Norman Conquest a lot harder on more recent patches

[G-Megas-Doux]

So when the game originallly came out I bought and installed it from Gamersgate (yeah I know the Betamax of download games stores) I played the Norman conquest and didn't have any trouble using my military to conquer England and defeat both Harolds. When I say conquered I mean fully occupied all counties and baronies by 1071 after starting from sept 15 1066. I am playing on steam version now so latest patches. last dlc I have is old gods so I'm missing last few real releases. Now maybe it is because I am playing on very hard at the moment and I cant remember the level of play on the original play through but it does seem a lot harder at the moment. For a start there is no point in hiring any mercenaries to supplement your sieges. This is because first, sieges take 2/3 of a year to complete on a castle when waiting, second assaults destroy your army numbers and third they cost a fortune that you cant keep pace with.

Just to be clear I have won the war, 100% war score and can claim victory any time I want has been like that since 1068, but I tell yah I cannot siege these guys down. Currently occupying Winchester, Essex, Sussex, Middlesex, Bedford, Devon. I have military superiority in numbers over what England can raise, the vassals are not helping Harold so it makes sieging them harder, and there is only them to besiege. England is at peace with Norway having eventually defeated them. My problem comes from the fact that I have 6600 military left in my standing army and any place I besiege I get hit with about 3 events every two months that kill a huge amount of my soldiers. Successful sally forth, siege camp raided by brigands and camp hit by disease. Is anyone else getting this or is it just me?

It doesn't help that each time I finish a siege I have to relieve a place besieged by 1500 soldiers as this does damage. I tried to get help from Flanders and eventually after a bribe they joined the war and sent 5000 men to besiege Norfolk with me. Upon arrival they lost 1500 to disease. Upon nearing completion of the siege their Duke died so it reset the whole siege even though I was in charge. Now down to 4400 men. Is it just the difficulty level I am playing on or does is this more brutal when trying to siege places?

[G-Megas-Doux]

So I fully conquered England by 1088.1.30 and was rewarded with Gavilkind. As I expected no worries. I intended to divide the whole of my patrimony properly the way I wanted, one problem I wanted to sort out Normandy as well. Following a few years of putting down Normandy rebellions as I wanted to completely dish out all titles from scratch, I still had not given out a single title in England, I finally complete the wholesale conquest of Normandy. I now have no money thanks to a short term thought of building full strength retinues before I give out all the land. Unfortunately France decides to trick me by declaring war for Normandy. My response was to give it wholesale to my grandson and give it freedom. France is not at war with Normandy just me and it has now become a Kingdom of England or nothing war. France at the start of the war has a doom stack more than I can build however since I removed Normandy and can recruit levies in England I recruit what I have, if he lands I will defeat his soldiers. The bluff was that he just parked the boats in the channel and seemed to be saying keep your troops mustered or I will invade. That cost me a fortune so I could not do what I intended to do with titles well played France. I also could not disband when that became clear he would not attack as the game said there were enemies in our provences there of course were no such units at all and I lost 5500 out of 5800 soldiers to save money. France still didn't invade. In fact they refused to do a damn thing and didn't accept a white peace. Even after 6 years without a battle.

This is the true North Korea mode. Insist you are at war and don't do a damn thing. My problem was I had no money and my tyranny was to high to distribute titles. I could not recruit new nobles as 200 gold in debt due to retinues and standing troops early in the war. Interestingly I would still have to go and do something so they are forced to accept peace otherwise I could not change my succession if I lived ten years. On that play through he died 9 years after the conquest of Consumption.

By the way in CK2 2.3.2 is anyone getting the problem of calling your allies into war but the game keeps on making the allied units fight your units? Flanders aided me against England and then in the middle of it started fighting my troops and when the war was finished they occupied land and did not leave. I was not at war with them the entire time and was only able to remove their occupation when France went to war with me. Coincidently my other allies called into later wars also attack me when they travel to join my troops.