The Power of the Britons and a story

[Pelican Man]

Hello Darthmod Team and Fans.

I just finished playing Troy: Total War (btw, that was a great mod .... probably the second best mod in the forums.... hmmm... I wonder what is first.... :tooth: ) anyways, well, I decided to come back to the Darth mod, because the dark side of the force sucked me back in. The latest mod that i played from Darthmods was DM7.0.3, and i really enjoyed the battles. But i do have to say, the battles in DM 8.0 with DM 16.0 formations is killer. So, anyways, let me start to talk about what i think about this mod so far. First, i decided that I wanted to play as Britons (h/h), because they really have not the greatest of troops, but the fear they show absolutely shows. Without their head hurlers, druids and their chariots, then they wouldn't be a faction. lol Their infantry (spearmen and swordsmen) absolutely suck... lol they break within seconds of contact. But when i threw a druid behind them, they held a bit longer. maybe 3 or 4 times as long as to what i can recall. Anyways, I also used 2 units of head hurlers (This is basically my 20 unit stack army) on one flank, so that I could just envelop them on one side. I try to not use it on the other flank, so my units could build up in valour.... different strat, i know, but I felt like trying something new. anyways, those chariots.... oh my god. They shouldnt even be used because it is absolutely not fair to other factions. lol So, I try to stay away from using them. I like using mercenary barbarian Cav ( 1 unit per stack, sometimes 2, just for routers) and the britanic Cavalry for flanks. The only time I use the general or the light chariots, is for enemy flanking cavalry. They just slaughter them up. I usually have only 1 light chariot, and 1 general. OH.... BTW.... wow. Britanic Generals are amazing with traits. for some reason, they build up traits reeeeaaaal quick. I havent really used the Chosen swordsmen because i just started to build them.... (I am only about 10 years into the campaign) Anyways, spearmen for front line (about 8-10) and swordsmen for support and flanks ( 4). Well, the line usually almost breaks, but once the head hurlers get around, the battle is over. every time. It doesnt matter if they have a 10 star gen... cause he wont do nothing. I mean, they really, really need to be toned down. Chariots are fine when shot down with arrows, but the computer doesnt really do that. (dunno why... ) So they are still kinda way to good. Well, back to the story,

I started off with a couple of units, sent everything to the one city, south of Londinum (i think thats what it is called ) and took that city. Then, Gauls decide to back stab me. Now i have a two front war.... But, my new gen who is 16, is a 4 star gen. That means im going to inflict much pain onto the enemy. ANyways, built up a nice organized army, and Germania asked for a Ceasefire, and i accepted, (but im going to back stab them cause i have a nice organized army building up at my capitol, and im going to send them directly towards their capitol, to show them who's the boss. )

Back to the damn Gauls, so.... Now i have a nice stack. Whats next???? ALESIA. Payback. So, i send my army, and then something happened. They decided to show up with 2 full stacks. each unit having atleast 2 valour... well, i build up my gen, made him toooo sweet, (7 starts at that point, with huge morale bonuses for the troops) and the fight began. it was quite gruesome. Took on the first stack, lost about say, 30% of my army, which is not too bad considering my spearmen drop like flies, and they're first army didnt have a family member... but the second stack, decided to have their faction Heir. at that point, I was actually really, really worried. He was a 6 star, and alot of bonuses. So basically, my army was not up to par with his. Well, the battle started. I set up a strong right side so my army could repel the flank, and i made it a left weak side. I put the mercenary spearmen on the weak side. on the far left I designated my head hurlers to stay away and wait for the mercenary spearmen to break. Well, the plan worked, cause i was hoping that they would break, and they're general would try to flank me on that side too. and it worked beautifully. The druids kept singing along, and i had a 2 silver chevron unit of spearmen beside the mercenary's that fleed. well, they didnt break, and held against 2 units of their warband, and general. I took one of my remaining support units and wrapped around to pin the general. took my head hurlers, and came around, and after that, complete anniahlation. I lost another 30 % of my army, so i had just 40% left, but I destroyed their two full stacks. it was WAYYYY tooo sweet. Alesia = MINE.

And now, Im building up, with some nice troops that have gained exp. and going to take out germania before they get toooo big. Oh , and economy wise, Briton rocks.once their ports are secure and safe from enemy ships, they just rack in dough. especially when im constantly going to pillage and destroy every city i come into contact with. lol (exept the key cities where i will be spawing military for my conquest of coarse). Currently, im just going to sit back for a couple of turns, get :tacticalw with my fellow soldiers, and strategize.

Review:

Population growth - WAY TOOOO HIGH. good for barbarian, but bad for long term conquest.
Military - Some units need to be toned down, but overall, seems fair. very balanced.
Economy - I think it might be a little to nice for the brits.
Traits - Get them way toooo easily for the Brits. and i mean good traits. Have not ran into many bad ones yet.
Battles - Full Stack on Full stack, very enjoyable. never know the outcome. Well, you get an idea, lol but tides always turn.
- Full stack on 3, 4 or 5 small stacks, wayyyyy too easy. They dont form up together, so I go in, destroy, buffer my troops, and continue.
Brits overall: SO far, it has been interesting, I havent slept cause i started playing last night at 3 am, (The woman decided to finally go to sleep) and I jumped on and played until i had to leave to work. lol it was worth it. I will probably continue to play this faction until i have spain, and until i have reached the capitol of the sarmations, and south to say, hmmmm.... rome, maybe carthage. The greeks.. hmmmm i dunno. that could be interesting. I shall see.

