Out of character thread XV

[OverKnight]

Unless anyone else has plans, I'll be fighting my battles sometime around 1000 EDT (1400 GMT). There's some flexibility there, I'll have some off time Thursday and Friday, so don't worry if you need to take the save yourself.

Enjoy the game AG, I wish America was exporting a better product than the Dolphins, they're truly wretched this year, but I guess they could still defeat some of the old NFL Europe teams. The Giants, at least, are a decent team.

[Northnovas]

It doesn't matter who the other team is if you are watching your favourite team play you want a victory. This will ensure a NY win.

[AussieGiant]

Yeah I think I need to be clear here....

I've been a Giant's fan since 1989.

If it's 45-0 then that's just dandy for me

It wont be...and it is a trap game for the G-men but hopefully they pound 'em.

As usual it looks like only Northnovas will get his choices into me before the deadline so I will get my orders out and then I'll fight my battle tonight also.

Basically I'm going to take a night action against the first stack and then hold just outside the Citadel as they throw themselves against me.

[econ21]

Mini Econ's taking the save.

Battle fought, new save:
http://www.mizus.com/files/pbm/kotr1324_1.zip

[OverKnight]

I have the save.

Edit: Battles fought, the new save.

http://www.mizus.com/files/pbm/kotr1324-2.zip

[TinCow]

We're only about 6 hours from the deadline for 1324 orders. So far I am still waiting on the following:

Athalwolf von Salza (Warluster) - No orders received.
Wolfgang Hümmel (Ignoramus) - No orders received
Dieter Bresch (Bob the Great) - No orders received
Arnold (AussieGiant) - Vague/incomplete orders received, more details required in regards to recruitment.

[AussieGiant]

Orders sent TC.

Buzzing the tower now.

Prepare for impact.

Translation...



...I'm taking the save.

Ok spanked the first stack.

Save is here

http://www.mizus.com/files/pbm/kotr1324-3.zip

[Privateerkev]

We're only about 6 hours from the deadline for 1324 orders. So far I am still waiting on the following:

Dieter Bresch (Bob the Great) - No orders received

He left a message in the old OOC thread.

I'm gonna be on holiday untill Thursday so if I miss the option picking just leave me in Magdeburg and anyone can fight the battles I won't have . Just updated the Active duty thread.

https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showp...&postcount=565

If you already know this, then please disregard this post. ^_^

[TinCow]

Hmph... this year's battle results have displeased me greatly. You won't like me when I'm angry. If you guys don't start taking some casualties, I'm going to ban night attacks.

[Northnovas]

If you prevent double stacks only then can night attacks be banned. ;)

[AussieGiant]

Hmph... this year's battle results have displeased me greatly. You won't like me when I'm angry. If you guys don't start taking some casualties, I'm going to ban night attacks.

LMAO @ TC...mate, you're not giving me any luv are ya fella

The two stacks behind are chockers with DFK and those bastards on horses as well.

I'm going to get pounded in their turn. Which I hope we can do on Monday afternoon at the earliest...if those are auto calc'd then I will lose.

[Privateerkev]

Hmph... this year's battle results have displeased me greatly. You won't like me when I'm angry. If you guys don't start taking some casualties, I'm going to ban night attacks.

Or you can demand that prisoners be released. Jan has definitely made things in Outremer more interesting with all the little half-stacks of paroled prisoners wandering around. ^_^

[Northnovas]

AG you will be in no condition on Monday afternoon to do anything, with the exception of breathing of course.

[TinCow]

You guys already have an advantage because there are very, very few generals I can throw at you. Most of the enemy generals have titles ("the Flippant") which means I cannot move them or give them more units (I have to know their last name to use the console commands). Thus, for the most part I can only throw Captain-led stacks at you, which is a huge disadvantage for the AI, especially since most of you have good battle traits out the wazoo. I was originally planning for full-stack armies to be almost impossible for you to assemble during the cataclysm, but my economics system (and generosity with free units in the first couple turns) has totally reversed that.

I WILL push you guys back more, whether you like it or not. If I can't do it fairly, then I will cheat. It's not my fault the campaign map AI is idiotic. I demanded 'carte blanche' on game manipulation/rules from you all before I agreed to do the cataclysm for this very reason. You're all too damn good. Thus, I am going to start ramping up the difficulty. Don't worry, people who are already struggling will not be pressed harder. It will be those of you who are winning too easily who will feel my wrath...

[AussieGiant]

AG you will be in no condition on Monday afternoon to do anything, with the exception of breathing of course.

LOL!!

I tell ya...I'll drag may ass to the PC, knock those two stacks back, half blind, still drunk and barffing all over my PC.

Long live the....

[AussieGiant]

You guys already have an advantage because there are very, very few generals I can throw at you. Most of the enemy generals have titles ("the Flippant") which means I cannot move them or give them more units (I have to know their last name to use the console commands). Thus, for the most part I can only throw Captain-led stacks at you, which is a huge disadvantage for the AI, especially since most of you have good battle traits out the wazoo. I was originally planning for full-stack armies to be almost impossible for you to assemble during the cataclysm, but my economics system (and generosity with free units in the first couple turns) has totally reversed that.

I WILL push you guys back more, whether you like it or not. If I can't do it fairly, then I will cheat. It's not my fault the campaign map AI is idiotic. I demanded 'carte blanche' on game manipulation/rules from you all before I agreed to do the cataclysm for this very reason. You're all too damn good. Thus, I am going to start ramping up the difficulty. Don't worry, people who are already struggling will not be pressed harder. It will be those of you who are winning too easily who will feel my wrath...

