I find this extremely annoying...

[Oberbefehlshaber]

I am about 40 turns in with Gondor on VH/VH (like they say you are supposed to play it) and I can barely keep a full stack and have enough money left over to construct any buildings. Not to mention Mordor and Hadrad are slamming me with two to three full stacks each and every turn, how is it possible for me to defend against six stacks each turn (literally) with just one of my own and just one unit in each of my settlements. I hate econ bonuses for the AI to the point when it just turns out to be one giant gang-rape to the player...

[crazyman fromrussia]

Basically, take Barad harn, E Oscilioth, Cain Andros, Annuloid, and that island city (forgot the name). These cities will provide a good amount of income.After that, fill the first three cities with as much militia as you can afford. Slowly build up your economy while defeating Harad and Mordor at your city walls. If you can afford it, completely block off Harad's ports. This will significantly lessen the stack spamming of Harad. Once you get better units, start pushing Mordor and Harad back. Take a few cities at a time and slowly start building a Gondorian empire. After that, well I haven't gotten any further in my game, but that is my strategy

[Rorarii]

LOL! yes, been there. i found setting up trading agreements and building economic buildings, especially banks, ASAP is the key.

But does that give me the "Feel" of LOTR? .. NO! ..more like an economics class - budgeting!!!

But this is not a TATW issue, more a TW issue. i would like to see units costs come down as well as removal of most economic buildings. maybe just keep a Market. milita units should be cheapish / free but high maintenance. This is what i'll probably do in my mod?

R

[Oberbefehlshaber]

Unfortunately, I dont have the patients to defend against a siege each turn. When I play I want it to be hard but fair, not hard to the point of being unplayable. If I defeat a stack from mordor, I need to feel like they took a hit, not like I'm spinning my wheeles in the mud, I have to enjoy myself you know . From now on I'll probably play on H/H and see if thats better.

[Caesar']

Unfortunately, I dont have the patients to defend against a siege each turn. When I play I want it to be hard but fair, not hard to the point of being unplayable. If I defeat a stack from mordor, I need to feel like they took a hit, not like I'm spinning my wheeles in the mud, I have to enjoy myself you know . From now on I'll probably play on H/H and see if thats better.

restart and try M/M ?

[eugenioso]

Unfortunately, I dont have the patients to defend against a siege each turn. When I play I want it to be hard but fair, not hard to the point of being unplayable. If I defeat a stack from mordor, I need to feel like they took a hit, not like I'm spinning my wheeles in the mud, I have to enjoy myself you know . From now on I'll probably play on H/H and see if thats better.

if you need to feel like the enemy just took a hit each time you defeat yet another nameless host of 10000 orcs, feel free to try this game:

http://forums.taleworlds.net/index.p...ic,5204.0.html

please no hate from advertising other games.

[Neige]

if you need to feel like the enemy just took a hit each time you defeat yet another nameless host of 10000 orcs, feel free to try this game:

http://forums.taleworlds.net/index.p...ic,5204.0.html

please no hate from advertising other games.

That's uncool!

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[Maverock]

Basically, take Barad harn, E Oscilioth, Cain Andros, Annuloid, and that island city (forgot the name). These cities will provide a good amount of income.After that, fill the first three cities with as much militia as you can afford. Slowly build up your economy while defeating Harad and Mordor at your city walls. If you can afford it, completely block off Harad's ports. This will significantly lessen the stack spamming of Harad. Once you get better units, start pushing Mordor and Harad back. Take a few cities at a time and slowly start building a Gondorian empire. After that, well I haven't gotten any further in my game, but that is my strategy

Exactly

Stop wining about bad economics and try different strategies.
I took Umbar and that other southern coastal village - those give alot of money after culture is converted. The economics make the game more challenging, not impossible.

[A1_Unit]

How about E/E.

[Swanny777]

Bwahaha

M/H FTW

(I love to sim)

[hugorune]

I also found stack spamming at VH/VH frustrating.

I look at it this way: I play at whatever setting I find fun. But in choosing to play at a difficulty setting below VH/VH, I forfeit my right to whinge about the mod being too easy, or brag about my accomplishments (without providing the disclaimer that the game is at M/M)

[Oberbefehlshaber]

I look at it this way: I play at whatever setting I find fun.

You know where I'm coming from, it seems some people don't know games are a leisure activity .
I'm glad that the VH/VH mode is there for people who wish to test themselves, but I have no idea why the devs recommended it..

