TLR 1.9 Beta AAR's

**Ivniciix** · February 03, 2007, 12:38 AM

OK...I don't have much to report but I thought the mod deserved an AAR thread...

I'm about 4 hours into an H/H campaign as HRE. Since HRE starts out as one of the strongest factions, it's harder to "drop under the radar" and appear non-threatening to your neighbors while you build your economy. I've been playing for sometime as either Milan or Sicily and know who is likely to back-stab me so playing as HRE has me on pins and needles since I don't know which faction has the greatest "natural" aggression against me.

From previous games however, I suspected it might be Venice. I turned down their first trade rights request and countered with an alliance and trade rights, which they refused. 4-5 turns later, they offered again and I countered the same but they accepted.

I've had both Danish and Polish armies tromping across my turf so far (it's only 1088) but they haven't attacked yet. I took Hamburg right away then proceeded to take Magdeburg with Prague my next target. However, I got a mission to take Florence, which I did and promptly gifted it to the Pope, which gave me a much better standing.

After taking Magdeburg, I found the Poles seiging Prague but in the same turn, Venice was excommunicated for attacking, and capturing Milan. I headed south, tokk Venice and found Milan had retaken their captial - which I intended to capture and return to them.

As far as alliances, I married my heir to a Hungarian princess and have alliances with Milan, venice (until I attacked them), Russia, Denmark and England. I purposelty did not ally or grant trade to Poland, Sicily or France as I intend to be at war with them - probably for some extended period.

Netiehr have I sought an Iberian alliance as previous experience has shown me that Spain, Portugal and France get into war early, if not allied and frequently get excommunicated. I wanted to avoid as many Papal standing and other reputation hits as possible.

Lastly, Sicily has attacked my but so far only by blockading Bologna. I have no brothel yet so I haven't determined if they are approaching with an army. I'm unconcerned because most of my armies are in the south just now anyway.

My only intended expansion against Venice, for now, is to take Zara and gift it to my Hungarian ally. this will buffer me from any Venetian land attacks. Then I hope to kick back and work on my economy, stage a few crusades and start a bit of infidel raiding. I'm hoping to "purge" my army of spear militia with a crusade and replace them with Sergeant Spearman thus attaining a fully castle-based standing army. I've already repalced all the spear militia garrisoning towns with Town Militia.

**Jush** · February 03, 2007, 09:18 PM

Interesting strategy you have there. Usually, I shop my alliance around to anyone who'll take it and then see who's the future enemy.

Right now, I'm playing as Sicily on M/H, at about the year 1112. I've been a LOT more proactive about my family tree, "pruning" it quite often. Adopted sons who turn rotten are shipped out to sea as pirate-bait. My first King, Roger, didn't do all that much -- I needed him to administer the early kingdom. His son, Simon, however I sent out on the first Crusade which was to Cairo (this keeps happening to me, always Cairo!). He was successful, of course, and became Simon the Chivalrous, and acquired the Ark of the Covenant. Ultimately, the Fatimids were just too bothersome, and I wasn't in the mood to conquer the Levant, so I sent Simon back to Sicily and completely destroyed Cairo before he left. Destroying buildings (sacking cities) in TLR is a HUGE money-maker!

Anyway, eventually Simon became king, and his younger brother, Gonzo, the prince. Gonzo went on the next Crusade which I pressured my Sicilian Pope to call (Pope Nero, who is secretly female but quite young, should be interesting). Gonzo didn't have a lot going for him other than three command stars and some chivalry. He was superstitous, effete, and aloof. However, after taking Jerusalem...whoa. Almost all stats maxed by retinue and traits. He acquired the two crusader knights, a "black stallion", Francis Assissi (historical retinue!), veteran warrior, quarter master, Lord High Marshall, and a few other things. When he became king, his authority was maxed out! I never saw that in MTWII until now. Only thing is, I'm quite short on generals now, and the Moors just landed two half-stack armies on Sardinia (I was neutral with them until that). Oh well, back to the grind.

**Ivniciix** · February 04, 2007, 05:22 PM

Originally Posted by Jush

Interesting strategy you have there. Usually, I shop my alliance around to anyone who'll take it and then see who's the future enemy.

