Few questions...

[Sparra]

Just got Medieval 2: Total War about four days ago (now I can spell Medieval correctly! Yay!), and found this site and the Stainless Steel mod. After downloading it and installing it, I found that I liked it. Can't argue with more factions and a (hopefully) more intelligent AI to work with (or against). Anywho, I've started an "early" campaign as the Kievan Rus. It's 1146 AD and turn 45, and I have a few questions...

1. Is there any reason why I can't upgrade my wooden castles to stone ones? Is that restricted by time and/or turns? I'm pretty much using quite a number of militia at this point to wage war (while interesting, I'd like more variety).

2. Since I'm new to this game, any of you have any tips or suggestions on how to go about things? Sieges in particular are a problem, as I've only used the battering ram effectively (towers are a pain to maneuver properly, but I've not really tried them en masse) and have yet to give ladders a go.

3. What exactly does "trade rights" mean? Does this mean my merchants can wander around their lands for riches, or do my towns get more income from towns not under my control?

To end this, just wanted to say that SS looks great, and I look forward to having a long career with M2:TW!

EDIT: Another thing, what good are Peasants for? They look like a unit that's mostly useless, or one that's a last-ditch defense...

[Sidmen]

1. Is there any reason why I can't upgrade my wooden castles to stone ones? Is that restricted by time and/or turns? I'm pretty much using quite a number of militia at this point to wage war (while interesting, I'd like more variety).

Well, it depends on your population. wooden castles take 2,500 people before they can become stone castles, so try and sending a good general (like 5 stars) to speed things up as they improve population growth. (castles have growth problems normally)

2. Since I'm new to this game, any of you have any tips or suggestions on how to go about things? Sieges in particular are a problem, as I've only used the battering ram effectively (towers are a pain to maneuver properly, but I've not really tried them en masse) and have yet to give ladders a go.

Sieges kinda suck... I normally can manage a 1 to 1 kill ratio in them, but never more than that. ladders in large quantities are useful, if you send them to all sides of the castle the AI won't normally be able to defend them all.

3. What exactly does "trade rights" mean? Does this mean my merchants can wander around their lands for riches, or do my towns get more income from towns not under my control?

It allows your towns and ports to trade with other faction's cities, earning more money from trade.

[delra]

1. It is restricted by their population. Build farms, get a good general to sit there and wait.

2. What exactly are your problems? For sieges, I like towers more than ladders, I lose less men using a tower. It's smart to build siege engines factory somewhere (one city is enough as a supplier...) and use them, makes assaults much easier. I usually bring down a part of wall next to the gates, not the gate itself. This way I can pass safely without boiling my ass in oil. It's also wise to hit the part of walls where the most expensive enemy unit sits. :-)

Rams are very risky now when Lusted caused AI defending inside the gates, forcing you to stand under the oil. So don't use them for nothing that has stone walls and bigger if you don't want to get fried.

3. It means that all the trade (little carts and ships moving from your cities to AI cities) brings twice more profit than it does without those. So it's nice to sign those with everybody who's near you and it's smart not to be at war with everybody all the time. This way you develop much quicker.

4. They are useless. I use them to guard cities and castles I blitz early in the game. After that I get rid of them completely, no morale, no weapon, no armor, dumb formation. If I have the choice, I rather fill my armies with spear militia than peasants.

For other tips, don't automanage, keep you small cities on low taxes and get a decent castle quickly. For Kiev it's Bran.

[Sparra]

Jeez that was fast! Thanks for the tips, I'll have to keep working on my siege tactics as I go on. I never knew that castles were limited by population, I wish there was a way you can check the requirements for buildings and upgrades (I know there is to way to see all the different tiers of a building set, but it just says "not available yet" which does little to help).

As for the ram thing, Since I relied on them so much, I kept having them go up in flames (and me being the silly nitwit I am, I decided one ram was enough). My problem with towers is that they never seem to have a straight shot at the wall, normally going around a tiny hill then back again to get there. Then once it's up, the small funnel of troops going up to the wall generally get crushed as they go. Perhaps the idea of having them get off the tower right in front of the defenders is a bad idea... Curse you Hollywood!

Either way, any other general tips or things I should avoid?

[delra]

You can. Open your castle screen and hover your mouse over its population. It will be written there.

For towers, yeah, they go the weird way but eventually they hit the middle of the wall. After that you need to be patient, don't rush the attack before the (almost) whole unit gets up on the tower.

You hit with more men and will get a nice foothold and will be able to hit with another unit without having it decimated too.

Also, use correct troops for this purpose. Heavy swords (all those 5-8 attack/16-22 defense) are perfect. Light spears aren't at all.

More tips? Avoid playing on something lower than VH/VH. Avoid autoresolve. Avoid people who say that pikes are better than spears. :-)

[Oberhut]

Avoid people who say that pikes are better than spears. :-)

Avoid me he for example

[Sidmen]

More tips? Avoid playing on something lower than VH/VH. Avoid autoresolve.

BOO. M/M is a perfect game, and auto resolve is good against boring rebels.

[delra]

Since when perfect is the same as too damn easy? :-)

[Sidmen]

You have no idea how poor of a strategist I am... I've lost full stack armies as Byzantine empire to egypt before. I have to admit, I am pretty good on the strat map now, so might move up to hard..

[Hmz..]

Tip:
keep your general close to troops with ladders and seige towers. On VH/VH they will run the moment they hit a little resistance on a wall. Also when u fight at a gatehouse or other small passage troops will loose morale very quickly.

Get siege wapons quickly.

Try to attack units on walls from 2 sites. This will make them route quicker as they are surrounded.

Hit wall parts with units on them with catapults en trebuches (or something)

When inside the wall use cavelry to autoflank the enemy via side streets.

Use Javelins inside the walls to decemate enemys on walls (Inside of the walls not outside)

Use Mace and Sword infantry to clear walls. Don't use spears they suck at it.

Use your spears to take the gate or wallgaps because the AI will often set its cavelry at you

Thats about it

[y2day]

Sparra, welcome to Total War!!
I hope you don't mind but i need to ask a question
of my own. Considering the title Few Questions...
I hope you don't mind, and here is a tip
*download Echad's New Year Pak and also Lusted's Final AI
both can be found on this forum.


Question*
When will the Tuetonic Order spawn?
Currently in Lithuania campaign year 1215.
For some reason I don't know it's just something doesn't feel right.
The plague has hit and if just seems early for that event.
I'm at work and it was too late bby the time I quit playing to
look at any of the files and see when the dates for these events
take place

[delra]

1230.

[Chim]

If they have not spawn yet, they will very soon.
I am nearing 1300 and I believe they spawned somewhere mid 1200's

delra beat me to it

[delra]

campaign_script.txt spawns them.

[y2day]

delra the faithful, always there when you need him

and wonkuruben,(i have know idea what your name means but i love saying it) always quick with an answer, and usually a link to even more info.


Thank you both!!

[delra]

+rep me. I want to see what is my forums title after I have 2000 score. :-)

[y2day]

+rep me. I want to see what is my forums title after I have 2000 score. :-)

I already did!

[Chim]

Do you need Rep. to get another title?
I thought it was all about the amount of post one had.

[delra]

Posts that get +rep count more. It doesn't matter anyway, cause now I'm an elector... I don't know who I am to elect but whatever. :-)