Difficulty settings

**thegravytrain18** · September 25, 2007, 01:52 PM

Hey I've been looking around and I can't find any info about the difference in difficulty settings. I know that when you make it harder, the AI gets like more money per turn, but does the actual AI get more intelligent? And what happens when you make it easy/easy? I usually play M/M because I don't like any unfair advantages given to either side. If raising the difficulty just made the AI smarter, that would be cool. But I dunno if it does or not.

I wanna know about this stuff because I really want to start a Greek campaign, but its one of like 2? factions I think that are very hard to play. And its not that I don't like a challenge, its just that I'm still not that good yet and I know that Macedonia is going to be my nemesis and they're monsters in RTR.

**florin80** · September 25, 2007, 03:23 PM

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=90516
Question #13

**PriestLizard** · September 25, 2007, 03:38 PM

I always played Vanilla RTW on VH/VH and it was a good challenge. In RTR though, I think the morale/attack bonuses the AI gets are quite unrealistic and it get frustrating.

I attack some barbarian mercenaries with my highly trained greek Pezoi and still the Pezoi get raped 1:1 and lose their morale more quickly? Thats not the way it meant to be... I guess.

Also the bonus of 10k gold in each turn is quite lame, since it will make sea blockades etc. absolutely useless.

Thats why I play on M/H now (Battles medium, campaign hard). I think thats quite a good gaming experience and if I realize the game is too easy, I try to make it harder by my own custom "house rules".

**Switch** · September 28, 2007, 08:51 AM

I also play on M/H. Not because I don't want it to be difficult (I relish a challenge), but for the reasons lifted above. I'd happily play on VH/VH if it made the AI more intelligent/tactically and strategically adept, but because they basically cheat/get an unfair advantage (money/bonuses). Like PriestLizard, I don't want anybody to get an unfair advantage.

House Rules are probably the best way to give yourself a challenge. Some people play with house rules that limit them to what the AI can/can't do, others try to make things more historical, or just get more of a challenge.

**thegravytrain18** · September 28, 2007, 11:51 AM

I've decided to start an Armenian campaign, and they're also a "very hard" faction. I think I'm going to keep it M/M.

**PriestLizard** · September 28, 2007, 03:31 PM

Do you guys know how other mods deal with this question? I tried out EB lately and I played on VH/VH like on Vanilla. The bonus for the AI during combat doesnt seem to be so rough like in RTR, or does it? I dont know about the campaign map effects.

Basically I really dont like to win "every" battle, its silly, and not realistic. There has never been an empire with a 200-5 record or something. Thats why I would like to see really challenging gameplay where you have to accept oops I just lost my army, my faction leader and my capital and where you have to deal with such devastating situations.

However, like I said, I was annoyed that my 80 bactrian Pezoi didnt have a chance against 80 indian spearman --- I found that aspect annoying. It shouldnt be like that.

Anyway Switch is right, house rules are important to keep your campaign interesting --- even on a high difficulty, since the human player will always be superior to the AI factions , even with rough penalties like in RTR.