Hello folks. I was reading some of the upcoming info in the Main Hall about Vikings, looking and hoping for the news I wanted to see. Sadly it wasn't there, so I was going to reply to the thread - but instead I guess I get to reply here

At any rate, my only complaint about M:TW is the way the computer scales over time. I like to win by total conquest, which means I start in the early era. The computer does an acceptable job during this era, and I have quite the fight on my hands. Once I get a few provinces and a border established, the challenge pretty much ends. I head south towards spain, establish a firm border to keep the computer out, and then push through the Muslim lands.

Even if I don't go this route, the computer never really puts up a good fight. The computer does not cycle out old units (peasants, spearmen) and so they become a drag on the AI economy. The harder game modes are a challenge, but mainly because you try to keep the provinces from rebelling and the AI bonuses - not because of any strategy issues.

The tactical engine in M:TW is really really good. I love the way that the computer can give me a run for my money in some tactical battles, and I think it's great. But the problem is the computer NEVER properly upgrades to later tier units. I have yet to see the computer field an army consisting of chivalric sergeants/men at arms/gothic troops/some of the nice third tier stuff. Instead it's always spearmen and archers and really crappy tier 1 units. To say nothing of AI Provinces with 2000+ peasants just WAITING to rout the entire army.

So I guess what I wanted to see happen in Vikings was that:

1. The computer would stop using Peasants as garrison units, or if they do, hold them back during combat. Peasants routing are an awful thing, and no player uses them for this reason. The computer shouldn't use them, or if they have to, at least tone down the amount they rely on this very limited unit.

2. The computer does not cycle out old units as time goes on. Once I get to the 1300s, I don't want to see spearmen anymore from the AI - only feudal sergeants. If the Computer doesn't cycle out, then the overhead is too high, and they get piddly amounts of good units mixed in with all the leftover crap they have. That's not fun or challenging

Basically I love the tactical engine, but I've yet to have my well trained, highly organized army of late unit troops go in against a well trained, highly organized army of AI late unit troops. Play in the late period you say? Well, that's great, except that I can't win by conquest in the time given to me, and I'd really prefer to have the option to play the game properly, from start to finish. I shouldn't have to play starting in a period I don't want (provinces built all poorly.. ugh) just to get around an AI limitation. I can't believe that any of this would be terribly difficult, and it would up the challenge of the game by at least 50%. I'm a little sad that a lot of the work CA is doing seems 'barely funded' by Activision, ie they get just enough resources to do a reskin/some new units/tweak a bit, and then push out the new expansion.

Please, please, take a bit of a look at the Strategic engine in an upcoming patch, CA. Just make the computer dump outdated units, it can't be _that_ hard. That's my plea as a huge huge fan of the M:TW series.