Post your Teutonic campaigns here!

[Dave Scarface]

Hi guys,

This thread is for posting your current campaigns and telling the world how you are getting on with your campaign. How hard was it? and do you think you will be able to achieve your victory conditions? Feel free to post screen shots and show how much of the map you have conquered! Also discuss what you like most about your campaign, or anythink that you don't like. I look forward to hearing some of your replies. I am going to start a new campaign myself soon and post it here, as soon as I've fixed a few bugs.

all the best
Dave

[DrJambo]

Posted this in the feedback thread, but it's probably better here:

Had a chance finally to play through a few turns of a VH/VH English campaign last night, and so I thought I'd post my impressions and observations:

1. First of all, reason for choosing the English is because they have a nice overall mix of units and I wanted to fight against the Scots and test out the AI's use of pikemen since adopting an alleged pikemen formation fix (not currently in Dave's mod). Normally I'd have played as the Scots, being Scottish, but I'm secretly hoping Dave may feel the need to give the Scots some love and attention for their late game unit roster.

2. Devastation really hurts! One really has to ensure that enemy stacks in your lands are dispatched ASAP. Leave them for too long and your settlement income will be shot to pieces. Does devastation go away relatively quickly?

3. I'd like hear some feedback from Dave as to the other changes he made to descr_settlement_mechanics and particularly descr_campaign_db, just so I'm aware of things I should or should not be doing. For instance:

a) I noticed raising or lower taxes seemed to produce a bigger incremental change to growth, income and happiness. That correct? Anything done to other parameters, e.g. religious unrest, etc?

b) The value for a captain revolting was also lowered. Does lowering that value increase or decrease the chance for a unaccompanied captain going rebel? Should I be wary of captains leading armies? I do like how this variable can then be specifically tweaked for the AI. AI captains going rebel at the start of a campaign was a really bad issue in vanilla.

c) Forts are extremely expensive at 2500 florins. From the files they appear to be permanent, once built, but I couldn't see if there was any other justification for this price?

d) Merchants didn't seem to generate much revenue from resources, and spies started out with only a ~50% chance of investigating settlements. One of the things I did myself was make higher-end markets and spy buildings produce higher level agents (adopted from Lusted's LTC). This gives a good incentive to build the later buildings where previously they weren't worth the cash investment. Maybe making merchant income a little higher is something I'll also do... I'm maybe too used to the better returns one got in Britannia.

e) Inquisitors seem rather weak and ineffectual. I wondered if they'd been toned down or maybe this is just a hangover from one of the official Med II patches?

f) Were any tweaks made to bribery? It's something I've never managed to successfully do in any Med II campaign. However the AI bribed a small army of mine! Good job! I'd like to be able to use bribery on occasion.

4. I observed the Scots and French building up a decent sized stack, but it's still too early to fully determine any campaign AI and battle AI improvements. I'm really hoping the AI will take advantage of being able to build and make use of recruitable Generals in this mod. I had good success with this while playing Britannia many moons ago. It's great for increasing the difficulty, but it's a tricky process getting the recruit priority offset value just right so the AI builds them but doesn't spam them.

5. I must admit I found cavalry a little OP with their larger unit size. Again, probably a preference thing, but I think I may reduce them back to 24 in the EDU.

6. I also levelled out pike and halberd unit speeds as I had done before and I notice Lusted has done in his LTC gold. This is with particular reference to the painfully slow moving western halberd units. The reason this change is important is the AI just ends up leaving them behind its main battle line lol.

7. I added in BBB v2.1 and made allowances for the two new factions. I love a bit of role playing with Generals. The vanilla trait system is rather dull an uninteractive.

8. I really liked how forging alliances and acquiring map information seemed tougher to come by for the human at the start of the campaign. In vanilla one could really abuse the AI's willingness to sign alliances and give out their maps for large cash demands!

Good job so far Dave! More to follow as I play on.

[Dave Scarface]

Thanks DrJambo, I have posted a reply for you in the other thread.

