is the game easy even on VH/VH

[messenger42]

For those who think the game is easy even on VH/VH.
I find it very difficult to play at this level. How do you defend this? All factions are attacking or about to attack you, You don't have enough florins to built an army fast enough to defend your land, never mind to conquer other land/cities. As you expand your empire you have to built the cities you conquered otherwise there will be an unhappy pop. lead to revolt, so you have to build up more troops for each cities to defend this and enemy from other factions.The primary income is the tax on the city/castle, but it's too little to built all cities and an army at once with this income. The merchant are almost useless unless you have the time and patient to go around the map but they don't make much income for you anyway. I find it impossible to play and keep up the income and expense, upkeeps unless I cheat....add_money 90000
Anybody outthere cheat to win on VH/VH.

I would like to know your strategy how do you play, manage and win on VH/VH. I can't win. at this level at all. I need some pointer...

[Lapata]

Ya but still pretty easy for me , other factions are easy to destroy so if they attack me they usually get destroyed in 10-20 turns .Only way to make this game hard is by making diplomacy and battle AI actually think.

[bibbledy]

This game is ridiculous at anything lower, I sort of wish they'd add Ultra Hard.

messenger42, you said something about defending cities - I think you're playing too conservative of a game. "Happy buildings" (town centers, bars, churches) I only build when the people are getting unhappy. I say, go for trade buildings, and choose the cheapest ones first, it helps your budget. Use peasants as cops in your cities, they're just as suppressive and half as expensive as militiae. In battle, use the nobility as cannon fodder because unlike the actual cannon fodder, they auto-regenerate. When I start a game and am low on cash, I tend to use just 1 army. It might also help to run your empire in defensive/offensive cycles: first take over a couple cities, then disband or neglect to retrain your units while you build up cash, then build a bunch of units at once and take some more cities and repeat. Oh, and instead of disbanding units, I prefer to send them on suicide missions, often on auto-resolve.

Oh, and SACK. Sacking was crap in RTW, now I say, when funds are short, always sack. You can get like, 3-8 grand(!) off of most cities. Extermination also helps, if a city is really rebellious. It doesn't shrink the city, and the population rises up quickly to refill it. It seems @#&$*ed up that extermination is so effective, but it happened all the time because it worked. Sacking is way better, though, unless you're some kind of racial supremacist. I've only exterminated one city, ever, in the Total War franchise, and that was when I took Rome as Pyrrhus. Whaddya expect?

[murat can]

This game is ridiculous at anything lower, I sort of wish they'd add Ultra Hard.

play as the turks VH/VH, invasion fest by timurids and mongols, see if you can stand with atleast 2 provinces...

[James]

I'm only on first campaign. Maybe other factions are hard on VH/VH. Spain on VH/VH isn't too hard. Game is tougher to steam roll, slower than RTW vanilla style.

Interestingly, AI factions only ganged up on me at the beginning. After taking out Portugal, Moors, and then Milan a bit later... the remaining Catholic factions leave me alone or are allied with me, even with many common borders. My power rating has been supreme for a long time though, and reputation reliable.

Spain may be easier to defend with mountain passes, bridges, and gibraltor. Park some units on gibraltor and Moors can't walk units/agents over. Can only naval land. Early game before wars are declared, can also park units on bridges and passes to limit AI movement in your territory. Lower AI movement in your territory usually means less likely they'll declare war on you. Take out Portugal first... then consider option of either European or African expansion, along with crusades now and then. Trade really helps, so don't fight multiple fronts if you don't have to.

I'm pretty sure merchants aren't working properly. I can get like 500 florins or something on ivory/gold, but it dwindles quickly to nothing for no apparent reason. Can move capital around again to get back to 500 florins, but this could be an exploit if AI isn't doing it. Just like "add money" code.

Sack to finance warchest, esp early game. Taxes/Trade/etc. become more significant only later, but I still sack. My economies running on big numbers now. Only have castles in strategic locations to maximize economy. Focus on public order to keep population satisfied, with max taxes. Bump up farming only if public order can handle it.

Specialize cities/castles. Try to get the guild for the corresponding specialty. Probably good to have at least on of each guild offering global benefits. Unfortunatley, I've turned down so many guilds in some cities trying to get all sorts of guilds that a couple of my cities are guildless still. So you have to find the right balance.

Given importance of religion, probably good idea to get a priest factory with Theologians college to dominate papal position. I've had a Spanish pope for the majority of my campaign, 9 cardinals now. This could be seen as another exploit, easy feature to dominate.

Disband useless buildings in settlements you acquire for extra florins. Could say maybe exploit or at least AI isn't so good at this stuff. I don't think AI specializes/manages its empire as well... at least I notice siege shops most everywhere. As such, AI probably wouldn't disband buildings.

To some extent, I also try to tailor armies to what I think AI stacks are like. Spies scout out. (e.g. be prepared to take on tons of missle units from Monguls.) Battle tactics is a whole other set of stuff.

