Medieval: Total War

Bubba Grizz · Post by **Bubba Grizz** » October 16, 2002, 1:20 pm

I just got this game a few weeks ago and I find that I am really enjoying it. I am still learning the little things about it. It reminds me of Risk in a way but much much better. Anyone else have this game and shed some light on the nuances?

Xanupox · Post by **Xanupox** » October 16, 2002, 4:55 pm

I find playing the Turks to be great, I usually take over a good part of the eastern Med without making too many enemies, then build up a huge army. Razing the Siberian fields then pressing west into Sweden and Germany is the best. Dont bother trying to take these lands, just destroy all structures, rape and pillage then pull back.

Dominate the seas and you will win easily.

Put one of your religion units in EVERY game square possible. If you do this early enough in the game, you will have religious uprisings in YOUR favor in enemy nations at key times, this once turned my losing 8,000 man army suffering defeat after defeat into a 30,000 man army in one game round, due to the years and years of religous conversions.

Pubin · Post by **Pubin** » October 16, 2002, 10:15 pm

I blame video games for teaching xanupox how to take over the world.

Bubba Grizz · Post by **Bubba Grizz** » October 17, 2002, 10:09 am

I find myself starting over everytime I learn something new about the game. I didn't know that you couldn't load troops on to ships. That is kind of gay. Crusades are kind of cool though. I do feel guilty for killing the Pope all the time but that bastard keeps excommunicating me and then calls for crusades against me.

How do you get to the Corsica and Sardina with ground troops?

Xanupox · Post by **Xanupox** » October 17, 2002, 11:15 am

You dont actually "load troops" on ships.

How it works is like this. There are sections of the seas in the game, each has its own name, "eastern med" "black sea" etc.,

Hover your mouse over the sea section and a pop up will appear, telling you name of the ocean( you can also read it on the map), and it those waters are neutral or hostile.

Make ships

You only need 1 type of ship in any given sea region to use it. There are two deep sea areas that need larger ships, you will see those. If you put your ship into a sea area that has no "enemy" vessels in it, then it is usable for you. If there are enemy vessels in it, then it is considered "blockaded" and you will need to sink the enemy ships before you, OR him.. can use that body of water.

Now, once you understand that part... how to launch troops.

You need a PORT/DOCK, its the blue icon to build. Once you complete a Dock in a province, you can now launch troops from that province as long as the body of water that dock is attached to is not "blockaded".

How far can you move a "water launched" troop on the map? VERY FAR, if you have control of ALL the seas.

In what I mean by having "control", just have 1 ship in every water tile of the game you want to have access to. You should know though that ships cost support resources. So if you do not have a super economy, you will find creating a vast fleet will sap your income, and leave you floundering.

I find creating a balance of ships as I need them is the best, although once I had every gametile filled with my ships... I was able to deploy units from Armenia all the way to England in one turn.

Lanoi · Post by **Lanoi** » October 17, 2002, 12:09 pm

ahh so that's how you work the docks. I got the game from a friend so didn't have the manual and like Bubba Grizz, started over everytime I learned something new. I like the English, their longbowmen are the best. What I do is keep the Monarch safe within my territory, and instead use my Generals to build up their ranks. I hate having my high ranking Kings and Princes age to death. Once I conquered Spain, France, Germany, and started working my way east; I always find my homeland being invaded by the Danish, sneaky bastards. Now knowing how to work the seas, let see them invade Enlgand again. Thanks for the tips.

Btw Age of Mytholgy is coming out the 31st, anyone into the Empire series?

Bubba Grizz · Post by **Bubba Grizz** » October 17, 2002, 12:14 pm

I am definitly looking forward to AOM.

I have only played the english in MTW but I like them. So far I have had to kill the Pope about 8 times including having a successful assassination of that excommunicating bastard. I am able to play this at work as well as at home. My home game I am almost the only Catholic nation left, I conquered the rest. I need to practice actually running the battles myself instead of playing it like Axis & Allies. This game should have a lot of replay value because you can be many different factions. I think it is a big step up from Civilization.

Adex_Xeda · Post by **Adex_Xeda** » November 4, 2002, 5:06 pm

Well I bought this game per your suggestion and I LOVE it!

BTW I love the Byzantines! Gruff hardened people who don't have to beg the Pope for "permission" for every little adventure.

