Next Campaign, I wanna get my butt kicked. Any suggestions

I want to actually be challenged on hard, I don't play expert because I don't feel the +4 moral for CPU is going to make me play any better. So, what faction can I play to make it really tough?

I was also considering giving the pope a plathora of money because I am jealous of Bretwadas Uber Popes and would love to go up against the Papacy in a serious war. In my games, they just sit in Rome and excom everyone but me. I would love to see the Pope with a mass army in route to the holyland himself.

Just curious though, can the pope build crusades? If so, does he ever use them?

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Late Almos might be your thing. A fat and greedy Spain, Papacy eager to cry for crusades, always betraying Egyptian brothers and others. It would be fun. ~;) Also early Turks with a strategic (as opposed to blitzkrieging) state of mind will be hard. High Russians might be yet another choice, since the Horde will blow upon their face before having the chance to build up enough. ~:)
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Sounds like you're confused. A morale disadvantage has improved my play dramatically. On lower difficulty I would make foolish moves that on expert would cost me my army. Now the only way I do is if everyone in combat is "loosing badly" (usually when defending Venice :help: ). If you want your "butt" kicked make your royal knights ride donkeys (morale disadvantage) and your army will function better as a whole.

That may work too good as I now find that I am almost dependent on having my army operate as an "organism" rather then being able to orchestrate a decentralized battle.

Mithrandir :
Edited language.

You could always force yourself to stick to some “iron man” rules. :knight:

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Originally Posted by Vladimir

Sounds like you're confused. A morale disadvantage has improved my play dramatically. On lower difficulty I would make foolish moves that on expert would cost me my army. Now the only way I do is if everyone in combat is "loosing badly" (usually when defending Venice :help: ). If you want your "ass" kicked make your royal knights ride donkeys (morale disadvantage) and your army will function better as a whole.

That may work too good as I now find that I am almost dependent on having my army operate as an "organism" rather then being able to orchestrate a decentralized battle.

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@Vladimir, I just don't understand what you mean except for the first three sentences... Could you explain, please?

@yesdachi, is there a link for those iron man rules?

Try this for a real challenge:

Play Turks on Early/Hard and give ALL other factions 500,000 florins.

Try either GA or Conquer.

Have fun!

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Originally Posted by bretwalda

@yesdachi, is there a link for those iron man rules?

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I don’t know of any specific list but here is a thread from a while back that addressed the question.

If I want to play realistically I usually just stick to a couple, like…
No unprovoked attacks (except at the end if I am going for 100%) and no spamming units or cheese. Also I never go back to a saved game if I loose a battle.

In direct defiance to those I say anything goes in the first years of a campaign. After 10 to 20 years I settle into the self-inflicted rules.~:)

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Originally Posted by bretwalda

@Vladimir, I just don't understand what you mean except for the first three sentences... Could you explain, please?

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I take it you are referring to my organism comment? Basically on expert I do whatever I can to ensure that I don't take morale hits. Seek the steepest hill to defend on even if it’s not perfect, keep your army together and flanks protected, watch fatigue/casualty level, keep track of the morale level displayed when you hold your cursor over a unit, etc. This encourages you to keep your army together for mutual (morale) support and do your best to make HIM rout. Know what makes morale decline and do it to him. I ALWAYS target the general (mostly with missiles as he’s less likely to run away). I’ve practiced this many times with great success against the Pope.

Possible ironman games/challenges:

Byzantines, Late period, no mercenaries.

Egyptians, High period, GA mode. This is fun if everyone decides to crusade at you, but the AI sometimes doesn't bother. ~:handball:

King of Jerusalem: French, high period, you must abandon France and expand from the crusader kingdoms.

Bridge lover mode: If any province has a bridge on one of its borders, you can only take it from that side.

No trading. (Ouch. At least you wouldn't have 20 governors getting corruption virtues every turn.)

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Originally Posted by Budwise

I want to actually be challenged on hard, I don't play expert because I don't feel the +4 moral for CPU is going to make me play any better. So, what faction can I play to make it really tough?

