Would possibly like to help out...

[GodofCats]

I already made a post in the MOD recruitment section, however, I thought I would drop a line and offer my possible services to this MOD, as it looked the most intriguing. I have not downloaded the actual MOD yet. I tried to and had a problem with this blasted internet of mine. It doesn't look like the contributions I could offer are required by the MOD team, however, I can offer; good ideas, very very limited programming experience, and anything else that someone from the MOD team might be able to do yet does not have the time. Thank you for your consideration, I look forward to playing this MOD when it is done downloading.

-Cats

[acegogo]

help is always welcome, but I will sugest to download and play TLR for a while first, and when you see things that you like changed comment them here or upload the files for others to see. Anyway thanks for the offer and I am sure we can work together...

Enjoy the game!!!

[GodofCats]

Not a problem on the offer. I have recently downloaded and played the game a bit, and I hate to complain about anything, but the campaign is fairly difficult (on easy) for me. It may just be that I am not a good strategist or that the particular strategy I use is not worth using with this MOD. I think it is that I use a economic-based strategy, which is probably not a good strategy to use with this MOD, as it is difficult to build an economic stronghold so early without conquering some territories first. I will play further on and report on a regular basis.

[Xeno_cws]

GodofCats, economically this is probably one of the more punishing mods out there, however, after a few retries and a couple of changes to the strategy you should be able to sustain a growing kingdom.

The problem most people make is that they try to build armies like in vanilla. This game prolongs massive fielded armies till later in the game (100 or so turns).

Couple of tips:

Defend settlements with 1-2 militia since they are upkeep free when garrisoned.

Focus primarily on economy (farms, and roads!) at first before starting to spend money on units.

Use the beginning units, combine them, and attack one settlement at a time and only take 3-5 in your first 50-100 turns (depends on your skill/luck).

Make alliances with all but one of your neighbors (you'll want to expand eventually right ).

Lastly pray you don't get sandbagged by two border kingdoms going to war with you at the same time

[Darkarbiter]

GodofCats, economically this is probably one of the more punishing mods out there, however, after a few retries and a couple of changes to the strategy you should be able to sustain a growing kingdom.

The problem most people make is that they try to build armies like in vanilla. This game prolongs massive fielded armies till later in the game (100 or so turns).

Couple of tips:

Defend settlements with 1-2 militia since they are upkeep free when garrisoned.

Focus primarily on economy (farms, and roads!) at first before starting to spend money on units.

Use the beginning units, combine them, and attack one settlement at a time and only take 3-5 in your first 50-100 turns (depends on your skill/luck).

Make alliances with all but one of your neighbors (you'll want to expand eventually right ).

Lastly pray you don't get sandbagged by two border kingdoms going to war with you at the same time

Heh this is one of the reasons I love this mod.
None of this "best played on hard/hard where enemy gets +300% attack on units).

Seriously though theres one easymode faction: Try Sicily. Really easy position, great economy, weak allies. If you conquer all of italy (including papal states) your god mode.

[bovi]

Focus primarily on economy (farms, and roads!) at first before starting to spend money on units.

Farms, yes, as they give access to grain exchanges. But why roads? They give about 10 extra per turn anywhere, for both factions I've tried this far, whcih are Scots and Syria. Grain exchanges are a lot more important as they will give you 100 flat per turn and increase the agent limit for merchants which usually make up 1/3-1/2 of my income pretty soon.

[Xeno_cws]

^ Cheats!


Another interesting faction is england. If you ally with France in the beginning you got it on easy street. Take the isles, defeat Scotland (not so easy..) and you got a position that almost impossible for the ai to take (what with their distaste for amphibious landings).

If your really up for a challenge try playing as the byz.

[Darkarbiter]

^ Cheats!


Another interesting faction is england. If you ally with France in the beginning you got it on easy street. Take the isles, defeat Scotland (not so easy..) and you got a position that almost impossible for the ai to take (what with their distaste for amphibious landings).

If your really up for a challenge try playing as the byz.

Eye... don't need to ally with France. I went straight for scotland killed them easily. Then expanded a bit. Then took France. No where to expand from there though. Otherwise you get excommunicated and crap.

[Rex Inanimatus]

@xeno once xploiter..... forever... lost. they just play with no house rules

[Xeno_cws]

I play with house rules and I also play the game as it is. Besides its not technically an exploit anymore since there are land bridges it just makes it easier to defend. Also as england is harder to gain territory off the isles due to the papacy.

Personally I think it even things out, its simply an easier faction to play then say HRE or BYZ.

[Xeno_cws]

I say roads because your able to move troops at a much higher speed. A must if your focus is on economy and only have 1-2 med stacks defending your country.

Also I thought they increased trade as well, odd maybe torn changed it with 2.0?

Merchant buildings, along with mines help a lot but I find roads, and hands down farms more important when first starting your empire.

This is what I like about MTW2 and TLR you can start over and over and each time slightly change your strategy.

[Fargham]

Roads do increase trade, but at a rate of 1% and 2%, that increase is fairly insignificant for most of the game. You'll see a small increase in the worth of the resources in that region as well, but from what I've found, without cheating, on VH, the computer will eventually out merchant you on everything.

Personally, I modified the trade on roads to 5% and 10%, and did the same with docks, 5%, 10% and 15%

Another good way to get money is to sack provinces. Yes, as an established empire you have to take control over the city, but you just sell all the buildings, don't bother keeping troops there, and let it rebel or whatever. This is a must for crusading armies... sack cities along the way to pay for the expensive costs of that army... and sack them on the way back too.

As for fights themselves, try to specialize your army for what you are trying to do. Cavalry get chopped to pieces when taking cities/castles - as the computer always has spearmen, and often infantry are out flanked by cavalry when in completely open grasslands.

[bovi]

The trick I've found for successful merchanting is to get a city as far away from the capital as possible, then pump them out there. Instead of getting 15-30 income while traveling towards the main prizes, you start in the middle of them. As Scots I took a fair chunk of Syria in a crusade with two full stacks, and as Syria I've taken Constantinople in a one-stack Jihad. In both cases I've got a regular merchant income of 3500-4000 within 60-70 turns or so. The AI will take them out fairly often but they repay their costs in 2-3 turns anyway.