Re: Patches, Hotfixes, Betas and Such
I think you might be reading into his remarks too deeply. I don't think he was suggesting that it was some essential game mechanic for attrition to work, I think he was just stating that he prefers it the way it is, with players incurring attrition penalties for things like moving through deserts rather than being penalized for having your army outside a settlement during the winter season.Originally Posted by Alcibiade
Re: Patches, Hotfixes, Betas and Such
Smaller light transports have been added. Mounted generals and artillery units get them.
Time flies like the wind. Fruit flies like bananas.
post patch 5 Diplomacy
I've played a couple of games till about turn 60 since the latest patch (both VH as Rome: Julia and Junia). The biggest differences I've noticed seem to have been caused by changes to the CAI and diplomatic relations.
Of course, may just be random luck in my 2 games. However, I find:
- AI Factions much more ready to ally with each other
- AI Factions slightly more likely to DoW human faction (not sure about this)
- Money a little tighter - for one thing, buffing legionaries from scratch to Armour III and Weapons III costs 1350 per unit
The former means that after the initial period, there are very few no-friends small factions around for the human to bully. By the time I was ready to push into TransAlpina, the Veneti owned all 3 regions and had defensive or military alliances with 5 other factions. There's going to be a lot of battles and my cash flow isn't really enough to be confident I can field sufficient armies. There is also a 'Greek' block of allies that I have joined and an African one and the start of another block in Iberia. Quite a change from the slow eating up of isolated 1 or 2 region factions in previous patches.
The second point may just be my imagination, coupled with playing for the first time as the Junia family. They take what is described as a 'moderate' hit to diplomatic relations with all other factions but it isn't that modest when it tips you into multiple wars as AI factions DoW you. And the snowball effect where once you are in 4 or so wars, other factions like to join in for the fun, means I had 9 or 10 enemies as Junia by about turn 40-50. Not as impossible as Carthage was (is?) since the CAI doesn't seem to be attacking Italy with the same frenzied assaults that it likes to attack Carthage with, but still a big challenge.
The Julia family is proving easier, at least at first. Only Carthage joined in the war on the side of the Etruscan League, which mechanism meant that neither of their allies (Libya, Nova Carthago) joined as well. Once I got a peace v Carthage things were easier.
So, early days, but some signs that the campaigns might prove more interesting.
Re: post patch 5 Diplomacy
Upgrading units can be expensive if you want to get them from level 1 to 3. I think that is kind of normal. AI declaring war on you more than on each other has something to do with the difficulty.
Re: post patch 5 Diplomacy
I'm playing a 5.0 Seleucid campaign on VH. About a dozen turns in, all of my satrapies excepting Media and Sardes declared war on me. They also began forming an alliance block. I wasn't too worried at first, because of the buffer Media provides. Once Media was eliminated, I was in serious trouble because the Seleucid economy does not support enough armies to repel the hordes of troops from Arachosia, Parthia, Parthava, Drangiana, Aria, Dahae and Sagartia. Fortunately for me, I was able to ally with Athens early on and that boosted my street cred enough that I eventually ended up allied with ALL of the Hellenic factions.
After setting a War Target somewhere in Parthavan territory, my allies began to declare war on my enemies one by one. Not only did they DOW, but they all sent troops. What followed was an uncoordinated mess, but it ended up working to my advantage. My complaint with my allies is this: initially, their troops entered the lands of my enemies and even conquered a few provinces. Eventually they lost the land they conquered and now, their troops either march around without doing anything (Macedon, Knossos, Pergamon), or they congregate in these large groups in the desert (Athens, Sparta, Bithynia, Rhodos) losing troops to desert attrition turn after turn.
I'm curious what will happen once I've conquered my corner of the map. The huge Hellenic alliance has expanded to cover Rome and some of the northern African tribes, as well as the northern Black Sea barbarians, I'll probably have to travel to Iberia to find anyone to fight and likely end up touching off World War .5
I think the willingness to ally will eventually have to be toned down. Bithynia was part of the Hellenic alliance, and when Armenia declared war on them, I had to break our alliance because I had no troops left to face Armenia and they bordered 4 of my unprotected provinces. I hate to break an alliance, but I could not afford to have the heart of my empire gutted. Bithynia offered me a non aggression pact the next turn, which I accepted. The turn after that, they offered me a military alliance and 7800.
Re: post patch 5 Diplomacy
DLC-related posts moved to their own thread.
On the Path to the Streets of Gold: a Suebi AAR
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Hvil i fred HoreToreA man who casts no shadow has no soul.
Re: post patch 5 Diplomacy
I find this hilarious...
Re: post patch 5 Diplomacy
Of course it still needs some tweaks but the new diplomatic features and the post patch 5 CAI really improved the strategic side of the game ! Maybe it's the Seleucid campaign that starts off to wheel but finally, Persepolis seems closer than my fridge ! The one more turn effect is slowly coming back.
