Since we need more threads....

[upthehammers]

I've played out M2TW (1.3) and all the expansions as much as you probably can while still being entertained. Aside from the few mods that seem to be extremely popular, anyone have any suggestions or guidelines/rules setup to play by that make the game more interesting, aka, challenging?

Anything from the basic play-like-a-saint or kill-everything-as-fast-as-you-can to historically based objectives that aren't in the game (recreate HRE by certain date, re-establish Charlemagne's empire as the French, etc)


Hopefully this thread helps some people (like myself) get back into the game some more.

[Duke Bart]

I tried this earlier, it was that the goal was not to make you win really, but to set up the game for an epic final confrontation.

I picked two allies, in this case spain and egypt and constantly started giving them land so that spanish controlled the west and egypt the east w/ me being the smallest one in the middle as HRE. The idea tho is to make sure that both spain and egypt are stable so that when the three of you finally do go to war it is a fight amongst three powerful empires.

I tried it and it was actually pretty fun, a far cry from the usual game where its you and MAYBE one other being huge and the rest just kind of being absorbed.

[Quickening]

Think some of you need to try Europa Universalis 3 or Crusader Kings. Sure they're nothing like Total War but I think some people around here would get a lot out of them.
I love to play Galacti Civilizations 2 but sadly Ive never really got into EU3. It just takes an absolute age to do anything.
Mind you I still struggle with Total War sometimes. Damn, the Kingdoms expansion is hard. Always seem to get into crippling debt.

[Ramses II CP]

Try a migration game. The Danes are a good faction for it, or you could recenter the Russians out of Cordoba, etc.

[Gaius Terentius Varro]

Turn 1 English campaign: Take York make it your capital disband all units and destroy all buildings swap your 3 cities/trade rights/map info/military acess/alliance for Constance and Toulose and bout 4.5 k gold. Change the capital to Toulose. In Toulose disband all but one unit and build archer building put all family members/agents on ships. Press end turn and when the Scotts come sell York/alliance/trade rights/map info for bout 5.5 k.
By the time your family members get to Toulose you can make longbowmen and put everyone on the ship and emigrate to Sarkel (or some other dirt place the mongols/timurids are bound to like). Rest is up to you. Oh yeah and sell the princess before she gets to ugly.

[Eikon the Magistrate]

I tried this earlier, it was that the goal was not to make you win really, but to set up the game for an epic final confrontation.

I picked two allies, in this case spain and egypt and constantly started giving them land so that spanish controlled the west and egypt the east w/ me being the smallest one in the middle as HRE. The idea tho is to make sure that both spain and egypt are stable so that when the three of you finally do go to war it is a fight amongst three powerful empires.

I tried it and it was actually pretty fun, a far cry from the usual game where its you and MAYBE one other being huge and the rest just kind of being absorbed.

This is pretty much my playing style.. Its great fun to set up scenarios and play them out for the whole game. Currently have a Byzantine scen going where I kept only cyprus and sent my faction to the holy lands. Gave all my starting cities to the hungarians pope and turks. Between Jihads and Crusades there is, as can be imagined, alot of action goin on all the time.

[upthehammers]

Thanks for all the replies. I'm def going to try some of these out. I've played around with keeping certain allies beefed up but they constantly betray me and make it not worth the hassle.

[Rhyfelwyr]

Maybe someone could write an AAR? Helps with roleplaying and can provide everyone else with some entertainment. I'd do one but I'm rushing through the factions to get to Kingdoms, started a bit late as you can tell.

[Caliburn]

Try playing a Shogun: TW campaign with one of the factions with separated starting provinces... Works for me, at least for now!

Forgive me for this spammy post, it is not meant as an offense to anyone. Every TW game has its glorious achievements, and I'm addicted to each and every one of them, but luckily to only one at a time.

[Duke Bart]

If anyone is having trouble with the epic finish system i mentioned, a good way to do it is to make your single kingdom cover three seperate regions and then just give them away, this also allows for some pretty funny looking maps.

I took all of spain and western france and gave that to the near dead french

i took all of the turks and egypt and gave that to the hungarians and i balanced it all out by giving my original HRE provinces plus denmark to the scottish.

It takes a bit more work to do it all at once but the possibilities are endless

[Ethelred Unread]

Use your general cam and turn your radar off. This should make battles a lot more interesting, and I can recommend roleplaying your characters a bit more - e.g. if they are more than 3 dread they will always execute prisoners and exterminate cities etc.