Depressed - advice welcome

[Proserpine]

I've been reading the forum for some time. I installed M2TW around when it came out, didn't spend much time on it, had to reinstall more recently.

I like many things about it. But....

I just get very discouraged by not doing well. I've played England, the Moors, Venice, Poland, Byzantium. I never get anywhere near the victory conditions. Money is always tight. I can normally expand quite well but then everybody else jumps on me and I don't have enough resources to deal with them.

With MTW1 I was able to hit the trade very hard, build up lots of cash, then build up armies to deal with whoever gave me a hard time. Not every game but mostly.

I've tried the faraway merchants (Timbuktu etc) with MT2W and they help, but not enough.

I play on Easy/Easy. This does make the battles quite achievable but really I am more interested in the strategy side.

Can people suggest an approach (and/or a people) which will restore my confidence?

I feel your pain, dushwo. I have spent months (to the - to put it mildly - bemusement of of my partner) on this game, and before that on MTW1. Reading these forums has helped with both, but you have to put it into practice, and that can be really hard, believe me I know. I, too, had money coming out of my ears in MTW1 (1.5 million in the bank in one game), but it always seemed to be harder to come by in MTW2. I found the battles in MTW2 mostly unsatifying, the AI factions generally more advanced and the pope hated me, while everyone ganged up on me if I got strong. I never saw the new world or the mongols/timurids. However, I believe I am starting to make a few breakthroughs. I started on M/M, I now play on M/H. Money is no longer so tight (though not overflowing), I have had some epic battles, found (and conquered) the new world and defeated both Mongols and Timurids in battle. In my current game, the last 2 popes were mine.

I would like to suggest the following. Please note, I have yet to acheive full victory in the long campaign (I am currently trying Spain). Concentrate on specific improvements, don't try to build everything everywhere. Economy then military. Move fast in the early stages to capture available rebel settlements (As England you want to be first to York, Caernarvon and Dublin, as Spain it is Zaragosa and Valencia). Watch out for your neighbours, alliance or no, they will attack - when they do, take them down. Practice battle technique, as a human you will usuall have more balanced forces and better control than the AI. Use classic miltary strategy - fire and movement, massed artillery, whatever works - as before bridges are your friend! You can outthink the AI, 99 times out of a hundred. Read these threads! Read the AARs, huge source of good ideas. Be flexible, be cunning. Get loads of priests out converting and spies in (your) frontline settlements as a defence. Use auto-resolve only if the odds are overwhelmingly in your favour.

Finally, personally I find the lack of varied goals a bit of a bore. I set my own (a lot of people here do). I chose not to accept adoptions/man of the hour, so the family must survive. I sack only if a general is killed in an assault, or if the faction is not co-religionist. I don't use assassins. I want to be the Number 1 faction, my best so far is 32 provinces (no Jerusalem though).

Lastly, I don't think you will find the step to, say M/M very difficult.

Good luck, and let us know how you get on! It would be great if you posted some situation reports, then some of the great players (not me) on these boards will definitely help you out. I just love to read about other peoples games.

[dusherwo]

Thanks to all posters for advice and support. Looks like I made the wrong move by playing the 'unlocked' factions too early. I'm UK based and a travel nut (worked in Egypt quite a bit in the last 12 months) so have a taste for the exotic. So back to the English it is.