Prophesy of Pendor Wraps up too quick

[Brunio]

Hi there. Been playing Prophesy of Pendor quite a lot. Beaten the game several times and now I'm just trying to enjoy it at my own pace. One thing thats been really killing the experience is the consistent killing off of a kingdom very early in the game. In a typical playthrough I'd roam around as a mercenary or changing my vassalship for quite a while with the underdog to keep the kingdoms as balanced as possible. It works quite well for winning the game.

In my current game I'm trying to simply take my time and get into that oldschool RP thing you know. Problem being if I take the time to lets say...earn relations with lords in one of the kingdoms/Raise a fief/marry/join a knighthood order/fight, but not try to conquer....the game will by a couple hundred days in (sometimes more sometimes less) have another faction almost destroyed with their aggressor owning a good portion of the game. That inevitably turns the game into the final stages of mass conquering/etc.

I'm trying to find a way to slow down the game pretty much. In the native (which I play with diplomacy) the pace is much slower. Probably due to the fact normal generals don't have 200-300 men. In Pendor a kingdom can have a campaign of 2000-3000 men against a kingdom thats been at war. They stand no chance and lose castle after castle with no recovery.

Is there any way to turn down the aggression of the AI or change the difficulty to make them slow down the takeovers? (usually play at max difficulty)

I love Pendor. Just want to try to make the games last a little longer. Instead of a sandbox sometimes it feels like a sandwar.

 

[IlluminaZer0]

In theory changing "Campaign AI" to lowest would slow down the game, however I suspect it would in reality just make it more difficult for a losing faction to rebound.

I don't understand the question as you already played with the best strategy for prolonging the game that I am aware of:

In a typical playthrough I'd roam around as a mercenary or changing my vassalship for quite a while with the underdog to keep the kingdoms as balanced as possible. It works quite well for winning the game.

Always working for the underdog as a Mercenary or Vassal is the best way that I am aware of. I don't know why you followed it up with "works quite well for winning the game" as I imagine that would follow your choice to stop being a Mercenary/Vassal.

 

[skullmasher]

Might want to tell us which faction gets beaten on in your current game (and in the others before)?

Reloading the game when a nation declears war grants prolongend periods of peace. Its cheap and lame and so obviously manipulating, but it works 95% 
Sometimes a nation is very eager for war with a particular faction, so this little trick doesn't help, but those cases are very rare (Sarleon decleared war on me, and i had to reload because of other things, and they decleared war on me again shortly after). 

Other than that, an AI nation has 2 enemies weaknesses elements of strengh/weaknesses, depending on the point of view, if they are on the receiving end or in a position of power:
- autocalc
- doomstacks

These can be countered by:
- participation
- clever strategic movement

Both counters need you as an allied. High surgery is most important not only for your warband, but allied forces as well. Being able to be elected as marshal is the final goal, as your faction your helping out becomes invincible.

 

[shoshuro]

I don't think via the settings in options panel you can make the games last longer, once a faction gets going they will obliterate enemy factions easily.

As a player though you can heavily influence the outcome of wars, but you will need to become a mercenary very early and help weak factions when needed.

The only faction that is highly aggressive and can snowball out of control are the Fierdsvain, they can bring big "pain trains" in campaigns and no AI army has a chance (due to having good auto calc values).

I play long games and i have been able to keep all factions alive until i create my Kingdom. Usually helping the D'Shar/Ravenstern vs the Fierds is enough. Sometimes the Empire might need help although i kinda hate defending their towns. Sarleon can hold on their own usually, but with their main fiefs being in the center of the map means that they can go to war vs anyone.

Main trick to preserve a balanced map is defending towns of factions that are in trouble. Castles come and go and can be easily recaptured. For example if the Empire lose Ethos its game over for them, in total 7 fiefs are lost (1 town / 6 villages) so plenty of Empire Lords will be affected, having their armies reduced or even leave the faction if they end up fiefless.

 

[Kiri Kaneko]

Strange thing is for me, Fierdsvain and Sarleon are usually on the losing end, and D'shar/Empire are usually the ones snapping up territory, especially D'shar. Ravenstern are the masters of doing nothing. Sarleon usually hangs on with a couple of territories but Fierds usually get destroyed.

 

[zykox]

Ravenstern needs an overhaul, in my games they do nothing or just getting sweeped.

