MTW2 - Kingdoms XP

[Leferd]

Monte/Leferd have you tried the Crusades campaign yet? That was the one I was most interested in.

 

Yes, just had a couple of hours playing Kingdom of Jerusalem. I'd say that as a campaign it has (a) the most intriguing unit roster (specifically the levies and warrior orders of crusader knights, including Constable of Jerusalem heavy cavalry) and (B) probably the largest campaign map. Factions are; KoJ, Kingdom of Antioch, Turkey, Byzantium and Egypt. King Baldwin the Leper is I suppose my hero unit but he's basically a very good general (starts with two stars short of maximum). I'm a few turns off of Richard the Lionheart rocking up, which should happen by 1212 or thereabouts I suppose.

 

The AI seems better, but then again it might be the sharper distinction in unit types, i.e. Franks v. heavy units and Muslim factions light skirmishers / mounted archers. Seems even more noticable than in the vanilla game. There are more trade options, spying is significantly tougher, you get jihads thrown at you from Turn 2. I'm playing Hard / Hard.

 

The music is great, same as the original but I love the Muslim faction battle music. The lighting seems different in this campaign, almost a golden light filtering through the battle scenes. Dunno if it's tweaked but it looks nice.

 

Like I said, this game does what vanilla MTW2 can't do which is focus in on historically specfic scenarios that might not pan out in the campaign game. It's apples and oranges as to which is better, but I'm enjoying myself so far. I just wish I had more time to play!

 

Cheers

MC

 

I've been playing this particular campaign in hotseat mode as the Kingdom of Jerusalem and Principality of Antioch. I'm especially liking how they've also included historical figures like Gerard de Ridefort, Count Raymond of Tripoli, Guy de Lusignan, Reynault of Chatillon, Balian of Ibelin etc.,

 

The unit balancing has been much improved. They've made greater stratification between the roles of heavy cavalry and light cavalry units. The heavy cavalry charge is more devastating, but they are still vulnerable when they don't have room to maneuver. Shields seem to be more useful. Overall, I think there's greater variance in stats of all unit types - melee infantry, spearmen, skirmishers, horse archers, etc.,

 

That's part of the reason why I think the Retrofit mod is a definite must grab if you want to play the Grand Campaign again.

[Monte Carlo]

Spent a few hours pottering away with the Americas and am pleasantly surprised. Initially, because the historical setting is of little interest to me, I was a bit "meh" about this campaign and thought I'd suffer it for the other three.

 

Actually, it's great. Lots of exploration and strategic and tactical challenges (i.e. it's all very well having good cavalry and firearms units but when the enemy outnumber you twenty-to-one you have to start thinking).

 

You can build up interesting alliances with the Mesoamericans and then get them fighting amongst one another whilst you are plundering their natural resources like tobacco, gold and chocolate.

 

The Aztec and Mayan units are crazy-looking. It's like getting attacked by endless waves of multi-coloured clowns, scarecrows and fancy-dress dudes!

 

Cheers

MC

[Musopticon?]

I heard that there's a playable native faction that can adopt European advancements. Any truth to that?

[Monte Carlo]

^ I haven't found it yet if there is one, and I'm too macho to read games manuals.

[Rosbjerg]

It's the northern natives - Indians. They have a fairly low-tech unit rooster, but are able to build the "gun trader tent" which allows them to get European weaponry.

[Musopticon?]

Cool, thanks Ros.

[Rosbjerg]

I really dig the Mangonel in the Crusader Campaign.. They shoot barrels with oil that catch fire and rain death upon your enemies.

[Musopticon?]

Man, now I really want to play. I wish my rig could take this beast.

[Calax]

:sigh: in my grand campaign on vanilla, my english have control over france excepting two provinces. I have more fortresses than I have money to keep up to date and more units under arms than I know what to do with.

[Monte Carlo]

^ Sorry to teach you to suck eggs if you already know, but start reducing troop numbers (in MTW2 quality always trumps quantity) and convert some of those fortresses that aren't on your front lines into more profitable towns. Ports / Markets / Roads are the way forward.

[Musopticon?]

