England too easy?

Started playing as Venice, had real problems, so decided to try England, got the whole of the British Isles fairly quickly, wiped the Scots out after turn 5, got Rennes early as well, then got Antwerp and Bruge after 2 or 3 battles. Did a crusade and got Antioch, kept it, and from there got Jereuselem and Acre and Gaza, have kept them and have converted the population of all to at least 50% Catholic. Then did a crusade to Leon and now have that as well as Pamplona. Took Rheims from the French and Algers as well. All this by about turn 65, seems too easy.
H/VH settings btw.

Seems you had a lucky game. One time playing as the Danes, I rolled through Europe like lightening. I started again with them and am locked in a four way war with England, HRE, France, and of course the backstabbing Milanese.

England has a rather easy strategic position - in a corner (sorry, the Scots don't really count). Your game progression sounds like my two English campaigns although you are a lot faster (by turn 90, I've not done what you did).

I noticed things got a lot easier when I started sacking cities - before that the budget constraint was tight (I like to always be building everywhere, but that's not possible without sacking). Crusading against continental enemies also greatly eased things.

I found the Holy Land challenging (not enough generals and too much religious dissatisfaction). In Europe, all my continental neighbours attacked me, so it was hard to progress with only a couple of continental armies and the Pope telling me to back off all the time. I found the level of challenge just right, to be honest, but that's personal preference.

Yeah, i have found things a bit easier since i started exterminating rather than sacking. I think the problem i have with Venice is where to expand, do i go for Milan, Sicily or the Byzantines? I normally go for the Corsica and the other Island, that might be my problem.

I'm playing as England right now and I exploded throughout the British Isles and France. I don't know how many turns it took me to conquer all of that, but it was very quick. But now I'm at war with Spain, Milan, Denmark and HRE and just got excommunicated.

This last turn I have besieged Pamplona, but Denmark has besieged Rheims, Metz and Antwerp. HRE has a full stack by Metz. I don't know if they're going to help Denmark with the siege or not, but I would imagine as soon as I break the Danish siege, the HRE army will move against me. Milan is sending an army towards Marseille.

I also own Jerusalem and Acre. The Turks declared a Jihad on Jerusalem and now have it besieged (for the second time).

I pushed the end turn button and the Danes assaulted Antwerp. I repelled it and broke the siege. Then they assaulted Rheims. I repelled that assault as well. They also assaulted Metz. But that's where I stopped playing. When I load the game back up I'll be trying to repel a 3/4 full stack of Norsemen with 4 units of peasants and 3 units of Mailed Knights. I don't know that I'm going to win this time.

After I'm done with that I'll see if the Turks assault Jerusalem. I hope they do because I have a full stack in it with a bombard unit and plenty of archers. I've never had a city/fortress assaulted while I had a full stack in it in any totalwar game. We'll see.

Bottom Line. England started out very easy for me. But now the world's coming down on me.

It might happen with me, the Mongols turned up about 8 turns ago, thats where i am at. HRE seems weak from my scouting, nothing in Hamburg, Metz or Dijon. France is trying to take Antwerp but i fought them back twice. I am currently at war with HRE, Spain and Egypt and am ranked 1 for military, population and i am the most advanced nation. I'll see what happens later.

I do think you get too much money from exterminating/sacking something and it needs to be reduced IMO.

The way to win with any faction, (its a bug, when you complete it, it has the you win video play) is to crush Milan. Annihilate them, and not attack anyone else. No Matter who you are, Turks, England, Papal States, just kill Milan and you will win!

[/joke]

(But really, try your hardest to kill milan. I hate them. So should you!)

You had me really beliving you their for a moment Peavegreen:smash:

I personally dont think england is to easy it just more obviouse what you have to do to win becuase you start on an island. Its not like england has the best units in game they have some good units but nothing outstanding.

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Originally Posted by zulukiller

I personally dont think england is to easy it just more obviouse what you have to do to win becuase you start on an island. Its not like england has the best units in game they have some good units but nothing outstanding.

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Yeah, i think the Island thing is the key. You can only expand one way and only have 1 to 2 factions after you at any one time, and if you wipe out Scotland early then you will be more advanced than them/more income/bigger army.

Hence, easy.

If there were re-emerging factions, it'd be a lot tougher. There would be a good chance the Scots would come back if you got sloppy in the North.

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Originally Posted by Anthammer

Yeah, i think the Island thing is the key. You can only expand one way and only have 1 to 2 factions after you at any one time, and if you wipe out Scotland early then you will be more advanced than them/more income/bigger army.

Hence, easy.

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So is scotland an easy campaign then ???.

Well, I would say that the Scots are a little tougher. After all, they start out with only 1 province. As with England, controlling the British Isles is key.

