Have you ever messed up a Campaign?

[Galain_Ironhide]

Not to say I've messed up my latest game as Gondor completely, however I have made it hard for myself in my current predicament.

Playing with submod MOS1.3 with Expanded Maps.

I am in turn 67 (early days), I have not nearly worked on my economy near enough, concentrated too early on making my Generals front line cavalry, defending the Ithilien area, rather than making some good Governers - I've lost many as a result. I have pushed the Harad back past Has Yayb and Harondor however I lack the manpower to push on or possibly defend when the Harad finally field a decent army.

The orcs are starting to field stack spam with at least 2 troll units and have me pinned currently at Emyn Amen, plus the mighty Sauron has just called an invasion on Minas Tirith where I really do lack the garrison to hold out for too long. However, we'll see I guess.

Regrets:
- Did not concentrate on economy in the first 50 turns.
- Didn't make enought Governers out of my Generals.
- Did not build the "Beacons of Gondor" at Minas Tirith - which I think is really going to hurt now.
- Tried to capitalise on the Harad too soon rather than be patient.


The game is not lost (nor am I complaining), in fact I'm glad I've made some epic blunders in this game to really make it interesting for me. Can I make it out? - probably. Will it make me sweat? you betcha.

Have you or are you currently in a game where you have thought, "well I could have done that better" ?

(PS. not looking for advice - although gladly accepted, this is for stories of disaster)

[Dutch-Balrog]

I ed up every campaign by not rushing enough with the expansion of my empire... But i really hate that fast capturing because you'll be broke if you don't. -.- I love taking all the time i need.
So yeah i made my own personal economical system now (Based on the one in MOS, but a little bit improved to my taste) and well, it's going fine.

[Stylix]

So yeah i made my own personal economical system now (Based on the one in MOS, but a little bit improved to my taste) and well, it's going fine.

Kind of like Captain Kirk's solution to the Kobayashi Maru situation?
Surreptitiously reprogrammed the simulator; "I don't believe in the no-win scenario."

[Dutch-Balrog]

Kind of like Captain Kirk's solution to the Kobayashi Maru situation?
Surreptitiously reprogrammed the simulator; "I don't believe in the no-win scenario."

It's still balanced, the AI is still haxing at me.

[ErgoSumm]

There is nothing like a bit of tinkering in the internals of a game's economic systems to solve all you money problems,
or...... get you suspended from starfleet.......
Unfortunatly I deleted all my Kingdoms files, and lost my campagins, but as Eridor I was going well, expanding and attempting to attack Carn Dum. Unfortunatly Left my defences open and had no central reserve, so last I saw a 3/4 Orc stack heading for bree (complete with snow trolls)....

[asplenc]

I always mess my campaigns up at some point by forgetting something small yet important, such as moving units around and putting a building in construction. I always save loads of versions of the campaign so i can go back and rectify........ and learn from the mistake.

[divad]

I really messed up my very first campaign: when I discovered the mod I absolutely wanted to play orcs. Chose Gundabad.
It had been a very long time since I had play a total war game, and I played as bad as you can imagine
- Sent my armies in all directions without really checking who I was at war with.
- Disdained economy (governor? what for?).

So I jumped at the throat of Eriador, begun to beat them... and was totally caught off balance when an army of dwarves took Gundabad from me.
Some 10 turns later, I had re taken Gundabad but lost what I had conquered in Eriador.
Again some 10 turns and I had lost Gundabad again to the dwarves, this time with Eriador armies at my door.

I had to fight on 2 opposite fronts, with barely enough troops to defend 1. And no money left.
That's when I gave up, but I will play OOG again one day!

[Mikail Mengsk]

Nah, i always have a plan.

[Heheggg]

When I rush harad, I usually make a naval assumlt from dol amroth on Umbar, and then go southward while boromir take the north of harad.

[Moritol]

I messed up my first Isengard campaign campaign after 20 turns, playing MOS 1.3, because I focused to much on eco... had enough money, but my recruitment options were limited, so Rohan steamrolled me.

Didn't make that mistake twice . Military construction first.

[Keyser_Soze]

Most my failures have been related to being cocky and sending an army to win with expectation of a heroic victory, where I'm more likely to get an average victory, or even defeat.

Economy needs to be worked on first. Expansion should be taken upon when you can't improve your economy substantially in any other way (generally when all roads and farms are built).

After this, try and develop some military infrastructure, enough to raise a defence should you suffer a critical defeat and leave yourself defenceless. Also, you don't want to be on the offensive against Mordor or Isengard with Gondor militia or Eorling axemen- Get the capacity to raise more advanced troops!

Then, expansion is a safe and viable option. Expansion in any other way is typically high-risk.

The Garrison script and Stack Spam kind of entrenches gameplay in a way, forcing this. Without it, it'd be possible to get a decisive victory against Mordor with just a few strikes and one stack, but this just isn't possible. As Gondor, it takes a long time to gain the economic capacity to launch a full strike against Mordor, which requires at least 2, preferably 3 stacks, to crush Barad Dur, Minas Morgul and the Black Gate. Economy is very important.

