How is your campaign going?

**Brass Eye** · 12-10-2006, 01:01

Tucked into England's short campaign (hold 15 provinces and defeat Scotland and France) and completed that a few days ago. Much fun.

Started again soon after as Byzantium (med campaign, hard battles). This time going for the long campaign goals. Seem to be whipping some butt

. Tonight's prize was Rome, one of Byzantium's victory condition provinces.

A bit concerned that you only get the same number of turns (250) to capture three times as much real estate! Compare the short campaign's 15 provinces to the long campaign's 45. Seems harsh. 100 turns down and I've only really just got my economy sorted to the point where global domination looks feasible. I like a time limit to stop me dawdling, but this schedule is pretty unforgiving! Anyone else playing the grand campaign finding the time limit a bit demanding?

**Quickening** · 12-10-2006, 01:21

Originally Posted by Brass Eye

A bit concerned that you only get the same number of turns (250) to capture three times as much real estate! Compare the short campaign's 15 provinces to the long campaign's 45. Seems harsh. 100 turns down and I've only really just got my economy sorted to the point where global domination looks feasible. I like a time limit to stop me dawdling, but this schedule is pretty unforgiving! Anyone else playing the grand campaign finding the time limit a bit demanding?

I always play the short campaigns for that very reason. Also, I happen to like having years of peaceful empire building. I know it's the "Total War" series but still...

**Mailman653** · 12-10-2006, 01:22

My first camp was with the Papal States, although I finished it, I failed to meet the objectives, I had about 5-6 provinces and my obj was 100. I started up a new campign with Scotland but its still in its infancy due to school, so far I've established trade with most of Europe and hold the two main provinces plus Ireland and York. I've also had one confirmed failed crusade, I believe the last time I played either England went to war with me or I was participateing in a failed crusade in the making.

Oh and the Pope loves me (high favor)

**Dan.o6** · 12-10-2006, 01:35

I edited the campaign so I had 2 turns per year, so I have loads of time.

**Zenicetus** · 12-10-2006, 01:52

Originally Posted by Brass Eye

Anyone else playing the grand campaign finding the time limit a bit demanding?

I just ticked over 54 turns in my current long m/vh Spanish campaign (standard time scale, no mods). So I'm starting to think about that. I now hold 11 provinces. By extrapolation, I should be okay if I can keep up the same rate of expansion. But there isn't much room for sitting back for a breather. So far it's been something of a cakewalk against the Moors, while holding off France, but the going will get tougher soon as I hold a beachhead on the Holy Lands, and probe into western Europe. The long campaign is definitely not for turtling or localized empire builders.

Spain is an easy faction, I think... lots of advantages in starting position, decent units, boosts for naval power. I'm not sure I could win the long campaign with one of the tougher factions without modding the time scale, but at least that leaves something later on as a challenge.

**Bijo** · 12-10-2006, 01:56

lol, that was a nice read :)

[i]warning: long but good read[i]
My campaign is finally going better. My Sicilian faction was mostly poor all the time, could hardly afford anything for decades (mind you I'm playing 2 turns per year). But I was lucky for I made sure I had good Papal Standing and stayed out of the way of most bloody wars, as my diplomacy took care of things. I decided to not spill the blood of my fellow Christians (yet), but the blood of our Islamic foes to the south, west, and east. Unfortunately Egypt hasn't received my whooping yet, but it will soon enough.

Indeed, as you say, the Milanese are treacherous. Although their faction leader would not stab a knife into his own mother's back, he'd directly frontally stab her in the heart. Around 1180 or so they started to attack me by taking Naples - my precious money-making baby. Unfortunately for them I've always been the Pope's favorite and his trusty ally (who's basically bribing him and using him :P). He and his States immediately came into action supporting me in these wartimes by siding with my fleet in a joint effort to take care of theirs.
On the Italian land, my one mighty army had to take on two strong Milanese ones before it could besiege and retake Naples. In a mighty battle between two titans the outnumbered Sicilian army crushed Milan's first troops on the farmlands of South Italy. And what a heroic victory it was!
Not having time to return to Palermo to reinforce the decimated numbers, this now weakened - but still full of morale - army led by two young inexperienced generals marched over the just-crushed corpses on to the second Milanese army awaiting them.
The Sicilians called a Crusade and the Pope agreed. Now this Sicilian army of brave warriors marched on to face the Milanese once again in battle. Again outnumbered they still managed to defeat their foes and have them flee in fear. This army had already become a crusading army, and the Great Cross inspired these troops to fight, even if outnumbered. And fight they did! The Milanese army was totally crushed! Now to go forth to the city of Naples! Now was the time to go on.
Heavily hit these troops still had the will to fight. Less than half an army was left, a once mighty force become poor. But our trusty ally the Papal States came along to join the party! XD As their half army assisted in battle nicely filling it up to a full army at full strength, facing the brutal evil that is called Milan. They crushed their foes and Sicily retook the city of Naples.
Milan didn't give up yet, though. They kept on coming, but they repeatedly were defeated and fled back to their lands.

