I find difficulty Hard not that hard, actually quite easy

[Jakkka123]

But playing VeryHard .. The AI just spams spams spams. I really can't figure out how they recruit HUGE armies within one turn over and over again from a settlement, when the population of the settlement is at the lowest point (400) when i capture it.

But damn it's difficult, I'm playing with France. I just took over one settlement from the HRE, but it took me almost 40 turns. While playing only on Hard, i would have taken almost all their territory

[General_Zavier]

The best advice I can give you is that the early game is all about mercenaries. Since there are so many of them everywhere, and since they have relatively cheap upkeep, you can just recruit them instead of wasting population on your own units. Additionally, since there are so many mercs everywhere if you're really short on population in a city, just take the expensive route of recruiting several units of mercs and disbanding them for the population boom.

Also, I usually recruit 3 or 4 units of peasants in all my settlements and disband all my front line men (FLM are damn near useless and peasants have cheaper upkeep). Since just about every civ has at least one minor city, you want to get that minor city ready to pump out feudal knights asap. They are by far the most useful early game unit because they dominate mailed cavalry and most early infantry, have less of a population drain than infantry, and you can get them in at least 4 turns (dismounted feudal knights, a comperable infantry take at least 7 or 8 turns because you have to build the smith building and barracks building first.)

Those are just my two cents. I might write an opening moves guide for a couple civs (a guide to some good moves to make during the first 5 or 10 turns) because it seems like some people are struggling lol.

[Mataputas]

I might write an opening moves guide for a couple civs (a guide to some good moves to make during the first 5 or 10 turns) because it seems like some people are struggling lol.

That would be great. I'm quite interested in people giving there oppinion on how play the campaign/pros and cons of campaign mode.

[General_Zavier]

That would be great. I'm quite interested in people giving there oppinion on how play the campaign/pros and cons of campaign mode.

Yeah I'd definitely do that. Do you think you could upload the original export_desc_units file? Mine has been modified a bit for my own personal preferences (ex: in the middle ages heavy cavalry charge should be super powerful so i've added about 7 to the charge bonus of all mounted troops, and a several other minor tweaks like that.)

That way I'll be able to do a better job of writing opening moves guides since I'll actually have the same stats as everyone else.

[Hopit]

The best advice I can give you is that the early game is all about mercenaries. Since there are so many of them everywhere, and since they have relatively cheap upkeep, you can just recruit them instead of wasting population on your own units. Additionally, since there are so many mercs everywhere if you're really short on population in a city, just take the expensive route of recruiting several units of mercs and disbanding them for the population boom.

Also, I usually recruit 3 or 4 units of peasants in all my settlements and disband all my front line men (FLM are damn near useless and peasants have cheaper upkeep). Since just about every civ has at least one minor city, you want to get that minor city ready to pump out feudal knights asap. They are by far the most useful early game unit because they dominate mailed cavalry and most early infantry, have less of a population drain than infantry, and you can get them in at least 4 turns (dismounted feudal knights, a comperable infantry take at least 7 or 8 turns because you have to build the smith building and barracks building first.)

Those are just my two cents. I might write an opening moves guide for a couple civs (a guide to some good moves to make during the first 5 or 10 turns) because it seems like some people are struggling lol.

what o.O! how then they can defeat feudal knights at ease in hard difficult?

[General_Zavier]

what o.O! how then they can defeat feudal knights at ease in hard difficult?

Because the computer player gets attack and defense bonuses the higher the difficulty. Besides, you shouldn't be charging your feudal knights (or any cavalry for that matter) into the front of spearmen. And if you do charge into the front of a unit, you don't want your cavalry to just sit there getting mowed down by infantry, you want to have them withdraw and charge again. The charge bonus is way more effective than simply having your cavalry sit in melee.

[C-Rob]

yeah, mercenaries save my ass in the early game. At least until more than half my nation can build sergeants or better.
Fortunately, I think I see mostly spearmen, which suck. They route to almost anything.

Get catapults asap. That'll quicken up taking cities, creating population via justtaking the city or enslavement.

[Mataputas]

Try this one:

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=I718B56G

It's not the original one, but if you're gonna test anything, I'd prefer you do it with that EDU

[Hopit]

I usually attack from behind, unless I've run out of options and they seem always catch me before they get far enough to charge againg
edit: and it seems I get more done with mailed cavalry than feudal knights, is that normal?