Total War Series, Shogun, Medieval, Rome, Empire, Napoleon, etc... Options

[SubRosa]

Here is a topic for the Total War games by the Creative Assembly. I own Shogun 1, Medieval 1 & 2, and Rome 1. I never played much of Shogun 1. In fact when I first tried the demo for it many years ago when it first came out, I was go creamed by the AI. It wasn't until I tried Rome years later that I was able to get the knack of playing a TW game. I never liked Real Time Strategy games, because you can never control all of your units. But I found that by pausing constantly I was able to make it essentially a turn-based game. After that I got really good. Especially in RTW.

In fact, I created the Amazon Total War mod for RTW. When I finally got burned out on RTW and stopped updating it, other people even picked up the torch and went on with it. It was my first foray into modding games, and was very rewarding. I put Amazon Total War up on Dropbox for anyone who wants to try it out, since I don't think my old versions are still around on the web anymore. This version requires the Barbarian Invasion expansion, as it uses the BI executable to make use of new things added by it, like night battles.


Here is a map of all the regions in Rome Total War

A map of Barbarian Invasion

An Amazon Total War map

A Medieval 2 Total War map


Froggbeastegg has an excellent guide to Rome Total War and Barbarian Invasion here. There is even a link to a pdf version of it on the same page.

Froggbeastegg has another guide for MTW1


In any case, I bought Shogun 2 a few days ago. Which makes it the most recent TW game I own. So far I am liking it. Though some of the changes are taking a while to get used to. I miss having the population of every province clearly listed, and being able to change my tax rate for each individual province, and being able to replace my losses in one turn.

I can see why they got rid of a lot of these old things. By the mid-game of RTW you spend more time administering your empire than actually going around conquering. By the late game it takes forever to get through one turn because of the micro-managing required. Obviously the Creative Assembly worked on finding ways to streamline all the management overhead, which is a good thing in general.

One thing I really miss in Shogun 2 is a proper manual though. The other games all came with an in-depth manual that told you exactly what everything did, what every little symbol on the maps meant, and so forth. The manual for this game is really shallow, and doesn't explain any of the real nuts and bolts of the interface. Some things I have figured out on my own, some I had to do forum searches to find out. Playing the past TW games helps of course. But there are changes with every game, and Shogun 2 is several generations ahead of my last TW experience with M2TW.

On the plus side, the graphics are incredible compared to RTW or M2TW, and it runs flawless even on Ultra settings. It is really nice to finally be able to fight out my sea battles on the tactical map as well. I am having a lot of fun with the Japanese setting too. I stared a Shimazu campaign, but gave up after a day when I got over-extended. I started again two days ago, and have concentrated on my economy first, and conquering second. Now I am the sole ruler of Kyushu. The latter half of the conquest was really difficult because my main rivals - the Otomo - were Christian. That make keeping order in every province I took from them a struggle. I have been knocking down all the Christian buildings, and construction Buddhist temples in their places, recruiting monks, and even a secret policeman (metsuke) to keep a lid on things.

Right now I am taking a breather to rebuild my army's losses and getting my economy back on track after the rebuilding. I have a ninja out scouting my neighbors to see who I should strike next. There is a land bridge to Honshu which I could take next. That would put me into the lands of the Ouchi clan, and the Amako after them. However, my ninja discovered an army of the Chosokabe clan that crossed over from their island of Shikoku into Honshu and took one of the Ouchi's cities. So those two clans are now at war. I am thinking this might be an excellent time to invade Shikoku and go after the Chosokabe homeland, They will have to divide their attention between islands and myself and the Ouchi. The only problem is that the Chosokabe have a powerful fleet. But one of the provinces I took from the Otomo has a pirate lair, which gives a +3 to experience to all ships recruited there. So I think I will be building a pirate fleet...

I even got tempted to fire up Shogun 1 and try it again. But it won't run on my Windows 7 computer. Still, I might try putting it on my old Windows XP box.

One of my Kobaya - the smallest ship in the Samurai arsenal

A medium Bune (which is technically a Seki-Bune) probably the workhorse of a Japanese fleet

A trading ship

My Seki Bune grapples a Wako (pirate) trading ship

Great plan!

Banzai!