I simply fought them for another few years/decades and repeatedly called Crusades on them so other Catholics would take care of 'em. And it worked :)

Recently I was attempting to lure out a war between the severely weakened Spain - my bordering ally and Portugal's vassal - and other Catholic factions in Europe. As I still possessed the city of Marseille, previously owned by the Milanese, I attempted to gift this region to Spain to restore some power balance between them and their Portugese master and in Europe. By gifting this region to them I could've simply relied on every nearby faction's greed and fear to start new wars between each other, diverting their possible attention away from me, as I'd remain safe in South Italy, North Africa, and Iberia, where I bordered Spain whose relationship with me would then be very good due to my generous gift. At the same time I would be making sure I didn't have to fight these wars in that detached region myself. Unfortunately, before I could gift it to Spain, the Milanese had already retaken it shortly before they had been beaten to the ground by other Catholic factions.

Now I have taken over most of the islands to my east like Rhodes and Iraklion. And I possess the whole of North Africa. My nobles advised me to take Arguin, and so I did. These Saharan rebels were no match for my militias who turned them into corpses over which they then marched :)

In the meanwhile I kept my friend the Papal States happy by giving him Bologna. With the Pope's aggression they had even taken Marseille! Now they possess 4 regions and their military power grew enormously. I'm starting to think I made a mistake. But it'll be okay as long as I keep them happy.

And keeping them happy I will for I'll be battling Muslim foes from Egypt. After Egypt I might choose to expand further in the east and possibly face the Mongols but I'd prefer to stop after Egypt and establish diplomatic relations with the Mongols and everybody else nearby. I'd rather then put my effort into conquering Spain and its master Portugal.
Hmmmmmm, how will I do that without losing the Pope's favor and keeping my reputation up? I think I'll use my old strategy of sending in spies and assassins to deal with them discretely. Mwuhahahahahaaaa :) lol.

**Quickening** · 12-10-2006, 02:23

Originally Posted by Bijo

Indeed, as you say, the Milanese are treacherous. Although their faction leader would not stab a knife into his own mother's back, he'd directly frontally stab her in the heart.

But it's true. I have found the Milanese to be total ******** generally speaking.

Originally Posted by Dan.o6

I edited the campaign so I had 2 turns per year, so I have loads of time.

Am I right in thinking that by playing it that way, the only differences are that generals will age properly and world events will take longer to happen?
If so, I will play it that way to.

**Clovis** · 12-10-2006, 02:31

Quickening - you are correct, 2 turns per year fixes character aging and doubles the lenght of the game.

Bijo - ahhhhh, you've created the papal monster. I once gave the pope the holy land (jerusalem, acre and antioch) and he ended up wiping out egypt and fighting off the mongols

**RZST** · 12-10-2006, 02:48

only thing i dont like about the 2 turns per year thing is that what you build is still the same when it was 1 turn per year.

as for my campaign.
started of as scotland and blitzed the english. after that i conquered the rebles and made an island fortress, as about the time the mongols came (felt way too fast before i modded the timescale) i asked for the pop to send a crusade for antioch (jerusalem was taken by hungary o.o;).
so i send my heir and my 2nd best general on a land route towards antioch.
after i took antioch the egyptians tried to make a ceasefire, i countered with 1000gold in 20 turns + acre AND damascus....result? egypt agreed and thats when i decided to quit and start a new game with a new timescale >.<

**Bijo** · 12-10-2006, 14:30

Clovis - Yeah! I gave them two regions in Italy just to prevent the Milanese from coming at me southwards. It worked for a long time but of course they were foolish enough to take on the Papal States and me :)
But in another game where I gave them Jerusalem and the region just above that they didn't really start to conquer for some reason. Their army just sat there for many turns doing nothing. Hmmm, I don't know why. Maybe not enough financial resources.

What I like about two turns a year is especially that you can finally train your assassins appropriately without having them die old quickly if you'd play two years a turn. Or have agents in general get to places in a normal time frame.