Some questions about M2TW vs RTW

[taw]

Hi,

I've noticed a few things that are different about M2TW, and I'd like to ask about them.

• In RTW diplomats could bribe everybody other than faction leaders and heirs, it was only a matter of price. In M2TW even when I cheated myself a 1000000 I couldn't bribe anybody, not even rebels. How does it work now?
• Is there any way to get movement point bars in agent/army lists? There are way more agents now, but the interface became less functional.
• That's more just whining than a question, but M2TW has very low faction diversity. Everybody gets Town Militia, Spear Militia, Mailed Knights, or something with very similar stats to them as basic units, plus almost the same ships, almost the same artillery, almost the same sets of buildings. Differences between factions seems to be just a few stat points on otherwise identical units. Basically the game feels the same no matter which faction. I liked RTW diversity a lot more, even when it totally ignored history like with Egypt. Any mods that fix that?
• Is it just my experience or do M2TW battles have a lot higher proportion of sieges than in RTW? It's probably good for AI as settlements now offer a lot better protection, but I liked field battles.
• Any helpful tricks how to reduce micromanagement? I use toggle_fow to avoid walking agents around/trading maps/building watchtowers boredom, but I still need to use Priests and Merchants and fight Rebels.
• What to do with Princesses? Should I just use them as Diplomats or should I marry them to someone? They seem worth very little both ways.

Thanks for help.

[Oman2nd]

Well. I enjoyed both fairly equally, but i have to say, M2TW is more my favorite, but it's also the harder one, i reckon. running into Finacial problems at the start is annoying thing which i didn't have a problem with in RTW.
As for the field battles, thats really a personal choice, but if you want field battles, you can just use a Custom battle (it's what i do to let off steam!)
As for the Princesses, I end up marrying them off straight away, so i never really get any of them, but i think the alliances are tighter with Marrige.

[taw]

Well. I enjoyed both fairly equally, but i have to say, M2TW is more my favorite, but it's also the harder one, i reckon. running into Finacial problems at the start is annoying thing which i didn't have a problem with in RTW.

What difficulty/faction are you playing? I think M2TW is much easier financially:

• decent garrisons in cities are free, M2TW's militia units are a lot better than RTW's Peasants/Town Militia - if you play one of Italian factions you can win the game with just Italian Spear Militias. Nobody won RTW with Town Militia.
• you do not need to keep a huge army just in case - every castle can recruit 3 units per turn. 6 mailed knights + a halfstack of militias from nearby cities are definitely enough for a small war; don't ever keep big armies that you're not using - depending on unit type 1-5 turns upkeep costs as much as a fresh unit
• you get free 1500-2500/turn depending on faction
• forget trade for a moment, start with farms and raise taxes - farming and taxes are your primary sources of income in M2TW, not trade like in RTW, only do trade after you have at least third level farms, first level mines (or even second level, mine income varies a lot between regions), and population happy enough to let you raise taxes
• Allied AIs seems a lot less likely to backstab you than in RTW, so it's much easier to have just one war at a time.

[zedestroyer]

Nobody won RTW with Town Militia.

I won a campaign using militia hoplites and militia cavalry with the Seleucids and other with Thrace.

[cracks2]

(1) Bribing rebels is defiantly possible, it never works the fist time and usually costs more that the cost for a complete new army to kill them. As for factions I think the vassal option and demanding a city option will be a more feasible negotiation. I have never had a vassal, even though I have really tried. I’ve tried the wiping them out down to one city and putting 2-3 stacks around them and demanding them to become vassals and I’ve also tried having good relations and giving them gift after gift, then even tried to exchange a city for them to be my vassals but it has never worked…

(2) No answer here.

(3) Don’t really agree with you on this although even more unique units would always be more fun.

(4) I have about the same amount of field battles and sieges.

(5) I really enjoy agent management so I have no tips.

(6) Totally agree here I don’t get much out of them ether.

[Pfundner]

• I couldn't bribe anybody, not even rebels. How does it work now?

i totally agree, bribing sucks in med

• M2TW has very low faction diversity. I liked RTW diversity a lot more, even when it totally ignored history like with Egypt. Any mods that fix that?

totally agree with u here too, RTW had so much more sticking power, because u cud choose a different faction and have a completely different feel in RTW, not like that with med. once ive done a campaign i usually get bored and uninstall for a few months. As for mods, if u get kingdoms and then stainless steel it incorporates all the kingdoms units which is a lot better

• Is it just my experience or do M2TW battles have a lot higher proportion of sieges than in RTW?

Havnt noticed this myself, i have enough field battles to suit my needs. besides, i almost always auto resolve sieges when attacking, u suffer less casualties and as long as u win it doesnt matter how many u kill, they all die anyway when u take the settlement.

• What to do with Princesses? Should I just use them as Diplomats or should I marry them to someone? They seem worth very little both ways.

I never use them for diplomacy rly, infact i hardly use diplomacy at all, it sucks. other than maps and trade rights i can hardly ever get any agreements out of people