Guides for XL factions

[Martok]

For those who play MTW/VI with VikingHorde's XL Mod, I'm looking at the possibility of creating guides for the new factions the mod introduces (Armenians, Portuguese, Crusader States, etc.). For anyone who would be interested in such an endeavour, please state here which factions you can help out on.

Note that I'm only looking for a show of hands at the moment. You don't need to write up a guide or anything just yet. (I still have to hear back from frogbeastegg first before we proceed much further.)

For myself, the factions I can write for are: The Bohemians, Portuguese, Norwegians, and Scots (Early period).

[bamff]

Great idea, Martok!

I have yet to install XL myself, so I will be about as useful as the proverbial hip pocket in a singlet, but possibly i will be able to contribute soon (after installing the mod!).

A thought - would it be worthwhile to include some notes re: new unit types?

[Kavhan Isbul]

I can write guides for the Bulgarians, High & late, the Cumans in Early, and the Volga Bulgars in Early. I can also write a guide for the Serbs in Early, but there are probably people better qualified than me to do so.

[Wasp]

Guides for the XL mod sounds like a good idea, Martok! I've posted my 'strategies' for the Irish and the Scots in the other XL thread, maybe they could be useful to you?

I tried the Irish and the Scots first with XL, and I second (or third) the opinion that Ireland is hard. You will have a small budget to work with, so it is vital to grab some extra land early. The English can lose some easily if you're smart, and Wales should be relatively easy as well (you could also bribe the Longbowmen, gives you some really good units 100+ years before they arrive).

The Scots are a tad easier, since they can conquer Northumbria easily (in my games, the English usually run right away, even if the odds are slightly in their favor). I usually grab Wales with a bribe as well. From there, slowly expand to get all of Great Britain and Ireland, and then look either to Scandinavia (if you're quick enough, the Norwegians will only have one province, and should be quite an easy take) or the coast of France.

Just a basic start for both, but all small bits help.

[Innocentius]

I could write one for the Swedish in High and help with the Serbs in High, but that's pretty much it. I have played as all the factions, but never pulled through an entire campaign as I usually quit once I get bored.

[King Kurt]

As the person who started this, I would be happy to do something on the Teutons as my campaign develops.

My thoughts in originally suggesting it was that having it in one place, if only as somebody's campaign reflections,would be useful for people starting XL - i.e. like me!!!!
Hopefully Froggy will be happy and we can get a nice little section of useful advice.

[Deus ret.]

What about an entire sub-section for all Mods, not just XL.... ?

[Don Esteban]

I can't call myself an expert on any faction but I could certainly give a few pointers for the Crusaders, Bohemians ands Scots.

[Peasant Phill]

I would be very interested in a guide for the Volga-bulgars and a guide for the papal states. I've just started an early Volga-bulgar campaign so I could help to with a guide for them.

[Martok]

I could write one for the Swedish in High and help with the Serbs in High, but that's pretty much it. I have played as all the factions, but never pulled through an entire campaign as I usually quit once I get bored.

Personally, I don't believe it's absolutely necessary to have completed a campaign as the faction you're helping to write about. It's pretty much an open secret that most MTW players rarely conquer 100% of the map, and a fairly large fraction of us don't always make it to the 60% "minor" victory either. (Not that *I've* ever quit a campaign before reaching 60% -- mercy, no!)

I think that realistically, faction guides don't need to give step-by-step instructions on how to conquer the entire map. All they really should do is show how you can get that faction to its "critical mass", where you're big enough that you can handle pretty much whatever the other factions throw at you. (Examples: Once the Almos/Aragon/Spanish conquer the Iberian peninsula, or the Byz/Eggies/Turks gain control of the "Great Triangle", the world is pretty much their oyster.)

What about an entire sub-section for all Mods, not just XL.... ?

That's actually what I suggested to FBE.

[King of Bavaria]

Sounds lika a good idea.

I don't think my skill/experience with the new factions are enough for a guide (my studies are stealing too much time from playing MTW, unfortunately ), but I think I could add a little bit about the Scots, maybe.

Generally, I think more people will join, if someone starts.

Normally I get bored when my faction gets overpowered, so I agree that it's unnecessary to write a guide until 100%, imo the problem is mostly the succesfull start of a campaign, and not the conquest of the last enmemies territories.

Maybe it would also be a good idea to add strategies for the "old" factions, if the strategic situation is an other, as in the unmodded game.

[Peasant Phill]

(like I said) I want to start a guide for the Volga Bulgars. Do I wait for a subforum or can I start a new thread?

[Martok]

(like I said) I want to start a guide for the Volga Bulgars. Do I wait for a subforum or can I start a new thread?

It's been determined that it would be best if the Guides forum were restricted to just the factions that are in the vanilla game, so you can go ahead and start a new thread.

[Vladimir]

Do a search for "Vladimir" and "Armenia". Sorry, don't have much time to post.

[King Kurt]

Martok - I gather from your posts that Froggy wanted to keep the guide section for vanilla MTW/VI - I suppose I can understand that. However, I wondered if it was possible to create a sub forum for the mod guides - like the Chapter house for interactives in the monastry - within the main hall. It would be good to keep this info in an accessable place.
What do you think?

[Martok]

I'm certainly for the idea. Before I speak with Tosa about creating such a subforum, however, it would be nice if I could first get an idea of:

1.) The overall level of interest in such a forum.

2.) The willingness of our members to actually write up these guides. (There wouldn't be much point in creating said subforum if there were only going to be 3-4 guides in the whole thing. )

Hmm, perhaps I'll create a poll about this....