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Thread: Any suggested house rules to make the game more challenging? (VI expansion)

  1. #61
    la-do-da-do-do Member Goalum's Avatar
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    Default Re: Any suggested house rules to make the game more challenging? (VI expansion)

    Quote Originally Posted by Gilrandir View Post
    These are the only things you really need to know. So numbers are useless.
    yes.. and no.. - they are useful for match ups - obviously of same type units [not swords vs spears!! the winner is clear there] - swords vs swords etc.. certain "swords" are much weaker than others.. its good if you know that..

    even in swords vs say - spears types - very strong spears will hold off or even beat weak swords..

    some units have a lot of armour but low attack.. this means they will win in a match up - but slowly.. they'll need time and will tire - its good to know the numbers if you can..

    EDIT: i mean worth remembering unit stats (attck/def + morale + maybe armor) - for situationa bonuses obviously.. not needed - just the situations..
    Last edited by Goalum; 01-17-2019 at 16:50. Reason: added info

  2. #62
    Senior Member Senior Member ReluctantSamurai's Avatar
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    Default Re: Any suggested house rules to make the game more challenging? (VI expansion)

    So numbers are useless
    For in-game, real-time play...yes.

    For anal-retentive idiots like me who want to know why certain things happen the way they do, they are not useless
    High Plains Drifter

  3. #63
    Member Member Gilrandir's Avatar
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    Default Re: Any suggested house rules to make the game more challenging? (VI expansion)

    Quote Originally Posted by gallum View Post

    EDIT: i mean worth remembering unit stats (attck/def + morale + maybe armor) - for situationa bonuses obviously.. not needed - just the situations..
    Unit stats are crucial and are to be remembered, blind, drunk or asleep. The information on what moral penalties/bonuses accrue in what case is to be read once and once only. No arithmetics is likely to be implemented after that while playing.
    Quote Originally Posted by Suraknar View Post
    The article exists for a reason yes, I did not write it...

  4. #64
    Ja mata, TosaInu Forum Administrator edyzmedieval's Avatar
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    Default Re: Any suggested house rules to make the game more challenging? (VI expansion)

    Adding 2 bits here - if you want a more challenging game, I strongly suggest you do either an XL Mod Campaign in High or a BKB Super Mod campaign in Early.
    Ja mata, TosaInu. You will forever be remembered.

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    Swords Made of Letters - 1938. The war is looming in France - and Alexandre Reythier does not have much time left to protect his country. A novel set before the war.

    A Painted Shield of Honour - 1313. Templar Knights in France are in grave danger. Can they be saved?

  5. #65
    la-do-da-do-do Member Goalum's Avatar
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    Default Re: Any suggested house rules to make the game more challenging? (VI expansion)

    Another house rule you could use is:

    change faction [using the -ian], after a period - say after 1204 - in this way, you will start all over again in a - completely new [as history would have unfolded] - challenging position, and will also eventually have to fight the faction that you grew in the initial period..

    teh -ian bit works like so:

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 
    1. Make a shortcut of you MTW exe (if you don't use one)
    2. Then right click the short cut and select "Properties". This will show you among other things the target box of the exe shortcut. Put then your cursor to the target box. Leave the text there as is, and also leave one space.
    3. Then type: -ian

    The -ian command line allows you to change factions mid game. It also allows you to add further commands, and zoom in and out of the battle field without limits on the camera angle, which is good for a "close to the action" feel as well as for screenshots. Every faction is represented by a number of your keyboard.

    Factions are:
    1. Rebels
    2. Almohads
    3. Byzantines
    4. Danes
    5. Egyptians
    6. English
    7. French
    8. Germans
    9. Italians
    0. Polish
    Shift+1. Russians
    Shift+2. Spanish
    Shift+3. Turks
    Shift+4. Aragonese
    Shift+6. Golden Horde (after they appear)
    Shift+7. Hungarians
    Shift+9. Pope
    Shift+0. Sicilians

    Furthermore, and after leaving a space for -ian after each, you add the following two command lines:
    -loyalty:130
    -green_generals

    The loyalty bit makes the AI keep 130 loyalty in all his provinces at all times, This practically means that he is keeping small garrisons in them, and hence his long terms devlopment is much safer from rebellions civil wars and his attacks more prudent rather than recklessly opportunistic

    The green_generals makes dead generals being replaced by the game engine by new statistically inferior versions; hence you cannot cultivate super generals over a long campaign. It also downgardes and changes their traits.


