Making the game harder

[HANDsolo]

When I start a new campaign I edit the desc_strat file so that the the faction I am going to play with starts with only it's capital, faction leader and hier, no money and no other units. The other settlements I edit to be under rebel control with a decent garrison. Anything to make the game more challenging.

I try to play with house rules (e.g. no blitzing, etc.), but I prefer more tangible restrictions.

I'm playing SS 4.1, which gives the AI generals the battle hardened trait (+3 command, battle surgery 70). I added +4 general's hitpoints and +4 troop morale to this trait, because I found the most often reason I win battles against the AI (Lusted's latest battle AI for 1.2) was because of the the AI general getting killed during his suicide charges which basically means the AI losing the battle as their entire army routes before the general's body has even turned cold. Even if the battle is still 50/50 or even in their favour. By giving the the AI general more hit points by default, he survives more suicide charges and therefore his army fights longer. I may even make it +8 hitpoints :hmmm:

Below are some other ideas, but my modding knowledge is only basic, so I will need some help.

- How do I decrease the negative effect the general's death has on his troops, or even remove it completely (for reasons I have stated above). I still want the army to rout but not when they still have a force capable of winning the battle.

- Increase the base morale of the AI troops especially armies without generals. Full stacks without generals are still common (Lusted's campaign AI). The AI is basically throwing away that full stack by not having a general because the army routs as soon as a guy in their front line gets a nose bleed.

I think defenders of a seige should have a huge advantage.
- Firstly, is there any way to remove the casualties the defending units incur during each turn of the siege?
- Is there any way to disable routing of defending units during a seige. Currently the defenders rout to the city center and then go back to the fight. Might as well make them fight to the death where they stand, because if they lose, they die anyway. This should give the defenders a good advantage as it should be. This will help the AI more than me as I hardly find myself defending a siege. I always attack with an external army as I try to keep my armies doing things instead of sitting around in a city wasting my money.

-Disabling allying with the papal states and disable being able to gift them anything other than settlements. I know I can resist the temptation to give them 2 florins every year for 20 years, but I want the game to force me to not do it because I have very low will power

These are just some suggestions that I will need help implementing in my game. Any other suggestions would be welcome.

[Turbo]

When I start a new campaign I edit the desc_strat file so that the the faction I am going to play with starts with only it's capital, faction leader and hier, no money and no other units. The other settlements I edit to be under rebel control with a decent garrison. Anything to make the game more challenging.

I try to play with house rules (e.g. no blitzing, etc.), but I prefer more tangible restrictions.

I'm playing SS 4.1, which gives the AI generals the battle hardened trait (+3 command, battle surgery 70). I added +4 general's hitpoints and +4 troop morale to this trait, because I found the most often reason I win battles against the AI (Lusted's latest battle AI for 1.2) was because of the the AI general getting killed during his suicide charges which basically means the AI losing the battle as their entire army routes before the general's body has even turned cold. Even if the battle is still 50/50 or even in their favour. By giving the the AI general more hit points by default, he survives more suicide charges and therefore his army fights longer. I may even make it +8 hitpoints :hmmm:

Below are some other ideas, but my modding knowledge is only basic, so I will need some help.

- How do I decrease the negative effect the general's death has on his troops, or even remove it completely (for reasons I have stated above). I still want the army to rout but not when they still have a force capable of winning the battle.

- Increase the base morale of the AI troops especially armies without generals. Full stacks without generals are still common (Lusted's campaign AI). The AI is basically throwing away that full stack by not having a general because the army routs as soon as a guy in their front line gets a nose bleed.

I think defenders of a seige should have a huge advantage.
- Firstly, is there any way to remove the casualties the defending units incur during each turn of the siege?
- Is there any way to disable routing of defending units during a seige. Currently the defenders rout to the city center and then go back to the fight. Might as well make them fight to the death where they stand, because if they lose, they die anyway. This should give the defenders a good advantage as it should be. This will help the AI more than me as I hardly find myself defending a siege. I always attack with an external army as I try to keep my armies doing things instead of sitting around in a city wasting my money.

-Disabling allying with the papal states and disable being able to gift them anything other than settlements. I know I can resist the temptation to give them 2 florins every year for 20 years, but I want the game to force me to not do it because I have very low will power

These are just some suggestions that I will need help implementing in my game. Any other suggestions would be welcome.

Decrease the movement points of the general bodyguard unit or use an infantry unit. That helps stop suiciding

[TheOnion]

Take 6 shots of Jameson, wait 10mins and then start playing. The game should become really difficult.

[merlinuscdxx]

Take 6 shots of Jameson, wait 10mins and then start playing. The game should become really difficult.

maybe for some, but I tried that the other night (loaded up a save when I got home from the bar), but it just made me play more aggressively, so it tends to have the opposite effect on me. the only way I could see that making the game more difficult would be the annoying 'double vision' on the battlemap, but i can even compensate for that (career alcoholic FTW)

[TheOnion]

maybe for some, but I tried that the other night (loaded up a save when I got home from the bar), but it just made me play more aggressively, so it tends to have the opposite effect on me. the only way I could see that making the game more difficult would be the annoying 'double vision' on the battlemap, but i can even compensate for that (career alcoholic FTW)

As long as it functioning alcoholism then rock on!

[Canaris]

im reading this and i cant stop laughing thank gods im a lamer and dont have to make such tricks to make my game harder its hard enough for me ;D

[HANDsolo]

Is it possible to mod the recruitment requirements so that before u can train a unit u need the correct level of barracks/range/stables and the level of smith for the initial armour of that unit? Eg. if u want to train armoured seargents, the castle u intend to train the unit at must hav the level of barracks to train armoured seargents and the level of smith that produces light mail.
This should only apply to the human player as the AI would not know how to handle this.

[Surgeon]

You can try disabling morale altogether in your preferences.cfg file. Sure, it'll affect your own troops too, but this way your army can suffer huge casualties when the odds are equal, and fighting off a siege is a lot harder because the enemy just keep pouring in.

[Pontifex Maximus]

sounds like you want a mod

[Kalos]

Moved to Mod Workshop.