[vietanh797]

just because play too much so i don't need map information(i remember most of towns location) i only offer them trade and demand them 3000
offer ali demand 3000
each faction near me i get around 5000 so i have many money to begin the campain
after that i wait to them att each others i break ali then att the one have bad luck
i try to move army through trees then suddenly att their town
the AI only take heavy garrison in town near their enemy so i can easy take at least 2 town before they can do st
then i take some army to defend and continue att them
in fact i try to att enemy Capital before my AI i have to att then must take their capital if i lose no way to go back
but since the last surprise because garrison script i not lose so i can say that this campain is hard enough(sometime i finish a faction only by assasin no war)

[Blackader]

My campaign with HRE going on... Like dave said, my war with Venice was the edge of the party. I had luck: it was a small unit before Venice, I attacked with a full stack, and the garrison went out to help them. I defeated them both, and killed or captured everybody, and they were no more units in Venice! I could take the city immediatly and avoid garrison script. After that, Venice asked for peace, and I agreed.

But I'm not yet a recognized superpower: Denmark strike again, and had taken Lubeck. My northern army siege it, but I fear for Stettin. That's not all: France attack too, and took Bern, one more time.

Three armies are on the road to take a revenge, and teach to all europe that attacking Empire is a dangerous way: my Kaiser himself is going to Rheims, and 2 stacks will retake Bern and after take Dijon. And after, perhaps I will send my teutonic knights to Paris... But I'm far from that. Before, I will surely face many epic battles. I'm at the turn 60, and since the beginning, I have taken 4 cities (Aarhus, Bruges, Lubeck and Venice), and lost 2 (Lubeck and Bern). And I have 4 stacks bot no money. Challenging, indeed...

And a the same time, Byzance is taking all the hungarian kingdom. One day or other, the 2 heirs of roman Empire will fight to be the only to restore the Imperial greatness. But before, I must eliminate the danish and french threats.

[Blackader]

I must confess that I have started a new HRE campaign, abandonning my old one... Yes, too challenging, and I made the bad choices. I have lost Venice, retake Bern, lost Hambourg, retake Bruges... and so on, I never progress. A few advices to the beginners, according to my experience:
-don't expect to defeat AI on the wall of your cities, AI is no more stupid, and attack with good armies. You must hold big garrisons, and it cost a lot. Defensive war is not a good option.
-After turn 20 or 30, a war with just an army is suicide. Expect a lot of elite-troops, AI doesn't recruit peasant or tons of artillery. If you want to take a city and keep it, take 2 stacks
-choice carefully your war: the map is big, and you cannot drive your armies to another front very quickly
I will apply those advices for myself... and say if I can at last seat in Rome with my teutonics.

[Twfan55]

H/H, The restoration of a great Roman Empire as been achieved, but at a great cost. Facing war with the powerful Principality of Antioch that controlls Eastern Turkey I have won and lost many great battles defending my Eastern Fronteer.

To the West I have a strong control on Italy and the Islands to its West. Now allied with Portugal which controls Hispania, I attempt to reconquer the regions of Gaul and Brittania with army's consisting of men from all around the world. Varangian Guard from Sythia, Elephants and Elephant Artillery from the deserts of the Middle East and Greek Firethrowers.

Although much has been completed, there is still more to be done to regain what was lost so long ago.

[vietanh797]

I must confess that I have started a new HRE campaign, abandonning my old one... Yes, too challenging, and I made the bad choices. I have lost Venice, retake Bern, lost Hambourg, retake Bruges... and so on, I never progress. A few advices to the beginners, according to my experience:
-don't expect to defeat AI on the wall of your cities, AI is no more stupid, and attack with good armies. You must hold big garrisons, and it cost a lot. Defensive war is not a good option.
-After turn 20 or 30, a war with just an army is suicide. Expect a lot of elite-troops, AI doesn't recruit peasant or tons of artillery. If you want to take a city and keep it, take 2 stacks
-choice carefully your war: the map is big, and you cannot drive your armies to another front very quickly
I will apply those advices for myself... and say if I can at last seat in Rome with my teutonics.

