Hi Katank,

Hope you didn't think my comments were a slam on your tactics/tactical guides, I really appreciate all your posts and have enjoyed all the guides I read. Actually, I think we are pretty much after the same thing - a challenging game. And I'm still a n00b, so you have to discount ~25% of what I say ;-).

For some reason I don't mind loosing to the computer. I like the smaller battles - tactics seem to mean a little more and I prefer a short fight with long odds. I don't enjoy the massed clashes - by the time it gets late in the game I'm just as likely to autocalc as to fight. (It's more of a stategic game to me at that point.) I don't let myself sit by the AI's rally point - just takes advantage of the poor 'puter - and I try not to tech so much that every battle is my uber-unit against peasants and spears. I make do with as many cheap units as I can - it's just more fun to see if you can hold your army together when they aren't all elite. (Of course, I'd have to change all of this if I ever played another person.... Even then I'm sure to get my butt kicked.)

I do find that if I avoid the rush, and don't just spend all my initial florins on soldiers etc. (instead spend it on economic development), the AI is apt to do something a little different each time I play with a faction. For example, playing as the French if you avoid taking out the English first thing then sometimes you find that the English get aggressive and go for you first, but the next time it's the HRE. And sooner or later it will be the Spanish or the Italians that attack. (I've always found the Spanish to be quite agressive.) Gives each game a little different flavor. And I tend to play nice with my neighbors and let them attack me first if possible. (Sometimes it's not.) I form lots of alliances and try never to attack an ally, and I like trying to make the GA requirements when I can - some are quite difficult.

Still, the AI is a little, well..., stupid. Even if it has an overwhelming army on your border, it will often only send enough troops to make it an even match or so on autocalc - at least at first. Sometimes it's even dumber than that. I started a quick VI game as the Irish last night (on hard), and the Vikings have attacked me three times so far. But each time they landed with far too few troops. Last invasion they dropped 100 peasants and two very depleted units (5 berserkers and 10 huscarles) in a province with 2 full units kerns, 2 full gallowglasses, 3 full spears, and a full royal knights - just plain suicide, it was like 115 men to 600. Most of my casualties were from friendly fire when the impetuous gallowglasses charged units that were being pelted with javelins. I was so annoyed at the AI's stupidity that I murdered all my prisoners and went to bed.

Best,

Procrustes