The Ui is still capricious, I sometimes have troubles to open the public order/food panel on the left.
Re: post patch 5 Diplomacy
What diplomatic changes were there?
Re: post patch 5 Diplomacy
Playing as Macedon, started fresh from patch V (VH since there is no way to get out of the rain bug on legendary): things are really looking up in terms of AI diplomatic interaction at least during the first 50 turns. Despite having Macedonic faction's anti-hellenic diplomatic handicap, I am allied with most of the Hellenic world as I am making my way North-East through the barbarians. My allies stick with me and actually send troops too. As I grow bigger, more and more factions come with alliance offers offering their first-borns for it. On the enemy side, as I attacked them, Getae formed a Celtic confederation with their neighbors: that one actually managed to stall me for a few turns. On the campaign map, AI's coordination of military forces has improved too: they actually managed to sneak-snatch a couple settlements from me.
On the major AI faction side: AI Rome seems to be doing alright. They own all of Italia, all of Magna Graecia, all of Sardinia and now are expanding in Africa. This was unseen before patch V. Seleucids are doing very well too: they're about the only Hellenic faction I am not allied to. I guess, war is brewing (or so I hope).
Not so good: the AI still has a very poor grasp of stances. For example, why would horse archer armies adopt fortification stance [yummy...]?
Re: post patch 5 Diplomacy
I wish I saw more AI armies raiding. Would make for an interesting cat-and-mouse game as the enemy army must use it to survive without attrition and you must stop them.
On the Path to the Streets of Gold: a Suebi AAR
Visited:
Hvil i fred HoreToreA man who casts no shadow has no soul.
Re: post patch 5 Diplomacy
Nice job guys throwing that up on the home page, I bet for sure some folks catch the update because of this that would have missed it otherwise.
Re: post patch 5 Diplomacy
Something amazing happened while I was taking out the remaining small factions east of my Seleucid Empire. Persia sent 2 stacks to take a smaller settlement I had recently conquered, but with low missile (non-slinger) units they stood little chance of breaking through my stack of mainly phalanxes and hillmen in a town. So they both went into raiding! I have never experienced that before, but it destroyed my public order and pretty much forced my hand. This is exactly what I was hoping raiding was intended to do all along, and I hope the AI continues to use it wisely as it did there. The two stacks combined gave a whopping -40 public order from their raiding, and this type of indirect damage is an excellent addition to the TW strategy map.
Re: post patch 5 Diplomacy
Interesting. Ive had very little time with patch 5, so Im hoping for better CAI all around, so Im glad things like this were improved on!
On the Path to the Streets of Gold: a Suebi AAR
Visited:
Hvil i fred HoreToreA man who casts no shadow has no soul.
Re: post patch 5 Diplomacy
Yes, I like how raiding has a serious impact on public order now and the AI does it too! It adds a bit more strategic depth to the whole thing. You can force a garrisoned army to come after you by raiding their province or sometimes the AI will do that to you! It's a little annoying that the public order debuff from raiding is a set amount... so a single general is going to wreak as much havoc as a whole army... I can see that becoming annoying quickly if the AI spams it, or you end up with armies at home through slave uprisings or something.
Re: post patch 5 Diplomacy
I like the new patch... my pontus game on VH is actually giving me a decent challenge.... Its a big cat and mouse game with a lot of trading territory
If living is nothing dieing is nothing then nothing is everything and everything is nothing
Re: post patch 5 Diplomacy
So Im just going to guess that the next patch will be on Friday? Anyone else think that? As I recall, patch 5 was released on Friday so Im hoping for another Friday with good news!
On the Path to the Streets of Gold: a Suebi AAR
Visited:
Hvil i fred HoreToreA man who casts no shadow has no soul.
Re: post patch 5 Diplomacy
I hope so, with every patch the game is more and more interesting.
Are the patches working for autosaved games also?
I dont want to quit my current campaign.
Re: post patch 5 Diplomacy
The same with me, eventhough i was at a time at war in all my borders, i was able to make peacein the north, with Bythinia and Pergamon finaly with Galatia and now i have aliance with the first two plus Pontus which is a trusted friend from the begining.
I have aliances with the north Africa factions, Carramandia, Nassamones, Cyrinaica and curently i fight at the east with all my ex satrapies plus Media Apopatene.
I just destroyed Gerrthrea south in the vast Arabian Deserts, a war which was very hard because of the big disstances betueen the settlements and the armies and agents of the former inflitrating from everywere, capturing settlements and sambotaging my armies.
Now i can concetrate east, where during the last turns, i had to give 5 battles 4 against Parthava something and 1 against Media Apopatene, in all of them, before they attack, a swarm of their agents were attacking my armies, so in 4 of the 5 battles i didnt have a general due to assasination and 2 of the battles the reinforcing army was sabotaged.