Well, That is my review in a nutshell of what i think so far about this mod, and the brits.

I will be voicing my opinion on other factions when i finish this one.
Havent decided yet because im playing this one.... but it will most likely be between Spain, Pontus, Numidians, Dacians, or Ze Germans.

Anyways, hope you enjoyed.

Thank you DarthMod team, really appreciate the hard work you guys did. It means alot to the community.

PELICAN MAN

[Eird-Way]

*sigh* I REALLY wish we could just delete the Britons. They are incredibly unbalanced, completely ahistorical, and their campaign behavior is incomprehensible. I realize it is important to represent the disunity of the barbarians, but I would much rather have further divisions among the continentals and turn the british isles into rebels.

Honestly, has anyone else thought about doing this? Britain REALLY takes the fun out of my campaigns. It would be great to stick them on the continent and call them something else -- maybe divide the Gauls into two smaller, more realistic factions. And take away their chariots or at least tone them way down.

Glad you had fun though.

[Flogger]

*sigh* I REALLY wish we could just delete the Britons. They are incredibly unbalanced, completely ahistorical, and their campaign behavior is incomprehensible. I realize it is important to represent the disunity of the barbarians, but I would much rather have further divisions among the continentals and turn the british isles into rebels.

Honestly, has anyone else thought about doing this? Britain REALLY takes the fun out of my campaigns. It would be great to stick them on the continent and call them something else -- maybe divide the Gauls into two smaller, more realistic factions. And take away their chariots or at least tone them way down.

Glad you had fun though.

RTR replaced Britain with Illyria and just made Britannia a rebel-infested island.

[Angel]

wow lol i think my eyes are bleeding for some reason... i think cuz i stared at this topic for like 30 mins for reading the first... lol good story just tone it down cuz i just got blind and im suing YOU!!! lol jk. True Britans accually never left brita, They stayed and just grow and get stronge. Other barbarian factions wanted Brita but couldnt do to over flow of poplutation where britana was producing. Romans only colonise the brits for a while and left. So ya I think just make them Rebels and build another faction. But up to those who work with dm.

[Narakir]

*sigh* I REALLY wish we could just delete the Britons. They are incredibly unbalanced, completely ahistorical, and their campaign behavior is incomprehensible. I realize it is important to represent the disunity of the barbarians, but I would much rather have further divisions among the continentals and turn the british isles into rebels.

Honestly, has anyone else thought about doing this? Britain REALLY takes the fun out of my campaigns. It would be great to stick them on the continent and call them something else -- maybe divide the Gauls into two smaller, more realistic factions. And take away their chariots or at least tone them way down.
Glad you had fun though.

I agree, but changing them for a balanced historical faction will be a way too complicated, Epirus or Illyria will make the greek zone too crowded, the only intresting choice I see is to extend the map and add bactira to hit on the back of the seleucid, plus this will make parthia nicer and seleucids a bit more challenging. A good idea for a submod mabye...

[wipeout140]

Great Post Pelican Man, good read also Eird Way if think britons are that un balanced just delete there right build ships and delete current docks. so stay in Britian

[Pelican Man]

The thing is, I heard that they were overpowered, and I know they are overpowered, lol but I decided to play them cause i like the fear tactic. They just need to be toned down a little. The reason I am liking this campain is because im at work at 2 fronts, and i want to involve a third.... (kinda like a crusade, lol) into ROME. it will be fun.

So what does every suggest on a faction to play next??? Im really eager to start thinking of strategies at work for the next faction. ( i wont be able to continue this campaign until tomorrow.... damn woman.. lol)

[Eird-Way]

Well since DarthMod contains factions called "Egypt" and . . . ha . . . "Spain", of all things, I think adding "Epirus" and "Bactria" would be quite incongruous. I would be happy to put them on the continent and call them, "Even More Celts", more or less.

And it's really just the chariots. I don't mind units of war-druids and head-hurlers (I'd be suffering the inferior gameplay of RTR if I did). The chariots are bad enough in a real battle, as the P-Man noted, but those hitpoints absolutely throw the autocalc out of whack. I would just "nerf" them, but I'm afraid of gimping the whole faction. And, as I'm sure even Darth has lamented numerous times, chariots are such a strange unit to balance.

[Pelican Man]

Well since DarthMod contains factions called "Egypt" and . . . ha . . . "Spain", of all things, I think adding "Epirus" and "Bactria" would be quite incongruous. I would be happy to put them on the continent and call them, "Even More Celts", more or less.

And it's really just the chariots. I don't mind units of war-druids and head-hurlers (I'd be suffering the inferior gameplay of RTR if I did). The chariots are bad enough in a real battle, as the P-Man noted, but those hitpoints absolutely throw the autocalc out of whack. I would just "nerf" them, but I'm afraid of gimping the whole faction. And, as I'm sure even Darth has lamented numerous times, chariots are such a strange unit to balance.

100 POSTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! whew. got that out of the way. lol

Anyways, thanks Eird-Way. Im putting that on the end of each post I put. you'll see after reading this. Anyways, back to what I would like to say. I quit the Brits. it was way toooo easy. I Cut down the number of chariots from 1 per army, to 1 per two armies. lol (I only use my gen when i have to.) and it still was wayyyyy to easy. So, im done playing them. So I shall continue this on another thread, cause I started with DACIA. and oh my, they are definitely hard to play.

THE P-MAN