Unification of the Isles: Britannia Hotseat (completed, winners Myth and Zim)

[Zim]

England

https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/local...id=205&id=9622

[Myth]

Pembroke captured.

Wales up.

[Myth]

Wow, I just realised what an awesome mod exists for the Britannia campaign. Check it out!

I haven't downloaded it yet but I will do so tonight and give it a try. Anyone up for a sequel? BTW read trough the changes, they are very comprehensive (no castles in the game, buildable guilds, changed relligion etc.) The only thing I wonder is whether the scripts and choosable events will work in Hotseat.

[phonicsmonkey]

Looks like fun!

As to the sequel, Zim and I are planning to replace each Kingdoms game as it finishes, provided there is interest.

[Ignoramus]

Checking it out.

Myth, you uploaded last turn's save again.

[Myth]

Darn it. Well I'll upload the real one tonigt. BTW that fort does not stop me from going around it. Which means that next turn I'll be sieging your last town.

I've asked in the forums whether this mod will work in HS mode, so here's to hoping.

Replacing the Crusades game (LS) will probably be best with Broken Crescent 3.0 if/when it comes out. Or with the current one, but only fought battles.

The Teutonic campaign can be replaced with another one and I really want the TO again. I will never be at peace untill I remedy my mistake and replicate Tristan's achievement of 1v5ing you guys. I'ts an ego thing.

There is a really nice compillation of submods for Stainless Steel, however it does not allow you to disable RR (which sucks for an Early campagin). Also, TATW 3.0 is expected by the end of October (unoficially) and it will feature a lot of changes, not in the least, the addition of custom settlements.

Dominion of the Sword is almost done, the mod currently sizes at 11 gb (!!!!!) and by my personal opinion will be a worthy alternative to Stainless Steel. I volinteered to help them wtih graphics/animations in After Effects or other stuff that might require a good PC (however my time is limited)

The Last Kingdom, as soon as it is polished, will be absolutely brilliant to play, so long as they fix the autocalc. I might petition for a hotseat patch for it a-la KGCM.

You know, in some bright future, when/if I have the time, I was thinking of making a .org mod specifically designed for hotseat. But that's in the realm of wishful thinking really. Though with so much stuff available from other mods (scripts, models, textures and ideas) it won't take as much work as making stuff from scratch.

On a side note, my grandfather passed away last night and I'll be away from my PC from tomorrow until Sunday, as I have things to take care of and won't be in my flat in Sofia. The "who subs me" list is still valid.

[Visor]

You know, in some bright future, when/if I have the time, I was thinking of making a .org mod specifically designed for hotseat. But that's in the realm of wishful thinking really. Though with so much stuff available from other mods (scripts, models, textures and ideas) it won't take as much work as making stuff from scratch.

I tried this once, with a guy from TWC. It worked well for a time, but it stopped due to unresolved issues.

The Teutonic campaign can be replaced with another one and I really want the TO again. I will never be at peace untill I remedy my mistake and replicate Tristan's achievement of 1v5ing you guys. I'ts an ego thing.

Your mistake?

[Myth]

Sacrificing two full stacks of Order Spearmen due to not using forts because I wanted to save 500 gold and assumed there is not enough on the other side to beat them in an AR. Once vs. Thantos and once vs. you. Thanatos at least suffered such massive casualties that I was later able to sort of push him back, but you're too rich to really feel the sting of one battle. It was also a mistake to go after Poland, though their cities are great and their income is the best in our catholic region. I should have massacred Lithuania and the Mongols, and with the income from their settlements raise enough stacks to crush Novgorod (assuming you didn't kill all their FMs like you did). A TO/HRE empire that has 70-80% of the lands on the mainland would have been a very different nut to crack for you.

[Myth]

In regards to the RB mod, here is the mod creator's answer:

Hotseat: At the moment Hotseat is not working properly but we are looking into that. It is likely an installer issue which will be corrected with the release of 1.7 as it will utilize a new one. Once it is up and running there is no reason the scripts will not function normally.

France: Correct, the single city in France cannot be reached because of terrain. Version 2.0 will have 2 playable French factions, however: The duchies of Normandy and Flanders.