The result was, very hard battles, 1 of the Seleucids armies destroyed, 3 generals assasinated, heavy casuallties, 3 of the enemy armies destroyed, 3 more decimated, and Seleucia, the capital of Messopotamia at last capture.
I was sweting last night and enjoy it.
Re: post patch 5 Diplomacy
The Seleucids on Legendary are no cakewalk. You can make it work but you have to fight constatnly on two or even three fronts. Maybe that's me, because I don't really like allying with too many factions (makes them harder to conquer later on) but still.
The art of war, then, is governed by five constant
factors, to be taken into account in one's deliberations,
when seeking to determine the conditions obtaining in the field.
These are: (1) The Moral Law; (2) Heaven; (3) Earth;
(4) The Commander; (5) Method and discipline.
Sun Tzu, "The Art of War"
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Re: post patch 5 Diplomacy
Yes you are right, i thought of that, but i had a realy hard time and securing my other borders and concetrating against my major enemies at the east and south was a relieve at the moment.
I will see, it will be a long campaign for me, so things might be different later on.
Re: post patch 5 Diplomacy
In my Roman campaign i get a lot of pressure on the British Islands (Rebels and another faction) with pretty large & experienced armies. Besides i am in a ongoing brawl for the province of Sarmatia. The "two-horse-head-icon" faction sends in waves of invaders plus has strong garisons in their homelands. A pretty tough conflict going on on both fronts.
I am currently refitting a Legion with artillery in my homelands to face the British units and concentrate my most skilled legions on the Eastern front.
I think the patches work fine....the last time i had such an intense threat to my empire was in EB or Darth´s ETW/NTW mod.....
“Some may never live, but the crazy never die” (Hunter S. Thompson)
Re: post patch 5 Diplomacy
I was allied to bithninia and then when I declared on Seleucid they were at war with me. Then we made peace and 10-15 turns later they declared on me..... Im fighting every Seleucid satrapy. Siraces to the north, Pergamon, Turdiante? (unsure of spelling) etc. At last count it was 12 factions vs me cimmera and trapezos
If living is nothing dieing is nothing then nothing is everything and everything is nothing
Re: post patch 5 Diplomacy
Just curious: did you start that campaign from scratch with patch V? Good progress there, mate :)
Re: post patch 5 Diplomacy
The update by the CA guy last week seemed to be saying that the patches will be further apart now that they are focusing on deeper systems rather than simple bug fixes. He said weeks, not months, though. I am hoping, though, that maybe there is one more weekly to come out Friday, maybe patch 6 :)
Re: post patch 5 Diplomacy
@ Slaists: No, in case "from scratch" means "from the beginning". Got the game on the day of release. Got my behind handed over in my 1st camapaign. Started a new one which runs eversince (smth. like 24 A.D. right now). I am pretty slow, yet methinks the patches work considering my actual campaign. It took me a while to get used to the "new" game mechanics.
Plus: usually i prefer Eastern cultures (and hunt down Romans, hehe), but i have to admit it is fun to play as Rome. As soon as the mentioned conflicts are "resolved" I think about goingi nto Egypt/ Near East. After that i will start a new campaign, maybe Seleucids or one of the Nomad fractions.
Last edited by Subedei; 10-24-2013 at 14:51.
“Some may never live, but the crazy never die” (Hunter S. Thompson)
Re: post patch 5 Diplomacy
I'd recommend starting from the scratch then. With patch V, the starting campaign is miles better than what it used to be (even with patch IV). You missing out on some fun there.
Re: post patch 5 Diplomacy
Still playing as the Seleucids. I'm finding myself disappointed in the way the AI handles reinforcing armies. I've had several battles now where they've cornered one of my armies with three of their own. At the beginning of the battle, one of their reinforcing armies will come from the side or rear of the map. At first I was greatly alarmed, as I assumed they would surround and annihilate me. Instead, the reinforcing army skirts my forces and joins with the main attacking force. It's been the same in every battle with more than one enemy army.
Once all of the enemy armies are conjoined, instead of forming a longer battle line and massively outflanking my force, they form a line roughly the same length as mine, only several ranks deep. When our forces collide, they'll try and send 1-2 units around each flank, the same as they would if it were a 1v1 fight, and the rest of their troops pile straight into my pikemen and get destroyed. I've won battle after battle where I was massively outnumbered, my cavalry was rendered ineffective, and my flanks were beginning to crumble, all because they can't handle pikes or reinforce in an intelligent manner. It's starting to get a little redundant.
As others are mentioning, I have seen enemy armies raiding, though it has always been in a situation where I have a nearby army that can come and crush them that same turn.
Re: post patch 5 Diplomacy
I never let them combine. I hit one army before it can join in. I've been outnumbered 3-1 and just fought the one that would reinforce first, then the second, and then the static army.
Re: post patch 5 Diplomacy
That is something I'd like to check : in my post patch 5 campaign with the Seleucid, at turn 50, Egypt, Carthage and Rome are slowly expanding. Anybody noticed the same ?
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