Spamming Stacks

[Matteo123]

I just re downloaded this mod and started up a game as Rome. It seems that every turn I am getting attacked by a full stack of gauls, without end. Is this part of the money bonus on VH? While enjoyed the first few battles, it is now getting very repetitive. I understand there was constant war in North Italy during this period, but it should take at least a turn for the guals to recover, right? Is there anything I can do to break the guals without blitzing them to take all their cities? Or do I need to switch to H instead?

[lionhard]

Hmm u can revert to an earlier saved game and try to be careful how much space u leave between u and the gauls, try to stay out of their way in turn they will probaly end up fighting with the neighbouring factions, but otherwise u need to take their main recruiting cities

[fallen851]

You could try making peace with them, but on VH that is basically impossible. But what else would you be able to do other than "blitz" (or attack) them and take the cities?

They want to kill you, they have a place where they can recruit people, so until you take that place, they will continue recruiting people to kill you. If you are familiar with the American Civil War, this is pretty much what happened, the North didn't stop recruiting people until they won.

I would tone down the difficulty personally, medium works really well for me. The diplomacy kind of works, and I replicated the AI bonus monetary bonus that they get in VH (10k per turn) with the EB script.

[Macilrille]

That exact thing is the Achilleus heel of EB, just wait till the AS or Ptolies (whoever wins that fight) starts sending 3-5 fullstacks your way every turn.

The omly way to avoid it is to play on M/M (but to some extent it is still there) or keep buffers of Eleutheroi between you and the other factions. On VH/M land border means relentless war that will only end with enemy annihilation. There are many a thread with complaints on this and a few tricks to alleviate the problem.

1) Get peace, and preferably alliance, and give them 200 or so Mnai a turn (according to Ludens, I never tried it- i do not bribe my enemies to leave me alone).
2) Attack and sack border and recruitment towns, execute every inhabitant and burn all buildings, then leave it. But that leaves them so weak eventually that you might as well Blitz.
3) Keep strong garrisions at all entrances along your border. If long stretches of passable land build a Limes of forts with a missile and infantry unit in each as minimum and a full or allmost fullstack within reach within three turns of all of them, as well as at all riverpassings and passes.

[Beckis Robertus Californicus]

3) Keep strong garrisions at all entrances along your border. If long stretches of passable land build a Limes of forts with a missile and infantry unit in each as minimum and a full or allmost fullstack within reach within three turns of all of them, as well as at all riverpassings and passes.[/QUOTE]

Playing AS with the Pahlava pushing in on me every turn is becoming tedious. That is probably the best idea that I have not considered.

I will get right on it.

[Macilrille]

Works for Rome against Sweboz and Getai often. Dunno about others, you probably need a combination of it. And also, you need special tactics and organisation against the HA if they come.

[Dieu Le Fera]

It is usually a 50 - 50 whether AS becomes the Gray Ddeath or Ptolies become the Yellow Fever.

That's about the same with my campaigns. They both seem to have the art of the blitz down pretty good who ever gets the fresh start.

[Matteo123]

Do things get better on hard instead of very hard? I have read some posts that suggest the benefit is less for the AI on hard so the stack problem is decreased.

I recently started a new Rome campaignto find out but if the problem is the same on hard I gues I will kick it down to medium.

Is there a good post on what to expect on each difficulty anywhere with the actual bonuses/behaviors laid out?

[Ludens]

Is there a good post on what to expect on each difficulty anywhere with the actual bonuses/behaviors laid out?

Not to my knowledge.

At VH, the AI receives 10.000 mnai per turn in addition to the EB-scripted bonuses that occur at all difficulty levels. Many people say that at VH it is also more rabid in its hatred of the player, but I've never noticed this. I know that, in M2:TW, relations between the A.I. and the human player automatically deteriorate over time unless positive interactions occur. This deterioration is quicker at higher difficulty levels. Since I always pay my neighbours a small but regular tribute, this probably prevents the deterioration in my campaigns, assuming the system is the same in R:TW. At VH, the rebels are also more likely to attack, but this occurs very rarely anyway. IIRC the A.I. will not recruit mercenaries at lower difficulty levels.