most enjoyable aspect of MTW

**Evil_Maniac From Mars** · 10-14-2006, 03:17

Probably keeping track of your Royal Dynasties, along with what others have mentioned. A truly superb game.

**Lurker on the Threshold** · 10-16-2006, 21:29

The starting pages on xl mod, when determining which faction to play.

Thinking of all the possible stratagies for each faction and the direction I'll try to run. After that its the first 100 years or so.

Small intimate battles and skirmishes. (Still can't seem to control the multi stack battles very well).

Knowing the choice of building the armory or the farm upgrade at that moment, with your limited resources could change the direction, if not the outcome, of the game.

After about 200 years or so I mostly auto resolve the battles due to their size so it's more like a glorified Risk game, albeit much more exciting. At this point I tend to work more on weeding my royal line and bringing the right religion to the world, depending on the faction I'm playing of course.

**gaijinalways** · 10-17-2006, 02:51

Yes, the game does have a lot of stages. In my current English expert campaign, I have semi-settled on an empire, though I have successfully crusaded twice now within a few turns, improving my relations with the Pope (who went and died

), but now I have attracted the attention of the horde after I vanquished the BYZ in 2 nearby provinces, as well as directing a third crusade targeting one of the horde's provinces directly, which will be tougher to win (mainly I want to get rid of my crusade markers, this is the last one I have, held them for about 30 years or so was I was busy trying to get out of debt). Debating if I should dump the ex-BYZ provinces I took over, though right now they are useful for launching the horde crusade.

Trading is brisk now as only the BYZ, the horde, and the HRE refuse even cease fires with me, so I figure why not attack me. My trading partners are getting a break for now, I want their business as my bank account fattens. I was peaceful for about 20 years as I teched up and built up my trading and farming resources until the Polish decided to attack me in Venice (kind of suicidal) though I believe they have agreed to a cease fire now. This war business now though is good for cutting down on overhead, MTW doesn't charge for burials!

**Bugout** · 10-19-2006, 17:37

Lots of great aspects to the game but just want to mention one that really appealled to me: having the choice between Domination and Glorious Achievement modes. Not feeling the pressure to conquer the entire map has added a whole new flavor to strategic gaming and allows for some greatly varied outcomes in the game. Its can be fun and intimidating watching the computer factions get huge while you just try to maintain a lead in points or having the time to undermine empires with agents and helping out small factions against the larger ones; although then you really feel the limitations of diplomacy in the game.

Oh and watching a unit of billmen or swiss halberdiers take on all those arrogant knighties and rub their faces in the dirt literally.

**De' Medici** · 10-19-2006, 21:37

MTW was the first for me in the series. I'm not a big fan of strategy games, but this one captured my attention because it's mainly turn-based on the campaign map and real-time only in battles; also it's realistic, not a fantasy game. So I don't have to worry about the fact that I could be attacked at time with more orcs or elves than I have

.

-The game takes place in the Middle Ages.
-The campaign map is like a chess board.
-The battles are huge, engaging a multitude of units.
-Many kind of agents; diplomatic actions.
-The fact that you can give titles (one of the aspects missing from RTW)

**gaijinalways** · 10-20-2006, 16:32

The title bit is something I sometimes forget about (as I am enjoying managing the economy, teching up of troops, and the battles). It really does make a difference who you make as governor for either loyalty's sake or juust for making cash.

**Tony Furze** · 10-23-2006, 07:26

In the campaign map, when I put one of my pieces onto another factions territory...theres a huge "BOOM" as I suddenly realise the enormity of what I ve just done in declaring war.

Its both frightening and thrilling to see where it will lead.

Then on the battle field, that first movement of my troops , bringing in the Medieval theme music as the armies stand head-to-head.

Im beginning to enjoy the intensity of the campaign aspect now.

**caravel** · 10-23-2006, 11:01

Originally Posted by De' Medici

MTW was the first for me in the series. I'm not a big fan of strategy games, but this one captured my attention because it's mainly turn-based on the campaign map and real-time only in battles; also it's realistic, not a fantasy game. So I don't have to worry about the fact that I could be attacked at time with more orcs or elves than I have

.

-The game takes place in the Middle Ages.
-The campaign map is like a chess board.
-The battles are huge, engaging a multitude of units.
-Many kind of agents; diplomatic actions.
-The fact that you can give titles (one of the aspects missing from RTW)

After migrating into TW games from Pixie, Fairy and Elf Wars XII, I know exactly where you're coming from. At first I was distressed at the lack of pointy ears, green hats and little dragons and the fact that I couldn't have my elves perform their special abilities, such as fireball and lightning, but in time I got used to it... though it was a struggle.

Anyway, now I've got RTW, so I can have the best of both worlds!

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

**Deus ret.** · 10-23-2006, 15:27

Originally Posted by Caravel

Anyway, now I've got RTW, so I can have the best of both worlds!

think of the magical pigs with the fire aura!

**Mystic** · 11-01-2006, 11:57

I like the overall struggle for power and the strategy it takes to be successful

**Innocentius** · 11-01-2006, 12:54

The diplomacy part. By far.

Bribe those, cause rebellion and bribe the rebels etc. And also the careful choice on whom to attack. After the first successful years of fighting rebels, I tend to end up with a rather big kingdom, squeezed in between even bigger kingdoms (this depends on which faction you're playing as of course), and then you have to just wait and hope that this country will attack that country. Then you can make som profit from the war of others.

Second would be custom battles with plenty of gunpowder. I hope next TW takes place in the 17th and 18th century.

**satchef1** · 11-01-2006, 13:50

I love the small factions, theres nothing like being surrounded by superpowers and then bending said powers to your will! Civil War, Assasination and Alliances are the best tools out there! Nothing beats coming from 1-2 provinces at the start of a campaign to the biggest power in Europe at the end!

**Ripken** · 11-02-2006, 11:25

I can't really settle on one thing - I like different bits of different bits...

Medium battles (as in up to 16-20ish units in my army) are good, as there are enough units to do different things with but it doesn't take all day! Being married I just don't have time for 5000-a-side affairs!

Not that I'm very good at battles - my tactics tend to be fairly rudimentary...
Defending sieges is fun - I love sticking a unit of spears or somesuch in the gateway of my last wall and watching unit after unit of attackers get cut to pieces!

All the economy/ management stuff is brilliant, even if (again) I don't feel I've got the hang of all the subtleties yet. Getting a new, shiny unit becoming available for the first time is very satisfying, or seeing a new type of building suddenly become available.

But probably the best thing about being new to the game is knowing that there is a whole bunch of stuff still to try - I'm rubbish at diplomacy, I've only not played a GA campaign yet and one day I may get very daring and try to work out what a 'mod' is, and how I install one!