[Momus]

I also found stack spamming at VH/VH frustrating.

Yeah but pull on your greaves, plumed helm, pick up your sword and spear and shout :sparta:
and knuckle down and slaughter all those multitudes of orcs at the base of your walls

The sound of dying orcs is the sound of victory.....

[Blackorc]

I play Gondor Campain To vh/vh and I know what you mean but I like countless Herioc Victories and fighting 3 factions is really a challenge (Isengard,Mordor,Harad, Rohan died). More enemies make the game even better
Also Pelargir,Minas Tirith,Dol Amroth are greate income cities, (2500,3000+,3000+).Also build many gondor milita they are really good and are not verry expensive. With gondor you can easy defend cities with couple of spearman/militia and a general and always execute armies.

[Terafis]

This is how I do it on all my factions -

• Immediate land rush to get as many grey regions as possible
• Dirt roads and the starter farm for each region
• Keep armies only in the bottleneck regions where my enemies are, all the rest only have a general
• Take the nearest region in enemy control, and gift it to another evil faction they are not allied with (a buffer zone). Reason I do this rather than gift it to your ally is they just wont go near it, and if they do then they are at war with each other (I find Isengard works best as Gondor)
• Taxes on very low across the board
• Turtle for ~40 turns only building city upgrades, garrison buildings and armories (and archery)
• Send out diplomat securing trade with everyone and peace with enemies if possible

Then blitzkrieg

[poetic totalwar]

Nex Addo, I feel your pain. Read this:

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=279156

It seems like people here misunderstand us, no matter how much we try to explain. It's not that we want an easy game. It's just that our play styles are different.

To most of the people here, their idea of fun is fighting against horde after horde and stack after stack. But our play style is different. We prefer QUALITY over QUANTITY.

As I said before, I would much prefer fewer battles which are challenging and decisive. Battles that make a difference. Rather than many many fights that don't seem to make a dent in the opponent.

If I defeat a stack from mordor, I need to feel like they took a hit, not like I'm spinning my wheeles in the mud

Indeed. This is what I mean by "decisive" battles. I want to my victory to actually weaken my opponent in some way.

(P.S. I should add that things seem to have calmed down in patch 1.2. Stack spamming seems to be less of an issue, but it might just be me)

[Neige]

I am playing on M/VH.
poetic totalwar, I totally agree with you!

[eugenioso]

let me try and help you with your problem.

i am a vet from hundreds of games, all the way from Shogun TW to MTW2 Kingdoms (ETW too much for my poor 3 yrs old laptop), and ive found one absolute truth in all warfare: production wins wars.

allow me to explain:

the more money you have, the more equipment you can give to soldiers

the more equipment you can give to soldiers, the better.

simple.


in order to win as any faction in any TW game (or any war game, i guess), is to start making as much money as possible. without money you cant fund war, you see. anything else other than income is a second priority.

so, how do you make money? to answer that question, ask yourself: where do you spend money?

lets try to number the reasons:

upkeep, building units/buildings.

but of course, building the right kinds of buildings net you more money, ergo more income. so, your first priority is to build money producing buildings.

without going into much detail, buildings that produce money are farming upgrades and trading buildings (markets and ports apply). build these whenever possible.

tax is most important. as a rule, big cities should be taxed until city happiness reaches 75 to 80%. any less and cities will revolt. smaller cities have less citizens to tax, and higher taxation drives population away, so keep those to low tax rate.

finally, returning to a point established earlier inpost, lets talk about upkeep.

upkeep is what you pay someone so he can do a task for you.

soldiers require upkeep.

solution? disband soldier.

if you see a small village guarded by the equivalent of an army of swan knights of dol amroth, then you may be mentally unstable your strategy must be well planned and dont need to read this post anymore.

the trick is to keep the very bare minimum number of men guarding any given place of importance (read: village). anyone else who is not a necessary warrior may be disbanded at will.

