New to TW... seems like the AI is programmed to prevent winning :-(

[Kyroshill]

In my 3rd Short Campaign.... tried as the Spanish.... boy are they hard pressed at the start.... then the French.... too big, too soon....

So now I'm the English... good starting spot for a newbie....

So Scotland was no problem... let them sit until I felt like eliminating them....

France is a little more of a problem..... they were powerful once... so mopping up cities is a chore.....

Thought I was done twice..... turns out they still have a city out in Germania....

Of course for about a million turns the HRE have been beating at my doors.... OK, OK.... gotcha.... fine... makes sense....

But this last city is SOOOO far away and the game is taking longer between turns.... France is despised... so I call a Crusade against the last city.... WooHOO!!

So every DoWs France...... then they DoW ME!!!

My 1st Crusading fell short of victory when 2 stupid crossbows were still alive in the town center when time expired.... killing the last 2 or 3 men of any unit is nearly impossible.... especially when they are in skirmish mode.... kinda ridiculous really....

So now there is one BARELY defended city between me and victory.... with a Crusade called against it....

But everyone insists on attacking MY CRUSADING armies instead of the city....

HAS to be an algorithm that tells the AI it's about to lose and throws all other rules out of the window....

If true.... then the game is sadly broken for players like me......

Any wisdom would be appreciated!!!





And "Hi!"

[poisoned goat]

Stay on the offensive. Once you're stuck defending, you're not going to be able to expand your territory, and as a result you're gonna spend your time defending for the next 100+ turns.

[JasonDomination]

What difficulty are you playing on?

[complete noob:(]

If you want an AI programmed to prevent winning, try the Third Age mod with MOS. Spawns massive armies for the AI

[Emperor Tom]

Nah, your just not used to it yet. I find the AI from the games all too predictable. But I have been playing since 2004. You will soon see that the AI has a pattern and that you can easily defeat it. For an easier campaign I'd recommend England, Milan, or Denmark personally.

[FriendlyThing]

Try smaller factions (England is good), avoid muslim ones (mongols & timurids come and kill you).

[GarretJax]

I haven't found conquering to be all that difficult. Like some people said the AI is pretty predictable once you fight a couple battles against them. Playing as England, I got excommunicated real quick, because I wouldn't stop attacking the Scottish. Then I managed to reconcile with the church, once the Pope died . . . but then I proceeded to start attacking France, which got me excommunicated for a second time, when I wouldn't stop, lol.

That caused the HRE, Spain, and France to all simultaneously throw what they had at me. Their strategies aren't all that inventive though and I find I can usually pick off their small armies in the field, then just out-last them in sieges. Granted, England is supposedly easy to play and I have found that to be the case, since you can basically turn all the provinces in England into cash cow towns, since they're separated from the main theaters of war. I haven't really found it difficult to field pretty competent armies, who can lift sieges if the enemy goes after one of my cities, while I'm still able to maintain the offensive.

Just my two cents on it all.

[Agadar]

England is utterly simple to play. Whenever the pope threatens to excommunicate me if I don't obey him, and I subsequently disobey him, I only get a minor relationship penalty instead of an excommunication because I always make sure to build loads of churches and priests, as well as giving cold hard cash and sometimes regions to the pope.

I also rarely if ever find myself on the attacker's side. For example, while conquering the rebel settlements in western Europe, France suddenly decided to be a dick and attack me. Fair enough, I destroyed their faction, and soon after Milan did the same. Then the Holy Roman Empire. Then Scotland. Then Poland. Then Venice. And just yesterday, the nation I was allied with and had trusted for over 50 turns, Spain, attacks me just one turn after finishing off Venice and finally bringing peace to my realm.

Total War indeed. There seems to be little room for peaceful times.

[GarretJax]

England is utterly simple to play. Whenever the pope threatens to excommunicate me if I don't obey him, and I subsequently disobey him, I only get a minor relationship penalty instead of an excommunication because I always make sure to build loads of churches and priests, as well as giving cold hard cash and sometimes regions to the pope.

I also rarely if ever find myself on the attacker's side. For example, while conquering the rebel settlements in western Europe, France suddenly decided to be a dick and attack me. Fair enough, I destroyed their faction, and soon after Milan did the same. Then the Holy Roman Empire. Then Scotland. Then Poland. Then Venice. And just yesterday, the nation I was allied with and had trusted for over 50 turns, Spain, attacks me just one turn after finishing off Venice and finally bringing peace to my realm.

