How to make TW games challenging?

[Parzival2211]

I feel that, in general, the only way to make TW games challenging (as long as the AI is no match for human players on equal terms) is to create special campaigns that can only be played with 1 faction (geared to making it difficult for human players by giving bigger armies, more money, more settlements to the AI opponents).

What do you think?

[Magmaniac]

Nah there are plenty of ways to make it challenging. Try to set goals for yourself.
Here I'll set up a challenging campaign for you.

Start as Pontus, play on VH/VH. For every settlement you take, you have to abandon one of your previous settlements, so your total number of settlements never is more than what you start with. You may only take territories that border your current territories. You must never use fleets. Once your conquer the city of Rome you may do as you please.

Have fun, good luck, see you in a year when you've completed that challenge.

[Sephiroth]

Wow, Iv gatta try it lol.

[Parzival2211]

That's an interesting idea, but it shouldn't take the player to come up with some special rules to make a game challenging. already playing on VH/VH comes at a price - the balancing in battles is totally off, and on the campaign map, diplomacy becomes irrelevant.

Of course, it would be greatest to face an AI that can be a challenge on equal terms, but until then, I think CA should rather stick to my idea as stated in the first post of this thread. But they should still offer the grand campaign as well.

[wierdo5000]

there are many ways to change AI difficulty (namely mods). However i believe if you go in and rewrite the scripts, you can give the AI troops all +3 exp (bronze chevrons, the arrow like thingies). I dont know how, but i get owned by AI whenever they do this, cuz they build up exp so fastttt.

[Lysimachus]

Stop saving and loading when things go wrong, don't use exploits against the AI and don't pause during battles.

[wierdo5000]

lol that tooo

[Parzival2211]

not pausing sounds good. I guess I would find it hard to resist though :-p

[Final Frontier]

Like stated before, making the game more challenging lies with the player. The only idea that I can suggest: Keep diversity in armies- Don't favor production of one unit.

Other than that, you could try mods, but there's only so much you can do.

[Delysid]

-Use generals camera in battles.
-never use toggle_fow
-migration campaigns, e.g. play as scythia and migtate to italy, attack SPRQ head on and start your empire from rome abandoning your origional settlements you started with.
-dont blitz the enemy, wait 20 turns before serious expansion at the start of a campaign.
-make mini kingdoms and try to survive, e.g. as romans dont expand out if italy.

[Parzival2211]

Some mods seem to make quite a difference. Which is the most difficult mod?

I like the idea of waiting for 20 turns before expanding, the general's cam also sounds cool, after all, that is still artificial. It shouldn't be up to the player to make the game challenging, but to the producers, shouldn't it?

[Chicken]

Some mods seem to make quite a difference. Which is the most difficult mod?

I like the idea of waiting for 20 turns before expanding, the general's cam also sounds cool, after all, that is still artificial. It shouldn't be up to the player to make the game challenging, but to the producers, shouldn't it?

The most difficult mod in terms of battles has to be SPQR-TW, as you just HAVE to play battle after battle, and having 20 stacks of angry gauls coming down from the north waiting to sack rome every term is something you see every turn

[Space Wolves]

1) Play the game on VH/VH,
2)allow the AI at least 15-20 turns respite before you make your moves
3) Cry very very hard

[Chicken]

1) Play the game on VH/VH,
2)allow the AI at least 15-20 turns respite before you make your moves
3) Cry very very hard

i do all three already

[HanatielHawk]

Wauw you really don't know how you want to make your game challenging?
Here are some tips:
1) Play on VH/VH
2) If you prefer another factions thats fine with me, but for extra challenge play with Numidia, The Greek City States or Pontus/Armenia
3) Give the other factions LOADS of money and don't YOU dare to cheat
4) Make terrible mistakes in the beginning and try to restore them again, such as challeging a pirate fleet with only 1 card of Biremes and your best faction leader and heir aboard them and letting your fleet sink. Or lose a great battle. After 20 turns you should be able to ed up your empire, try to restore it!
5) In case you're not that type that can ruin your faction by making mistakes, let others do it for you! More unexpected fun!
6) Say "oops" and disband your best full stack, fully experienced with 10command general the general can sit behind his desk again!

I think you can go on with these tips a few more day's on rome, or maybe weeks or months.

[Finch]

use peasants or low units to conquer everything if that was possible and that would make it very challenging indeed

[nvm]

Play with only one unit like Hastati. You may think its not that challenging, but the point is, that you have to play a long campaign and that you can`t train them after the Reforms, yet you still must play using only Hastati! And your only bet is the Senate giving you troops. And using general`s bodyguards. It will definitely be hard to spare as many of hastati as you need to finish campaign. Oh, and by the way, play as the Julii or Scipii, because they, unlike the Brutii are not likely to start civil war before Reforms. You can make the challenge after reforms easier, by allowing yourself to recruit Samnite Mercenaries.

[Parzival2211]

Thank you guys for your creative ideas.

[|Sith| Max]

I feel that, in general, the only way to make TW games challenging (as long as the AI is no match for human players on equal terms) is to create special campaigns that can only be played with 1 faction (geared to making it difficult for human players by giving bigger armies, more money, more settlements to the AI opponents).

What do you think?

I feel you are in dire need of a good game on the multiplayer.

[Parzival2211]

I feel you are in dire need of a good game on the multiplayer.

I also play MP, but the essence of the game - at least for me - is still the campaign.