Recent content by J Awesome

Hanakoganei said:

If I'm not mistaken, units that have no tf_guarantee_ranged flag can't take the skirmish command. Those cavalry units likely have ranged weapons (javelins and other thrown weapons count). That said they will refuse to use their melee weapons if you give them that command, until they run out of ammo at least, during which time the game reassigns them into normal cavalry.

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Don't quote me, but I think the cavalry retreats after they've expended their ammo.  I have a few heroes as horse archers, and after long battles, it shows their status as Retreated after the battle.

Anjin Miura said:

@J Awesome

I tried Rhodoks two days ago and went offensive on Expanded trooptree, aiming for I6 Guardia Ducale. Maybe I should've played with weapon orders more, I was getting average results while using offensive guys. But now that defensive can cleave with style, do I really need offensive?

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Personally, I stay away from the Rhodok two-hander units because they sometimes spawn with only a one-handed weapon, which essentially makes them an I1 with heavier armor!! They're a huge liability unless you go into TweakMB and fix it yourself.
If you're going to use weapon orders, the I6-7 pikemen are tough as nails with sword/board and you could even use the high tier crossbowmen if you really had to (that striped armor ain't no joke!).

If anything, I love the Rhodok units with exception of the Two-handers (because of their items), and their crappy cavalry (because, well, Rhodoks)

Regular sword-and-board Rhodok infantry is actually pretty tough, and I like using the I4 and I5 units personally.  As stigma pointed out, the problem is that a sheer pikeman army isn't horribly effective, and you really need to mix some sword-and-board units in there with them to absorb hits.  I also highly recommend using rank formations and commanding them with F1 to attack enemy companies, so they stick together.

Not a fan of the Barons or Hashams, because they sometimes hang onto their lances for too long when they engage in melee (but wow, can they take a beating), but I usually end up with a bunch of Barons, so I use them anyways!!

The thing I hate about sieges is the time it takes to set a tower up!!!  It gives the AI more than enough time to travel halfway across the world with a 1000+ man ass whuppin squad!

Everyone's got their opinions, but here's my take on them:

Swadia:  Theoretically has one of the most powerful troop trees (with exception of the lackluster horse archer, and the bow nerf hits a lot of the archers hard) with heavy cavalry, skilled archers, and surprisingly decent infantry; but they start in position to be potentially attacked by EVERYONE.  More often than not, the AI is off campaigning to get back some castle out in the Kherjit boondocks while Praven and Suno burn.  It also doesn't help that Uxhal is one of the worst cities to defend.
Of all the games I've played, I've rarely ever seen Swadia rise to prominence without player intervention.

Nords:  They usually spread across the map somehow, despite having one of the most lackluster trees out there (not even light cavalry to take out stragglers, and those high level throwers are a joke).  I dread sieging their cities, let alone get in throwing range of a Nord army, but I agree with a lot of people here that their tree is the most gimpy.

Rhodoks:  Rhodoks are in the ultimate turtling position:  Next door to the beleaguered Swadians, and defending against a northern Sarranid attack (who are often tangled with the Kherjits themselves).  Their troops are probably the best and most heaviest ground troops out there (though their cavalry is nothing more than the I3-4 pikemen on a horse, and the high-tier twohanders often spawn with one handed weapons and no shield.  What?  ) that can defend any city with extreme tenacity.
I've almost always seen the Rhodoks creep out from the mountains and slowly start to paint the map green.  IMO, this is the strongest faction that often needs to be curbed with player intervention.

Sarranids: Swadia of the desert, but with incredible horse archers, crappy infantry and archers that are built like skirmishers (good or bad, depending on your playstyle).  It's hard taking them on their own turf, because the Memluks, Hashams, and Iq'Atars will eat you alive.  Sarranids are great for outdoors battles, but sometimes leave a little more to be desired in sieges.  I notice that they usually hold their own, but sometimes lose Shariz to the Rhodoks.

Kherjits:  One of the factions I usually vote to exterminate in the beginning.  Not because of perceived power, but because 90% of the fights involve chasing horse archers for 15 minutes.  As mentioned, their cavalry and horse archers are their specialty (though the horse archers are a few pegs down from the Sarranids, because the Kherjit bows and arrows frankly suck) and open field battles are their strength.  Their high tier archers are surprisingly good, but the infantry are nothing more than speedbumps that eventually become cavalry.
From my observations, Kherjit map painting is wildly variable:  Sometimes they get wiped out fast, sometimes they grow to prominence.  Though, in any siege that doesn't favor attacking archers, expect them to get mowed down by the dozen.

