Worst/Most annoying viable faction to play

[Martok]

I was hit on by the horde

So did you guys exchange phone numbers then, or did you decide they weren't your type?

Sorry, I couldn't resist....

Some in this forum suggested Poland easy, but that wasn't my experience.

/HG

I've never done very well the few times I've played as the Polish. Of course, I'm sure part of the reason is the very fact I've not played them that much, but they're still definitely one of the tougher vanilla factions IMHO.

[seireikhaan]

Hmm, I had trouble playing as Lithuania, myself. It just seemed like I couldn't get enough money together. Plus the fact that you've got enemies on all sides, and you're 'royal' unit is Lithuanian cavalry early on. The only thing I like about them is their color and the way their troops look. As for Volga Bulgar, well, I've never been dumb enough to try them on high period.

Also, who ever said Poland was easy? I've found them to be quite difficult, myself. Stuff just always seems to go wrong for them.

[History Geek]

So did you guys exchange phone numbers then.

Well, I'm sure the fact I had 4 unmarried princesses lured them to attack me, completely ignoring everybody else. A somewhat strange way to show your interest however. Though I've never tried this method myself in RL, (riding up to my inlaws with a bow and a sword demanding their daughters hand in marriage) in the game they were politely turned down at the end of a halberd.

/HG

[macsen rufus]

Though I've never tried this method myself in RL, (riding up to my inlaws with a bow and a sword demanding their daughters hand in marriage)

Young people today, where's all the romance gone?

[Gimli]

I just played poland high/vanilla MTW:VI, and they were quite annoying and therefore fun to play.

In the beginning I struggled with the HRE, when they were down I was hit on by the horde, and after that an incredibly strong russia. Those Boyars with 5-6 valor were litterary killing my poor digital subjects. My weak income and the obsolete units coupled with low influence kings and no generals with any command stars whatsoever gave me a good run for the money. Some in this forum suggested Poland easy, but that wasn't my experience.

/HG

Poland is pretty hard... It is hard to find somewhere to break out to. There are factions all around you and they aren't always so nice... (like HRE and Russia) Plus they don't get anything too special as far as units go except for Polish Retainers. (which are pretty good!)

[Roark]

Whoever said Poland was easy is on lots of drugs.

[Scurvy]

On XL i found Serbia very difficult...

[Gimli]

The Serbs start out in a tough spot there, but they have some nice units and they are Orthodox (no arguments with the Pope! ) The hard part with them is that they are stuck in this little area in between the Venetians, Byzantines, and Hungarians... Those three all start out stronger than the Serbs do... I think that their Voynuk units give them an advantage over the Bulgarians though.

[The Darkhorn]

Actually, I find most anyone annoying in the late game. The reason is that the A.I. is too aggressive...or at least unrealistically aggressive. Late in the game I've got my empire shored up with high quality stack and good general at borders. Ready to just coast to the end (GA). Somebody always attacks. Let's give them the benefit of the doubt and assume they have no spies, agents or towers. Let's assume they think my armies are full of UM and hobilars instead of Gold everything SAP, Arbs, and Gothic knights...Why once the hammer falls, do they never surrender. The way u end a war in the late game is destroy the enemy or turn them into rebels. I don't want their @#$%^& land at that point. I don't want to build anything. I just want to coast to my GA victory. Yet I have to wipe them out to get peace. Why does the AI do this? Why does it insist on starting a war they can't win. Even if they didn't know it at first, they won't surrender once they realize they can't win. You're whooping them everywhere, reducing them to one or two provinces with hardly any troops and THEY WON'T SURRENDER!!! In RL, in medieval Europe, there are few of these "factions" that were wiped out. I don't want a wimpy AI mind you, but I wish they were quicker to make peace when it is logical to do so. People were made vassals. People refocused on other things. New kings may have been pansies, etc. I just hate it when these endless wars against weak enemies begin about 1350. If they would co-ordinate and all take you on at once in some grand alliance it could be fun, but they never really support each other.

[cosminus]

Well said The Darkhorn. You may try the auto cease fire trick also (siege them to the last castle and withdraw before the castle fail).
I found that after you become the dominant power, everybody will hate you, no matter of period. For me it happened as Byz in ~1170, all are at war with me, catholics and muslims as one, even they do not support each other actions.

[Gimli]

I found that after you become the dominant power, everybody will hate you, no matter of period.

SO TRUE!!! Although that is kind of regrettable, it is nice in that it makes it harder when you are the superpower!

[Brass Eye]

Hey folks. Been a while since I played MTW and about as long since I cruised these forums. What's all this about being able to play as the Serbs, Norway, Sweden etc? Some mod I've not heard of? Or wait, are people getting their MTW and their M2TW mixed up?

Currently playing as Aragon on expert and sweeping all before me (as always, trade is the key). Agree with the original topic starter that the HRE is a biatch of a faction to play.

[Brass Eye]

Ahh.. the XL mod. I have it. DLing now. :)

[Gimli]

Its a great mod!!!

[Martok]

Welcome back, Brass Eye! I hope you enjoy XL.

[Brass Eye]

Thanks gents. :) Good god, it's good! I mean it's professional in a way that CA could have released it as an expansion pack if they'd made it.

Currently playing as the Cumans and having a whale of a time. Spanked the Vulgar-Bulgars (crazy name, crazy people) and making advance plans for the arrival of the horde.

Also: pagan shamans! W00t!

[Haccapelite]

Whoever said Poland was easy is on lots of drugs.

HEY! I just spent a couple of weeks on holiday and immediately people start to insult me! So i admit that i said Poland is rather easy, and i can also assure you that i hadnt taken any kind of drugs. But i guess that i should clarify my earlier statement a bit: in the beginning it was very challenging, but after i managed to conquer those rich Hungarian provinces it started to feel rather easy, although i had a lot of luck with me, since i had only taken Kiev and not the other steppe provinces, and therefor after the GH emerged i just had a couple of easy bridgebattles against them.. And also the HRE was busy all the time with france and later spain so it had no time to attack me, so i didnt have to maintain large garrisons on the German borders.

[Roark]

My mistake, bro.

You're not on drugs. You're just better than me.

I've had my arse handed to me on a plate all 3 times I've played Poland.

[Gimli]

Yeah, I never have been able to do very well as the Poles...

[ULC]

Actually, I found the Poles easy for some reason (sorry, no drugs involved ). Poland has it easy in early because they really have few competitors for the steppes. To play them effectively, it's all about timing; wait for the HRE to get into a war, rush east, wait for the Byzantines to get into a war, snatch some provinces from the crumbling HRE, snatch some provinces from Byzantium and ally with the Egyptians, build up for the GH, send them packing, and simply creep crawl over everything to insure you don't suffer from bloat (which for some reason the Poles have a problem with )

On a side note, has any one ever managed to win as the Papacy (XL)? I wonder what such a game would be like...

[doctrellor]

as the Papacy?

I united Italy, took out Spain and N Africa areas, so I owned the Western & Central Med, mind you it aint a victory, but for the Pope, that is pretty good..:P

using XL (of course)

[Gimli]

I've never tried the Papacy... I'll have to try it ASAP!

Do you get excommed for fighting other Catholics?

[seireikhaan]

I've never tried the Papacy... I'll have to try it ASAP!

Do you get excommed for fighting other Catholics?

Nope, they get excommed if they ever attack any provinces which you control. This also includes if they attack a province that you took from them and have under seige. Rather nasty trick, playing the Papacy, imo.