Your factions deciding factor

[timsemand]

You can't say that denmark got a good defensive position. They are well protected from invasion from land but they can be invaded from sea all over the country.

[Akka]

None of the choices you provided.
I primarily chose my faction because of prestige and history.
I want to play Byzantium simply because they ARE Byzantium, heirs of the Roman Empire and infinitely cultured people.

You also forgot to offer the simple "out of nationalism" answer, which is probably THE most important reason on the whole.

[Derfal Cadarn]

You can't say that denmark got a good defensive position. They are well protected from invasion from land but they can be invaded from sea all over the country.

Whilst that is true, this isnt likely to happen for quite a few turns. Other factions need to build ports, ships and then build a shipping fleet to the danish lands, so this in itself gives the Danish player a bit of leeway at the beginning of the game, as the only faction that can intially attacj the Danes is the HRE

[Hobot]

Hmm, I actually try most factions, and here I said "good defensive position". However, that isn't really true, but it was the "best" approximate answer. One thing I don't like is fighting tons of wars early. Because then I'm forced to expand early, and get a huge empire before i can even fully explore my tech tree and have fun with the unit combinations that my side can offer. For this reason I never really like HRE or France too much. Main preference has always been for small underdog factions, like Denmark, Spain, Sicily etc. The TUrks, Russians and Byzantines are also tons of fun because of their varied unit rosters and positions on the edge of the mongol invasion area Overall I like it to be difficult also, thereby the two factions I hardly ever even think of playing are Egypt and England -- both have starting positions that are enormously economically advantagous and very easily defensible.

[Darth Nihilus]

Lol @ timsemand, if Denmark doesn't have a good defensive position, then no faction does. Tell me you were kidding.

[timsemand]

Lol @ timsemand, if Denmark doesn't have a good defensive position, then no faction does. Tell me you were kidding.

I would say that, a country that is sorrounded by mountains is much more safe. But yes they have a good defence, for the first few turns but then, hells slips loose.

[Dracula(Romanian Vlad Tepes)]

I think HRE has one of the worse positions.They can be attacked all over and they are surrounded by a lot of powerful enemies.Is sound like a challenge for me.

[Darsh]

France because of it's my country and for strong heavy cavalery.

[DukeofSerbia]

None of the above.

[Martok]

Hey! Where's the "GAH!" option?? No Org poll is complete without it!

But seriously, for me it's a combination of everything. Position, troop types, historical enemies, how challenging they are.... There truly is no one thing I can pinpoint as a deciding factor in which factions I find the most interesting and/or fun to play.

an 'against the odds' sense of fun

Welsh in VI =

Myrddraal, I hadn't taken you for a masochist. Seems I'll have to revise my opinion of you in that regard. (I was all about the Mercians and the Irish.)

[Woozie]

I pick on how badass the faction is to me.

I will probably play Danes just because they are badasses, everybody loves vikings.

[spong]

I usually choose a faction which has the type of units I like to use for my tactical strengths but I also think that liking the background of a faction is hugely important. I like the idea of playing as England because I'm English, but I'm not sure until we get a full unit lineup if they will fit my tactics. I usually use an infantry army with heavy shock troops, archers and a main battle line of solid spearmen (preferably phalanx, perhaps the Swiss pikemen will be able to do this as they did historically?)

[Kourutsu]

Position!

MTW-Denmark
RTW-Brittania
MTW 2-Scotland (Once I conquer that northern province)

Oh, and when I wasn't taking my Prosac, color. Yep, color was a deciding factor for me for a while. Never played HRE. Black and yellow, just not menacing or cool. Also never played the Byzantines. Purple! The only reason I have ever played Poland in MTW, is because of the color, and cool flag.

[timsemand]

I pick on how badass the faction is to me.

I will probably play Danes just because they are badasses, everybody loves vikings.

Who says there will be vikings, vikings only lived in the very early middle age.
And vikings have never been used as ordinary soldiers, they have never marched in line.

[myz]

a lot of people are talking about starting position and avoiding many wars and such, but I thought that since most of the western european factions are catholic, I was under the impression that it was not wise to fight another Catholic faction, since that would risk excommunication and even more trouble. Does anyone have anything on this?

[Prince of the Poodles]

a lot of people are talking about starting position and avoiding many wars and such, but I thought that since most of the western european factions are catholic, I was under the impression that it was not wise to fight another Catholic faction, since that would risk excommunication and even more trouble. Does anyone have anything on this?

In MTW, I found that the pope was almost meaningless. Nations would attack one another regardless of excommunication or not, and there was no real penalty for ignoring him either.

In one of my early games I played as the Germans and got excommunicated. I was very worried and took a very defensive posture, yet no one attacked. Slowly I got back into the good graces of the church, and was promptly attacked by Italy and France within several years.

[Polemists]

Someone else can probably find it but there is a video of a german force attacking a ventian city, and they get excommunicated.

Not sure what happens after it obviously, although reprecussions are supposed to increase this time.

Pope used to just give you a ultimatium like get out in two years, so long as you could conquer them in two years you were good.

[Ledge]

My favourite colour...and an interesting strategic environment!

[Ledge]

Sorry, I meant my favourite colour at that point in time...and a groovy faction banner!

[Basileus]

I started playing the Byz in MTW and will propably do so with MTW2, mostly cause its the faction ive read most about at the current time period but abit nationalistic aswell. French will be played after that or first depending if its easy to mod the starting factions.

[Kavhan Isbul]

For me it was history mainly, but since I have played them all, at the end I guess it comes to challenging starting position. I know there will be no GAs in MTW2, but in MTW I would play an otherwise boring faction as the French or the HRE (no offense to those who like them, I simply find their units and lands boring) just for the Glorious Achievements.

[pdoan8]

I always choose with good defensive position at start (Shimazu in STW and Denmark in MTW). Next would be good units along as it doesnot equate to expensive units.

[andrewt]

I choose units and economy. I went Takeda first in Shogun because of cavalry and they're close to the rich Hojo and Uesugi that I can take out easily. I chose English first in MTW cause they were the most familiar, then it was Julii in RTW.

I look for a variety of units. I alternated between Catholic, Muslim and Orthodox in MTW. I played eastern and barbarian ones after the Romans in RTW.