My Katana Samurai (in green) battle Otomo clan Yari Ashigaru (peasant spearmen)

Slaughtering an Otomo general

Scaling the walls of a fortress

This post has been edited by SubRosa: May 30 2017, 12:35 AM

[SubRosa]

So now that you are a settled barbarian tribe, is abandoning a city like that an option that comes up on the menu after you take a city or just a manual effort after you press "exterminate" on said menu?

It is the latter. Just do the Exterminate as normal, then destroy all the buildings, set taxes to very high, and move all my troops out of the city so it rebels. I find it is a useful tactic when I want to create a buffer zone between me and a particularly annoying enemy whom I don't have the resources to visit a proper total annihilation upon.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: May 23 2017, 02:55 AM

[TheCheshireKhajiit]

So now that you are a settled barbarian tribe, is abandoning a city like that an option that comes up on the menu after you take a city or just a manual effort after you press "exterminate" on said menu?

It is the latter. Just do the Exterminate as normal, then destroy all the buildings, set taxes to very high, and move all my troops out of the city so it rebels. I find it is a useful tactic when I want to create a buffer zone between me and a particularly annoying enemy whom I don't have the resources to visit a proper total annihilation upon.

Oh that is good! Khajiit will have to try that later!

[hazmick]

I had a much slower day today - no fighting, no border expansion, no political shenanigans. I've been building up my newer settlements before I dare risk expanding further.

The Huns have become aware of my easternmost settlement, and have set up camp right on my border. Every time myself or my other neighbours send an army, the Huns scuttle away rather than fighting. I'm not sure what they're up to, but I'm not going to let them draw me out just yet. Once the settlement has some walls I might go hunting.

Up in Tuesis, things are going well. I've been tasked by my priestesses to increase the presence of Germanic Paganism in the area, so I've built a temple to Wodan and will continue to develop that branch. Relationships with the neighbouring Caledonians and Ebdanians are going downhill pretty fast, so I'm expecting a declaration of war quite soon. I'm confident that I can hold my ground there though, and maybe even expand down to Hadrian's Wall.

Back home in Frisia, I'm working on the development of large onagers, which requires me to build some new stuff and rebalance the sanitation situation. I think I've got it under control, so hopefully I should be able to upgrade my siege engines quite soon. The basic onager is already very useful, so the large version will be downright devastating.

[TheCheshireKhajiit]

I had a much slower day today - no fighting, no border expansion, no political shenanigans. I've been building up my newer settlements before I dare risk expanding further.

The Huns have become aware of my easternmost settlement, and have set up camp right on my border. Every time myself or my other neighbours send an army, the Huns scuttle away rather than fighting. I'm not sure what they're up to, but I'm not going to let them draw me out just yet. Once the settlement has some walls I might go hunting.

Up in Tuesis, things are going well. I've been tasked by my priestesses to increase the presence of Germanic Paganism in the area, so I've built a temple to Wodan and will continue to develop that branch. Relationships with the neighbouring Caledonians and Ebdanians are going downhill pretty fast, so I'm expecting a declaration of war quite soon. I'm confident that I can hold my ground there though, and maybe even expand down to Hadrian's Wall.

Back home in Frisia, I'm working on the development of large onagers, which requires me to build some new stuff and rebalance the sanitation situation. I think I've got it under control, so hopefully I should be able to upgrade my siege engines quite soon. The basic onager is already very useful, so the large version will be downright devastating.

The calm before the storm, eh?

[TheCheshireKhajiit]

Started a new campaign. Since the Julii campaign took place in the west, Khajiit decided to go with Egypt this time.

*Update*
Saved and quit after several turns. Pretty much just feeling out the neighbors right now. We made an alliance with Numidia to our west and sent an army east to Petra, which is being held by rebels. The Seleucids to the north offered us trade rights for a couple hundred moneyz tribute for 2 turns. Pharaoh does not pay tribute.

This post has been edited by TheCheshireKhajiit: May 23 2017, 07:43 PM

[SubRosa]

Egypt is a strong faction. Those Nubian Spearmen are good at the start. The chariots can be really powerful. But they can be difficult to use. The Chariot Archers work like any horse archer. Move and shoot and stay out of melee combat. The regular Chariots can be very powerful shock troops. But don't let them sit still in melee combat and just slug it out with opponents. Then is when their small number of people in the unit starts to hurt them. Instead make sure they always keep moving. Move them through the enemy lines and then come back again for another charge. If you can, mix in a cavalry unit with them for support.

