I recommend Darth Mod Ultimate Commander: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=1362
It's by no means perfect, but it's the best I've seen, coupled with his awesome installer, there is a optional startpos that makes Maratha half its starting strength, slowing it's massive growth and expansion.
And when the brazen cry of achilles
Was heard among the trojans, all their hearts
Were troubled, and the full-maned horses whirled
The chariots backward, knowing griefs at hand...
see here is the thing CA doesn't want to hire more AI guys to make them smarter so basically the only way to make it harder is for everyone to declair war on you. So unless the make the AI smarter then the easiest way to make the game harder is for everyone to attack you.
Its not a question of people attacking the player, or not. Its the goofy starting conditions, or that its the wrong people attacking the wrong people. In 1700, there were four major power blocks divided into two theaters in Europe:
(1) The Holy Roman Empire and other German states, England, and UP vs. Bourbon France
(2) Russia, Denmark, Saxony, and Poland vs Sweden.
18th century Prussia was never involved in a full scale war against Poland, Poland would no more have attacked Austria in the first decade of the 1700s than it wold have the moon, Prussia was friendly with Austria if for no other reason than the Habsurgs did not squash it when Wilhelm made himself a king, and everything else being equal, Bavaria was going to align itself with the Bourbons, not the Hapsburgs. Yet in game, you ALWAYS get some version of a three-way war in central Europe among Prussia, Poland, and Austria, while Prussia and Austria as often as not stay out of wars with France and Spain. Now, granted, its a game, not a history reenactment, so at some point things are going to diverge dramatically from history. But it seems to me that the first 5-10 years of game play should more or less reflect the political realities of Europe in the 1700s, so that the wars and in game power blocks at least make a little bit of sense.
"I think it was the right decision to disarm Saddam Hussein, and when the President made the decision, I supported him, and I support the fact that we did disarm him." Senator John Kerry, May 4, 2003
"It's the wrong war, in the wrong place at the wrong time." Senator John Kerry, 7 September, 2004
Tried it; big improvement in the game. I started up a new Ottoman campaign, and didn't have everyone auto-declaring war on me in the first two turns. That alone is spiffy. New units, better graphics, saner campaign AI, too many improvements to list here.
No, it is not perfect, but it's a big, big improvement.
the Darth Mod Ultimate Commander update 3 is now here, and it adds a bunch of new things.
i actually re-installed ETW for this.
cant wait to have the time for DMUC!
On the Path to the Streets of Gold: a Suebi AAR
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Hvil i fred HoreToreA man who casts no shadow has no soul.
So I actually give this a try, but the results were dissappointing.
I tried to make Austria and Prussia allies, but Austria broke the alliance every time on the first turn.
I tried to make Austria and Poland friends, but half the time Poland still goes off and DoWs Austria
Ditto for Iroquois and Thirteen Colonies.
I tried to make Poland and Saxony interested in an early war against Sweden, but no joy; Russia and Denmark are always on their own. Poland would rather fight the Germans.
I tried to make Prussia NOT invade Saxony in the first half of the decade. No luck.
I made UP BFF with Spain . . . UP still is bound and determined to take Flanders on turn on, every time, all the time.
No matter what, Prussia, Austria, and Wuttemburg seem totally uninterested in helping UP and Britain against France and Spain during the first decade. No War of Succession here.
Not sure what I am doing wrong, but improving the historical friendships/increase historical grievences and adjusting the alliances does not seem to do much. One can delay the inevitable 3-way Prussian-Austrian-Polish war for a little bit, but that seems to be about all one can do with the stratpos.
"I think it was the right decision to disarm Saddam Hussein, and when the President made the decision, I supported him, and I support the fact that we did disarm him." Senator John Kerry, May 4, 2003
"It's the wrong war, in the wrong place at the wrong time." Senator John Kerry, 7 September, 2004
Maybe you should try to change the victory conditions as well, not only the diplomatic issues.
Give them borders to conquer, some coherent provinces. For example: Give Britain Hindustan and Benghal as 2 targets in India, Egypt and Syria in the east and Hannover in central europe. I changed all conditions in my files, gave everyone 10 provinces to conquer, more or less coherent and "historical". And try some different money amounts, CA changed finances a lot in 1.5. I've learned: if you want some conflicts, you have to "build" them. Some equal victory conditions for France and Prussia, Austria and Poland, Russia and Poland, GB and France ... and you'll get your conflicts.
I changed the victory conditions in my campaigns in that way and they are different to play compare to "normal" campaigns. Maybe worth a try? And maybe you have to think about your expectations ... E:TW isn't a historical simulation of the age of reason. We all had to learn this lesson ...![]()
Last edited by Marten; 01-05-2010 at 13:17.
Von der Woge, die sich bäumet, längs dem Belt am Ostseestrand; Bis zur Flut, die ruhlos schäumet, an der Düne flücht'gem Sand;
Gott ist stark auch in den Schwachen, wenn sie gläubig ihm vertrauen; Zage nimmer, und dein Nachen wird trotz Sturm den Hafen schaun!
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