[Galain_Ironhide]

After this, try and develop some military infrastructure, enough to raise a defence should you suffer a critical defeat and leave yourself defenceless. Also, you don't want to be on the offensive against Mordor or Isengard with Gondor militia or Eorling axemen- Get the capacity to raise more advanced troops!

This is a big issue for my campaign at the moment. I have roughly 1000 men holding Harondor with not much hope of reinforcement for the time being - thanks to the slow turnover for new units, limited economy and an invasion at Minas Tirith to defend. Should I lose the Harondor garrison, Harad could easily clean me out all the way back to Emyn Amen / E.Osgiliath on the east side of my lands. It would also expose a largely undefended Pelagir and Hyarpende to an assault as well.

I have a decent sized stack at Has Yayb, made up of mainly Dol Amroth units and militias which I was anticipating to use against their capital of Tharven, however relentless stack spam has pretty much pinned me there too.

All is not lost, I will prevail! (such an optimist I am )

Economy is very important.

Too true, if I had done things differently..........
However I am glad that I have stuck with my current campaign and have no intentions of starting again. Plus I have learnt from my mistakes. I like to think about it, that if this was real warfare and real lives I was toying with, there would be no restart button. So I have to lay in the bed I made and help the poor men of Gondor survive - then prosper.

I can't wait to get home to the computer at the moment - real life is taking a serious assault

Then the Haradrim started attacking my coast. After a few battles where my last minute made armies learned about Serpent Bodyguards, I quit.

Tough blighters they are! Luckily I have managed to fight most of these guys inside their settlements where they have no real chance of causing too much carnage.


PS. I just noticed the Balrog of Moria is headed to Minas Tirith for the invasion (so is Gandalf with the Dunlendings.....), will AP units be best to kill him? Or should I lay the red carpet out for his arrival now?

[Altimis]

I play Silvan Elves

I don't care others much because I'm busy fighting Orcs of Misty, Isengard and Mordor. I don't have men power to help others so I focus on my own territory.

Its went well at first, I expanding into Rohan terriotory, I got Ents unit, I felt unstoppable... I continue capture more and more lands. But.... after mid game, I notice allies nearly lost all their lands now, Eriador and Dale are nearly die, I thought its not matter, I can handle them myself so I send some full stack of army to the border to hold them off while I try to finish off Isengard but its took too long

I realize all my allies are gonna die [some of them even do nothing but have hard time defending invading armies throw at them]

I'm the only one fighting alone without help from allies, Gondor lose their capital already and half of lands was captured by mordor

so... I can't win fight this war alone and will eventually get crushing

I learn the lesson why I messed up, its because I let allies dying.

[Son of Mars]

I play Silvan Elves

I don't care others much because I'm busy fighting Orcs of Misty, Isengard and Mordor. I don't have men power to help others so I focus on my own territory.

Its went well at first, I expanding into Rohan terriotory, I got Ents unit, I felt unstoppable... I continue capture more and more lands. But.... after mid game, I notice allies nearly lost all their lands now, Eriador and Dale are nearly die, I thought its not matter, I can handle them myself so I send some full stack of army to the border to hold them off while I try to finish off Isengard but its took too long

I realize all my allies are gonna die [some of them even do nothing but have hard time defending invading armies throw at them]

I'm the only one fighting alone without help from allies, Gondor lose their capital already and half of lands was captured by mordor

so... I can't win fight this war alone and will eventually get crushing

I learn the lesson why I messed up, its because I let allies dying.

That happens literally 7 times out of ten for me

[Steward Denethor II]

Once as Gondor a while back I focused too much on fighting Mordor, and I had my powerful bodyguards (Normal BG, Ranger BG, Citadel Guard BG, Dol Amroth BG, and Black Vale Archer BG) all at Osgiliath. Then the Haradrim started attacking my coast. After a few battles where my last minute made armies learned about Serpent Bodyguards, I quit.

In my current game I'm doing better though.

[schnecharl]

Once as Gondor a while back I focused too much on fighting Mordor,

[Mikail Mengsk]

PS. I just noticed the Balrog of Moria is headed to Minas Tirith for the invasion (so is Gandalf with the Dunlendings.....), will AP units be best to kill him? Or should I lay the red carpet out for his arrival now?

There are plenty of "Balrog thread". Artillery, AP and Pelargir Marines.

[bereserker789087]

I was play as mordor i had a full stack army and attacked minas trith. a gondrian script army attacked me and destroyed my army and took alot my settlements i had small armys and no money so i quit.

[Altimis]

Seems like you are too aggressive haha

happens to everyone when they try to expanding too fast included me

[TLG]

I've messed up the one I'm current;y doing with the HE
At about turn 60 when I'd established myself and taken all the surrounding rebel settlements I decided to help out my allies, Eriador and Rohan, by fighting Isengard. I didn't really want to get into a long war with them so I just marched my army straight through them and took Isengard. To cut a long story short I can't recruit anyone there yet so have no way of getting reinforcements to deal with their dread stacks. I left my settlements surrounding Rivendell pretty undefended so I'm now struggling to fight of the goblins and my Allies aren't even helping me