[Cardinal Roland]

I'm sorry I am obviously a complete duffer at this game. Only been playing since MIITW came out and have played it most weekends I can for 2 years. I must admit I just laugh at those who ''flex their muscles'' with ''I won on VH/VH in 2 turns and with one militia unit whilst my King was on holiday in the Bahamas!!''

What is all that about!

I find it quite hard on Easy/Easy to be honest. I like to run my settlements, to be a good King and to see my Kingdom/Empire flourish. I do not see the game as being an invasion fest of clicks and just intime invasions. I know its not too macho to say this but there it is. I like this game, I like to play it, thats right - to PLAY it - the objective is not to win in 5 turns, light a cigarette and turn to my wife and ask how it was for her but to enjoy the game play.

Less of the ''Just won on extra Hard/Impossible! Game's too easy, I'm a genius'' and more game players please.

[Lapata]

I'm sorry I am obviously a complete duffer at this game. Only been playing since MIITW came out and have played it most weekends I can for 2 years. I must admit I just laugh at those who ''flex their muscles'' with ''I won on VH/VH in 2 turns and with one militia unit whilst my King was on holiday in the Bahamas!!''

What is all that about!

I find it quite hard on Easy/Easy to be honest. I like to run my settlements, to be a good King and to see my Kingdom/Empire flourish. I do not see the game as being an invasion fest of clicks and just intime invasions. I know its not too macho to say this but there it is. I like this game, I like to play it, thats right - to PLAY it - the objective is not to win in 5 turns, light a cigarette and turn to my wife and ask how it was for her but to enjoy the game play.

Less of the ''Just won on extra Hard/Impossible! Game's too easy, I'm a genius'' and more game players please.

Sry but if its hard for you on easy you suck no offence lol

[(insert clever name here)]

I'm sorry I am obviously a complete duffer at this game. Only been playing since MIITW came out and have played it most weekends I can for 2 years. I must admit I just laugh at those who ''flex their muscles'' with ''I won on VH/VH in 2 turns and with one militia unit whilst my King was on holiday in the Bahamas!!''

What is all that about!

I find it quite hard on Easy/Easy to be honest. I like to run my settlements, to be a good King and to see my Kingdom/Empire flourish. I do not see the game as being an invasion fest of clicks and just intime invasions. I know its not too macho to say this but there it is. I like this game, I like to play it, thats right - to PLAY it - the objective is not to win in 5 turns, light a cigarette and turn to my wife and ask how it was for her but to enjoy the game play.

Less of the ''Just won on extra Hard/Impossible! Game's too easy, I'm a genius'' and more game players please.

Ah at last, a man after my own heart so to speak, unless of course you are actually a girl like the pope tends to be every now and then in the game. I usually only play on easy or medium myself.

[messenger42]

Thanks guys. I'll try your strategy and tactics. I'll sacks and get money. I was building every settlements I won over, worring they will rebel against me.
plus building up army to defend, that leave me short on finance. Now just take and killed all. Just like the mongols.

[eventhorizen]

Some factions are just in better positions and have better troops that makes for a far quicker rise to a position of real power.

Factions like the HRE are anything but easy at VH/VH, atleast in the early game.

Spain and England are obvious choices for a no pressure game, even at VH/VH.

[James]

I don't doubt it. Spain makes for relatively easy defensible position. That's why I chose it for my first campaign, even on VH/VH. I suppose I will try HRE or Turks next. I'm still trying to stretch out my Spain campaign longer to check out the new features/factions in the game, but it's getting repetitive.

Perhaps not surprisingly, many of the RTW strategies work well here, both on campaign/empire management and battle. The new features introduced aren't that hard to work in your favor, or I've just been lucky in my first campaign. Of course, the odd bug here or there can be annoying.

[Nikko0102]

you say you used the add_money cheat. I can't even turn on console.. do I have to activate it somewhere?

[Panzer5]

Yes.

Playing as English, the French roll over (oh wait - that's just added realism I guess).

I've only lost one provice to a sneak attack by the Danes on a city with three spearmen defenders. I took it back the next turn.

Heeere patchy patchy!

[messenger42]

hit the ~ button

[Nikko0102]

nothing happens when I press that button

[Lusted]

You need to press the ' button to bring up the console.

[sparky1978]

Another tip is FORGET FARMING buildings. Do not invest in land clearance, communal farming etc. Keep population in cities as low as possible this way- not like it affects income anyway & they are easier to control with smaller populations. That time is better spent on trade buildings to boost income

[eventhorizen]

Well use farming upgrades for your castles. I hate the fact your (best) troops come from a settlement you cant set to low tax rate.

And dont use the add money cheat, then write in a thread about VH being too easy....

[sparky1978]

sry yes farming upgrades are ok for castles only & even then IF needed to get em to the required pop size for fortress/citadel & yes cheat codes only serve 1 legit purpose & that when testing a game. Other than that any1 that uses them is lame. Game is still easy on VH without em though

[eventhorizen]

sry yes farming upgrades are ok for castles only & even then IF needed to get em to the required pop size for fortress/citadel & yes cheat codes only serve 1 legit purpose & that when testing a game. Other than that any1 that uses them is lame. Game is still easy on VH without em though

Have you played the HRE at VH/VH?