In earlier versions of TLR, I've also allied with essentially everyone. However, I found that I ended up having to attack too many allies later which lowered my reputation. I'm not absolutely sure how low rep impacts me in the game but I'm sure it helps to have it higher. I've also noticed that often, not always, the factions I ally with early will end up allying with each other thus creating a "block".

Now, my main goals for alliances are: 1) to ally with one neighbor (or about half of them if I have lots of them) and keep him/them happy so I have fewer multi-front wars to fight later. 2) Ally with the faction on the opposite border of neighbors I don't ally with in hopes that they will support me if I'm attacked AND so I can take advantage if that unallied neighbor gets excommunicated for attacking my ally on his opposite border. Knowing some of the "natural animosities" in the game is useful in this regard.

**Ivniciix** · February 15, 2007, 10:38 PM

This sin't a truly detailed AAR but rather some comments on playing as Poland.

Firstly, despite my strategy mentioned above about raiding, I found this very hard to make work as Poland until around 1130. Why? Because it bacame so easy to keep expaning into rebel territories to the east and south. Just as I had noticed the AI doing, it's hard to resist getting into an eastward race with Russia who will attempt to turn south and hem Poland in as soon as it has a chance.

Additionally, compared to many of it's neighbors, Poland starts off weak. Raiding the HRE early looked like a losing battle. However, I think I was "wrong", in the TLR-sense of a long game, to take that part in that race with Russia. At the least, I think I would have been nho worse off to let them encircle me. Why? Without using any "tricks" to check out Russias economy, it was clear I was doing better since I had roads in all my provinces out to Kiev decades before they had any. Yes they could blitz and encircle me but, East and south of Keiv, the provinces earn less than the upkeep on a two unit garrison and aren't worth raiding since the loot is so low. Only faction, not rebel, towns are really worth raiding.

So...I guess my point is that, even though I thought I had a decent strategy raiding as other factions, I found it hard not to get sucked into the "growth" possibilities Poland offered with such a huge eastern frontier in rebel hands.

Now, about 1130, I'm raiding through the excommunicated HRE and simply abandoning any towns not on my "to win" list after tearing down all the buildings, except churches. I had ten provinces in about 1110 when war with HRE started and I think I would have actually been better off if I'd stopped at Kiev with only 6.

**tornnight** · February 15, 2007, 11:07 PM

Russia definately has a hard time with those far flung provinces. They generate lots of corruption because of their distance. The next version will assist them by giving them another 'useful' province that will help them be a better menace.

Thanks for the insight. Definately useful.

**Ivniciix** · February 16, 2007, 12:55 AM

Originally Posted by tornnight

Russia definately has a hard time with those far flung provinces. They generate lots of corruption because of their distance. The next version will assist them by giving them another 'useful' province that will help them be a better menace.

Thanks for the insight. Definately useful.

OK..glad to help. I wonder though if part of the problem isn't simply that there are so many rebel provinces out to the east to conquer that the AI simply can't restrain itself. They blitz put simply. Would adding a Lithuania or some other appropriate faction competing for those provinces slow down and "rationalise" this rush?

**tornnight** · February 16, 2007, 09:16 AM

I don't want to add minor factions. Besides the difficulty and amount of work, each extra faction slows the game down.

Gotta make it count I guess.

I can dissuade the AI from blitzing by making those provinces harder to take.

**Ivniciix** · February 20, 2007, 09:11 PM

Not a full AAR as I didn't play this campaign for long but...

Started a game as Spain on H/VH and almost immediately got attacked by the Murbitan (Moors). I easily defeated them and took all three of their Iberian cities in only a few turns...not something I'd planned to do when I started. Without the land bridge, I think they're screwed as far as taking any of it back so the long process of the reconquista became a non-eventa!

I hadn't offered them an alliance which, if I had, would have probably kept them from attacking me for awhile at least. Perhaps doing so would have been more historically accurate. It's not as if I'll get excommunicated for attacking them later whenever I choose.

I may try that campaign again another time and do so but my victory was so swift that I went back to my Polish game which is much more challenging.