Keeping track of so much information

[Delyn]

OK... this is noob, which is what I am, but I'm still gonna ask. I have done my work, searched the forums under various keywords (so easy to get sidetracked that way... always finding interesting stuff from you seasoned players!) and not really coming up with an answer.

The question... I would like to hear from any and all what you do to keep track of all the information this awesome game allows you to control? What I find is I sit down to play and I can't remember why I sent this diplomat in that direction, why 2 units of archers are heading north on their own, why is my spy standing in the middle of France near Rheims, etc, etc., etc.

I know I should probably “have a plan” before starting a campaign, but, other than “gain control of as many regions as I can”, I don't. I'm in learning mode, so I'm reading the manual, strategy tips and playing. Still, in that scenario, there is a ton of stuff to keep track of

I do use all the informational screens and have been noting vital stats - are my cities making/losing money, is population growing/declining, which general is where, etc...

The last couple of nights I just started keeping a diary of every move I made and why. Being that anal retentive meant it took me about 45 minutes to an hour before I made one turn. Granted, I think doing this is probably a very good mental exercise for the overwhelmed and under experienced noob, but I was wondering 1) how you experienced players handle all the information and 2) am I over-complicating things?

I did create a spreadsheet that helps me calculate if my army can defeat one that I've spied on (I realize the banners give good visual clues, but this was to force myself to get familiar and think in terms of stats). The spreadsheet is helpful and a good exercise, but I ask myself.... is there an easier way?

Before posting tonight, a buddy at work suggested that there was probably a log that M2TW kept of all my moves. Obviously it does, but I could not find one that was not compiled and unable to be read by anyone looking for an “easier way

Any and all responses would be appreciated... even if it is “just do THIS you silly noob”

[Gaiseric]

The best advice I can give a new player is to remember that medieval total war 2 is just a game. The human has a significant advantage over the computer before the game even starts.

It helps to check your cities, before ending your turn, to make sure there are no riots possible (red faces) Build up your economy and make sure that you have a possitve balance at the end of every turn. Build armies, fight, siege, conquer.

Its as simple as that. The learning curve can be high for this game if you are unfimiliar with the total war series. There are tutorials to help you learn the basics, and people will always be happy to answer your questions here at the forums. Also, the more you play, the more you learn.

What I find is I sit down to play and I can't remember why I sent this diplomat in that direction, why 2 units of archers are heading north on their own, why is my spy standing in the middle of France near Rheims, etc, etc., etc.

You can asign armies/agents to move to their destination by clicking them and then right clicking their destination...even if it is futher then their movement points allow. This will hopefully reduce some of the massive micro-management that this game has.

BtW, Welcome to the forums, hope this information helps.

P.S. Lol, I want a copy of that diary, and I want to see it filled with more notes.

[FactionHeir]

Meh, no need to think yourself lower than the rest of us.

It comes down to personal preference how you go about it. Personally, I don't have some grand scheme of things when I play turns, just that I know who I might attack and who I won't attack and make moves accordingly.
Some players prefer to plot our courses by moving armies/agents further than they can (it plots out a colored path showing how many turns it will take to get there and it helps if you are prone to forgetting things) while others just remember without doing that.

Overall, I don't think its necessary to remember which city is profitable and which one isn't. Just make sure nothing is in the red face zone (unless its exactly 70%) and that you are getting a healthy amount of florins a turn. Anything over and above that can be profitable but isn't strictly necessary. Focus on the basics and eventually when you get the hang of it, go advanced, such as relocating faction capital and managing amount of garrison and standing armies required.

Regarding battles, the prebattle odds give you a good idea. You can also figure generally that in a field battle, cavalry is more important than infantry (we are talking unmodded game here), spears if defending city, swords if attacking a city, long range missiles if taking a bridge and holding a hill. Get a grasp of how well you command troops and troop types in battle and value those higher. You can usually win a battle against all odds if you are good with a certain unit.

[Ramses II CP]

My philosophy for tracking the information is to focus on recruitment and construction. If my population of merchants/spies/priests goes down, I recruit more at the best available facilities to keep a certain quantity available for general use. If I'm losing mostly spearmen at the front, I train mostly spearmen to reinforce.

Each castle has a primary area of focus (Infantry, Ranged, Cavalry) and builds that line of buildings. Cities on the water build the 'increase trade fleets' line of port structures first. Cities inland build the first two levels of market first.

Don't worry too much about each detail, just stay on top of the bigger picture.

The number one micromanagement factor in vanilla, for me, is army upkeep. Letting ships sit around doing nothing for as little as 3 turns eats the cost of disbanding them and building more only when needed. Cities should almost always sit at the exact tax line where only the free upkeep militiamen are necessary to keep order. I feel like if I stay on top of my army upkeep, I'll have the funds to do everything else I need without sacrificing advances at the front.

Most of all, just play the game. You'll get a feel for it in no time.

