Difference between Very Hard and Hard?

How much difference is their between Very Hard and Hard?

I have been playing on "Hard" and often find myself cursing at the computer, not because it is too hard, but because it is just annoying as hell. I have had provincial cavalry fight 2 units of guard infantry for 10 full mins. It is usually the norm for AI units to fight into the single digits with "steady" morale. The AI seems to not be effected by fatigue and will charge full speed all over the map without ever getting tired. AI Cavalry charges through my infantry and keeps going full speed to another target, while if 1 of my cavalry gets touched with a pointy stick, the whole unit starts walking.

I still win, but it takes all the fun and tactical manuevering out of the game. Trying to pair up enemy units you want to stall while looking to make a break through is pointless.

Anyway can expect even worse crap on VH?

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Originally Posted by IvarrWolfsong

How much difference is their between Very Hard and Hard?

I have been playing on "Hard" and often find myself cursing at the computer, not because it is too hard, but because it is just annoying as hell. I have had provincial cavalry fight 2 units of guard infantry for 10 full mins. It is usually the norm for AI units to fight into the single digits with "steady" morale. The AI seems to not be effected by fatigue and will charge full speed all over the map without ever getting tired. AI Cavalry charges through my infantry and keeps going full speed to another target, while if 1 of my cavalry gets touched with a pointy stick, the whole unit starts walking.

I still win, but it takes all the fun and tactical manuevering out of the game. Trying to pair up enemy units you want to stall while looking to make a break through is pointless.

Anyway can expect even worse crap on VH?

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I personally gave up the H/VH battle difficulties. Something really funky is going on in those... Reminds me of RTW, where on VH cavalry could annihilate a phalanx in a frontal charge...

I've been pretty satisfied with Hard (only played RTI so far, though). The troops on both sides tire appropriately, and morale erodes and breaks for what seem to be the right reasons - fatigue, clear mismatches in numbers or capabilities (troop/weapon types and techs such as canister shot or rank fire), or flank/rear attacks. I haven't played that much yet, but I have yet to win a battle as the underdog (not that I'm the paragon of TW tactical genius or anything). I typically win (albeit "close victories") when about evenly matched, though, especially when defending.

On VH, a single firelock armed peasant unit can tear a single unit of your own line inf apart in a firefight. That same peasant forted up in a building can rip the heart out of a grenadier unit storming the building (assumign you dont have any arty to blast it apart of coruse). Enemy arty if you thought was pretty cheap on H goes even more extreme headhunting your generals or cav with every single shot.

Overall as long as the AI fights stupid, clumps up with no reason, lacks arty, passively gets mowed by cannonballs, suicides its horse early (IE before the inf are in position to charge) you can beat em without suffering significant losses. But, heh, if he comes at you smart with a coordinated firing line or even worse cavalry charge supported by infantry push you're gonna suffer heavy losses no matter how brilliantly you fight (in other words kiss your high xp troops goodbye). Taking down the NA indians are a HUGE pain in the ass given the HUGE issues you'll have in melee with their uber Panzer cav and melee units. Without good bayonet tech, its very very very ugly.

Also for an increased challenge if that's not masochist enough for you play on normal unit sizes. They seem to perform MUCH better on that difficulty level (dont ask me why) fighting smart most of the time, whereas on huge they tend to fight dumb alot. Higher tech also helps out the player alot, so early on its rougher.

VH expect:

enemy
Sniper cannons: first round always hits
Uber militia: were utterly destroying my elite guard units in a one on one gun duel.
Enemy infantry can frontal assault artillery without losing much men.
Cavalry: ignore my infantry to attack my artillery and a re bale to pass through several ranks unharmed.

My army
My cannons can't even hit a building except when parked right in front of it at close range. Cannister shot will often be aimed at the sky for better results ! (although I have seen one volley were a enemy unit was hit and lost 80 percent of its strength).

The enemy gets some bonus. This results in very heavy losses during mêlée, even when defending a fortress. My very good English line infantry were losing lots of men while defending the walls. I hope that the next patch will do something about that bonus and will make the mêlée fights more realistic.

from what ive observed the difficulty levels dont trigger a better AI - they hark back to the RTW days where higher diffculty ment bonus's for the enemy

it seems the AI is getting a bonus to morale, accuracy and melee

it makes me wonder what bonus's the AI gets for campaign difficulty (because they act the same on the campaign map from my perspective)

The only thing the difficulty setting affects is what bonus rank the AI units get. It does nothing else. This has been true since Shogun. If it's the same scale, a green VH unit is effectively rank 2. This may be more noticeable now that so much of combat is at range, being that accuracy and reload rate are both affected by unit rank (see sniper cannons).

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Originally Posted by Rufus

I've been pretty satisfied with Hard

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That is what my gf tells me second time around... :beam:

(omg, I am turning into one of those sick internet trolls :P)

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Originally Posted by Ordani

The only thing the difficulty setting affects is what bonus rank the AI units get. It does nothing else. This has been true since Shogun. If it's the same scale, a green VH unit is effectively rank 2. This may be more noticeable now that so much of combat is at range, being that accuracy and reload rate are both affected by unit rank (see sniper cannons).

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Are you so sure about that?

Try creating a custom battle on VH between two green line infantry units, and time how long it takes that AI to reload compared to you.