sound like you get in trouble too much but i think that defend war always good you can kill many enemy and may be lost no more than number of your hand's fingers
one more thing is if you like play to the end of this mod don't do your victory condition i like to ali with my target then att other(this can't be with England because they already in war with their target)
I don't think that att Rome is a good idea
you should have a look at this faction(i can't belive that they have 1 full stack in their way to Crusader Cairo but they have this much in Rome)this pic is old version but i sure that they have as many as this too

[vietanh797]

I play a newgame with England
this is hard to have 1 ali my ali is Spain
but i have Fran and Scot excomunicated by Pope(thank God)
i att them merciless
have 4 great battle at all
pope call crusader against Toulouse i take Anger and Bordoux(sorry may wrong name) siege Toulouse
Fran have to come from Paris they send 3 full stack
i lift siege 3 time to face each of them and defeat them all(lost about 400 men after 3 battle) then i continue siege(hope them will lose but it is hard to siege toulouse because heavy unit garrison at here)
i send my army to Dublin face them out side town(they have some men outside town)and their town come too
the great that they fall into my trap here ís battle results

[Dave Scarface]

I must confess that I have started a new HRE campaign, abandonning my old one... Yes, too challenging, and I made the bad choices. I have lost Venice, retake Bern, lost Hambourg, retake Bruges... and so on, I never progress. A few advices to the beginners, according to my experience:
-don't expect to defeat AI on the wall of your cities, AI is no more stupid, and attack with good armies. You must hold big garrisons, and it cost a lot. Defensive war is not a good option.
-After turn 20 or 30, a war with just an army is suicide. Expect a lot of elite-troops, AI doesn't recruit peasant or tons of artillery. If you want to take a city and keep it, take 2 stacks
-choice carefully your war: the map is big, and you cannot drive your armies to another front very quickly
I will apply those advices for myself... and say if I can at last seat in Rome with my teutonics.

My mod has claimed its first victim good of you to admit defeat! Actually the larger factions are quite hard to play in my mod. The reason being they have a lot of neighbours and control a lot of land. As the old saying goes he who tries to defend everything defends nothink. Personally when I played a campaign as HRE I found France to be my biggest problem. So try and get an alliance with them early on. This will give you some more breathing space. Secondly as you have already done taking Aarhus early on is critical. Next the conquest of Venice will bring you the wealth to afford more armies in the field. This mod makes you think a lot more strategically and you must make the right decisions at the start or you will struggle to survive.

@vietanh797,

It sounds to me that you may be ready to take on the challenge of the Turks campaigns next I would be very interested to see how you would cope with starting at war with 2 of the strongest factions in the campaign, Antioch and Byzantium.

Dave

[vietanh797]

I never play Turk before but i can try i will post it later(I think Byzantium is the hardest because they are target of both Jihad annd Crusader)

[Siculus]

I'm at Summer 1208 and the King's son (El Cid) is about to storm Oporto. That will give Spain control of the entire Iberian Peninsula, along with Fez and the Balaerics.

I cleared out the Moors by fighting, but the Portuguese, who were my allies, apparently managed to lose all the members of their royal family and one turn they went rebel. I'm not sure what happened, although it sure made things easier for me.

There are about a half-dozen strong stacks headed for Fez, but so far so good and my own reinforcements are on the way from Lisbon and Grenada.

Siculus

[Twfan55]

How do you beat the Papal States 4 maxed out armys with one army on Hard?

Elephants, Greek Fire and holding the line!

It takes a while to make a super leet super upgraded army though. Took me like 30 turns to mass it all in one place.

[Blackader]

New campaign with HRE... I was more prudent, I made my garrison stronger and I made a lot of money. And I had luck: Venice become rebel, and France was inable to emerge, Dijon and Clermont become rebels too... After taking Aarhus Denmark accepted peace, I have taken Venice from the rebels and after... well, after, I was very quiet, perhaps too much. I have declared war to Milan, and now i'm sieging Dijon and I'm making a new army to take Milan.

[Dave Scarface]

Thanks for the campaign feedback guys, it seems a few of you had the same problem with some enemies turning rebel.