    For the province loyalty, you can try different values - higher of 130 - however that makes the AI super conservative and practically never attacks.. 130 is a good compromise..

    Shift+5 and Shift+8 that are missing from teh list, should be the swiss and the burgundians - after they appear obviously..
    Last edited by Goalum; 01-21-2019 at 23:42. Reason: added material

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  6. #66
    la-do-da-do-do Member Goalum's Avatar
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    Default Re: Any suggested house rules to make the game more challenging? (VI expansion)

    Another house rule that can actually be very interesting role playing wise - that i thought from the historical discussion in the crusades thread[posts #4 to #11] centered around Richard the Lionheart, is the following:

    One could actually role-play the entire campaign around the King[/Emperor/Sultan] character, and take it to the battlefield only when the King is present.. in all other cases use the auto-calc..

    This will reduce the player's effectiveness in both attacking and defending campaign map moves against the AI, and will make you actually care for the whereabouts and participation of the King character in the field - as well as building him up stats and vices 'n' virtues wise..

    When you actually take it to the battlefield [which will be by a combination of when you choose it to be as well as to how the enemies react to your King's army moves], it will be as your 'self' [ie as the King], while on all other battles you will have to depend on 'other general's performance' - essentially the battles being out of your detailed_command_on_the_battlefield control..

    You might even end up 'fabricating' excuses for war [on easy targets[faction/province wise] or even harvesting rebellions-with all the risks/delays that would entail] just to build up the King character in the battlefield, or abstain from campaigning when you are dealt with an able administrator of a sovereign that is no good with the sword - or a simple and utter wimp [of a sovereign] that is no good whatsoever..

    It might also be very interesting in how you choose to expand/defend - you wont be able to expand/defend very effectively with the autocalc so you may actually take it at one front/area of expansion at the time [while you put yourself in a defenive stance elsewhere] - the one that your King would participate - as it was actually in reality.. this might bring interesting strategic considerations in how you organise_armies/defend/expand..

    The diplomatic aspect of the game will also become more important, as - if you dont want multifront wars - you would care more about keeping allies/neutrals thus, and also your standing with the Pope.. instead of going all out war against all..

    [imagine - say - fighting the horde in this way..! where you can fight only when the king is present and elsewhere use the autocalc..would be pretty interesting as you would have to very carefully choose your strategic moves in order to minimise penetration from the Horde armies..with luck - where the Horde will actually land and in what numbers - playing a part too, as it would have been in actuality as well..!
    or defending byzantium with its multifront frontiers along east/west and south/north - pretty challenging..
    or playing the HREmperor with its multitudes of fronts - or the pretty opened up French..
    or having to lead the adventurous and coveted by many Italians..]

    As your empire will expand, these strategic considerations will become perhaps greater - as your king[/emperor/sultan] will be only in one place at a time while there will be an increasing number of areas that would require urgent attention.. thus you will have to plan your wars[aggressive and defensive] ahead well in the grand scheme of things and also make sure you consolidate properly in order to safeguard what you have already won.. this slowing will give in turn time to the AI factions to re-couperate/re-generate and fight you back better..

    Battles you actually play will be fewer, even as your empire grows, and will be the important ones.. hence less overall getting tired feeling by many unimportant battles, that usually happens as a campaign progresses..

    If you play like so, and you want to actually experience a crusade and its road through fighting to its holy objective, you will have to get on one as the king, and have much less control in what you leave behind - pretty much like RIchard [and other Kings] did.. - or otherwise you risk leaving the crusade and its fate to other commanders, and learn of it from your emmissaries and messengers..