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Play any faction, but play "guts" Total War. I think it has been talked about in here before. Basically:

1) Auto-tax provinces
2) Auto-assign governor titles
3) Auto-construct buildings
4) Auto-train units

You have to just take what the AI gives you and make the best of it.

Let me know how you make out if you try it...

this one's a toughie but it can be done...

No Arnies bigger than one stack.
you got it, restrict yourself at most to 960 men, I am not a very good player, but pulled it off on easy. I think it can be done at normal... i'm not sure about hard and i think impossible for expert.

If your into crazy challenges, try a melee-only army. No ranged attacks. If you bring archers or siege weapons, they can fight but they can't fire. At the very least you'll get shafted every time you encounter a high valour general (the "Jedi General" phenomenon).

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Originally Posted by Goofball

Play any faction, but play "guts" Total War. I think it has been talked about in here before. Basically:

1) Auto-tax provinces
2) Auto-assign governor titles
3) Auto-construct buildings
4) Auto-train units

You have to just take what the AI gives you and make the best of it.

Let me know how you make out if you try it...

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I already do the first three. EVERY GAME. I just construct the buildings I want first in the few providences that I want to upgrade. IF I have the florins, I have gotten some cool things.

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Originally Posted by Yukon Cornelius

If your into crazy challenges, try a melee-only army. No ranged attacks. If you bring archers or siege weapons, they can fight but they can't fire. At the very least you'll get shafted every time you encounter a high valour general (the "Jedi General" phenomenon).

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Done that too. Most of the time, I don't have archers until I really really need them. I also have played without Calvs half the time when I do this. Infantry Only does add a lot to play.

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Originally Posted by Emerald Wolf

this one's a toughie but it can be done...

No Arnies bigger than one stack.
you got it, restrict yourself at most to 960 men, I am not a very good player, but pulled it off on easy. I think it can be done at normal... i'm not sure about hard and i think impossible for expert.

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Ever see a screenshot of any of my games? I often do this too. I usually keep a stack in each providence (Works great with killing re-emerging factions before they happen.) I only make a bigger stack/move units when I absolutely need one like Horde incoming or see a potential attack from a neutral/enemy providence.

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Originally Posted by Budwise

Ever see a screenshot of any of my games? I often do this too. I usually keep a stack in each providence (Works great with killing re-emerging factions before they happen.) I only make a bigger stack/move units when I absolutely need one like Horde incoming or see a potential attack from a neutral/enemy providence.

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But he means like "if the horde comes, then fight them with one stack" ironman rule. One which I play more often than not. It helps discipline you in matters of spamming and rushing.

Try Sicilian/Italian campaigns with no trade, or an HRE campaign with no rush (Italians AND Danes) and try to survive. Or an early/high Aragon campaign and NOT expanding south/west. Let Castile grows and rule Spain and rush the world on its own, while you jealously guard your homeland/borderland province, Aragon.

Or, as an alternative, play the Cyprus kingdom: France, Late, conquest, abandon the motherland. Almost impossible; much harder than High, which you have three provinces. Go and make the Pope proud. (lol)

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Originally Posted by AntiochusIII

Or, as an alternative, play the Cyprus kingdom: France, Late, conquest, abandon the motherland. Almost impossible; much harder than High, which you have three provinces. Go and make the Pope proud. (lol)

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The one time I did this was about the only time that I came close to losing. If I didn't have to reformat, I probably would have lost.

I lost the homeland and got stuck saving the Holyland or Endgame. I was being seiged in my last providence, Palestine, and I had a rebellion in my favor and gave me a HUGE fighting chance. They were withered down because of upkeep and constant attacks but I survived long enough to cause Egypt to Civil War.

GA without question.

Early French, no English rushing AND must hit ALL ga point scores.

I dont think I have seen you in the HRE headache thread.

Danes Early hard no units but vikings and royalty, governors ex-royal only.

Turks have been mentioned and in GA roleplaying mode are a blast.

Not so much an Ironman thing but it helps, base your armies historically. If it feels gamey it probably is. This is probably much more so of RTW than MTW but it still plays through for your gaming enjoyment.