[Myth]

Real save for Wales.

[Ignoramus]

Norway!!!

https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/local...id=205&id=9630

[Zim]

I need a short extension on this. Just need to check on something. Looks like we're just about in the last turn.

[Zim]

England

https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/local...id=205&id=9639

[Myth]

I hereby announce victory for the Englo-Norman alliance!



Good Game to Ignoramus and thank you for the lessons (this was my very first hotseat game)

[phonicsmonkey]

Congratulations Myth and Zim!

I'll let Zim handle the formalities of adding this game to the completed games list.

Myth, are you interested in hosting that Britannia game we were talking about earlier?

[Myth]

Aye, but we must discuss whether we want to wait for Rule Britannia 1.7 to come out or use the vanilla mod. Cecil has expressed interest in Rule Britannia, and Ignoramus said he'd take a look at it too. What do the rest of you guys think? I have some concerns as to how polished the mod is - for example, Denmark has no way to survive versus England, they get wiped out on turn 2.

BTW I'm willing to share my insights as to what happened in this hotseat and how it happened and I'd appreciate it if any of my two opponents have any comments or tips that would hep me improve as a player.

[Ignoramus]

Sure, although some secrets I'll keep to myself...

I thought you played a pretty good game, although I was surprised that after taking Caenarfon early on you didn't go for the kill. I had no army in Wales at all then, and Llwelyn was at least 3-4 turns away.

I think my biggest mistake was heading north around turn 13 after eliminating Prince Edward and King Henry - I should have made a bee-line for Nottingham instead.

[phonicsmonkey]

Aye, but we must discuss whether we want to wait for Rule Britannia 1.7 to come out or use the vanilla mod.

I think we should just replace this game straight away - we can always start a Rule Britannia game as well when that comes out.

I reckon the Britannia campaign is one of the better ones for hotseats.

[Myth]

When I stated I had emptied all of my forts - a huge mistake in a game where we restrict anything lower than trebuchets from attacking them on turn 1! I also left cities unmanned and let you sack them, twice I beleive (Oxford was the first one) with just one FM.

I moved all of my useless spear militias with my armies, generating huge upkeep costs instead of leaving them to garrison, thus allowing me higher tax levels and instead recruiting the really good units.

I completely forgot about Night Fighter, relying on Henry's and Edward combined armies as if they were a given.

After taking Caernavernon the first time I had to save my towns that can produce uinits outright (70%+ English culture) instead of keeping that castle. Also, I didn't know how many of your reinforcements you had hidden away in the West of your lands. Your biggest mistake was indeed not blitzing straight for Nottingham and sitting there until you can recruit, while slowly eating the North (since you would have disconnected my access to the northern lands in essence). I've said several times that Nottingham is the beating heart of England in any mod I've played and it's absolutely crucial for the well being of the faction.

I also learned that Armoured Spearmen can become very strong in this mod. With an armour upgrade they match the defence of Armoured Swordsmen (at base level) while also having 30 more men per unit and a lower upkeep cost. The priority for Gloucester, Nottingham and that third castle to the south should always be blacksmith upgrades in an AR game. The autocalc engine cares about defence, health, men count and unit type in that order.

I also wasted too much money on mercenaries (crossbowmen cost 800 gold to recruit), It was only towards the later stages that I learned that cost-efficiency trumps the short term bosst of a merc unit (unless it's merc infantry with >14 defence)

However I managed to play the entire campaign without triggering the BA, though I had lost a lot of gold in the process (never letting a town go to "blue face" stage) so it's definitely something an English player has to do in this game.

Nightbringer should have contested rebel Scotland at the very least, or you guys should have gotten Zim to stay neutral or ally with you before trying to 2v1 me. Zim had been an ally since the beginning basically, and I owe him much for not tagging along to 3v1 me and actually keeping Ireland busy once Nightbringer had ferried Brian and friends over. Diplomacy basically played a crucial role here, as well as Zim's honour as an ally.

