Let's Play Age of Charlemagne : The Restless Warriors of Denmark!

[M0rdred]

Hello all!

This is a let's play of Age of Charlemagne where I am playing as the Danes. I played vanilla Attila through with the Jutes and loved the raiding / sacking mechanics which they got to use heavily. I did play one short game of Charlemagne where it became apparent how useless navies were in this version, so this is my 2nd try with a more land-based focus.

I tend to stream on a Sunday evening (though will be missing this Sunday due to Mother's Day) and my YouTube channel is mostly about strategy games. Enjoy!

York, of course, is our first target... but what shall be its fate?


Playlist;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCAv...zKXe37pNntJJyY

[M0rdred]

I couldn't get the embedded video function to work, so have included the raw link instead. Sorry about that!

Fixed!

[M0rdred]

York is but the first to feel the Viking wrath, next up... Streowhatnow?

[M0rdred]

The Northumbrian army shows some... creative tactics at the walls of Bamburgh.

[Alwyn]

Good use of a 'bull-horn' tactic (in the first battle in the second video)! I like your humorous comments about shooting generals. You commented that hiring mercenary cavalry would have been useful - I wonder if you'd like to say a bit more about the units you're using in battles (what attracted you to bring this particular combination of units and the thinking behind your tactics - as you do when you explain the advantage of shield wall formation against Northumbrian archers in the second battle).

[M0rdred]

The AI does a good move for once! Kinda.

Good use of a 'bull-horn' tactic (in the first battle in the second video)! I like your humorous comments about shooting generals. You commented that hiring mercenary cavalry would have been useful - I wonder if you'd like to say a bit more about the units you're using in battles (what attracted you to bring this particular combination of units and the thinking behind your tactics - as you do when you explain the advantage of shield wall formation against Northumbrian archers in the second battle).

Thank you, I appreciate your support I do speak a little more about the units in later episodes (I think it's up to ep. 15 currently, I had a little backclog to clear as I didn't immediately think about posting here to TWC, whoops!), but I will make a point to talk about the various units when I next record. Thanks for the idea!

[M0rdred]

All we need to do... is make sure they die.

[M0rdred]

I love the smell of tea and grenades in the morning!

[M0rdred]

York must fall! Again.

[Alwyn]

The rise of your Danes is impressive, despite various attempts at rebellion!

I'm enjoying this, including your comments about the continuing evolution of the game, with the new patch that modified some units which the Danes use. It sounds useful to have units with the disciplined trait, when the AU likes to target your generals. (It's a shame that navies aren't useful - if they are still making patches, perhaps this will be fixed in a future patch).

It's helpful to see the thinking behind the disposition of your units, such as putting under-strength units in reserve to avoid losing them, and your tactics in battles. The 'rapid advance' ability of the Danish spearmen sounds useful - presumably this makes up, for some extent, for their lack of cavalry. Even with your fast spearmen, it sounds like dealing with enemy bowmen can be frustrating - especially when your units stop without orders.

You asked how the volume is - it sounds good to me.

I like your observations about actual history, such as Lichfield being the historical capital of Mercia (I enjoyed the TV series The Last Kingdom, for its combination of history and action/adventure. I wonder if that series has particularly attracted players to try the Age of Charlemagne campaign).

[M0rdred]

The one in which we don't fight. At all.

The rise of your Danes is impressive, despite various attempts at rebellion!

I'm enjoying this, including your comments about the continuing evolution of the game, with the new patch that modified some units which the Danes use. It sounds useful to have units with the disciplined trait, when the AU likes to target your generals. (It's a shame that navies aren't useful - if they are still making patches, perhaps this will be fixed in a future patch).

It's helpful to see the thinking behind the disposition of your units, such as putting under-strength units in reserve to avoid losing them, and your tactics in battles. The 'rapid advance' ability of the Danish spearmen sounds useful - presumably this makes up, for some extent, for their lack of cavalry. Even with your fast spearmen, it sounds like dealing with enemy bowmen can be frustrating - especially when your units stop without orders.

You asked how the volume is - it sounds good to me.

I like your observations about actual history, such as Lichfield being the historical capital of Mercia (I enjoyed the TV series The Last Kingdom, for its combination of history and action/adventure. I wonder if that series has particularly attracted players to try the Age of Charlemagne campaign).

Thank you Alwyn, appreciate it! Believe me, the rebels will remain a continual thorn in the side. I think I will need to get a little creative in how to deal with them. Still trying to work out just how though!

I try to keep on top of patch notes and say when they affect a game, or include particularly interesting features / developments. In my first series I played an almost entirely exclusively naval game and because of the complete lack of coastal cities on the British east coast, that flopped pretty hard (no income from sacking). That was completely contrary to the way I had played Vanilla as the Jutes and was a little disappointing as all this land combat didn't feel very Viking... then again, the Norse did settle large parts of the UK, so I guess this is accurate for the later time scale Charlemagne takes place.

I'm pleased the tactical / strategic commentary is being well received, I do try to vocalise the internal processes when thinking about how and why I move my units. And yes, that rapid advance has been a real life saver. Does make me wonder how the Dwarves will fare in Warhammer Total War!

I'm loving The Last Kingdom series! I read the books and was delighted at the quality of the TV show. Like you, I very much hope that it's attracting more people to take an interest in history.

[M0rdred]

Rebels, rebels everywhere!

[M0rdred]

Viking gotta raid!

[M0rdred]

FREEDOOOOOM... revoked.

[Lugotorix]

Edwin of Thay- nice!

[M0rdred]

War with Wessex!

Edwin of Thay- nice!

Thanks, I'm had him as my avatar for years and it's always seemed appropriate Just don't call me Edwina!

[M0rdred]

The confusion between Wessex and Wales.

[M0rdred]

This, this is my town! Not yours, mine!

[Alwyn]

Good update, an effective demonstration of how to get your axemen and spearmen up to a town wall without taking casualties from enemy archers.

You mention that you are a developer of the Mount & Blade mod Prophesy of Pendor - if you or anyone would like to put a Let's Play or AAR demonstrating the mod in the Non-TW section of the Writers' Study, you would be welcome to do that (waveman has started a Mount & Blade AAR in that area, and Caillagh's AAR of the Year is in that sub-forum, so you'd be in good company).

[M0rdred]

As it happens I do actually have a Let's Play of Pendor going at the moment, thanks for the tip, I didn't even think of posting it here