In one fell swoop

[JANOSIK007]

What I am going to confer to you is the greatest move that I have ever executed on a campaign map (and this is comming from someone who played TWs ever since Shogun). As a result of this move (or a small series of inexpensive moves) I destroyed a faction, brought the level of happinnes in my recently captured towns up, captured two settlements, and gained a hefty sum from sacking a large city. And all without losing a single soldier.

So I am playing the campaign as Venetians. I am in my 63rd turn and I am no. 1 in every category. I have lands in the Balkans and Outremer (which will soon be visited by Mongols as I see them stroking their whiskers on the edge of the map).

At this point I am on the verge of destroying Byzantines who have only two provinces left. They are left with Cyprus protected only by one unit and Nicea with two and a half full stacks. It would take me, in estimation, about 4 turns with heavy costs and losses. One of my armies is ready to assault Cyprus castle, as it has been besieging it since the last turn. I have a full stack of good quality units approaching Nicea. AI, as it sometimes does, moved the full stack of units with a family member out of the city only one square away, leaving only a king inside the walls. Working in mysteriously murderous ways, my most elite assassin is just in reach of Nicea.

This is how it played out: I first assaulted Cyprus and, because I faced only one militia unit, without losing a single soldier I captured it. Then I sent in the assassin who killed the king. The city was empty, so I sent my family member governing in Constantinople to purchase a mercenary galley to ferry him across that he may claim the city without any effort. I did not even have to engage my full stack army. Suddenly all their agents were wiped from the screen and armies faded grey. Byzantines, those dogs who were the first to lay their sword upon my possessions, tasted the bitter blade of that very sword. They were the first to attack me and finally met their just end.

In one fell swoop!

[dearmad]

In fell swoop I:

Had a spy and assassin double team Constantinople and cause it to rebel, called a crusade against on the turks holding thrace (and so had a full stack for free take that town), and murdered the family member occupying the last city of Byz. in the west of greece and took it bloodlessly with a unit... the byz's were gone, and greece was mine in one turn with hardly any blodshed or cost.

So I hear ya- this game is ripe for these kinds of moments... you need to strike when all your irons are hot and in the fire at once!

[JANOSIK007]

Conversly.

What you had is one province with no one but a family member to face.

I destroyed a faction with two and a half stacks still in the field. You didn't kill the king. Killing a king, even with best assassins is one-in-ten chance. And I got two provinces, destroyed faction, huge income from sacking, bonus in happiness, and all without a loss on my part

The move is still not finnished. When I'll have time to get back to it I am about to destroy two besieging Hungarian armies and take the town of Allepo.

Even without this, this was the most cost-effective and productive move I have made in me 6 years of playing TW (that I can remember).

The game is not ripe with such priceless moments.

[scottishranger]

Moved to AAR forums.

[DEMETRIOUS II]

No big deal. Since the AI only garisons with one unit this is a regular occurence in my campaigns. What allowed you to do this so called "move" is the bugged version of this game that was released pre-maturely. In my campaign I only had a 6% chance to asassinate a faction heir and in the second try my assasin actually killed him while two if my sieging armies wiped Portugal off the face of the earth. Their King's stack out in the open became rebels. A Portuguese King forced into rebellion LOL now that was priceless. I have allowed him to live in shame wandering the lands as a rebel.

[JANOSIK007]

no big deal yourself.

again, 2 and a half stack, faction with two provinces, it would take me about 4 turns and a whole elite stack of units to accomplish this.

I have about time to play 3 turns a day (2-3 hours). I have saved myself a who day of gaming to achieve this in 15 minutes.

Big deal

[jaklei]

Damned, i would like the factions to be able to re-emerge again... it would make things more interesting if they would regain their rebel armies and spawn 2 more full stacks ^^

Maybe a script could do the job?

[JANOSIK007]

Damned, i would like the factions to be able to re-emerge again... it would make things more interesting if they would regain their rebel armies and spawn 2 more full stacks ^^

Maybe a script could do the job?

Me too. I loved that feature in MTW. But script won't help. We weren't able to do anything about it in RTW.

[jaklei]

maybe if we made the factions undefeatable....

Look lets create an CA map with one city per faction outside at the far north, the city is worthless has 0 growth 0 income and 400 pop, 1 family member garrison

All the cities are unreachable and out in the sea and nonwievable except for the owning faction

A script could replenish the city with 1 family member every 50 years. and give him very negative "birth chance" traits so that he is very, very unlikely to
get any children.

How does that sound like?

[Preskinn]

Interesting!
I am sure you could make a sterile and immortal traint for him. Allso, make sure that the cities are walled in by a mountain, with no building options.

This would work man! Maybe we could get the faction elimination message at one settlement to? Maybe hav it say: This once mighty people now bow down to your/their conquerors. The shadow of the greatness once possesed by their kin wights heavy on the hearts of their children!

Or something like it

[jaklei]

Well they'll be undefeatable.
But theres one mayor flaw:
How do we make the game know the faction that should revolt?
I mean, an strong empire barely needs another full 4 stacks of elite warriors.

[Farnan]

And how would you win the short campaign?