But, don't take me seriously. Played only on M/M and autoresolving every battle:sweatdrop: .

does anyone invade england by boat post patch? I heard lots of talk of island hopping post patch does this happen to the english? Pre-patch I agree england is a walk in the park.

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Originally Posted by Nepereta

does anyone invade england by boat post patch? I heard lots of talk of island hopping post patch does this happen to the english? Pre-patch I agree england is a walk in the park.

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I have seen Portugal in wales before!
(EDIT) For spelling

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Originally Posted by Nepereta

does anyone invade england by boat post patch? I heard lots of talk of island hopping post patch does this happen to the english? Pre-patch I agree england is a walk in the park.

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Yes they do ive had the danes, french & portugesse (my allies the back stabbing gits) all invade roughly at the same time.

I've seen reports that the portuguese have developed a fetish for the british isles since the patch - havent experienced it myself yet though, since they were exterminated when i applied the patch halfway through my last english campaign.

Since the patch Milan attacked Corsica etc when i was Venice and the Byzantines attacked Iraklion, it still doesnt happen as much as it should do.
I'd also like to see factions blockade ports for more than 1 turn, no need to have 10 ships on 1 stack moving around blocking different ports each time.

Not played as Scotland so cant comment, but as pointed out, the fact you have 1 province and will easily be over-whelmed by an aggressive England as they dont have to worry about France for ages as they dont get ships for quite a while, especially on their northern front.
I dont think anyone could play as Scotland if the AI attacked them constantly as England.

In a couple of different campains now the portuguese have gone after what used to be the rebel settlements (dublin and wales) they've never actually gone for a settlement originally owned by the english.

Well the British Isles is certainly a key vantage point to launch your expansions and invasions into the rest of the world. As long as you control the seas with a decent fleet some of your key cities/towns may never be threatened as opposed to your enemies whom your armies march against. This also gives you coverage should you decide to ignore the Pope or your standing with him and invade your European neighbors. However, should you care to maintain your good standing then things get interesting.

I'm playing VH/VH and am using Assassins to undermine stabilities of targeted towns and cities to rebellion rather than sieging them outright and declaring war. Its constraining my expansion as I've eight standing alliances and the highest approval of the Pope but I always manuever myself as the defender and not the aggressor in my conflicts. I know I could have much easily butchered my way through but trying to use subtlety and espionage has its own enjoyment.

See this what gets me about this debate yes the British isle does give you alot of money which helps england in the begining. But it does to any faction that controls Britian one of the first things i did in my danish campagin was to invade England and scotland and to take over the rebel settelments along the coast line of europe. And thats nearly the exact same way i would approach the game with any faction i play thats in that area just to get loads of money. The only difference is england might get Britian at most 5 or ten turns earlier but they end up having a smaller pressence on mainland europe which is were i see the balance.

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Originally Posted by DensterNY

I know I could have much easily butchered my way through but trying to use subtlety and espionage has its own enjoyment.

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I know what you mean, i had a top level assasin take out virtually all of the HRE family in one game as Venice, then died trying to kill a merchant.:dizzy2:

Is there anywhere you can see a factions family tree btw, other than your own of course.

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Originally Posted by Anthammer

Is there anywhere you can see a factions family tree btw, other than your own of course.

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I dont think you can i wish you could.

England seem to start off easy but by the time you've been excommunicted and attacked simultaneously by HRE, Danes and Milan it's certainly feels tougher to me. Milan were particularly sneaky, attacking Marseilles with some 1500 troops without warning and, as far as I'm concerned, unprovoked. Although I was heavily outnumbered I must have had better armour/morale ( dismounted feudal Knights mainly ) because I was able to stop them dead in a breach in the wall, then gradually roll them back till their whole army routed and got massacred. Now I'm going after Genoa.

Sacking helps.

And taking out the French.

Oh and Venice have just landed in Scotland ( I destroyed the faction earlier on ) and are besieging me in Edinburgh. Definitely getting harder. What have I ever done to Venice for pity's sake?

:yes:

When I played as the Scots I don't know if the tried an invasion but the spanish were walking around with 3/4 a stack near London until I took London then they left, but I was allied with them.

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Originally Posted by Von Nanega

I have seen Portugal in whales before!

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Nonsense. Even the Orca couldn't eat a whole country!

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Originally Posted by pevergreen

The way to win with any faction, (its a bug, when you complete it, it has the you win video play) is to crush Milan. Annihilate them, and not attack anyone else. No Matter who you are, Turks, England, Papal States, just kill Milan and you will win!

[/joke]

(But really, try your hardest to kill milan. I hate them. So should you!)

