Making M2TW Harder

[zulukiller]

Xdeathfire ="4. No fort building since the ai doesn't do this."

I see the AI doing that on M/M settings.

Ive found a good way to have a harder game and that's to mod the game so all the factions have maximum money the AI then spams out units like there's no tomorrow it makes it really challenging.

[OMGLAZERS]

See now, whats the exact definition of "blitz"?

I don't think i've ever really blitzed anything. I of course will start attacking rebel factions right away (Or the Moors, as Portugal/Spain) but is that really blitzing?

With the mods I use, the AI will do the same, making it not an advantage but a nessecity.

[Zenicetus]

I wouldn't call taking nearby rebel territories a blitz. In most cases that's just common sense, to ramp up your early economy and deny the province to neighboring factions.

For me, a blitz is pushing beyond that point as early as you can, or even attacking a neighboring faction right away if it's weakly defended, and in the path of your planned expansion. Then keep going until you're over-extended and don't have enough units to garrison the newly captured territory so you're forced to pause for a few turns. This can be funded in the early game by swarming the map with diplomats selling map info and trade rights, and by sacking the first cities you take to keep the cash flowing.

Basically, I think you're blitzing if most of your effort is going into forward momentum, at the expense of building up your economy and defending your existing borders.

[BigTex]

See now, whats the exact definition of "blitz"?

I don't think i've ever really blitzed anything. I of course will start attacking rebel factions right away (Or the Moors, as Portugal/Spain) but is that really blitzing?

With the mods I use, the AI will do the same, making it not an advantage but a nessecity.

Going after nearby rebel provinces sometimes isnt a "blitz". But in some cases it will severely weaken the AI's faction. Example, taking prague before the HRE does as poland will severly weaken the HRE. Going out as france and taking all the provinces available is pretty much a blitz also.

Going out in the first 20 or so turns to go for the jugular in an AI faction is also a "blitz". Taking out Venice in the first few turns will nearly destroy the venetians, granted though it's simple. Same goes for milan. Start no war's for the early game and you should end up with a robust AI later on.

[katank]

I define blitz as sending all available forces to go on an all out assault on a faction in the early game. This includes bypassing hard to take rebel settlements such as Edessa, Kiev, etc. and instead focus on killing your neighbors. Declaring war before turn 5 or destroying a faction before turn 10 are classical symptoms of blitzing.

This is comparable to a RTS rush where if your attacking forces are destroyed or your base comes under attack, you may well have lost then and there.

[Basileus]

I never try to destroy ai factions early on, i just grab rebel provinces and let the ai build up and the battles i tend to fight are usually with an ai with elite troops. I dont play the game to get 50 provinces now that got boring for me after the 2 first finished campaigns. My games are more like GA (Glorius Achivements from MTW), i set some goals before i start and that is usually my goal.

[Wizzie]

1. Autoresolve all battles so you will be on par with ai on the batlefield.

Autoresolving sieges usually gives you less casualties than if you tried to manually fight the siege anyway. Or at least that's what I find.

2. Don't change the cities into castles or castles into cities since the computer never does this.

I'm pretty sure I've seen the AI change castles to cities. It only happens very early on though.

3. No killing agents by surrounding them with troops.

This is an exploit anyway. You shouldn't be complaining that the game is easy if you use this exploit.

4. No fort building since the ai doesn't do this.

Again, the AI do build forts.

5. No cheap stuff with merchants like putting 20 of them in forts on top of silks to make like 20K a turn or having them defended by military troops.

Another exploit. See the comment above ^

6. No quicksave and quickload when something bad happens.

I don't think many people do this. Anyway, for any who do, it always makes the game much more interesting when a bad result throws a wrench in your plans. Also, how is the game easy if you have to have second and third chances to get things done right?

7. No disbanding units nor destroying buildings since i'm pretty sure the ai doesn't do this.

I definetly think the AI disbands units. It probably doesn't destroy buildings as it would not have built them in the first place if they did not rank highly on the priorities list.

Anyone come up with an agreed set of ironman rules yet?