Expert difficulty

[troymclure]

Ok all, i've heard that the only difference on expert (in regards solely to the battlefield map) are a moral boost for the enemy (and a negative to you) but i seem to get some oddities sometimes in regards to units fighting. ANyone else get this?
Here's a couple of examples...
Ghulam cavalry losing to byzatium cavalry, charging downhill, the BC had like 20 horses left chasing my 5 GC at the end. BYz had a 5 star general, i had a 4.

Another time i got my ass kicked by one of those peasant rebellions.... (i know, i know i suck ok:) ), i had about 400 chiv sergaents vs about 1000 peasants, normal frontal assualt and yes there general was better than mine, but damn it i got kicked... by peasants it's weird.

Also, had a weird one where i lost over half a group of Varangian Guard to a group of FMAA....

am i going crazy? am i already there?

ps:- These are semi-isolated incidents, i mean i must have played nearly 20 games on hard, and so far in my first 5 or so on expert, ive only noticed weird battle results these few times but i never experienced stuff like this on hard. And before you say. Oh but there's so many variables, rank, moral, hills, charging etc. etc. i can assure you that in these situations the variables should have at least been even sometimes "what i thought" where favourable even.

[PoLsKa_HuSaRiA]

I know what you mean, ive had the same done to me. 6 Groups of spears and 1 Group of Royal Knights (heir to the throne) Rank 4 and 2 Archers fall to the mighty power of... 4 units of bow and 2 UM What the...?

I dont know what happened, one minute im killing the enemy without too much worry, the next my forces are retreating across the battlefield BAH

This was fairly early in the campaign. Ive played about 12 campaigns on expert and that was definetaly the weirdest battle ever... and the most shameful

[Knight_Yellow]

dont worry ive whent the turks and from early to high now i just use all ottoman inf armies since they can weaken the enemy with bow fire then h2h pretty well.

even still i was shocked to see my elite hashishin 60 of them get wiped out by 60 militia seargents on equal valour i even flanked them for christ sakes

[pdoan8]

This is what I've read from another thread (posted by Puzz3D):

Easy: Human gets +4 morale.
Normal: no advantage.
Hard: AI gets 15% combat advantage.
Expert: AI gets 30% combat advantage and +4 morale.

With this kind of advantage in expert level, rebel peasants can be as good as your Feu/Chiv Sergeants.

[troymclure]

ahh thanks pdoan8 now it makes sense. i'm still upset with my varangian's for dying so easy but heh.
ps:- thanks all for posting and thereby possibly preventing me from booking myself into a pyscho ward....

[Kristaps]

Hehe, that explains why AI's UM and Militia Sergeants appear so powerful in my early (before I have built up my war machinery) "Expert" games against the AI...

[chunkynut]

I have always played on normal because of the AI increase in combat damage. I much prefer it when the AI is harder to beat tacticly / strategicaly than because AI's troops have a advantage over mine.

Personal opinion tho, played a few on hard and one on expert and because i know of the advantages i see a situation and think 'God thats that 15% combat advantage/morale increase.'

[wordsmith]

30% combat bonus +4 moral boost

jeeze i started on expert and have never stopped, it doesnt seem that hard, guess it sounds scarier then it really is.