I am already aware of this problem and will be improving the family trees for most factions in the coming update

Dave

[Blackader]

New campaign with the HRE, with the brand new patch... I know, it's my 3rd attempt, first time I've given up because it was too hard, second time because it was too easy, and I would play with the last patch. Classical beginning, i've taken Lubeck, denmark have attacked me, and I've taken Aarhus.

The danes didn't make big efforts to defend their capital city. I thought they were finished, and I've let my city with little garrisons, fatal error! 10 turns after an huge army have landed near Stettin and take this city. Now I have 2 full stacks in the area and I try to retake stettin, but believe me, it's hard! Denmark is master of the sea and troups come every times from scandinavia.

I had a wondefull battle, my army was taken in sandwich between 2 powerfull danish corps. I have fixed one with spearmen and crossbowmen, and I've send my cavalery and 2 units of feudal knights to defeat the other army, as quick as I can. My Emperor and the cavalery were nearly dead but i succeded to defeat the second army and go back with the rest to the main battle front, were my spearmen still hold the line, with heavy casualties. Tomorrow i will try to retake stettin, but my army is very reduced and those vicious danish have some reserves.

I'm in peace everywhere except that, and it is a big luck, because I wouldn't be able to resist at a second war.

[Incontinenta Buttox]

Hi Dave,

It's 1217.

I managed to play 5-6 turns last night and took Rheims from France. France is reduced 1 province.

Interesting stuff going on with Milan. I persuaded the pope to call a crusade against Paris. The whole of chistendom joined in. Paris was eventually taken by Milan. Later on, the pope called another crusade against Toulouse (nothing to do with me) which again was captured by Milan.

Both these French provinces are a problem to me because I am allied with Milan, but I need them. The situation in France has taken another twist though. Spain are at war with Milan and have ejected them from Paris and Toulose. In fact the Spanish are rampant. I now have a long border with them and this is a concern. War with Spain is inevitable now. I intend to take care of Scotland first though.

[Baron.Briggs]

As a bit of a veteran of the total war game i hacve got to say upon buiying medieval 2 i was a bit thrown.

It has a completely different feeling to the Rome game which i had previously pledged my life too. So, as with rome i decided to try a couple of mods and i have found this one to be the deepest with an AI opponent who actually requires a bit of planning to beat on the battlefield.

Playing as England on hard my first task was to take scotland. thanks to my trusty longbow boy i managed to take scotland and ireland after a long bloody struggle. This was the first campaign where in order to destroy each faction you have to pay ALOT of attention to the diplomatic side of things. on my first campaign i did my usual trick opf attacking everyone at once which resulted in my getting beaten like a strawberry blonde step child.

Really interesting deep campaign with alot of realism involved. Its the kind of game where after a while you honestly start to wonder whether you should piss yourself in order to see what happens at the end of the turn

nice job Dave

[Dave Scarface]

Really interesting deep campaign with alot of realism involved. Its the kind of game where after a while you honestly start to wonder whether you should piss yourself in order to see what happens at the end of the turn

Lol I have to admit I've been wetting myself as well lately, take a look at what happened a few turns after I finally managed to defeat Antioch.






All of a sudden its not looking good.

Sure is going to be very interesting to see what my map looks like in 50 turns (if I survive that long)

best
Dave

[Blackader]

HRE campaign. I'm in 1265.
After epic battles in Scandinavia Denmark is no more. But while I was sieging the last danish city, Stockholm, Russia launched a sudden general strike against me. They took Breslau and Prague, one of my most wealthiest cities. I tried to retake Prague with a good army, feudal-knights-style, but it was a bloody defeat, Russia has a lot of good cavalery, who shot and fight in melle fight, and good infantery. it was time for revenge: I send a plate-new-style army, with my Kaiser and Ritterbrüder ( I consider it as the Grand-Master unit, for more role-playing).


Situation in Europe: France was reduced to few cities, against Spain, but thanks to a crusade they retook most of their cities. A lot of cities become rebels time to time.

Well, I have retaken Prague, my scandinavian armies made a general raid on the Baltic coast, and I have taken this way Danzig and Königsberg. Russia seems to have lost its poker game, but it was hot- and not finished.