My Sarmatian campaign might be taking a turn. When I previously decided to destroy Hatra and Ctesphion and abandon them it was with an eye toward expanding westward into Asia Minor. The ultimate goal being to take the two territories in the balkans that are part of the Sarmatian victory conditions. But today I decided to 'F' the victory conditions. Instead I am creating my own victory condition - destroy the Eastern Roman Empire. With that in mind I am going to take and hold both cities, and part of my goal of conquering the entire eastern Mediterranean.

[SubRosa]

Both Ctesphion and Hatra have fallen to me, without needing to assault either city. In each case a Roman relief force came to attack my besieging armies, pulling the city garrisons into the battles as reinforcements. Each time I completely wiped out the Romans. With no garrisons left, each city automatically fell to my conquering Sarmatian hordes. One of my generals even had a three way...

My decision to take and keep the cities has paid of beautifully. Literally. I am now the richest faction, with about 35k in my treasury. Quite a far cry from a few days ago when I literally could not pay my army. I am now building up my forces. I am even thinking of hiring some mercenary war elephants. But I don't think they really suit the horse archer play-style. If there were not so many cities with stone walls it would be worth hiring them just to break down city gates. But the boiling oil from stone walls makes elephant attacks suicide.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: May 24 2017, 12:10 AM

[TheCheshireKhajiit]

Both Ctesphion and Hatra have fallen to me, without needing to assault either city. In each case a Roman relief force came to attack my besieging armies, pulling the city garrisons into the battles as reinforcements. Each time I completely wiped out the Romans. With no garrisons left, each city automatically fell to my conquering Sarmatian hordes. One of my generals even had a three way...

My decision to take and keep the cities has paid of beautifully. Literally. I am now the richest faction, with about 35k in my treasury. Quite a far cry from a few days ago when I literally could not pay my army. I am now building up my forces. I am even thinking of hiring some mercenary war elephants. But I don't think they really suit the horse archer play-style. If there were not so many cities with stone walls it would be worth hiring them just to break down city gates. But the boiling oil from stone walls makes elephant attacks suicide.

Khajiit is probably going to see some elephants this time around. Pretty sure he remembers that the Seleucids field war elephants.

This post has been edited by TheCheshireKhajiit: May 24 2017, 03:36 AM

[TheCheshireKhajiit]

WAR WITH SELEUCIA!

Khajiit decided that he could no longer ignore the growing threat of the Seleucids on his doorstep, and then, using a rebel band that popped up near Damascus as an excuse to send an army into their territory, we invaded. After dealing with the rebels, we marched away from the city for a couple of turns to make it look like we were returning to our lands. When we were close enough to one of our cities north of Jerusalem, we took on some extra soldiers. On the next turn we marched back to Damascus and attacked and defeated a decent sized Seleucid army outside the walls. After that, the puny garrison was easily removed from the city and Damascus is now flying Egyptian colors!
Khajiit can tell the Seleucids are going to be very worthy opponents. They have several large armies not far from our lands so now we will work on bolstering our armies along our borders.

[hazmick]

410 AD.

My forces in Tuesis pushed south and captured the town of Eildon from the Caledonians.
All land north of Hadrian's Wall is now mine, so now I'll spend some time getting it all secured. Shortly after my attack a force of Jutes took Eboracum, also from the Caledonians.

More Hun activity to the east, but still no attack. My priestess assassinated another Hun leader, which seemed to scare them off for now.

In political news, the Danes and Ebdanians both hate me. The only factions who hate me more are the Huns, Picts, and Caledonians - all of whom are at war with me. Meanwhile the Geats, Jutes, and I have a pretty strong relationship going, all being defensive allies and trading partners with each other - an invincible triumvirate of northmen.

Here's the world map

[TheCheshireKhajiit]

410 AD.

My forces in Tuesis pushed south and captured the town of Eildon from the Caledonians.
All land north of Hadrian's Wall is now mine, so now I'll spend some time getting it all secured. Shortly after my attack a force of Jutes took Eboracum, also from the Caledonians.

More Hun activity to the east, but still no attack. My priestess assassinated another Hun leader, which seemed to scare them off for now.

In political news, the Danes and Ebdanians both hate me. The only factions who hate me more are the Huns, Picts, and Caledonians - all of whom are at war with me. Meanwhile the Geats, Jutes, and I have a pretty strong relationship going, all being defensive allies and trading partners with each other - an invincible triumvirate of northmen.

