New Game: Difficulty

[Shrugging Khan]

I'll keep it short.

What is the difference between the three difficulty settings presented when selecting "new game"?

inb4 "easier/harder".



Edit: To be more precise; is "harder" actually "more realistic", or is it simply "artificially difficult", with the player (and/or his troops) dealing less damage but receiving more?

 

[Abelardo]

it just sets the damage and AI settings for you, you can change them at any time after that.

 

[Shrugging Khan]

Ah, well if that's all...then let's make something else of this thread.


What exactly do the combat and campaign AI settings change?

 

[AlternatePFG]

It also affects the amount of money and the quality of gear you start with as well.

 

[Abelardo]

combat AI I'm not really sure, I guess, for an example, a lower difficulty will make ranged units miss more maybe?

Campaign AI I think changes how many troops AI lords get per day/week, I'm sure there's more to it but I don't really know.

It also affects the amount of money and the quality of gear you start with as well.

oh, I hadn't noticed that.

 

[Shrugging Khan]

My issue with the difficulty settings is this: Do they make the AI smarter, or do they just give it numerical advantages?

 

[Caba`drin]

Campaign AI is just numerical advantages.
Combat AI, the melee is a bit smarter (they are faster, chamber more, etc)

 

[Archonsod]

combat AI I'm not really sure, I guess, for an example, a lower difficulty will make ranged units miss more maybe?

If it's the same as with other M&B's it adjusts the AI to make it less responsive to threats and less aware of the battlefield. Note it also applies to your own troops as well as the enemy.
Campaign AI adjusts how sensible the AI is on the map. High settings mean it will wait till it has enough troops to possibly win before laying siege, will patrol around it's territory when necessary (particularly at peace), will cease campaigning to replenish forces when needed et al. Low settings means it'll happily lead suicidal attacks of three peasants against garrisons of several hundred.

Campaign AI is just numerical advantages.

There's actually nothing which affects the numbers that's altered by the difficulty.

My issue with the difficulty settings is this: Do they make the AI smarter, or do they just give it numerical advantages?

"Smarter", in as much as it's smart. Lower settings means it will block less often, assess less often and switch targets to a more useful one less often.

 

[Caba`drin]

Campaign AI is just numerical advantages.

There's actually nothing which affects the numbers that's altered by the difficulty.

Higher campaign AI difficulty = more income for NPC lords = more hiring rounds for reinforcements for NPC lords = more and higher level troops for NPC lords.

That is a "numerical advantage" in my book.

...but, looking back at Warband's decision checklists, you're right, I forgot that campaign AI also affects how well NPC lords follow their faction's marshal versus running amok on their own (higher difficulty, more continuity in the faction).

 

[Archonsod]

Yes, but it's a question whether the higher income is part of the setting, or because their fiefs aren't constantly razed to the ground because the silly buggers would rather feast than cull bandits.

 

[Caba`drin]

Yes, but it's a question whether the higher income is part of the setting, or because their fiefs aren't constantly razed to the ground because the silly buggers would rather feast than cull bandits.

It is directly in the scripts. The amount of free income they get per week (which ties into their hiring) is based on the campaign difficulty level. Similarly, the amount of income that is then adjusted by fief prosperity, is also based on campaign difficulty level.

 

[King Harkinian]

I also noticed that the Hard difficulty level gives you some noticeably inferior starting equipment. On hard I got a carpenter's axe and a handmade firearm, whereas on medium I got a pistol and a sabre.