Damage tables

[williamrjones8]

I so want to like this game but every time things come up that feel like it's broken. I'd been taking the slow build up then attack a province. The result was that every other computer player keep forming an alliance, all of them focused on me. They do the trick where they hire away all of my best officers. It doesn't work the other way though, I'm lucky if I can snag a free officer, not chance of hiring away officers. Even moving my leader to the enemy city and personally try to hire even mediocre ones aren't interested, and they have around 30 officers to the 8-10 that I can field in a province.

So I try to take one of the computer player provinces that are adjacent and have reasonable numbers of troops. I do my espionage on the target as well as every other province. It was around 30,000 at the target about the same on the once around my target, just factoring in that it will get reinforcements even from the neighbors even though they aren't the same player. So looking at it there are 60,000 troops as a worst case. I'll just get silly with it and marched in with 250,000. had to strip all my interior Provence's of heroes to get leaders for the leaders for the attack. The computers reinforcement show up on turn 3 and it's around 100,000 troops. Remember I'd checked and he only should have 20,000 of his, and another 20,000 from the other computer player. Really can't figure where the extra guys came from. Even though they showed up, they weren't needed. The computer was inflicting 1000 casualties to every hundred I have. My sneaking suspicion is that they expect you to do the duels in combat. It would be a shame because the mechanics of it frankly find it more than a little silly. I've looked in the settings to see if they put in a way to just shut off the duels but I haven't found it. At this point they've got me by hiring away my officers. Did I mention that their light Calvary chases down and spanks my elite Cavalry?

[qsnoopyjr]

Think we need a video to analyse whats going on for you.
I do agree that their AI setup is basically everyone against you. Its kind of similar to Civilization VI where AI again is all against you.

Probably be helpful to know who you are playing as, what scenario.
Because if you are going against the strongest AI in that scenario, of course you should expecting tough times. Of course Cao Cao or He Jin or Sun Jian is going to be a challenge, thats the toughest in the scenario, they are not meant to be walk in the parks.

From what I noticed in this game is, you really got to start out strong, as in being aggressive.

This game is going to be hard times if playing as far away from everyone trying to buildup defense.

Also if AI allies with someone, at least thats better than them getting that other AI to surrender, I see the main dominant AI in my games going around making other forces surrender.

I usually do what you mentioned hire the officers outside of council. You have to be acquantied with them though thats the challenging part.
If none of them of course you have to slander them, get their loyalties down, then save and try to see what happens.

This game I think it expects you to save and try a lot. A lot lot.
Game is easy if you save and try. But also makes it annoying and a lot of work.

Oh and their cavalry beating your calvary. You didn't mention what they doing thats why video would be helpful.
If they putting you fire of course that is OP. If they are using a tactic or it like Ma Chao or someone who specializes horse attacks of course they going to feel like godmode. Tactics are huge in battles not so much unit types.

Also, I would suspect there is hidden modifer for relationships, so if you have typical WEI officers and Cao Cao is easily taking all your officers, of course they historically WEI, Cao Cao is going to have an advantage. I suspect there is a hidden modifer for that. If you dislike this, don't play historical.

Also advice is if game is tough and haven't figured it out, play as one of the forces that are the dominant in the scenario, don't play the forces that will historically get wiped out. You're just making it hard by playing those forces that aren't at advantage and still learning game and figuring out all these tricks and what not.

The game addresses this by recommended officers. My first playthrough was with Recommended regular officer in a force. Which is LU BU.
Got to say it was a good run. I think Lu Bu is good for first timers because it starts out as officer, but there is a tale for him to eventually be a force, so you really get to experience all of the game and a lot of freedom, you don't have trigger those tales either and Dong Zhou is pretty much the dominant force.

AI is very bad at attacking, even with coalitions, the attacking will get wiped out before 10+ coalition 200k army even arrives.

Honestly, I try to make those attackers last long enough so coalition arrives and I'm in position so I can one shot the coalition with trample attack. So your beating up multiple forces in one battle. I try to target those tough forces like Yuan Shao and what not too.