Excellent...

some hand me some pistols and a cream and jam scone...

where going hunting men.

[StoneCold]

AG, why aren't you continuing with your battles? From the looks of the last battle you could easily whipped the other 2 stacks with what you have now anyway... :P

TC, can't you generate recruitable generals for the AI using console command?

[TinCow]

TC, can't you generate recruitable generals for the AI using console command?

Not that I am aware of. If you know how to create generals, please let me know. I can't even really create 'new' armies. All I can do is add units to existing armies or cities. To create new stacks, I find a tiny stack somewhere, pump it full of big units then teleport it where I want it to be. I cannot simply create a new unit in the middle of nowhere, because it has to have an existing stack or city to go into. The console command system is extremely limited. If only "control FACTION" still worked...

[Northnovas]

TC

Have you seen these post? I don't know if they will resolve the issue.

https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=93797

https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=93539

[FactionHeir]

Hotseat needs to be enabled before creating the game, so that option is out.

As for creating generals, you can create BGs but not characters. The AI usually gets a MOTH every turn though if they got several provinces.

As for moving/creating units into generals with titles, it still works using just their firstname, if there is no other character with that firstname and the game has saved the character (don't ask me when it does - its fairly random actually).

Except for Swabia, all other duchies have already fought the AI. I don't even want to think of those French Lancer/Gendarme/Scots guard stacks that stand outside my door.

To make life more challenging for the Human player though, you need to create certain types of stacks the AI can handle. Infantry heavy stacks are easily overrun by players unless they have no cavalry.
I would recommend something along the lines of:
5 heavy late cav
3 HA or Light heavy hitting cav
5 Heavy infantry
2 Spear formations
3 Long range missile regiments (AP archers or late Xbows)
2 Very long range artillery (treb, cannon, culverin, basilisk, serpentine)

[AussieGiant]

Hotseat needs to be enabled before creating the game, so that option is out.

As for creating generals, you can create BGs but not characters. The AI usually gets a MOTH every turn though if they got several provinces.

As for moving/creating units into generals with titles, it still works using just their firstname, if there is no other character with that firstname and the game has saved the character (don't ask me when it does - its fairly random actually).

Except for Swabia, all other duchies have already fought the AI. I don't even want to think of those French Lancer/Gendarme/Scots guard stacks that stand outside my door.

To make life more challenging for the Human player though, you need to create certain types of stacks the AI can handle. Infantry heavy stacks are easily overrun by players unless they have no cavalry.
I would recommend something along the lines of:
5 heavy late cav
3 HA or Light heavy hitting cav
5 Heavy infantry
2 Spear formations
3 Long range missile regiments (AP archers or late Xbows)
2 Very long range artillery (treb, cannon, culverin, basilisk, serpentine)

Just great...what is this!!??

Create your own avatar killing stack

[TinCow]

As for moving/creating units into generals with titles, it still works using just their firstname, if there is no other character with that firstname and the game has saved the character (don't ask me when it does - its fairly random actually).

I've tried that with the English King (Davy) and it didn't work. I do not see another general with that name on the map. One of the annoying things about this is that the good AI generals ALWAYS have titles. Thus, the best enemy commanders are the ones I am pretty much excluded from using.

[FactionHeir]

Yeah, its annoying as it applies to agents who share generals' names too.
With Royalty, you might try finding one of their princesses unless they already got the snob title from the cash boost. Usually their lastname applies to either heir or king unless they got a high turnover rate.

[econ21]

I was originally planning for full-stack armies to be almost impossible for you to assemble during the cataclysm, but my economics system (and generosity with free units in the first couple turns) has totally reversed that.

You needn't be bound by your economics system. Restricting our army sizes seems a more elegant solution than throwing dozens of elite full stacks at us.

In the short term, you could have a moratorium on income next turn. You could exempt one or two players with special needs if you want.

If you want a longer term solution, you could double the points cost of each unit type.

And, if you want to be evil, you could reintroduce desertion for a while. I rolled for each unit - it disbanded on a "1"; a "1" or "2" for militia. Three turns of such desertion and the full stacks will be almost halved.

[TinCow]

Ah, don't worry about it. I've come up with a new devious scheme.



Also, I'm going to give Warluster, Ignoramus, and Bob the Great some more time for their choices. Normally I would just push forward, but Warluster and Ignoramus are in a pretty significant spot for Swabia. I don't want to skip it if we don't have to. The turn can't advance until Monday anyway, since I'm out of town again from Friday to Sunday. Haste is still very much encouraged though, and I won't wait forever.

[FactionHeir]

So when can I fight my battle?

[OverKnight]

On the problem of last names, I digged through some old saves and managed to track down Nikeforos the Mean's last name. In 1260, he was a young pup near Thessalonica and he was called Nikeforos Argyrus. The character portraits and relative age match up.

If you have other characters you want me to track down, let me know.

[Ferret]

What is going to happen to Ansehelm's 11 wealth then? And all of his soldiers? It would seem rather weird for it all to just disappear.

[Tamur]

I think the latest idea I heard was for him to go out in a blaze of glory against the Poles or some such. Agreed, it would be a blow to lose all the men, but if TinCow wishes to make things difficult, it's perfect. That would certainly put Franconia in a serious predicament.

[econ21]

What is going to happen to Ansehelm's 11 wealth then? And all of his soldiers? It would seem rather weird for it all to just disappear.

I'll leave it up to TinCow to decide, but given his recent coments about making the game harders, Tamur has a point.