Your starting difficulty level

[Oaty]

Just wondering what difficulty level everyone is planning to start at. For me normal normal.

I remember when I first got MTW someone said to start the game at expert level. Yeah right even though I was a shogun vet I feel that I would have lost my first campaign if I went above anything above normal. For 1 the gameplay was a bit different but learning the tech tree and not knowing the capabilities of the enemy and how units worked was a complicated task in itself. Well anyways I was just so use to walkin all over Japan so generals stars was never a big factor for me. So when I first ran into the Byzantines I thought Byzantine Lancers rocked,(not taking stars into account) then I read in these forums people sayin that they completey sucked and thats when I realized to look at the enemy generals stars

So just wondering where evryone is going to start being wimpy like me or going all out and let the comp throw at you evrything they got from the getgo

[Armchair Athlete]

normal campaign normal battles. For the first few games I just want to see the eye candy and sus out the features that were different to MTW and get a feel for the game. Then I will boost difficulty (once I have played all factions, including the 'non-playable').

[Jeanne d'arc]

All on normal for me though i am confident my first few games will be a disaster.They where when i played mtw for the first time.

[Colovion]

I can't wait to totally ruin Rome's domination of the Italian Penninsula by losing horribly to the Gauls my first few campaigns.

[Beelzebub]

expert/expert

I played MTW to death and was really good at it. Even if I can't handle RTW on this setting, I don't mind getting my ass kicked for a while learning it. It will be a refreshing change from MTW where I had to put restrictions on myself to keep the game remotely challenging.

[MiniKiller]

normal and normal

[bhutavarna]

i am a total war veteran... been playing since the series inception. EXPERT/EXPERT!

[Gregoshi]

hard/hard which is where I believe I started MTW and STW.

[Quietus]

Expert/Expert. Always go for highest difficulty for maximum enjoyment.
If I play a lower difficulty setting in the 2nd game/campaign, that means CA deserves a shrine.

[Nelson]

expert campaign/normal battles

I am glad that the two difficulties are separate now. I don't like spotting the AI troops extra valor and there is no way not to do this in Shogun and Medieval if you want the toughest possible campaign.

[Tamur]

Always hard/hard here, I might try expert just for laughs

[Shaitan]

I'm for hard/normal. Was never the battle expert, but I love the strategy part.

Btw does anyone know what will be the differences in the campaign difficulty settings? If it's only a better AI I will turn it up to expert.

Shaitan

[Red Harvest]

I like a challenge, and losing teaches lessons quickly...ones that I will remember. Besides, it is probably about the only chance the AI is going to get...

I almost answered with a lower difficulty level, because I might run 1 or 2 short partial campaigns at lower settings to get a basic feel for the interface before starting a serious campaign. So I've fudged a bit by considering this the first "serious campaign" (one I intend to finish--win or lose.)

Could be wrong though...perhaps the AI will be much improved. I might have to play one at normal to unlock the other factions.

[andrewt]

Normal/Normal

I don't like playing where one side gets stats boosts.

[Ellesthyan]

expert campaig normal battles. Im a zillion times better at the strategic part of totalwar then the battles themselves...

[Magraev]

I voted for normal/normal, but looking at the replies I might try hard/normal or even expert/normal If I feel I can handle it. The strategic part of MTW and STW were always the easiest for me.

It all depends on the balance. If I get thrashed repeatedly I'll lower the diff. and If it's a cakewalk I'll increase it.

[The_Emperor]

normal/normal to start with, if I find it too easy I'll crank it up higher.

[JeromeGrasdyke]

hard/hard which is where I believe I started MTW and STW.

You might want to keep in mind that the difficulty levels are pitched slightly differently in Rome than in Medieval. "Easy" is really very romper-stomper easy - almost to the point of deserving the moniker 'kiddie mode' - while "Normal" should be a breeze for any seasoned strategy gamer, as it's pitched at the mainstream. "Hard" is where most genre fans will find a decent challenge, and "Very Hard" should give a good game to the experts. Or so we'd like to think

[Bob the Insane]

Hard/Hard I think...

Especially after what JeromeGrasdyke posted....

[Thoros of Myr]

Thanks Jerome,
by your advice I will choose hard...that should be a nice challenge while learning the ins and outs :)

[Myrddraal]

Easy Easy
That way I will unlock all the other factions ;)

[Soulflame]

hard/hard

I usually regret finishing games which I played on a difficulty setting that's was too easy, looking back at the game. So this time I'm going for a challenge from the start.

[Basileus]

only one i didnt start with expert was STW, i´ll start of with the hardest here aswell i reckon

[Stuie]

I voted normal/normal before I saw Jerome's post. Now I'll probably start at hard/hard instead.

[Ldvs]

Hard/Hard for me too. I wouldn't like to get my butt kicked for the first game
Playing a too easy campaign just in order to unlock all the factions would make me feel like I didn't deserve it.

[maestro]

Considering MTW is far too easy on expert I'm gonna stick it on hard/normal. I want a challenge on the Strat map and since the battle engine is new I'll leave that on normal for now.

[Orda Khan]

Easy both sounds best....and a short campaign as well....Why waste time with the Romans when there's nicer options.

I'll do a serious campaign with a decent faction and I won't feel the least bit guilty

.....Orda

[a_ver_est]

You might want to keep in mind that the difficulty levels are pitched slightly differently in Rome than in Medieval. "Easy" is really very romper-stomper easy - almost to the point of deserving the moniker 'kiddie mode' - while "Normal" should be a breeze for any seasoned strategy gamer, as it's pitched at the mainstream. "Hard" is where most genre fans will find a decent challenge, and "Very Hard" should give a good game to the experts. Or so we'd like to think

Hard/hard then, I hope that the short campaing will unlook all factions.

[Degtyarev14.5]

I'll be choosing the most difficult level that does not treat the AI to any little "bonuses" a.k.a cheats, such as those to valour and income.

I play fair, and I expect my enemies to do likewise, regardless of whether they are carbon- or silicon-based.

A.

[Tricky Lady]

Normal/Normal for a start. I'll check your replies to see which advantages (or "cheats") the AI gets in order to put up a more challenging game. Unless I really become very expert in this game I will not allow the AI to cheat