Here's the world map

Wait, weren't you good buddies with the Danes? How did that relationship sour?

[hazmick]

Yes, the Danes used to be good friends. Unfortunately their king is quite aggressive with his expansion, and jealous of rival empires - as I've expanded my borders and become more powerful, it's made him unhappy. My alliances with some other factions, particularly the Geats, are also bad for my relationship with the Danes.

I actually want them to declare war on me, so then I could take some of their settlements. We share a province in the east, and their capital to the north is shared with the Jutes and Geats so it'd be perfect for me as a trade settlement.

[SubRosa]

Does Attila have Angles? Or is it just the Jutes and Saxons that will be conquering the British Isles?

[TheCheshireKhajiit]

Yes, the Danes used to be good friends. Unfortunately their king is quite aggressive with his expansion, and jealous of rival empires - as I've expanded my borders and become more powerful, it's made him unhappy. My alliances with some other factions, particularly the Geats, are also bad for my relationship with the Danes.

I actually want them to declare war on me, so then I could take some of their settlements. We share a province in the east, and their capital to the north is shared with the Jutes and Geats so it'd be perfect for me as a trade settlement.

Are you strong enough to fight them now?

[hazmick]

SubRosa - There are Angles, they start in the town of Angulus in Frisia. They were destroyed very early in my campaign, so it'll just be the Saxons and Jutes this time.

Cheshire - The Danes? Definitely. They keep sending raiding parties to attack settlements all over the place, but spend little time or money on their own settlement defences.

[TheCheshireKhajiit]

Cheshire - The Danes? Definitely. They keep sending raiding parties to attack settlements all over the place, but spend little time or money on their own settlement defences.

Wipe them out. All of them.

This post has been edited by TheCheshireKhajiit: May 24 2017, 11:55 PM

[hazmick]

I plan to take 2 of the 3 Danish settlements, but I don't want to wipe them out if I can avoid it - they're really useful in keeping everyone busy. Every time one of my neighbours expands, then Danes are there to push them back. Usually the Huns fill a similar role, but it looks like they've headed south instead of west.

[TheCheshireKhajiit]

I plan to take 2 of the 3 Danish settlements, but I don't want to wipe them out if I can avoid it - they're really useful in keeping everyone busy. Every time one of my neighbours expands, then Danes are there to push them back. Usually the Huns fill a similar role, but it looks like they've headed south instead of west.

Well that makes sense. Of course, they are likely to harass you also! Lol

[SubRosa]

I say kill them all and let Woden sort them out in Valhalla!

In my Sarmatian campaign, I saw that the city of Antioch was sparsely defended. So I left a few camel mercenaries behind to hold Hatra, and laid siege to Antioch. Before I could assault it, the defenders sallied and brought in reinforcements from outside the city. But I had already built my siege towers, so I was able to take the city. The new Bosphoran Infantry that I can now recruit from 3rd tier barracks' are a big improvement over my old Runaway Slave Spearmen.

With Antioch, I have cut the ERE in two. My plan is to hold on the defensive in the north, and take the Levant and Egypt. Then return and roll up Asia Minor. With that in mind my faction heir took a small force from Ctesphion down to Dumatha. He laid siege, and then I realized he had no infantry in his army! So there was no one to use a ram. I wound up hiring those Mercenary Elephants, who battered down the Roman walls.

So that small force will be headed west to link up with my army from Antioch. To sweeten things Philadephaea rebelled from the ERE. They didn't become regular rebels, but the Eastern Roman Rebel faction. Maybe I can make a deal with them? Or failing that, they can become grist under the feet of my elephants.

[hazmick]

Had some further developments.

The Geats, who have been at war with the Danes for a while, asked me to join in. This was just the chance I'd been waiting for, so I agreed and immediately sent my army in Frisia to attack the Danish capital of Hafn. Decisive victory.

Over in the east, I took the city of Palteskja from slavic rebels. Now I control 2/3 of that province, with the final settlement lying under the control of the Danes. Once Palteskja is back on its feet, I'll march.

Attack on Hafn:
Large Onagers are large. Who knew?

The Saxon line holds firm against the Danish tide

Victory is imminent

Hafn burns

This post has been edited by hazmick: May 25 2017, 01:01 AM