Your experience with this mod.

**Cromagnon2** · March 18, 2008, 10:15 AM

After buying Kingdoms and playing a couple of the mini campaigns, I decided to come back for DLV and install 5.4 (no hotfix).

Without doubt the campaigns new elements, roleplay and difficulty level are improved.
Battles, specialy seige battles are worse.
Pathing is worse, units get stuck in seige towers, units wobble on the walls.
I also have the impression generals are more suicidal, then on the Britania campaign I played.

Another thing? Playing as the HRE
I had very good, outstanding to perfect alliances with most of my neighboors, following the popes orders.
Till the plague around 1200 kicked in, all cards were shake again and given so that allot of factions turned each others enemies. Trade dissapeared.
The Poles decided to attack me wich were my allies with perfect relations, that event cascaded in everyone decide to attack me and every faction refuses diplomatic ceasfire or trade. I can say I am sandwiched.

I wonder, what is the use of diplomacy?
I am sceptical but I continue and see where it lands.

peace.

**Furin** · March 18, 2008, 03:09 PM

The problem with versions prior to the dark ages event was that the AI was very reluctant to attack a strong player. For example in my campaigns simply filling up the cities with cheap militia troops made the AI chicken out for the whole campaign. Especially if you ally with the pope. Pretty boring after a while.

The dark age event brings some action to the whole thing. And after it is over you can still use diplomacy to quickly reestablish friendly relations with your neighbors if you want to, until the next dark age of course

**Cromagnon2** · March 18, 2008, 03:29 PM

Is that so? Will I be able to re-establish diplomacy once the plague passes by? In that case I think it is good feature. Will there be a notification when it is over?

**Furin** · March 18, 2008, 03:33 PM

Aye, there is a message similar to the one that started the dark ages. The first one lasts about, hmmm, 15- 20 turns perhaps? Definitly not longer. I haven't counted to be honest.

So for example, if you are Venice, Hungary will declare war on you, even if you were allied, but if your relations are good enough, and you can avoid battles as much as possible, your relations will only go down a little bit and after the dark age period a small gift will grant you a peace treaty, although it might take some time before they agree to an alliance again. It has a lot to do with if Hungary was strong enough to attack and invade you in this period.

**repman** · March 19, 2008, 02:18 AM

The dark ages are only for 15-20 turns (you get a message when they end)) and then it's all back to normal AI behaviour as before. It's just a short period to break up alliances and action time...

repman

**Cromagnon2** · March 19, 2008, 03:14 AM

OK thanks! It is that playing with HRE it can be a bit overwhelming being attacked from all sides

Overall pretty good mod!

**Marku** · March 19, 2008, 06:26 AM

at the time i wasnt aware of this change in 5.4 , lol, and i gave up on a campaign when georgia, kiev, hungary & turk all declared war on me (i was byzantine and i expanded into north of black sea and all of greece)after my plague just finished.

what kind of money should i pay AI to keep them happy/off my back?
is there positions i should keep my armys in to make the ai think twice b4 attacking me or certain positions? what stacks do you keep in your outer towns for defence. who can i trust the most when im byzantine.