Stealing Settlements feels like a bad exploit

[Mr. Goblin]

I really wanted to rate this game as a "thumbs up"; but I just can't.

Really, I like just about everything with this game. Cool Lore. Great, entertaining battles. Awesome diplomacy features. Cool factions. Nice events. Quests, a great. Challenging game on Normal. Fantasy is fun.

Here is the main HUGE PROBLEM. And the reasons why I find this game so very annoying to play. In fact, I can't play it anymore, the annoyance factor is so high.

Bad implementation, regarding re-claiming your own lost territories. In particularly when your settlement gets devastated or Ruin.

When the player, or the AI lose a settlement; any other faction, including your allies can sweep in fast and 'take it' for free.

I have had so many games, where I lost my settlement to Chaos Hordes; and it became devastated. I was mere turns away, of not 'a' turn away from reclaiming it. When... my ally, swept in fast and took it instead! Right smack-dab in the middle of my Main province. Where the ONLY way in the game that you get get 'your settlement back' is to declare war (on the ally). There is no feature in the game to TRADE territories, or ASK for your territory back.

Also; if you lose your territory to an enemy in general, even if not devastated; then any other faction or even your own allies can War them and take that settlement which previously belonged to you! And they keep it. And there is no way that you can get it back, unless you War that other faction.

Too often, in my games, my allies are 'taking lands' that belong to me. Where I just lost a Battle to an enemy, or some horde devastated my settlement. And Swooooop! In comes an ally to take my land. And then I have no choice but to declare war on a 'long time' ally; just because the AI is too stupid to understamnd that "Hm. If, I take my allies land... that might piss him off.. and he will probably declare war on me". Real dumb AI mechanics here.

It seriously kills my gaming experience. Totally. What a turn off. It makes the game pointless. Allies are pointless. Keeping claim to territory is pointless. Territory diplomacy is 'non-existent'. Diplomacy in general is great! Just not so, with territorial diplomacy. Nor, territorial politics. It is virtually non-existent in this game.

All they need to do is simply program a feature in, that would totally fix this problem! And they can't do that.
It is an easy script too! As I am also a game programmer.

All they need to do it implement this logic:

IF a faction loses a settlement (by devastation or occupation), that faction has 'X' amount of Turns to 'reclaim it' If X amount of turns expires, then any faction may take claim to that settlement unhinged.

It is such an easy piece of code!!! And it would totally FIX a huge problem in this game that a lot of people have been complaining about.

For real. Stop allowing factions (even allies) to swoop in, and take my territories, the very moment that I lose one to an enemy!


I have had some games where my allies will literally patrol around a settlement of mine; that they "think" I might lose to my enemy. And immediately, once that happens, they claim my land in 1 turn. it is so ridiculous. Truly. It breaks the game for me, every time. Every time.

I am done with this game; after this review. Where normally I am a HUGE TW fan.

PS. I realise there is a mod to help fix this; sort of... but I don't like mods so much because it almost feels like cheating, most oft. And, the mod that I seen earlier to help restrict this 'settlement stealing' exploit; seems to only work one way. For the player. Meaning the AI can't steal and keep settlements; but the player still can! This mod, I also don't like; as it feels like cheating. Even with this mod though; I feel this mechanic can be better programmed-in and implemented.


The Rakath update however; was a good one, in my opinion. Balanced out a lot of things; especially the Scaven. A little more balancing still needs work; but it was a good patch.

[Cat®]

i am not sure I understand, could you explain it again?

[Kapika96]

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1376337924

Problem solved.

[GIBBYDAMAN]

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2249394731 this too

[Kaaz]

Originally posted by Cat®:

i am not sure I understand, could you explain it again?

Basically - why doesnt the ai leave settlements that i want alone.

[A.Pot]

This can easily be relieved by playing the game better and not losing battles.

[fmalfeas]

That happens RL too. Wars start over it. Particularly if the city is considered important.

Sometimes those wars are perpetual (see: Jerusalem, which has been fought over for centuries).

[Hieronymous]

I agree with the general sentiment in that I'd like to see diplomacy improved around this point. I don't agree that it sours then whole experience though.

[Xhal]

First of all you seem to be a new player and its fine, you have things to learn.

1) I strongly suggest you wall off all your minor settlements if you want to avoid/lessen this happening, having walls does in no way make them impregnable but it usualy gives you a few turns to bring an army to save it when it gets besieged.

2) I play with the region trading mod that was linked above. Region trading was a feature in most Total War games for a long time and it is indeed annoying that they removed it in Warhammer, with the mod you can at least buy back regions from factions that are very friendly with you and complete back your provinces.

3) As for chaos armies burning your cities. Chaos is among the least dangerous factions in this game being stuck with armies of mostly melee infantry, they should never pose much of a threat.

Now I don't know if you are playing vortex or mortal empires, since you seem new I will assume vortex.

You should not necessarily do rituals as soon as they are available if you are not ready to deal with the consequences, for example if you are already in a war and your armies are away from your territory and will not be able to be brought back you should hold off on starting a ritual.

All your armies should have ways to take out large amounts of infantry, magic is the easiest and best way.

I suggest you keep going at it and keep learning.

Legendoftotalwar on youtube does a lot of livestreams and videos on efficient play and doomstacks and army composition, I suggest you watch a few. There are other streamers obviously if you prefer other channels.

[Eddie G]

Originally posted by Kaaz:

Originally posted by Cat®:

i am not sure I understand, could you explain it again?

Basically - why doesnt the ai leave settlements that i want alone.

You would probably hate shogun 2

[Pervy]

Originally posted by Eddie G:

Originally posted by Kaaz:

Basically - why doesnt the ai leave settlements that i want alone.

You would probably hate shogun 2

more info plz.

[Big Moustache]

Play as beastmen 😂
Serious though, play them and see the colonizing reach warpspeed

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1208494631

Here is a screenshot from a few years ago, never touched them again since. The more you raze, the bigger superpower you create. Patrolling ruins is too expensive. Systematic map cleaning is no use, a rogue faction will spawn in the middle and colonize a whole province every 3 turns. Having a ally grab all ruins, they will backstab once big enough. All you do in a campaign is raze and kill factions. And it all gets replaced 100% in no time. I had neutral solo generals following my beasts and capture settlement i razed that same turn

[Mr. Goblin]

Originally posted by A.Pot:

This can easily be relieved by playing the game better and not losing battles.

not a good enough answer.

[Mr. Goblin]

Originally posted by fmalfeas:

That happens RL too. Wars start over it. Particularly if the city is considered important.

Sometimes those wars are perpetual (see: Jerusalem, which has been fought over for centuries).

Yes. But, this AI seems to take absolutely no 'political' account at all; when doing so. Where as in real life, political account is very much weighed.

[connelld1965]

Originally posted by Cat®:

i am not sure I understand, could you explain it again?

This. I think more words is needed to fully explain the complaint. Seriously though, it is very annoying but you can always YOLO it and take back the settlement. That is what the Dwarfs would do. Create your own book of grudges,

[Mr. Goblin]

Originally posted by Kaaz:

Originally posted by Cat®:

i am not sure I understand, could you explain it again?

Basically - why doesnt the ai leave settlements that i want alone.

Nope. Not "settlements that I want"; but settlements that I 'had'; and how they are seemingly AI exploited and stolen. Even by allies. Without political weighing at all.