Who's still playing?

**gollum** · 03-23-2011, 16:19

It can be hard as hell indeed if you head east. I remember the first time i played it, i took over Novgorod and then in the steppes. By the time i had finished an epic war with the Byzantines the Horde appeared and i was nearly broke and had very little naval safety in my core Scandinavian lands as the seas were dominated by the French, teh Spanish and other superpowers. I left the campaign as i was in a stagnant position and it didn;t seem i was getting anywhere anytime soon.

The next time i took over Britain and then i saw the light... :)

**caravel** · 03-23-2011, 17:00

Originally Posted by gollum

It can be hard as hell indeed if you head east. I remember the first time i played it, i took over Novgorod and then in the steppes. By the time i had finished an epic war with the Byzantines the Horde appeared and i was nearly broke and had very little naval safety in my core Scandinavian lands as the seas were dominated by the French, teh Spanish and other superpowers. I left the campaign as i was in a stagnant position and it didn;t seem i was getting anywhere anytime soon.

The next time i took over Britain and then i saw the light... :)

Too easy though, I wanted a challenge so I took on the filthy pagans, novgorod, the poles, etc... it was a horrid experience. My pathetic, bankrupt faction of pervert princes was "relegated to a footnote of history" time and time again. Eventually I managed it a few times, but it's a huge struggle just to keep afloat. You really have to get trade up and running fast if you go that route.

**gollum** · 03-23-2011, 17:06

Yes, too easy indeed. This is why in the Caravel mod Vikings are made available from the swordsmith in Keep level - can't spam them anymore ;)

And also probably why nobody will play Denmark in it... :)

**caravel** · 03-23-2011, 17:29

In vanilla you also have the landsmen, carls and huscarles from VI, which make the Dane campaign a bumrush if you start pumping those out early. Personally I mod those out of the main campaign and just leave the standard vikings.

**gollum** · 03-23-2011, 17:41

Yes absolutely, although they are only recruitable in early IIRC, but still too powerful and easy to get in fact.

For the same reason they are also moded out in Caravel.

**drone** · 03-23-2011, 18:24

Originally Posted by Caravel

In vanilla you also have the landsmen, carls and huscarles from VI, which make the Dane campaign a bumrush if you start pumping those out early. Personally I mod those out of the main campaign and just leave the standard vikings.

Landsmenn and Carls aren't too bad, but I never build them anyway since plain Vikings are such good value. Huscarles on the other hand...

I too have tried to go East at the start. What a disaster.