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Originally Posted by Carl

You had me really beliving you their for a moment Peavegreen:smash:

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I still believe him. Milan has been EVIL in every one of my campaigns so far. Really evil, like, Mordor in North Italy. They always slaughter every town they capture, or declare war on the Pope or puppies or rainbows, or something. Hate 'em, just hate 'em. :thumbsdown:

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Originally Posted by Malkut

I still believe him. Milan has been EVIL in every one of my campaigns so far. Really evil, like, Mordor in North Italy. They always slaughter every town they capture, or declare war on the Pope or puppies or rainbows, or something. Hate 'em, just hate 'em. :thumbsdown:

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lmfao that gave me a good laugh although it seems to hold true in my campaigns as well mordor hmm i mean millan do seem to back stab alot well more than usual.

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Originally Posted by zulukiller

In a couple of different campains now the portuguese have gone after what used to be the rebel settlements (dublin and wales) they've never actually gone for a settlement originally owned by the english.

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Portugal does seem to have developed a fetish for Caernaervon indeed. Sadly they never plan their attack very well-or haven't in my current English game

Still playing pre-patch, and certainly in my case England (and Scotland) are very easy. Too easy for my taste. I'm talking, VH/VH and snoozeville. I started a thread on this awhile ago, called "Peaceful British Isles".

The problem for me is that, when I'm playing as Scotland, I want England to be aggressive and badass. I don't want England to send a 3-unit "army" to whack York, only to get driven back by the Rebels 3 times in a row. I want England to assert its authority, dammit, and try to put me in my rebellious kilt-wearing place! And I don't want to rush through and kick them off the island by turn 5 -- just not fun for me. But if you wait for the English to start heading north, you'll wait a looooong time.

By the same token, when I'm playing as England, I want the Scots to cause trouble, give me something to worry about as I consolidate power on the island and the mainland. But all they ever seem to want is peace -- even if I offer them the most insulting diplomatic terms possible. If blockade Edinburgh for a turn just to declare war, they send a diplomat begging for a ceasefire. I'd *like* them to try to raid south, take York, try to take Nottingham -- at *least* take Inverness! ANd preferably do it without an army full of spear militia.

While the Scots are idling around up north, the French are doing the same thing in the south -- failing to consolidate their power around them.

I've noticed a disenheartening phenomenon with the campaign AI -- or I'm imagining things: it seems that all the excitng action happens several provinces *away* from wherever I am as the human faction. If I'm playing England, Scotland and France will be wimps. But if I'm playing France, Scotland takes Inverness and kicks the English out of York. Why couldn't they do that when *I'm* the English?!?!

Anyway, this is just a silly rant but.... yeah. Rant.

CountMRVHS

The action is all around the med i have decided. Thats where this game is at.

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Originally Posted by LordKhaine

Nonsense. Even the Orca couldn't eat a whole country!

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Ha Ha Ha. Thanks, I went up and edited for spelling. :idea2:

dunno bout anyone else, but I prefer a long game developing my empire rather than blitzing through.

To make the English more fun and longer to play, lay down some simple rules for yourself.

1) Change the turn settings to 0.5 & get BigMap Mod
2) No attacking any faction unless they attack you first
3) When they attack you, which they do frequently, counterattack and only end the war when you have at least one of their cities under your control - this can be done via diplomacy.
4) Only take a city if it is joined to your empire - ie. only go to Ireland/ Tara if you control Edinburgh in normal or Dumfries in BigMap
5) Attack neighbouring rebel cities ASAP
6) Always occupy cities and Ransom prisoners.

My English campaign, I'm at 1130 and have all of England, Wales and Ireland plus Dumfries. I have Caen, Rennes, Angers, Paris, Rhiems, Metz, Frankfurt, Bruges, Antwerp, Hohenstauffen, Hamburg, Arhus and Uppsala.

All of this has been slowly accumulated over 100 turns and it has given me a chance to develop my characters and guilds how I want them.

To be fair I've found Milan and Egypt easier than England. Egypt has decent cavalry to rush in the early game, and a safe and rich position (until the mongols arrive at least). And Milan is easy simply because if you play your cards right you're very rich. And as we all know.. war needs three things...

Yeah, England has the best starting position by far. I owned all of central and western europe by turn 70 playing as them.

My first campaign was a Venice one, but I tried England, and they seem to be much easier than Venice, also, if you are Excommunicated by the Pope as England, then it would not be as bad as Venice ( which is very close to the Pope, thus making him more dangerous ).:duel:

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Originally Posted by Lucius Julius

My first campaign was a Venice one, but I tried England, and they seem to be much easier than Venice, also, if you are Excommunicated by the Pope as England, then it would not be as bad as Venice ( which is very close to the Pope, thus making him more dangerous ).:duel:

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I dunno about that. If you're right next to the Pope it's easier to deal with him (but harder to ignore him). Just sent over a stack of good troops or some decent assassins and you can cut off the head of the serpent. As England you no doubt have land in mainland europe somewhere which is very vunerable to attack by other catholics, so it's not as if England is in a position it can ignore the pope.

England was definitely one of the easier factions I faced while conquering Europe