Discard troops in a city to get them as taxable citizens, instead of discarding them outside and suffering from their banditry. Or better yet, build some ships and throw the troops away into a war somewhere, preferably far away so the enemy won't benefit from your decrease in troops, reaping profits from that and loosing a lot of hungry mouths on the side. Enemy also loses citizens, while you get war prisoners and maybe help your allies, if the enemy of your choice is currently overpowering them.

 

While the RTW-based strategy map model may seems primitive when compared to for example Crusader Kings or Civilization, distractions, feints, punitive raids and things that logically would work in medieval European war theathre, generally have some counterpart in this game. Like spreading disease with ill agents or forcing an enemy to submissions by letting your armies rob the countryside(place a military unit in an enemy square and the ground starts to become black and cracked under it, indicating the army "living off the land". If it's a big army, this also eats on the enemy income. There's lot of these, finer things that a lot of MTW 1 purists acutely ignore, but are obvious merits to the gameplay.

[Guard Dog]

:sigh: in my grand campaign on vanilla, my english have control over france excepting two provinces. I have more fortresses than I have money to keep up to date and more units under arms than I know what to do with.

I agree with Monte. It sounds like what you need is a nice long war. If you are friendly with Portugal get them to help you attack Spain. Or vice versa. The only thing I disliked about playing England was when you sent a crusade it had a hell of a long way to go to get to palestine and tropps would desert every turn. The army that leave England is not the same one that arrives in Jerusalem.

[Leferd]

:sigh: in my grand campaign on vanilla, my english have control over france excepting two provinces. I have more fortresses than I have money to keep up to date and more units under arms than I know what to do with.

I agree with Monte. It sounds like what you need is a nice long war. If you are friendly with Portugal get them to help you attack Spain. Or vice versa. The only thing I disliked about playing England was when you sent a crusade it had a hell of a long way to go to get to palestine and tropps would desert every turn. The army that leave England is not the same one that arrives in Jerusalem.

 

Do you take an overland or sea route? Going around the Iberian Peninsula and past the pillars of Heracles or taking Barbarossa's route through Byzantium are considered to be the non-direct path to the Holy Land and will make your crusaders impatient. What you want to do (after you cross the Channel) is cut across mainland Europe and head straight for Italy towards Naples. Then you want to hop on a boat (preferably fleet of boats to protect against Pirates) and make your way across the sea to the soon-to-be Outremer.

[Guard Dog]

:sigh: in my grand campaign on vanilla, my english have control over france excepting two provinces. I have more fortresses than I have money to keep up to date and more units under arms than I know what to do with.

I agree with Monte. It sounds like what you need is a nice long war. If you are friendly with Portugal get them to help you attack Spain. Or vice versa. The only thing I disliked about playing England was when you sent a crusade it had a hell of a long way to go to get to palestine and tropps would desert every turn. The army that leave England is not the same one that arrives in Jerusalem.

 

Do you take an overland or sea route? Going around the Iberian Peninsula and past the pillars of Heracles or taking Barbarossa's route through Byzantium are considered to be the non-direct path to the Holy Land and will make your crusaders impatient. What you want to do (after you cross the Channel) is cut across mainland Europe and head straight for Italy towards Naples. Then you want to hop on a boat (preferably fleet of boats to protect against Pirates) and make your way across the sea to the soon-to-be Outremer.

Good idea. Usually I go via the Straits of Gibralter then direct across the Med. I like your idea better. Plus most of the actual crusaders left via Marsellies, so it is historically accurate as well.

 

In my last game the Danes had control of Jerusalem. Talk about standing history on it's head.

[Tigranes]

I remember MTW1 where you would prepare a long line ofships from Toulouse to Antioch, then have the Crusade arrive there in one turn.

 

But yes, the more direct you go - even over Byzantium if you can't get a ship - is better, as well as picking high faith provinces to walk through.

 

The problem with Italy is that stupid comp units always block up the passage around the Alps and Northern Italy killing your movement points. I had 2 crusades completely die in that swamp once.

