How do you enjoy the slow game?

[Kaidonni]

I turtle a lot. In fact, I've found that, as some factions, it is best to. I play XL, and the last time I played Aragon, having a lot of Iberia was really empowering. Too empowering, in fact - I became doubtful as to how weak I was and how strong the other factions were, and lost interest.

I'm currently playing as Sicily in Tyberius' 2.0 mod, and I'm making over 2,000 florins every turn with my starting provinces (granted I set up a trade network with the Genoese and Venetians). I'm planning to attack Crete, but the campaign started in 1087 - it's now in the 12th century, around 1101 or so (can't remember off of the top of my head). I've been building a full stack and the necessary Barques (hoping for 2 fleets of 3 each), because the Byzies have decided lots of Dejma was a good idea, so I need the cavalry (my cavalry are a sort of insurance policy in case they decide to stand and fight...I'm playing an Expert game). The fleets are, well, to deal with powerful enemy fleets (Byzantine ships seem to rack up nice command, even newly built - and the naval system is confusing at the best of times).

I hope to eventually launch a crusade, as I'm playing GA. Now, having lots of income will be useful there, because I'm going to take one or two regions in the Near East - then...'Contenders, ready! Gladiators, ready!' In other words, I'm going to build up powerful defensive armies, and that will be all that they are - and the Muslims can try and get me. I'd really be happy if they ended up eventually defeating me, after lots of fighting.

I once played as Scotland, Early, Hard, GA. Was interesting. I was eventually raking in about 16,000-17,000 florins by 1205, and had massive armies. But so did everyone else, at least the armies. An arms race had taken place. Heck, I'd have about 2,000-4,000 troops in Saxony, and the Sicilians, having set-up colonies, had about the same in Friesland and Franconia. LOL! The Polish were doing the same. The Novgorods and Kievans had their own private cold war going on. Then I decided an attack on France, who'd been fighting the Castile-Leonese for quite a while, neither really making many gains in territory - and I got trounced. Highland Clansmen and Scottish Spearmen (or is that Pikemen?) versus Norman Knights, Norman Foot Knights, Feudal Knights and Feudal Foot Knights. LOL! I'd actually conquered all of the British Isles, save Ireland, by 1098, and proceeded to take Ireland and, later, Norway, Sweden, Scania, Denmark and Saxony. But, I lost interest after that. Had massive fleets to counter the Castile-Leonese.

So, the moral of the story is, you can blitz to an extent, and then hunker down and let really interesting things happen. A blitz at one time can become the frontline which you have to defend fiercly at another.

[Roark]

Well, that's basically what I do. Blitz until I've got enough provinces to produce everything I want (troops, agents, boats & war machines) and then hunker down into turtle mode and improve the quality of my troops and provinces.

For me, that is the fun bit. Having small, high quality armies defend their homelands against massive crusades (bloated by Hungarian zeal) or making surgical strikes against blitz factions/superpowers.

At the moment I'm playing as the Turks in Late, and I've only my GA goal provinces and a handful of others, but I'm having a great time enticing big crusading factions into attacking cannonades of serpentines and organ guns backed up by a small standing army of high-morale (Ribat level) Turcoman Horse, arquebusiers, Futtuwas, Muwahids, and Armenian Heavies.

Good times.

My next goal is to build an "ultimate" 1 stack army (including Janissaries and Hashishin) with a moderately-talented general (4-6 stars), and to see how far my boys can strike into Christian territory. I'm even gonna have some boats waiting in the Channel and North Sea to ferry them over (just in case they get lucky).

[Martok]

So, the moral of the story is, you can blitz to an extent, and then hunker down and let really interesting things happen. A blitz at one time can become the frontline which you have to defend fiercly at another.

Well, that's basically what I do. Blitz until I've got enough provinces to produce everything I want (troops, agents, boats & war machines) and then hunker down into turtle mode and improve the quality of my troops and provinces.

I used to do the same, but not so much anymore. I tend to roleplay factions a bit more now, not just in terms of how they'd behave specifically, but in general terms as well as is fitting with the medieval period.

For instance, the Reconquista of Iberia took a couple centuries -- not that even I can make myself wait *that* long to drive out the Almos, but I often will take a good decade or two before my Spanish/Aragonese armies reach Gibraltar. Yes, it certainly makes the game harder (and I do end up losing slightly more often now), but I generally come away with a much greater sense of satisfaction.

At the moment I'm playing as the Turks in Late, and I've only my GA goal provinces and a handful of others, but I'm having a great time enticing big crusading factions into attacking cannonades of serpentines and organ guns backed up by a small standing army of high-morale (Ribat level) Turcoman Horse, arquebusiers, Futtuwas, Muwahids, and Armenian Heavies.

Good times.

My next goal is to build an "ultimate" 1 stack army (including Janissaries and Hashishin) with a moderately-talented general (4-6 stars), and to see how far my boys can strike into Christian territory. I'm even gonna have some boats waiting in the Channel and North Sea to ferry them over (just in case they get lucky).

Dude, you should totally post an AAR (either in the Pics & History thread, or start your own). We've not seen a good Turkish campaign in ages!

[drone]

I find it pretty hard to keep the game pace slow. There are too many ways to take offense at what the AI does. I just had a stretch of about 10 years of peace in my campaign, and it was killing me. I finally gave in and pounded the Spanish (they were building too many ships, can't have that ).

I find a slow game hurts the King's influence and generals' loyalty. No wars means you can't train your heirs, and generals start getting lazy. After years of peace and a couple of successions, your 2 crown, inbred, unhinged loon of a king is not going to be able to keep things together.