads, over 6,000 strong are ripping me a new one and I'm just retreating until I can build enough troops to counterattack.

Easy? Not if you play for the long haul.