[ReiseReise]

I keep a notebook handy and write down things I will be likely to forget - like what the garrison of a city is when I spy on it, what level of buildings are required for each unit when I am playing mods so I don't constantly have to look at the building browser. I also have notes for what the triggers for some traits are, what is required for certain guilds and so on. Looking back though, most of the stuff written down is notes for AARs that never materialized and statistics trying to figure out various aspects of the economy.

When I was playing MTW I remember drawing a crude map of HRE's starting provinces with each region highlighted one of three colors that determined whether it was best to build farms, trade, or barracks in that region at the start of the game.

[Jason X]

I don't keep notes, but i heavily use the settlement/military/agent scrolls. the game became so much easier once i found out how to access these with a single right click from the main screen!

[Rhyfelwyr]

At the start of each turn I always check my profits before I build anything. Then I go through each settlement and if I have the money make sure it is building something and keeping its garisson up to date. To help me remember everywhere, I tend to dividie my empire into regions. As the HRE I own most of Europe, so first of all I check through my Italian places, then Spanish, then French, German, eastern, Scandinavian, and British provinces.

After that I check the armies on each battlefront. I check taxes etc while I have the building scroll up.

The agent tap is usefull early on, but once I have a team of 15 Priests I don't really bother with it. It really should be split up for each agent type. So I do make mistakes here, everyone forgets to move a diplomat a few tiles closer to Sarkel sometimes.

As for beating enemy armies, don't draw up a spreadsheet. Use your spy to see what they've got, besiege a settlement so they have to come and attack you to relieve it, and if you have enough forces you'll just need to try and defeat the AI on the battlefield, which is a whole different game. Generally though, if the forces are equal you should win.

[Mek Simmur al Ragaski]

I just use the lines that it shows, but i dont really pay attention to armies that are near, i dont know about the flags, but i usually just charge an army in and finish them off. I usually just aim a few cities at economy, and and a castle at producing my armies, my lines are usually spread pretty thin towards the start of the game, but meh, it doesnt bother me.

I dont really use any information, diaries, spreadsheets, anything, i just try to figure out what would be the best action to do.

[Delyn]

Thanks to each of you for your thoughts and insights.

Gaiseric – thanks for the reality check... “The human has a significant advantage over the computer before the game even starts”. After playing again last night, I'm starting to like the diary idea myself.. I'll keep at it :-)

Faction Heir – regarding battles, “calvary is more important than infantry” - while i understand their strength and mobility, I'm curious... when I've laid siege and then attacked a city/castle, I've usually broken down the gate and take my troops inside. I find calvary has little room to maneuver. After breaking down the gates, I've thought maybe I should wait outside and see if they will come outside to me. “spears if defending the city” - not missiles? “get a grasp of how well you command troop types and value those higher” - good idea and I'll work on that :-)

Ramses II CP – thanks for putting together a good “checklist” i can work from. I did read in one of the guides that i should chose a single castle for unit production, but have found I get kinda frustrated in trying to distribute them properly around my regions. Your post has me thinking i might re-start my practice campaign and be a little more organized in my production goals.

ReiseReise – note takers unite :-)

Jason – I so appreciate the layout of information in this game. I tried Europa Universalis for awhile but gave up mainly because accessing current statistics was difficult. This game really has most information right at your fingertips.

Caledonian Rhyfelwyr – that is the second mention of “armies at the front” - my armies have had a tendency to stay “at home” protecting cities. Sounds like I should have them out and about and figure out my garrison needs (mentioned in an earlier post as well).

Insane834 – saw your “rant” about new threads so I hoped you would post here :-) Thanks for doing so.
Yours is a simple approach and makes me smile... I've probably made things more complicated than necessary (which I tend to do in RL as well... can you tell, lol?).

Again.. thank you all. Really appreciate it!!

[Korlon]

I generally don't have problems trying to remember things. Try to remember things in chunks rather than one by one.

By now, I've had so much experience playing RTW that playing MTW2 just came natural to me. Same basic system. It just sorts of becomes clear what to do. You plan ahead even when you don't think about it.

When I first started playing, I might've taken as long as you did on a turn, but now I take five to ten minutes if there's no battle. Just keep a systematic approach and stick to it. I generally do construction, then look at my armies, recruit soldiers as necessary, then do everything I need to do with my agents. Turns go by quick. So even if things are slow now, don't worry, it'll get faster as you understand more about the game.

[Gaiseric]

@Delyn:
Sorry I laughed at your diary. I actually take notes too and keep referance charts handy.....And I have been playing this game forever. LOL, When you said "Diary" I pictured a good sized book filled with campaign notes from MTW2.

Dear Diary,
Today I built a tavern, upgraded a city, and won a heroic victory against the rebels.


HeeHee, If you take such detailed notes, you could even write an AAR about your campaign. I would honestly like to read that!!!

In the meantime, happy campaigning, I hope the info above was useful, good luck, and enjoy.