----------------------------

execute all these tricks at the very first turn of the game. money should now fall from the sky. if problems persist, consult your nearest Maiar or call 555-4263253 if located near Minas tirith, (02) 133-728766 if located in near premises of Barad-Dur, and 123*7278626 for Rohan(*)

*Fangorn Forest not implemented into service.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Maiar services provided only to Middle Earth. Eriador is not considered into helpdesk.

if you didnt get the phone reference, open spoiler (if you got it, w/e. open it anyway, like you would listen to warning):

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

lol, do you have a cellphone nearby?
4263253 = GANDALF
728766 = SAURON
7278626 = SARUMAN

you people make me sick

[MAMO72]

let me try and help you with your problem.

i am a vet from hundreds of games, all the way from Shogun TW to MTW2 Kingdoms (ETW too much for my poor 3 yrs old laptop), and ive found one absolute truth in all warfare: production wins wars.

allow me to explain:

the more money you have, the more equipment you can give to soldiers

the more equipment you can give to soldiers, the better.

simple.


in order to win as any faction in any TW game (or any war game, i guess), is to start making as much money as possible. without money you cant fund war, you see. anything else other than income is a second priority.

so, how do you make money? to answer that question, ask yourself: where do you spend money?

lets try to number the reasons:

upkeep, building units/buildings.

but of course, building the right kinds of buildings net you more money, ergo more income. so, your first priority is to build money producing buildings.

without going into much detail, buildings that produce money are farming upgrades and trading buildings (markets and ports apply). build these whenever possible.

tax is most important. as a rule, big cities should be taxed until city happiness reaches 75 to 80%. any less and cities will revolt. smaller cities have less citizens to tax, and higher taxation drives population away, so keep those to low tax rate.

finally, returning to a point established earlier inpost, lets talk about upkeep.

upkeep is what you pay someone so he can do a task for you.

soldiers require upkeep.

solution? disband soldier.

if you see a small village guarded by the equivalent of an army of swan knights of dol amroth, then you may be mentally unstable your strategy must be well planned and dont need to read this post anymore.

the trick is to keep the very bare minimum number of men guarding any given place of importance (read: village). anyone else who is not a necessary warrior may be disbanded at will.

I agree with this guy here. I usally set taxes at the highest level, wherever the happiness allow me to do that. Second, I go on with the upgrades of smallest settlements first, because their are much more cheaper than others. Upgrade warfare facilities only in cities/castles far away from your borders, if you can, that's will allow you to always have quality troops. Move your capital in the middle of your kingdom to freeze corruption. Until Mordor deploy Holog-Hai you will be pretty sure to be able to defend your walls in W.Osgliath and Cair-Andros with your cheap militia. In the south Harad won't be a problem until Mumakil (but only in open field) to stop their pressure you must take Goben-Tol-Falas and Barad-Harad (or something like that, aniway the city after the land-bridge) and give this last one to one of your allies or other free people in exchange of alliance and trade rights. Most important, as soon as possible raise a stack to send in Mordor to siege and sack their settlements, so you will slow their possibility to have Heavy Uruks and Holog-Hai early in the game, the optimum would be for you to take Minas Morgul. This strategy will let you reach another goal: to stop the invasion from east and south against your ally Rohan.

[eugenioso]

I agree with this guy here. I usally set taxes at the highest level, wherever the happiness allow me to do that. Second, I go on with the upgrades of smallest settlements first, because their are much more cheaper than others. Upgrade warfare facilities only in cities/castles far away from your borders, if you can, that's will allow you to always have quality troops. Move your capital in the middle of your kingdom to freeze corruption. Until Mordor deploy Holog-Hai you will be pretty sure to be able to defend your walls in W.Osgliath and Cair-Andros with your cheap militia. In the south Harad won't be a problem until Mumakil (but only in open field) to stop their pressure you must take Goben-Tol-Falas and Barad-Harad (or something like that, aniway the city after the land-bridge) and give this last one to one of your allies or other free people in exchange of alliance and trade rights. Most important, as soon as possible raise a stack to send in Mordor to siege and sack their settlements, so you will slow their possibility to have Heavy Uruks and Holog-Hai early in the game, the optimum would be for you to take Minas Morgul. This strategy will let you reach another goal: to stop the invasion from east and south against your ally Rohan.

i guess youre not on legal right to explain GAMEY tactics such as those.

if LOTR was more like your strategy, damn... gondor would whoop Sauron's geriatric arse back to Arda.

when i play any game, i limit my own abilities to make the game more challenging. that means: no exploiting the ridiculous AI of Total War Games. sure, you can go ahead and take over all of mordor by turn 27-28 with a quick rush, but what would be the point of that? the whole point of the mod (IMOO) is to try and emulate warfare during the war of the ring using the Total War engine.

other than that, the "strategy" is acceptable, but to me its too cheap to be real.