Total War indeed. There seems to be little room for peaceful times.

I guess I don't build enough churches, I usually don't need the happiness boost between other buildings, units, and tax rates. Actually in my current game I'm currently allied with all the Muslim powers and at war with most of Christendom, lol. I haven't had much luck with factions attacking me, at least the ones that I have my eyes on conquering, it seems I always have to make the first strike . . . maybe I'm just doing something wrong :/.

[Kyroshill]

Not to mention current game where the Sicilians just showed up Turn 16 and started blockading ports!! We hadn't even met them yet!!

[FriendlyThing]

Not to mention current game where the Sicilians just showed up Turn 16 and started blockading ports!! We hadn't even met them yet!!

Play England. Easier than Spain, (everyone agrees). Look at my tips above if you need more help. Also, maybe ramp down the difficulty? We don't want to lose a Total War player.
EDIT: You've been excommunicated, so about every catholic faction is going to cash in and attack you.

[FriendlyThing]

Long original post

By the way, is it economy or military (strategies) your having trouble with?
For economy, prioritize these buildings: Farms (do the first level and second. 3rd if you have enough cash), Mines (if a regular mine gives income 100+, go for it.), Port (don't go for shipwright.), merchant worf (only if enough money,) and of course grain exchange and the market.
Build higher levels of these once you get enough cash, and once you have lots of these, get churches/military. Of course build everything (but only if you have lots of cash!)
Do not recruit anything for the first few (1-7) turns of a campaign.
Don't expand two quick (if you do, make it in a way where you don't face a two front war).
If it's military the simple thing to do is read guides and watch videos.
For land battles
-Try to outflank with your cavalry.
-Use longbowmen well (stakes, etc.)
For siege battles (attacking)
-Prioritize infantry (it usually becomes a grind-out fight)
-No cavalry.
-Have a good unit push siege towers/ladders
For siege battles (defending)
-Prioritize missiles and infantry (if you didn't notice, cavalry is about worthless in siege)
-Put longbowmen in front of the gate to deploy stakes at the gate.
-Longbows at the wall
-Try setting the ram on fire (don't go for ladders)
-Every defending unit will stop routing once it goes to the town square (applies for attacking and defending)
Sorry for a wall of words...

[Kyroshill]

I am finding it impossible to come close to victory with the Spanish..... the Pope always hates us... even when the Pope is Spanish.... last game a Spanish Pope excommunicated me!!

Anytime I get attacked and take losses, the Pope demands a cease fire so I cannot counter!

The Pope always sides with Portuguese.... and has even been known to Ally the Moors for the first 125 turns!!

Why does the Pope HATE Spain?

Result is.... I have to maintain 4 very expensive armies.... one for Portugal, one for the Moors, one for France (who attacks even when allied), and one to try to conquer something so I don't have to defend forever.... of course anyone I attack gets me excommunicated and then it's permawar!!

Despite having Cathedrals all over the Iberian.... 95%+ Catholicism in all regions.... and 3 Cardinals.... still hated by the Pope....

[Kyroshill]

OK.... so all the talk about not building military is bull..... if I don't have a huge army in every city all the time.... the first time ANY army walks by.... my cities are under seige..... who can afford to just march huge armies around looking for someone to attack? I certainly can't..... trying Venice now.....

My England campaign was much easier... but that was what started this thread..... the French, while having city after city fall to my huge armies.... was off conquering far away cities merely to keep their empire alive.... then, despite having a Crusade against the last French city.... everyone DoW me.... strictly to prevent me from getting to the last town..... game engine forbids victory.... even on medium difficulty....

From what I can tell... game has one setting.... build armies then conquer more advanced cities....

[FriendlyThing]

OK.... so all the talk about not building military is bull..... if I don't have a huge army in every city all the time.... the first time ANY army walks by.... my cities are under seige..... who can afford to just march huge armies around looking for someone to attack? I certainly can't..... trying Venice now.....

My England campaign was much easier... but that was what started this thread..... the French, while having city after city fall to my huge armies.... was off conquering far away cities merely to keep their empire alive.... then, despite having a Crusade against the last French city.... everyone DoW me.... strictly to prevent me from getting to the last town..... game engine forbids victory.... even on medium difficulty....

From what I can tell... game has one setting.... build armies then conquer more advanced cities....

