Question about recommend difficulty

[Candelarius]

Q: Which is the recommend difficult setting for Europa Barbarorum?
A: Europa Barbarorum is best played on Very Hard / Medium. The AI is aggressive (in particular the slave faction) but don’t get stat bonuses on the battlefield. If you want a real challenge try VH/VH but be aware enemy units on the battlefield are getting massive bonuses (afaik: +7 attack, +7 defence, and a huge morale boost), you could have your fullstack army is hacked to pieces by 5 units levies...

EB,

I started playing EB again today since I saw the new patch update (thanks, btw), but, I was curious about something I saw in your FAQ, quoted above. You recommend VH for campaign and M for battles. I usually play H for campaign and VH for battles. I know this has been discussed before, and I read the explanation about why M is suggested for battles in another thread, but, why is VH suggested for campaign? I thought the AI received rediculous bonuses and attacked willy-nilly on VH campaign setting? Have you specifically adjusted the difficulty settings for your game, ie, tailored them to your mod?

Thanks,
Candelarius

[Foot]

EB,

I started playing EB again today since I saw the new patch update (thanks, btw), but, I was curious about something I saw in your FAQ, quoted above. You recommend VH for campaign and M for battles. I usually play H for campaign and VH for battles. I know this has been discussed before, and I read the explanation about why M is suggested for battles in another thread, but, why is VH suggested for campaign? I thought the AI received rediculous bonuses and attacked willy-nilly on VH campaign setting? Have you specifically adjusted the difficulty settings for your game, ie, tailored them to your mod?

Thanks,
Candelarius

VH allows for rebel stacks to attack faction owned settlements. The only bonuses that the Ai receives on VH is a 10,000 bonus every turn, but considering their economic failings, that doesn't seem like a bad idea. There is very little noticeable difference in the diplomacy between M and VH.

Foot

[eggthief]

VH with VH is a deadly combination, almost got destroyed by skirmish rebels.

[MarcusAureliusAntoninus]

There has been arguments that VH causes crazy agressive AI on the strat map. But I haven't seen any proof either way...

[softiron]

VH allows for rebel stacks to attack faction owned settlements. The only bonuses that the Ai receives on VH is a 10,000 bonus every turn, but considering their economic failings, that doesn't seem like a bad idea. There is very little noticeable difference in the diplomacy between M and VH.

Foot

I paly asCasse and have made an experiment. I have conquered all island and have 5 half stack rebel armies on my territory. Town crews consists only from family member and 1 unit of slingers while rebels have midland heroes, chariots and some shock infantry. guess what... None of them even moved a leg to attack my settlement or marching army. I play VH/M of course and this situation lasts for many turns now.

[MarcusAureliusAntoninus]

Depending on where the army came from, they act differently. For instance 'brigands' tend to just sit in one place or wander around without cause. I think the ones that are recruited in enemy towns are the one that attack you most often.

[AceOfSpades]

When I do campaings on Very Hard, I can't afford anything. I go into debt on the second turn with most factions and never get out. This is unless I disband my and navy army (not a good idea when playing on VH). It's a shame the AI can't be agressive without massive cheating (eg it's impossible for me to earn a cent but they have almost unlimited money. It's a tough decision for me, but it's just not fun on VH.

[eggthief]

It is, u dont need navies that much anyway in the beginning and if u really need money u could cheat a small bit it ain't unfair since the AI gets cash as well.

[Foot]

When I do campaings on Very Hard, I can't afford anything. I go into debt on the second turn with most factions and never get out. This is unless I disband my and navy army (not a good idea when playing on VH). It's a shame the AI can't be agressive without massive cheating (eg it's impossible for me to earn a cent but they have almost unlimited money. It's a tough decision for me, but it's just not fun on VH.

VH has nothing to do with how much money you get. Playing on M or H will still give you the same money problems as VH. I don't really understand your problem.

Foot

[MarcusAureliusAntoninus]

I usually play on H or even M for some of the little guys. I am too paranoid that the AI is going to be over aggressive (even though some say they aren't). VH/M is just the suggested difficulty. I doubt the EB team is going to get mad if you play M/M or H/M. If you play VH/VH and then complain about the AI battle stats, then the EB team will get mad...

[AceOfSpades]

Lol.

Campaign level has nothing to do with my own economy? I find that very odd as it's easy for me to keep a balanced budget on M and fairly easy H with most factions, but on VH its, well very hard!

[eggthief]

Maybe u have to spend more on armies when playing on VH due to the rebels having larger armies?

[Woger of Wome]

VH has nothing to do with how much money you get. Playing on M or H will still give you the same money problems as VH. I don't really understand your problem.

Foot

Sorry but ace is right. The player gets progressively less money from taxes and farms with increasing difficulty, income from trade seems to be the unaffected by difficulty. I think you get something like 10% less from taxes and 15% less from farming on vh compared to medium.

[AceOfSpades]

If only the force_diplomacy cheat worked, then I could force the computer to accept my terms rather than fighting to the death where every settlement is counquered. (as it always does). That would mean more money as well.

I just don't know what to do...cause I want agressive AI but I don't want cheating AI. Oh well. At least the EB team has done almost everything possible within the hardcode limits.

[Woger of Wome]

You need to check out the force diplomacy minimod for EB over at the .org....

[AceOfSpades]

cool! thanks! checking...

[AceOfSpades]

Doesn't work for me. Shame, it looked like such a good mod.

[Sarkiss]

i play on VH, as recommended, and guess what? Seleucids driving me nuts! im talking of two things and have two questions.
1. it is their unlimited money. IIRC every turn they get something like 1200 per settlement... add 10k given by VH setting alone, and you get your total war big time. not that much fun though i played as Hayasdan and struggled to make any money, though i own 6 settlements and have 4, first level mines built, but a total income is something just over 2000, even though according to a description it should give 2000 each. there were unoffiicial money scripts to balance things out... is there any chance EB would apply any of those? any comments, opinions of a team member familiar with the money script would be appreciated. i played as Arabs, and in about 15 years the same damn Seleucids are besieging two of my towns (i only got 5) in Arabia proper, along the coast line! they occupied all of Northern Arabia and poor Ptoleis never fight them back good enough. no one else seemed to dare to declare a war on them. AI just sends stack after stack on you every turn, but whats worse is that there are numerous small, 2,3 units armies all over a place!

2. AI's agressivness. im tired of tiny armies (2,3 units again) given me a hard time and besieging my settlement with half stack strong garisson sitting in! what sense does it make? (i would understand if it was a mobile, horse archers trying to cut me off, to effect an income, but its immobile infantry that gets slaughtered by my missile units each time it doesnt manage to retreat quick enough.) i have to sally forth and fight on the battle map (since you almost always lose on auto-resolve with VH) everytime, and almost everytime they would just withrauw driving me crazy and wasting my time that is something that has to do with VH setting too, no?

[AceOfSpades]

I'm playing on VH/H as Rome now, and must say that disbanding ships makes a HUGE difference. I have money falling out of my overstuffed pockets.

I'm still disappointed with the AI though. Rebels never attack, instead they stay shut up in their settlements and don't move a muscle. The AI seems to be the exact same on VH as every other level, except for the fact that they only make more money.

[Foot]

I'm still disappointed with the AI though. Rebels never attack, instead they stay shut up in their settlements and don't move a muscle. The AI seems to be the exact same on VH as every other level, except for the fact that they only make more money.

Well the rebels don't move out of their settlements, as we've made sure that all starting generals in rebel settlements cannot move. This is to stop them in their pointless quest of having many small stacks wandering around, whilst leaving their city defenceless.

Foot