Still playing pre-patch, and certainly in my case England (and Scotland) are very easy. Too easy for my taste. I'm talking, VH/VH and snoozeville. I started a thread on this awhile ago, called "Peaceful British Isles".

The problem for me is that, when I'm playing as Scotland, I want England to be aggressive and badass. I don't want England to send a 3-unit "army" to whack York, only to get driven back by the Rebels 3 times in a row. I want England to assert its authority, dammit, and try to put me in my rebellious kilt-wearing place! And I don't want to rush through and kick them off the island by turn 5 -- just not fun for me. But if you wait for the English to start heading north, you'll wait a looooong time.

By the same token, when I'm playing as England, I want the Scots to cause trouble, give me something to worry about as I consolidate power on the island and the mainland. But all they ever seem to want is peace -- even if I offer them the most insulting diplomatic terms possible. If blockade Edinburgh for a turn just to declare war, they send a diplomat begging for a ceasefire. I'd *like* them to try to raid south, take York, try to take Nottingham -- at *least* take Inverness! ANd preferably do it without an army full of spear militia.

While the Scots are idling around up north, the French are doing the same thing in the south -- failing to consolidate their power around them.

I've noticed a disenheartening phenomenon with the campaign AI -- or I'm imagining things: it seems that all the excitng action happens several provinces *away* from wherever I am as the human faction. If I'm playing England, Scotland and France will be wimps. But if I'm playing France, Scotland takes Inverness and kicks the English out of York. Why couldn't they do that when *I'm* the English?!?!

Anyway, this is just a silly rant but.... yeah. Rant.

CountMRVHS