Don't declare war, and turtle (not for a lot) for a bit. Turtle enough so your finances go up. Don't go conquering crazy (which seems like what's happening). Only take rebel provinces and use the rebel provinces to build money. Usually France declares war (if England), and then (if you have popes favor) they get excommunicated. Ally with most nearby catholics once that happens and crusade france. Then attack!

[Kyroshill]

And oh yeah.... 4 Popes in and we are still, it is to be hoped, going to burn in hell..... the French however.... Pope LOVES them!!

[Kyroshill]

OK.... here's the latest England try...

Built econ buildings and land improvements only at first.... conquered York and Rennes....

Allied with France via marriage... figured that should protect me from backstabbing for a while.....

Attacked Scotland when the showed up in force in York.... assaulted Edinburgh.... on the turn we were to finish off the Scots with a well-planned night attack so their reinforcements were useless, of the course the Pope chimes in.... we finish the job anyway.... get excommunicated.... 3 turns later, Pope dies and we are forgiven.... William the Conqueror moves on to take Wales and Ireland.... Inverness falls...

Spain vassals Portugal and the Moors.... come to us for an alliance.... we take it... they are the regional powerhouse.....

By now we have cities all over the Isles.... family members and armies on tap for our perusal....

Denmark by now has taken Antwerp and Bruges.... so they get bored and DoW..... strictly naval battles...... they attack for a while, we fight back.... they ask for peace.... no problem....

All is well....

Milan comes to us, hat in hand... HRE is taking up their lands, and they would like a powerful ally.... so we take it for a bunch of cash.....

So next thing you know.... the French break their alliance with Spain and invade.... putting us to the test.... side with France or Spain? I figure we need to go to war with France eventually anyway, so we side with Spain....

A few turns later, the Pope excommunicates Spain and we are now down the Papal crapper despite having great relations with Rome before....

Fine..... we build Abbeys then.... that should help....

So inevitably France backstabs us as well.... c'est la guerre....

So we quickly take Angers and Paris...

Meantime a Crusade is called against Tunis....

I figure this will definitely get us back in good graces... so we join.....

Now the Poles, French and English are all marching to war, except when the auto-router screwed up to start and I had to re-route.... well, that ended my crusade before it started.... desertions abounded until in the middle of the Iberian, the King turned around and headed home to fight the French....

By now the French are down to 3 cities, having lost the Atlantic coast to the Spanish long ago.... victory is in sight....

The Danes are sitting huge armies on our borders and Caen is rife with brigand armies, so when France begs for peace, we give to them in order to settle down our northeast border.....

Two turns later I get notice that Egypt is just about to win the game!! WTH???

So Rheims is sitting near empty, so we jump it and take it....

2 cities left... Toulouse and Marseille....

Then the French capture Tunis..... arrrrrgh!!!!

Next turn, Milan, who has the only army larger than ours, backstabs us and attacks Paris....

Well.... game over turn 83..... game cannot be won.... at least not by me....

I'm thinking, play Venice, build the biggest army possible and wipe out the Papal States.... THEN play....

Actually, I only want to win to unlock factions..... screw it, I might as well do the mod way.....

[Lord Jake]

When attacking smaller nations, like Scotland, hit them at all locations at once, and make sure you have catapults or other weapons that allow you to assault on the turn you attack. Failing that, you can try to use spies to infiltrate and open the gates. If you knock out a Christian faction in a single turn, the Pope won't be happy, but he won't excommunicate you either. Lots of factions are small enough to accomplish this with early in the game, but remember that if you expand too fast, too early, everyone will come after you because you become the biggest threat.

[Kyroshill]

So, in essence.... if you are strong - everyone attacks
If you are weak.... everyone attacks
if you have neighbors.... everyone attacks
if you are Catholic.... everyone attacks
if you are Muslim.... everyone attacks....

So why is there anything other than a battle mode? What's the point of campaign mode?

[Kyroshill]

Trying the Moors.... before I even met both Spain and Portugal already had an alliance... by turn 14 it was perma war against me.... 4 sieges per turn every turn.... not fun.... I can't build anything, I just kill Iberians and they send more Iberians.... again.... why is there a campaign mode?

WHAT am I missing here?? I want to like this game.... but am finding it extremely difficult....

If I build economy 4 nations send their amassed armies against me... and it's 50 turns of defending while my economy runs huge negatives trying to sustain a ragtag army without any real trade....

If I build military I HAVE to sack city after city just to afford the upkeep... which leads to permawar....

I need to learn how to build a real economy.... the only time I ever get real cities is through conquest.... and I have always been a builder in all these games....