Rebels

[Kaidonni]

I'm wondering what the consequences of this might be...

Thus far, I have been very unsatisified with Medieval II. I've never given it a chance because I always feel something is off. Vanilla, to me, was unacceptable. I've given mods a go, but again, I always feel something is off, even there.

The thing that irks me about KGCM and discourages me from really giving it a try are the large factions at the start. I like the empire-building, rebel-fighting type of start, and I feel that in this mod, I'm going to be thrust into fighting the other factions too soon, that my 'homelands' are already conquered. I prefer smaller starts, usually two or three provinces, although I err on the side of two. I get worried about what four province starts will do for my preferred style. Sicily, for example, to me, should need to be conquering southern Italy - yet in most mods, they just about have it all (the one mod they don't I have been put off from playing because it goes way overboard with rebels, too far in the other direction for it to even be funny when playing some factions). Denmark, to me, should probably only have Arhus and the tip of Sweden (can't remember settlement names), and there'd be fun conquering the rest of the Baltic.

Of course, what I'm really saying is, I prefer smaller starts, more rebel provinces before getting down to the main factions. The feeling that my homelands still have to be gathered. Now, I'd mod it myself, but I'd have to do every faction (the times I have tried just one faction, in another mod, it felt flat and artificial). I don't know how it would mess with game balance, or what armies/characters to give the rebel settlements. I know how to mod, don't get me wrong, it's just the WHAT, and the consequences, and how to make sure those consequences are avoided (the negative, game-breaking ones, not the positive ones ).

Any ideas on this? Since as I like the idea of HHB and how it adds extra factions, etc, I'd probably focus on that and how this would take shape in that mod (as a sort of add-on, if that is permissible).

[Frunk]

The thing with KGCM and especially HH&B is that the game is so much more difficult in terms of the much improved AI that you'll cherish every settlement you have to begin with. I used to like the way you play it too, but nowadays that's just too easy and, frankly, boring. Diplomacy comes very little into the conquering of masses of rebels, and of course they can rarely field a decent army. The mod features plenty of insurgencies that will often crop up and block your roads and knock out watchtowers, and that is enough in my opinion. It just takes a bit of getting used to. Simply editing provinces to rebel control would totally throw out the already extremely delicate game balance and you'd have to fiddle with finances, settlement details, and no doubt unit rosters to consolidate. More trouble than it'd be worth in my opinion. Try a faction like Wales, perhaps. They have Norwegian Castle Town right near by for the taking and can choose between 3 preoccupied factions in the Irish, Scottish and English in which to attack and expand relatively easily if you play your cards right - diplomacy, that is. Putting one up against the other to the best advantage. It's an art, and a fun one to master.