[Nightbringer]

Honestly, I don't think I would have been capable of putting up much competition in Scotland, I only really had a strong standing army at the point when I actually attacked you Myth, I think I could have honestly done a lot better if I stabbed iggy in the back. I could have captured a fair amount of territory from him then hopefully it would have turned into a FFA in which I could try to stay out of the way. Of course, I didn't realize your alliance with Norway was so strong, I had thought they were still neutral and I think that was my real downfall. I could have shipped many more armies to england if I hadn't been hit by them.

In any case, well played to both of you,
CONGRATULATIONS

:)

[phonicsmonkey]

I think I could have honestly done a lot better if I stabbed iggy in the back.

That's what I did as Ireland. Stabbed Wales and Scotland in the back and claimed a joint victory with England after we all took out the Norse.

[Ignoramus]

Honestly, I don't think I would have been capable of putting up much competition in Scotland, I only really had a strong standing army at the point when I actually attacked you Myth, I think I could have honestly done a lot better if I stabbed iggy in the back. I could have captured a fair amount of territory from him then hopefully it would have turned into a FFA in which I could try to stay out of the way. Of course, I didn't realize your alliance with Norway was so strong, I had thought they were still neutral and I think that was my real downfall. I could have shipped many more armies to england if I hadn't been hit by them.

In any case, well played to both of you,
CONGRATULATIONS

:)

I think you were torn by my decision not to sink your fleet with the entire army and Brian Boru on turn 3 or 4. I was pretty sure you and England had some kind of deal to stab me in the back, so I figured it was worth taking the risk to sink the English fleet instead.

Just one other comment I'd like to make, it is almost impossible to make the BA spawn in Hotseat. Sorry phonics, I tried my hardest, but even with 6 spies in an English-occupied Welsh town it wouldn't rebel.

Well-played guys! You put up a great challenge - this was my most enjoyable hotseat yet even though I lost.

[Myth]

As I said I went to great pains to not let the BA spawn, since they get stacks upon spawning and even If I eliminate them they can just respawn later on with new stacks. Having seen how Welsh occupied York rebelled back to England (that was luck, it not going BA instead) and spawned 8 units of separ militia I thought I must avoid this for my own newly conquered settlements and thus always left a high chiv general or a strong garrison. Though I must admit by the time I started conquering anything that had not been an English town before, the game had been pretty much decided already.

Ireland seems like a very good faction to play if the game is lead battles (awesome cav, infantry to storm cities and jav-cav and spearchuckers) and if England relinquishes the towns it holds on the Island.

On that matter, if we start another Britannia hotseat do you prefer fought battles or AR? If we have fought battles I think we should allow catapults to open stone forts (if not the actual settlements) otherwise it will become a trench war where evryone camps with their longbowmen and cav inside some stone fort and waits for the other to attack, or for gunpowder and trebuchet mercs.

[Ignoramus]

I didn't know the BA could spawn from non-English held provinces. Interesting...

[Myth]

Well I thought it can't , but there's a rebel-to-the-original-faction script. And york has a custom public order value (it's much lower than normal). Other factions can also get missions to spawn the BA by taking a settlement (so after they take it, the script fires up). I'm just assuming here though, I've not researched this thoroughly.

[Zim]

Myth gives me far too much credit. I dealt with England early on because they seemed natural allies against the Celtic factions. When Scotland also allied with England and the latter wouldn't pick a side I was very suspicious. Then I got lucky taking out Scotland's royal family in one go, ending what would have been a very protracted war. From there I alternately stalled and acted belligerent to try to consolidate Scotland.

I ended up going with England after a few things I had heard from Myth made me feel better about them, and intervened in the war because Ireland's initial swift progress was worrying. The large garrisons needed in Scotland due to culture penalties made it hard to have an impact and I also had to avoid the impressive navy NB had put together. I ended up settling by sending a mediumish force led by the Prince around to sack/exterminate and then abandon Irish towns ahead of his navy. I thought it was a suicide mission but the Prince not only survived but became King and marched into Dublin a couple turns ago...

Of course, I didn't realize your alliance with Norway was so strong, I had thought they were still neutral and I think that was my real downfall. I could have shipped many more armies to england if I hadn't been hit by them.

In any case, well played to both of you,
CONGRATULATIONS

:)