Anyone ever had the Ravs actually DOMINATE?
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A good way to keep the game balanced a little longer would be to change some triggers, so that e.g. Snake Cult spawns get more frequent at the most powerful faction.

 

[shoshuro]

Strange thing is for me, Fierdsvain and Sarleon are usually on the losing end, and D'shar/Empire are usually the ones snapping up territory, especially D'shar. Ravenstern are the masters of doing nothing. Sarleon usually hangs on with a couple of territories but Fierds usually get destroyed.

Weird in all my games the D'Shar are always destroyed first unless i help them. Here are my observations for all the factions in general:

Fierdsvain

The pain train, will easily win wars vs D'Shar or Ravenstern and is also the only faction than handle 1 vs 2 wars.

Sarleon

The second candidate to dominate the map. Their position is good since they can expand towards many directions but also bad since they can get attacked by all the other factions.

Empire

Kinda passive, they have issues with the snake armies defeating their Lords frequently. The might go aggressive if in their initial war vs the D'Shar they capture Ishkoman.

Ravenstern

Passive also, they are stuck in their isolated area and their main problem are the deadly unique spawns that roam around and instagib their Lords. They can only expand towards the Fierdsvain area but the Fierds can easily beat them on a 1 vs 1.

I remember in a game they lost 3 fiefs to Fierds and then the following spawns showed up in their area: Wolfbode, 1 Mystmountain Army, Warlord Zulkar and somehow the Three Seers showed up and sacked Senderfall (they must have been chasing something and ended up in there).

So yea need to reduce/limit the spawns around Ravenstern cause they can't handle it.

D'Shar

Although they are united and effective in campaigns they usually lose the wars vs the Empire and the Fierdsvain who are their most frequent enemies.

 

[Hanikura]

Yeah, this super fast killing spree is not friendly towards slow and relaxed approach

Besides "powergaming" and throwing several hours just to balance things each month (through "fair in-game" help) , there is also a
1)cheatmenu, that gives you a lot of controls over AI 
2) using sieges to force attackers commit suicide )

Spoiler

1) "now, if  i want to save , lets say, sarleon ,
2) then i would decrease my relationships with them just a bit
3) i would hang around keeping an eye on  "Siege messages "
4) when a sarleon town\castle is besieged , i ride there and join assault against sarleon
5) then i click f3-f3 (use blunt weapons only) , and order charge,  while standing in a safe place )))
watch all the fierdsvain commit suicide and harmony returning to pendor.

retreat and repeat

dirty and cheap, but if you are disappointed on early faction death - this is for you."

Some of this tricks might spoil your game and your attitude towards it.

--
I have tried lowering Campaign AI, but i dont think it affects  AI Aggressiveness  enough , to prevent that "balance-grinding" .
Lords seems to become a bit more lazy and passive (more ppl ignoring marshall) , but as  IlluminaZer0 said, it will affect looser as well.

 

[MickDick]

The tools are there, use them.

Talk to some of the debauched and in general ass hole lords.

Find one who wants to go to war with a kingdom that is dominating, slowly get some of the kingdoms to gang up on him and watch things calm down after the initial blood-bath.  It doesn't take much.  All you have to do is raid a caravan or if your enemies with the kingdom, pillage a village.

 

[wookdaddy]

Pop is hands down my favorite warband mod, played through it countless times. I can't play WB anymore due to the idiotic nature of the AI and the extremely outdated graphics. Hopefully bannerlord fixes this. No matter what mod you play, on what difficulty, the game is just too damn easy. Too easy to manipulate and too easy in combat.

 

[AlphaOmega]

Currently Sarleon is getting destroyed in my new playthrough, getting teamed up by Empire and Fierds.  They are down to just Sarleon as their city, Noldor weakened Laria so Empire could take it easily.  Sadly I was already a merc for the D'Shar so at this point I don't know if I can help them rebound.

 

[Elensil the Numenorean]

Well the Dshar are destroying the empire and expanding at a igh rate... i carved myself a chunk of fierdsvain territory for myself and my fellow noldor lord lethaldariel.. so the "pain" train s always going into my lands, getting destroyed all the time nd having no eyes for other enemies... occasionally they willmake peace for 30 days when my allies (sarleon + ravenstern) join in... but usually its just a slugfest with dieing fierds everywhere xD