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Thread: Some FotS MPC hints/tips/ideas

  1. #1
    emotion_name's Avatar Protector Domesticus
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    Icon7 Some FotS MPC hints/tips/ideas

    Hi there!

    I have played many, many MPC since the first beta edition of this wonderful game mode, way back on ETW.

    With the stability and features that S2TW brought to MPC, and FotS continued, i find its pretty much the only game mode i play.

    Despite all this experience, i still find myself coming up against and experimenting with new strategies for victory. This is why i like MPC so much, the campaigns are so very different when another human is there, one seemingly simple mistake can come back to ruin your campaign in just a few turns, and its the feeling of being on your toes that keeps me experimenting.

    So, for here i am going to list some general advice/hints for MPC. These are applied with FotS in mind (unless otherwise stated) however common sense will tell you which ones will apply to S2TW, RotS and some even NTW and even ETW.

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    The Sack Race - A simple "tactic" this one, although the word tactic is used lightly as most people, myself included, consider this an exploit. In a H2H MPC, beeline straight for other players capital sacking cities along the way. The income this generates, plus the free units, allows you to keep churning out high amounts of low level units very early in the game. Downsides are sacked cities will revolt, diplomacy with other clans plummets and if other human survives your onslaught - your dead!

    Guard your Capital - Sounds a simple one, but so many people take for granted there own safety. I have lost counts of the amount of times i have sailed a full stack, through deep water to avoid coastal detection (S2TW even suffering attrition), and landed it on the other players Capital and they dont have a garrison large enough to stop me, nor remove me once i have it.

    Despite the difficulties in paying for it, i always keep a 3/4 full stack in or near to my Capital, just to repel nasty surprises. It is also worth making sure all buildings that add garrison troops are constructed in your capital, and upgraded to the highest level - by doing this you can have a 6 unit garrison become a full stack once under siege, and your units will be a mix of Levy Spears and Infantry, Line inf and Kat kachi plus whatever you left there.

    Also, i see so many people stick a trade port on there Capital - this is imo a bad idea. I always go for military and upgrade it to at least a drydock - try to launch a surprise naval invasion against that!

    Sell your Trade (S2TW) - Amazing how this works, but can swing a bad campaign back in your favour with some much needed Koku. Basically, everytime you offer trade with another clan, ask them for payment to go with it. I start at 1000 and work up, until they say "We may be able to come to some arrangement" - this is the point they will say no so drop back to last amount they were happy with and offer it. Whilst seemingly small at first, i have gotten 52000 of a one region clan for trade agreement, and this was about 30/40 turns in. I have also seen AI clans agreeing to pay upwards of 70000 for trade deals. (Doesnt really work in FotS, highest i seen here is 4000 and it was late game)

    Overpowered Agents - Foreign Vets, Geishas, Shinobis and Shinsengumi/Ishin Shishi can quite easily repel an invasion on there own, so make sure you have some upgraded ones with you when you invade other player. I also make sure i have one of each agent, fully upgraded, guarding my Capital. Between sabotaging, distracting, persuading, assasinating, single combat, enchanting and harassing you can turn a full stack of high end units led by a high ranked general into a half stack of demoralised, leaderless, attritioned statues that cannot move anywhere. Then finish them off when its conveniant for you.

    IMO, in all the MPC i have done, the ones that have been the closest were the ones where the first "wave" of an invasion either way was deployment of agents.

    Picking correct Skills - When your generals rank up, i find there are 2 certain skills that are "must haves". The first is Night Battles, i make sure every general has this because being able to deny my enemy his reinforcements by fighting at night allows me to pick off an otherwise far larger army into 2 stacks, or to beat one and retreat. Sounds small, but when you think your 2 stacks can stop someone, then they do it to you, crushing your whole eastern border force and leaving you wide open, you will rue something so small having such an impact! You have been warned!

    The second skill is Provisions, solely for the one extra use of naval bombardment. Again, seems small but when your opponent isnt expecting it it can swing the tide of battle. We all look out for the warning shot, twice, during battles we know the enemy has naval support in, before running any units away from the impact zone. How many of you pay as much attention once 2 naval bombardments have been used? The 3rd shot can be the one that finds enemy units in a nice clump, especially if its a siege!

    (it is also worth noting you can get 4 naval bombardments, the final extra shot is acquired via recruitment of a certain ship)

    Dont just sit there - In defensive siege battles, if your enemy has Artillery (higher than wooden cannons) and/or Naval support it is more worth your while to sally out and attack him, rather than sit in your castle walls catching bombs - it will only end badly for you. With just 2 parrot guns and 2 naval bombardments (15 shells per volley) i can reduce a full stack sat in a castle to about 8 or 9 units in total. If you line the castle walls its better for me, as when the walls are destroyed it does HUGE damage to any units stood on it (likewise destroying gates/gatehouses while units are walking through gate) and a wall is a bigger target to hit.

    I find the only artillery pieces that can sometimes be worth anything when defending a siege against a human are wooden cannons and a gatling gun. Parrot and Armstrong guns, while dealing more damage can be nullified by your enemy advancing towards your walls, cutting of your line of sight and your shots sail harmlessly over his head. The cost of them is much better spent on 2 infantry units. Wooden Cannons have a different trajectory, and can fire onto enemy units even if they are in lower levels of your castle. Damage isnt as great, but the lower morale can help sometimes. (Parrot and Armstrong guns joining as reinforcements are different mind, and provided you can bring them to the battle quick enough and have support for them can be a good choice)

    Gatling guns in a siege are a tricky one, for a start you have to keep them safe from enemy naval and arty fire, then make sure you have enough units left to stop the enemy just rushing it, making it an expensive target practice. I sometimes keep one by my Tenshu and try to deploy it to fire onto enemy units as they climb walls/come through gate.

    Buy yourself some time (S2TW) - Doesnt really work in FotS, but in S2TW you can offer an AI clan x amount of gold for x amount of turns and if they accept its pretty much assured they wont attack you whilst you pay them. Before attacking a human, i get as many AI clans as allies and very friendly as i can. Clans that are allied to me and other player i offer them 100 gold for 10 turns, for example, then declare war on other player and call my allies into help - even if other player asks them they never turn on me, always refuse to help him, and in most cases accept my request. In this way, i make my opponent feel like Realm Divide has come early when nearly whole map, including former allies, turn on him at my request!
    Not bad for 1000 gold, spread out at 100 a time - thats unit upkeep cost each turn. Even if i have to bribe 3 or 4 clans in this way, its still only 4000 spread out over 10 turns, and some clans will accept 20 turns and more!


    Its not everything, ands it not foolproof or perfect but it should give you enough to "spice" up your MPC experience.

    I will add more to this soon, and also any good suggestions from others i will ad to the OP as well!

  2. #2
    Sir Nicholas Altman's Avatar Campidoctor
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    Default Re: Some FotS MPC hints/tips/ideas

    Very nicely done. Thank you for your tips. Do post more. As you stated MPCs are special cause when having a human opponent every game turns out different.

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