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Originally Posted by Sir Moody

it makes me wonder what bonus's the AI gets for campaign difficulty (because they act the same on the campaign map from my perspective)

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They probably get more money with increasing campaign difficulty, as in previous TW titles.

I noticed that trade goods start out more valuable in harder difficulties. Commodity prices usually crash if I'm in a position to spam IM or dhows.

I play on H and the AI seems ok most of the time. I do win most battles, I always win if I have similar troop numbers.

However, it is much less simple now (compared to previuos TW games) to have victories with few casualties. You really need to make the most of your artillery and cavalry. If you get drawn into the usual battle line formation, i.e. hammering it between you and the enemy, your losses will be significant.

I, hence, try to force little flank battles where I have local numerical superiority and withdraw if the enemy has superiority. I also try to make the AI attack and keep kicking him with my arty. I use cavalry as a threat, not as much as a hammer; I make them stand in squares and get shot by my infantry or artilery.
If the enemy goes for a brute all out charge, then you will win, but the losses will be nasty.

Sometims, of course, the AI is an idiot, bunching troops, suffering friendly fire and making a a nice unmoving target for my Howitzers (or grenadiers).


I would not recommend VH, as then the bonuses make enemy troops behave like uber idiots. They always charge and kick your butt. So the only decently viable option is to have some troops to tie the enemy line down and kick it with all you've got. Very unrealistic and feels like an exploit all the time...

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Originally Posted by Ordani

The only thing the difficulty setting affects is what bonus rank the AI units get. It does nothing else. This has been true since Shogun. If it's the same scale, a green VH unit is effectively rank 2. This may be more noticeable now that so much of combat is at range, being that accuracy and reload rate are both affected by unit rank (see sniper cannons).

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Well, this is not true in MTW2 (designed by the CA Australia office though). On VH battle difficulty, the AI does not get any combat bonuses (tested and verified by the community), simply morale/fatigue becomes a much more important factor.

Come to think of it: it seems, CA UK and CA Australia do not communicate much about the game features previously designed and implemented by the 'other' office...

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Originally Posted by Slaists

Well, this is not true in MTW2 (designed by the CA Australia office though). On VH battle difficulty, the AI does not get any combat bonuses (tested and verified by the community), simply morale/fatigue becomes a much more important factor.

Come to think of it: it seems, CA UK and CA Australia do not communicate much about the game features previously designed and implemented by the 'other' office...

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Like, oh, I don't know, REINFORCEMENTS!!!!!!

I am playing on H/VH...

I have almost never encountered an enemy force that is smaller than my own (attacking or defending). I nearly always am facing a full stack of enemy line infantry, with perhaps 2-3 light or regular cavalry.

Playing as sweden, with a nice bonus in cavalry unit size, I assumed that it would be advantageous for me to train them. However, my heavy cavalry takes heavy losses against all enemy cav, unless i outnumber them 2:1. After that, any attacking I do against enemy infantry is very inneffectual. 80 horse, charging at 120 infantry, seems to result in dead horse. My cavalry is more or less worthless against enemy troops. why is this?
Diamond formation seems to make no difference in a charge, and my cav don't even knock the bad guys over when they strike home.

I'm doing well enough, but I have never defeated a foe in a fair fight. VH seems to be impossible :(

Until technology and game design manages to create a Hard or Very hard level that actually gives the A.I. more smarts and zero stat/money bonuses {hidden or blatant} I won't bother with anything but Normal as the other modes simply reek of rotten cheese {seriously , if the cheese is blue , you shouldn't be eating it !} and kills any imersion value for me .
Make no mistake , technology will definitly get there {I'd say about 20 years} unless we blast our selves off the planet first .

If I want challange , I play against Humans {WWIIOL by choice} . At least the cheese is believable with real people .

Honestly are you guys serious?

The AI sucks so much I have only ever played MTW/RTWM2TW and ETW on VH/VH.

The AI is still stupid in ETW it needs lal the help it can get.. it still does the usual sitting around and getting hit or just rushing you. Lets not complain about them getting benefits.. they need more

Well, giving the AI huge combat bonuses isn't the right way. Having a bunch of armed peasants beat your elite infantry 100-0 doesn't feel right, and it's frustrating.

:gah2:

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Originally Posted by Vealer

Honestly are you guys serious?

The AI sucks so much I have only ever played MTW/RTWM2TW and ETW on VH/VH.

The AI is still stupid in ETW it needs lal the help it can get.. it still does the usual sitting around and getting hit or just rushing you. Lets not complain about them getting benefits.. they need more

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The problem is that I want a battle simulator. I don't want to win by exploiting the ais buggy programming. I want to win by using tactics and units in the way they were supposed to be used. ie I don't want to win by using my uhlans to charge to an empty corner of the map to draw off 5 line inf that can't catch them.

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Originally Posted by IvarrWolfsong

The problem is that I want a battle simulator. I don't want to win by exploiting the ais buggy programming. I want to win by using tactics and units in the way they were supposed to be used. ie I don't want to win by using my uhlans to charge to an empty corner of the map to draw off 5 line inf that can't catch them.

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Yup .

Yup, can agree to that too... where is this game.. Total war seems to have missed the mark.