Best way to play this mod?

[supeerme]

Hello! I am always losing to anyone due to the fact that despite me acting like turtles, I was unable to do much. so what would be a good tactic for someone like me? Should I be investing in troops or buildings instead?

[magraev]

XGM is a lot harder than Vanilla. If you are having difficulties I suggest either
1) blitz in the beginning - helps a lot, and makes the game easier
2) sea-trade is the most importand thing for improving your economy, so build ports before any other buildings
3) play at a lower difficulty-level...
4) if you're really hurting consider modding the game. I've removed the monument buildings in the game script and that seems to slow down the opponents a lot

[Achea]

Install with reduced AI bonuses and play at lowest diffculty settings.

[Publius Quirinus]

Hello! I am always losing to anyone due to the fact that despite me acting like turtles, I was unable to do much. so what would be a good tactic for someone like me? Should I be investing in troops or buildings instead?

If you're a turtler playing on full bonuses is a bad idea. Even on reduced bonuses turtling will be hard unless you're a good player, consider halving the reduced AI bonuses. I find that it's a good middle-point between AIs outpacing you effortlessly and being a cakewalk.

Or if you're a good fighter you could go on a sacking spree - exterminate, leave with token garrison, move on. It will cripple them for a bit and give you some breathing space (and nice cashy money to play around with).

[Durnaug]

I just started playing my first ever XGM game and I chose the Greeks. I disabled AI bonuses and am playing on hard/hard and it is Hard, strangely enough

I find what works for me is the blitzing option - get one or two good armies into someone's backyard (i.e. the Ptolemaics) and just keep sacking towns. I was outnumbered, thought I was beat on several occasions then suddenly found myself with a battered stack but no more Ptolemaic stacks west of the Nile.

My main worry is Scythia on my northern border. They are still neutral but I keep reading dire warnings in the forums about this faction. And there they are, as predicted. I suspect I will have to start raiding north of the Black Sea.

So yes, sack 'em and leave 'em seems to work thus far for this noob.

[scubatim84]

I just started playing my first ever XGM game and I chose the Greeks. I disabled AI bonuses and am playing on hard/hard and it is Hard, strangely enough

I find what works for me is the blitzing option - get one or two good armies into someone's backyard (i.e. the Ptolemaics) and just keep sacking towns. I was outnumbered, thought I was beat on several occasions then suddenly found myself with a battered stack but no more Ptolemaic stacks west of the Nile.

My main worry is Scythia on my northern border. They are still neutral but I keep reading dire warnings in the forums about this faction. And there they are, as predicted. I suspect I will have to start raiding north of the Black Sea.

So yes, sack 'em and leave 'em seems to work thus far for this noob.

As GCS, your best defense against Scythia (and Parthia) is to spam Thorakitai and/or Marines...full army stacks of them will still get hammered by the coward cav spam, but they will at least be victorious usually.

[nhinhonhinho]

As GCS, your best defense against Scythia (and Parthia) is to spam Thorakitai and/or Marines...full army stacks of them will still get hammered by the coward cav spam, but they will at least be victorious usually.

And take them out quickly too! If you leave Parthian and Scythian alone for too long. It's most likely you will see a horde of Cataphract knocking your door. Then you're doom unleash you own the West

Oh and don't forget Rhodes. It boost 40% of sea trade income

[Grimbold]

I dont find playing as GCS fun anymore. The most fun part is the start, surviving Macedon. After that its just roll over everyone. I've recently moved on to hard/hard gameplay and the situation isnt that different from the lower bracket.

Now playing the same way as Gaul and noticing the same thing.

[Durnaug]

And take them out quickly too! If you leave Parthian and Scythian alone for too long. It's most likely you will see a horde of Cataphract knocking your door. Then you're doom unleash you own the West

Oh and don't forget Rhodes. It boost 40% of sea trade income

Will do and merci pour la advice.

[Hurlbut]

and a lot of archers in your cities threaten by the scythia/parthia. Just make sure to have one or two good melee spear units (not phalangite, unless they can break through the gates or breach the wall) for when they finally get a tower or ram break through.

[Durnaug]

Thanks for the advice. I'll stack Thorakitai on my border with scythia and stick lots of archers, with their support spear units, in threatened cities.

[supeerme]

How do you reduce the bonus that the ai gets? I have put recuced bonus but it was still a bit tricky so I want to reduce it further.

[nhinhonhinho]

32" LCD HDTV is a good once mate