game turns into a boring GRIND

[The King in Yellow]

im playing as mide and decided to intercept dyflin before they attacked berga, this is my first campaign, so dylin i conquer and some how they retreat and gather 3 allies and force them to attack me. im overwhelmed and all they do is send 20 stacks to my cities, but because the AI is stupid they loose to half of that and the units are usually comparable, in other area's im just dancing around with a general retaking my towns as they try to move around to take them back with a 20 stack. this really just doesn't feel like the way they game was meant to be played, suicidal 20 stacks killing themselves on my cities feels cheap, and theres no time to actually try and expand its just a meaningless endless 3v1 grind.

[stevebullpasture]

A lot of People are bored after 10 hours or so, very common. It's a bad game, 50% of buyers don't like it. No content, A lot of mods for Mount and Blade warband Far excede this. Why would I spend 30 dollars on this when Ancient Empiers mod for Attila is far better made for FREE!

[MANWHATADONGA]

Originally posted by stevebullpasture:

A lot of People are bored after 10 hours or so, very common. It's a bad game, 50% of buyers don't like it. No content, A lot of mods for Mount and Blade warband Far excede this. Why would I spend 30 dollars on this when Ancient Empiers mod for Attila is far better made for FREE!

You do not own game ,how would you know if their are bored.

[Naaku]

This game requires more strategy, its not like attila. You have to manage your alliances and possible alliances of your enemies. Assume if they arent your culture and friendly at the start of the game that they are just looking for an opportunity to stab you in the back. Preferably with help from similar cultured factions

Ive never played as Dyflin but im pretty sure they have three or four minor nations they are friendly or culuturally similar with as they generally annex them early-mid game in my playthroughs. When you allowed their army to escape it gave them an opportunity to draw the other nations into the war.

Remember theres nothing wrong with sacking a country and falling back to regroup, generally once you start getting triple teamed its a snowball effect, especially on Legendary. You want to always keep your troops on your borders threatening your enemies so the AI wont try to exploit your openings and use any armies you have in the field! If they are idle they are wasted.

[Pink]

Its funny, Mide was the first time I got overwhelmed by the AI and had to call it quits because they all allied against me pretty quick.

I think the campaigns in Ireland are the most difficult because there are so many tight alliances around and if we don't nourish ours we quickly find ourselves on the short end of the stick. The AI is relentless when they detect weakness.

My advice, for your first campaign start anywhere else really and try to get some good friends. Look at the diplomacy screen and check their traits to see which ones are more reliable and those that are likely to turn against you.

Dyflin is particularly a pain in the backside. Whenever any faction takes hold of a Viking port it starts an event that makes all or most Viking factions in Ireland ally which is probably why you found yourself in hot water...

See if you can make an alliance with someone that has the same culture as you and have that ally attack one of your attackers (give them a city as target and not the armies though). This should allow your buddy to take ground and deprive your enemy from resources, eventually he will be forced to go back and defend leaving you on a 2vs1. Try to add more friends to that and overwhelm your foes. You will be able to fight back and then annex those guys to grab their land without forcing to a war. But remember, these alliances have to be nurtured since the start of the game!

[floyd ryan]

Hmm, I started playing as Strat Clut on normal difficulty and it's a walk in the park. AI is 100% passive. I started on normal because Strat Clut is supposed to be very hard due to it's starting position. None of the new mechanics matters. I have to check my influence agains my generals and governors and click a button and pay once in a while to reduce someones influence, or increase mine or someones loyalty. Also all battlefields are the same and super boring, and the battle AI is beyond stupid - stands around in a hail of arrows instead of charging just because some of my cavalry is behind them. I only keep playing because of the setting.

[bearfieldlee]

Originally posted by floyd ryan:

Hmm, I started playing as Strat Clut on normal difficulty and it's a walk in the park. AI is 100% passive. I started on normal because Strat Clut is supposed to be very hard due to it's starting position. None of the new mechanics matters. I have to check my influence agains my generals and governors and click a button and pay once in a while to reduce someones influence, or increase mine or someones loyalty. Also all battlefields are the same and super boring, and the battle AI is beyond stupid - stands around in a hail of arrows instead of charging just because some of my cavalry is behind them. I only keep playing because of the setting.

You want all 3 of the settings on Very Hard for a challenge.

[bearfieldlee]

Another point is that this game is very dynamic to the point where no 2 campaigns play out the same at all. Don't judge the game on one or two playthroughs. I've had easy campaigns and I've lost campaigns in 20 turns with the same faction.

[Jurand of Cracow]

Originally posted by Pink:

My advice, for your first campaign start anywhere else really and try to get some good friends.

Circenn on hard is a good start (or at least it was after the August patch)

[Pink]

Originally posted by bearfieldlee:

Another point is that this game is very dynamic to the point where no 2 campaigns play out the same at all. Don't judge the game on one or two playthroughs. I've had easy campaigns and I've lost campaigns in 20 turns with the same faction.

That is so true.

Started a campaign with Circern and decided to help all my allies which left me open to all kinds of invasions because they either couldn't fend for themselves and got invaded hard or because the enemy had to go through my territory to reach their war target... it all went south very fast.

Started a new campaign, same faction, same every setting. This time still decided to help one of my allies in a a war vs the vikings from the north and was waiting for my other ally to be targeted by Northymbre (or something)... instead this time around he decided to attack my other ally and since he was so close to my capital he started harassing me and my food supplies. Managed to fight him off with lots of losses to the point that my recruitment pool is empty. Meantime my leader is finishing off the vikings from the north and annexed my ally that was attacked first.

My traitor ally is now under siege.

So, yah, no two games tend to be very similar since the AI personalities are kinda random which is great!

[Pink]

Originally posted by floyd ryan:

Hmm, I started playing as Strat Clut on normal difficulty and it's a walk in the park. AI is 100% passive. I started on normal because Strat Clut is supposed to be very hard due to it's starting position. None of the new mechanics matters. I have to check my influence agains my generals and governors and click a button and pay once in a while to reduce someones influence, or increase mine or someones loyalty. Also all battlefields are the same and super boring, and the battle AI is beyond stupid - stands around in a hail of arrows instead of charging just because some of my cavalry is behind them. I only keep playing because of the setting.

I was also expecting a harder campaign from Strat Clut but I guess I either lucked out or I did the right moves since I was very aggressive from the start and barely encountered that much resistance. But I think a bit of luck was involved since all my targets were already stretched thin defending from half a dozen wars.

[bearfieldlee]

Im currently playing as Gwynedd and I have most of Wales under my control and a high influence King and heir so easy days you might think? Well, sort of but I'm still forced to play the politics game as my neighbour is the newly formed England which is in control of almost all of modern day England so if I were to upset them I would be crushed easily. This means that any higher level victory conditions will have to be achieved without involving them.

Also the parts of Wales that I don't have are owned by an English vassal so theres no uniting Wales without managing to split them up.

[stevebullpasture]

Originally posted by MANWHATADONGA:

Originally posted by stevebullpasture:

A lot of People are bored after 10 hours or so, very common. It's a bad game, 50% of buyers don't like it. No content, A lot of mods for Mount and Blade warband Far excede this. Why would I spend 30 dollars on this when Ancient Empiers mod for Attila is far better made for FREE!

You do not own game ,how would you know if their are bored.

Only if something like Youtube existed, you have a point.