    Playing this way - may bring also even more to life the political aspect of the game - assassinations/trials/bribings/inquisition/conversions - as your own generals would not be 'performing to a T' in the autocalc[due to - say - bad vices'n'virtues], and may need to be taken out by other means.. and also it would be more important to deal with able enemy generals through other means than in the field[since you wont be able to] - if they make the autocalc especially disfavoring..

    Using the Caravel Mod [which is a very much improved vanilla basically, and has great AI stack composition which will help the player and the AI to have meaningful autocalc battles], might make this option of house rules even more worth it..

    Last edited by Goalum; 01-29-2019 at 19:34. Reason: added info

  7. #67
    Member Member Xantan's Avatar
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    Default Re: Any suggested house rules to make the game more challenging? (VI expansion)

    Adding to the house rules - you can try some wonky experiments like using only spearmen / armoured spearmen as infantry. Or also no ceasefire negotiation.

  8. #68
    la-do-da-do-do Member Goalum's Avatar
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    Default Re: Any suggested house rules to make the game more challenging? (VI expansion)

    Quote Originally Posted by Xantan View Post
    you can try some wonky experiments like using only spearmen / armoured spearmen as infantry.
    expanding on that idea: you can try 'historical' army compositions, like say [as examples] -

    the English, mostly bow-missiles and heavy infantry - with some light cavs to chase routers and deliver backstabbing charges selectively - kill enemy with missile hails, while tackling charges and enemy infantry with your heavy infantry as they close to stop the missiles, chase down with light cavs

    the Turks, mostly missile/heavy cavalry with a hint of infantry to act as pins for enemy battle lines or like screens around which the Turkish cavalry can operate - harass enemies with missile cavs while heavy cavs wait for disorganised/isolated units/units to charge and break, once all enemies are disorganised chase down - double team with missile cavs too..

    the Italians - something similar to the English with larger quantities of medium infantry units based in polearms and xbows/arbs as missiles, as well as light/medium cavs [including the great mounted xbows]

    the Byzantines - akin to the Turks but with sligthly less missile cavs, more infantry staying power and harder heavy cav hitting impact.. hence more adjustable in style between western and eastern tactics..
    Last edited by Goalum; 02-02-2019 at 20:40. Reason: added info

  9. #69

    Talking Re: Any suggested house rules to make the game more challenging? (VI expansion)

    So what other house rules to people use, without using an entirely different mod, to try and give the AI a decent chance?[/QUOTE]





    House Rules i usually use is this:

    Rule 1: I can only have 2 units for every command a general has. (so 2 Command = 4 units. 10 command = 20 units.

    Rule 2: This is little harsh but you can only have max 2 generals in one army, you can have only 1 if you want but i think that is too much restriction i think. Also i must have a general to control an army, i can only transport 1 unit at a time if i have to go without a general. So like an army without general can not be more than 1.

    Rule 3: You can not under no circumstance make peace with a faction you start war with (depending if you play the expansions) or you can not make peace with a faction you attack or create war with. You can only make peace if the faction comes to you with peace agreement.

    Though if the faction attack you, you can try to make peace with them.

    Rule 4: You can only have true family members/blood relatives. No Adoptions.


    This Rules is the ones i usually do if i wan't a really challenging campaign.

  10. #70
    Ja mata, TosaInu Forum Administrator edyzmedieval's Avatar
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    Default Re: Any suggested house rules to make the game more challenging? (VI expansion)

    With regards to family members, I think the only realistic chance here to make sure your game flows naturally is to use the heir code because sometimes your king doesn't have. And your game is lost.
    Ja mata, TosaInu. You will forever be remembered.

    Proud

    Been to:

    Swords Made of Letters - 1938. The war is looming in France - and Alexandre Reythier does not have much time left to protect his country. A novel set before the war.

    A Painted Shield of Honour - 1313. Templar Knights in France are in grave danger. Can they be saved?

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