Vaegirs:  The Vaegirs have some interesting points (blunt infantry, particularly nasty high tier archers), but overall their troop trees comes off as "Captain Generic".  Not bad, but nothing particularly exciting.  Maybe the lower tiers could get blunt weapons to make their troops more feared/give them a edge?
Usually they end up duking it out with the Nords, Kherjits, or both; then either expand or get swallowed up by their neighbors.  Plain Jane.

Slaver Chiefs are super duper powerful, but they have some drawbacks.  They absolutely suck in sieges (because they act like archers) or the rare occasion that the elephant gets killed.  Also, since they have bows, they have the horse archer AI.  So, unsupervised, they aren't as effective as opposed to a Slave Crusher.
And when they run in front of you in a heavy melee, all you can see is elephant butt.

Super fun protip:  Have them follow you in wedge formation and charge through the enemy.  Collect the bodies afterwards 

Definitely the Nord I2 Huskarl/Berserkr, one of the more underrated troops out there.  Sure, they're I2 troops, but they pack nasty throwing weapons, and are dirt cheap, so you can pad an arsenal with them.

Also will have to agree on the merc lines as well, especially the halberdier line.  Nice shields, armor, and a set of 1H/polearm to adjust with what you are currently fighting.  Yes, they are more expensive, but their toughness and versatility make up for it.

Is there a way to disable the progressive levelling of lords, or at least cap off their army limits (especially those god awful 500+ man king armies)?  I'm getting tired of seeing/fending off overkill armies of 1000+ guys sieging a castle with 15 poor souls defending it.

I'm pretty sure your vassal's troop limit is more tied to renown and property held, instead of money.  Villages give them troops to hire, Castles increase their force limit, and...  I'm not sure what towns do.

Slav101 said:

Quick question though, how do I sign trade agreements? The option isn't available.

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You need to be recognized as a sovereign monarch before you can sign any of the fancy diplomatic agreements.  You'll need a high RtR, but the best way to do it is asking factions who share a common enemy with you.

Can anyone actually clarify if the trade agreement actually does anything to commerce other than act as a two-part truce or a stepping stone to a defensive pact?

What's your economic domestic policies (Mercantilism/Laissez Faire), and how many cities do you own?  If Uxhal is your only town, go LF all the way, and slowly go back to Mercantilism once you own a respectable portion of the map.  Else, you're doing everything right; it just takes patience to bring a ravaged city back to it's former glory.

If I were in that situation, I would just ditch Uxhal, and come back for it when the area surrounding it is secure.  It's a hard city to defend, and it's by a hive of economy-disrupting Forest Bandits.

[quote author=DefenderoftheCrown]
Are there any consequences to doing that?  Like relationship issues with other factions?  I always steered away from being a mercenary, because I thought it would piss them off.
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Like Leifdin said, faction relationships reset after peace, but you don't really even need to participate in it.  Just check in with the marshall just to be safe, and then go about killing bandits or whatever it is your heart desires.  Even if you do want to fight, it'd give you a good opportunity to fight some lords, gain renown, and honor/relation points by setting them free if they get caught.  Totally a win/win!

[quote author=Bremmelgod]
There are some castles in which you MUSTN'T bring high tier units.
There's one north of Kelredan castle, Knudarr, I think, that makes you enter in the castle and literally be surrounded by enemies. At close range. And it's mostly owned by nords. That means you become axehogs or something like that.
[/quote]

Add Jamayyed Castle to that list too, which is the one I was talking about earlier.  It's the one where the castle is a mile away, and the siege engine takes like 10 minutes to get there.  Yes, there is one solitary ladder, but you have to lead the guys up it and the pathing is wonky.

Other than the obvious enterprises/slowly squirreling away enough for land ownership:  I would suggest selling off your services as a mercenary (not vassal) to one of the factions.

The Kingdom will cover all the upkeep cost of your army (or so what I've seen so far.  Never had an army big enough to see they cover all the cost), which leaves you plenty of money for upgrade costs and food.
Sick of working for the man?  Just wait until your contract expires, or ask the King himself to end the contract.