[Calax]

I'm in an on off war with both france and spain atm. so my four fortresses on europe are currently in use as fortresses. If I try and kill spain I'll get excommunicated, If I go for france same thing my crusades i've ignored for the most part in order to keep the family able to maul anything that comes near me, Troop reductions started across the board on the Islands, and I'm trying to keep myself in the black otherwise

[Monte Carlo]

^ The way forward there is to goad them into attacking you. Or kick off rebellions in their more fractious cities using assassinations of family members (using spy / assassin combos to take out morale-boosting / public order keeping buildings like races, barracks, government facilities and taverns is a good start for the very patient).

 

Park massive fleets near their key ports hampering movement, march dirty great armies up and down their borders and near geographic choke points.

 

Take any rebel provinces they hold dear, bribing or attacking them. Hopefully the Pope will then excommunicate them.

 

Start paying the Papacy big bribes every turn, declare war on the Pope's enemies and basically suck up to him as much as you can. Build churches, hire lots of clergy, initiate Crusades.

 

Most of the MTW2 gameplay triggers are very much "under the hood" and finding out what they are is all part of the fun.

 

Cheers

MC

[Calax]

well i kicked off a war with the french and won in three turns killing every member of their royal family making their last province into rebels, contemplating moving towards either the italian peninsula or further north through poland and into the line of fire of the newbies (who arrived after the mongol hordes) my ai sucks at making units. it gave me an honest to god full army of simply siege weapons.

[Leferd]

well i kicked off a war with the french and won in three turns killing every member of their royal family making their last province into rebels, contemplating moving towards either the italian peninsula or further north through poland and into the line of fire of the newbies (who arrived after the mongol hordes) my ai sucks at making units. it gave me an honest to god full army of simply siege weapons.

 

You realize you can take control of each of your settlements if you wish right? I personally can't imagine playing Total War without micro-managing every last detail from tax policy, to unit recruitment, to kingmaking.

[Rosbjerg]

Apropos "Kingmaking" - Is there a way to switch heirs in MTW? I've never seen the option..

[Calax]

I usually leave my unit production to the ai with buildings under my control. of course this is only in the areas that are governed by ai in the first place because no family member is currently there to direct the flow of things. Generally I'm a mountee, but i've been getting more and more heavy infantry for my armies because cav gets killed in an up and up fight.

[Rosbjerg]

yeah they've really scaled the cavalries effectiveness.. Which is a good thing - but I relied on horses alot in the former game and suddenly I was being ripped to pieces when I attacked spearmen from the flank. I had to change strategies rather quickly.

 

I've never dared letting the computer control anything for me, save taxes when I have a huge empire and money flow is largely irrelevant, is it able to spend and build responsibly?

[Calax]

every so often I have to go back through my older safer provinces and release a pack of milita, but ultimatly it gives you a ready back log of army if you get surprised by someone. MTW2 seems to have gotten much smarter and acutally builds to your policy rather than build military and just use your set policy for guidance on taxes.

[Leferd]

Yeah, "kingmaking" is difficult in M2TW. Unfortunately, you can't designate the faction heir like you could in Rome. Best thing to do to get rid of your "bad seeds" is to have him go out in a blaze of glory against some rebels somewhere. Hopefully the next successor to the throne is more Richard and less John.

 

...

 

Playing as Jerusalem, I was awarded a Templar chapterhouse. This gives valor bonuses to knights recruited in the city. The problem is, I can't recruit knights there because it's a city! Plus they took out the ability to recruit the order's nights away from the chapterhouse. WTF??

[Rosbjerg]

Yeah, "kingmaking" is difficult in M2TW. Unfortunately, you can't designate the faction heir like you could in Rome. Best thing to do to get rid of your "bad seeds" is to have him go out in a blaze of glory against some rebels somewhere. Hopefully the next successor to the throne is more Richard and less John.

 

I usually have my "bad seeds" join a crusade - they get alot of Chivalry points, command points and law bonuses - makes them very valurable in a "short" amount of time .. and if their are somewhat disloyal they usually gain 2-3 points there as well due to being so chivalours..

 

Besides it's all the more Epic when Roger the Honourable meets Jebe the Tyrant.