Stop playing for a few months and look what happens...

**Excalibur Bane** · 12-28-2005, 18:35

I get my ass handed to me on Easy/Easy basically. Wow. That's sad. I must be getting old.

I was actually trying the barbarian factions for a change, I otherwise play the Eastern Romans. As far as I'm concerned, they simply have the best units. Don't care for the purple though, wise I could make it a nice blue. Anyway, I have my unit sizes set to large and I just can't seem to make a profit and field a decent army at the same time. Is unit size tied to how much it costs to maintain armies? I certainly hope not. It should be noted in the options screen where you set it, if it indeed does increase upkeep.

I'm not really liking the barbarians much so far. The lack of proper roads is irritating to get family members around to govern my cities, even more so for troop movement. No decent defenses for cities is also annoying, since I tend to be a defensive player. I wish I could mod this stuff, but sadly, my disability with numbers makes that impossible. I'd probably just increase unit movement for all barbarian factions, and reduce the damn squalor since there is little in the way of sanitation buildings for most of the barbarians.

I like the unit variety though. Especially the Sarmatians (Gee, I wonder why?) and those crazy Beserkers. Those guys are wrecking machines. Still have a few factions to try out. I've tried the Huns, Sarmatians, Vandals, and Alemanni so far I believe. Anyone have any recommendations for a balanced barbarian faction that has a good balance of infantry and cavalry units? I don't really care about siege units particularly. Far too useless on the common battlefield, more useful for carnage during a city siege.

Anyway, my thoughts for today. My strategy and battle skills have definately atrophied. One of the many disadvantages of being a gamer of all trades. :(

**Garvanko** · 12-28-2005, 19:30

The Franks are by far the best Barbarian faction.

**professorspatula** · 12-28-2005, 19:32

Best way to learn: put the difficulty level up!

For battles at least.

As soon as you get back into the swing of things, you'll regret being stuck on easy/easy level. And if you are going to get a butt-kicking, you might as well get it against a 'tougher' AI.

**Excalibur Bane** · 12-28-2005, 20:32

Originally Posted by professorspatula

Best way to learn: put the difficulty level up!

For battles at least.

As soon as you get back into the swing of things, you'll regret being stuck on easy/easy level. And if you are going to get a butt-kicking, you might as well get it against a 'tougher' AI.

I tried that actually, my first game, played it at medium/medium. I played the Sarmatians. Two turns in, the Huns come along and steam roll my capital. The horde thing activates, I steamroll some of them, get my capital back, their hordes activate, they take my capital again and so forth. Rather nasty little cycle. It would have ended eventually, but I was too annoyed to keep going just to see who was going to win. ;)

Anyway, yeah, I'm going to bump it back up. I'm more or less just playing around until I find a faction that has agreeable units.

**antisocialmunky** · 12-29-2005, 00:35

If you like those beserkers, send them onto a wall in a siege. Then it gets ridiculous.

**Kekvit Irae** · 12-29-2005, 04:09

Personally, I always play Easy/Easy. I dont want a challenge, I just want a fun game that will help me relax after a hard day at work. The last thing I need is to get anxiety attacks because I'm getting overrun by elite troops that I have no defenses against them