[XYZEXPIRED]

Yeah, we need video as you already posting this before and we giving the same tip but it seem the same thing is happening now.
Look at your loyalty roster, if they are 92 and below, put them away from the front line. If their trust is up with you, their loyalty going down slower. Then again, if you have those general that like to defect just like history, tough choice, eat it up. There are general that is brother or friend with each other, they can just steal them away even if the loyalty is high like 96.
You need to learn how to use tactic, the more you befriend with those generals, you can teach them your tactic. Use duel and debate more often so they can also gain knowledge, accept their banquet party invitation also :). This game is really easy compare to those other ROTK game.
You also need to learn the combination of unit, do not let the computer auto form your unit all the time, adjust them. See the enemy you cannot beat and they are very good, be their sworn brother.
I already conquered 3/4 of the maps as Shi Xie in one the scenarios you play before. They didn't dare to put a coalition against me or it was too late for them. Also, you mention they pull out 100K out of nowhere, which isn't true. You can visit only those province adjacent to you but can spy provinces farther away from you.
If you were to attack province down south like Moling which got access to 4 other cities as reinforcement, same as Lujiang which also had 4 other cities as reinforcement. Which city are you attacking them from and where?

[Hanzo]

Well you should start with what difficulty modifiers you play
I can try to give some advice and some/all of those you may know

1. If you don't play the last difficulty(you can still use it, but it not always worth resources) then use Goodwill approach. It takes some money. You can use it several times during planning phase. If you get some force to 100 you have a high chance of doing alliances. So do this and try to ally with them

2. Enemy poaching officers happens all the times. If possible increase loyalty of your officers. If not, send them in province that has no roads to enemy cities. Allies cannot steal your officers, so you may locate them near allies. So try to get them at Friendly relations so they could increase loyalty faster. When they have loyalty = 100 you can bring them back

3. To win the battle you don't need to kill everyone. You need to kill only enemies stated in city. They will be colored with red colors. So you usually don't need to waste your time on yellow enemies. But if you have some good AOE skill and you'll win anyway you can hit them so city from where they came will have lesser solders for trying to get city back

4. Use plots during planning you could use Plot actions:
- Destroy. Enemy towers and city will have less hp
- Provoke. Decrease enemy public order - no troops income, more time for reinforcements. It also increases chances to decrease enemy officers loyalty and hire stated officers.

5. Try to use good tactician. The closer your tactician to 100 INT the more precise their prediction with "always" correct with INT = 100

6. Probably the best strategy is counterattacking. So you wait for enemy to hit you, kill everyone, then transfer more units and strike back.

7. As you said the dueling system is also a good way to fight. You can check officers personality. If you see someone with "Brave" or "Reckless" then they have a high chance triggering duels during battle. It could help you to destroy unit and especially good to destroy the enemy leader. When enemy leader is dead they won't be able to use strategy anymore and morale of all enemy troops will suffer

8. Try to use good strategies during the fight. First 3 of them are pretty good and depends on your setup.
- Eyes everywhere (3rd in the list). Can paralyze (no turn, no retaliation) enemies near your commander. Very good thing. Especially if enemies are burning or located near the towers, castle and when your units can deal lot of damage or flame enemies (which additionally decreases morale and troops)
- Decreasing morale (1st in the list). Could be good. Have higher radius than eyes everywhere. Decreasing morale good for a few things - enemy won't be able to use strong skills. Enemy, which morale < 20 (or 10?) will have lot of deserters, which is good against enemies commanders and units with high numbers and stats
- Ignite units (2nd). You can have a good damage in average radius. Works only on units on terrains that flammable.

9. Use science. Every time you get 1000 in city science you get a tech scroll. With that scroll you can improve your units or add new ships/siege weapons. So try to use Military -> Science to make your troops stronger

10. Decrease enemies loyalty. Use Plot - Estrange and Collude. Collude is harder to do but if you Colluded someone you have a very high chance to employ them. If you employ city governor city becomes yours with all resources (and some enemy commanders if they have good opinion of you)

[qsnoopyjr]

4. Provoke, I recommend that too if going 1v1 with another force and its just 1 city vs city force fight. Great way for AI to really dominate your early game is by keeping your city in revolt and vice versa. Probably not good late game if multiple vs multiple city and taking a city in revolt is not fun too, so its good early game tactic. Very OP.

Also, from what I noticed if your going to be trying to poach enemy officers.
I noticed failure can be from the officer not wanting to meet with you.

So say if they like 60 loyalty, if you was able to talk them, easy steal. But some officers have traits where you gotta be well known or something to even meet with them. So work on being friendly with those you trying to poach. Somewhat difficult and RNG based. Can do this by fortifying your walls and sometimes you'll get an event where a nearby city officer comes to say hi or check on your walls and you build relationship.

Also, for battles, since you can save and what not, use it. You should be always having the advantage due to that. If you are fighting someone strong, try and get their morale below 70, so they don't go ham on you.