Nothing like that Byzantine heavy infantry. They don't get phased by all of those stupid horse mounted units. They just hang out in formation and tear new assholes into those foolish enough to charge them.

Oh yea Assasins are a riot.

This game is everything that the Civ series and Lords of the Realm series failed to live up to.

Adex_Xeda · Post by **Adex_Xeda** » November 4, 2002, 5:26 pm

Oh yea,

Did I mention what a blast it is to have 500 of your troops hiding on a tree-filled hilltop and then have them come thundering down the hill and crashing into an unsuspecting army's flanks?

Its adrenaline, on a CD!

Krimson Klaw · Post by **Krimson Klaw** » November 4, 2002, 5:47 pm

Yes this game rocks. I just found out last night that you could resupply (heal) units. I always had that awesome general with only 1-2 units left, and always having to hold him back. Now I know how to resupply his troops. Go to the troop order screen, and instead of ordering a new unit, drag your unit from the bottom selection window, and drop it into the unit order box. NOTE-you can only heal units in provinces that could already produce that unit. This game is awesome. The muslims always kick major butt, love fighting against them. Their camel riders are cool too because they spook horses when they charge at them. I just can't bring myself to playing one of the muslim kingdoms though hehe.

Adex_Xeda · Post by **Adex_Xeda** » November 4, 2002, 5:55 pm

Got a bank of troops defending high on a hill that you need to dislodge?

Check this out.

Take one unit of cavalry and one unit of infantry. Group them together and have them charge up the hill just to the right of the targeted badguy.

You horse riders will outpace your infantry and a gap will appear between the two unit blocks.

As your horse riders run up the hill just to the right of the targeted badguy, they'll pass them and the badguy will follow.

Next thing you know, you have your horse units on TOP of the hill, the badguys below them, and your infantry "behind" them.

Wheel you horses around, charge them down the hill into the badguy, and just as they get plowed open, they'll be slammed in the flanks by your infantry.

Like a bear trap, snap!, Boom!

Millie · Post by **Millie** » November 4, 2002, 6:37 pm

I've never played Medieval: Total War. But its predecessor, Shogun: Total War, is a freakin' awesome game.

I took an excellent Japanese History course right about the time that Shogun came out. I was delighted to see that the game's names, details, units, and fighting styles were almost perfectly matched to the history books. I may be crazy, but I truly believe that playing the game obsessively helped improve my enjoyment of the class (not to mention my grades). It's much easier to memorize the names and dates of figures like Takeda Shingen or Tokugawa Ieyasu when you're making a game out of them.

Oh, and the game has ninjas! Is there anything more badass than a ninja?

From what it seems, Medieval is a blast. I have tried to download it (lame-ass Kazaa), but to no avail. Anyone know where I can get a copy? There are no computer stores within a 20-mile radius of my college town, and I don't have a car here. So I may have to download it, assuming I can find it.

BTW - Am I the only one who thinks they need to make a Rome: Total War game? You could reenact that fight at the beginning of Gladiator.

Or maybe they should make a game set in the days of Alexander the Great. The possibilities...

Adex_Xeda · Post by **Adex_Xeda** » November 4, 2002, 6:52 pm

Amazon.com Millie

They're quick, they've got even arcane stuff in stock, and 80% of the time their 20 bucks cheaper than the stores.

Bubba Grizz · Post by **Bubba Grizz** » November 4, 2002, 7:51 pm

I really like this game a lot. I have only been playing it like you would play Axis and Allies, moving pieces on the board. I plan on getting into the battles first hand next time around though.

Something that bothers me is how money is handled in the game. Starting out with 8k is great but only if you get a standard charge for troops after your first turn. Playing the Brits and doing my first turn should have dropped me down to about 4k or roughly half of my money but then I find myself knocked down to near poverty levels. It really frustrates me at times.

Also, rebels or loyal factions that pop up after you have had the territory for a very long time piss me off. Example, I am playing the turks and I have taken the whole southern part of the map, mostly from the spanish. 30 years later there are spanish loyalist popping up in areas that were originally Ahmound (sp?).

Is there any way to expel religeous pieces from your territory?

I have noticed that it is almost impossible to dominate the seas unless you go around and destroy all the enemy ports.

Krimson Klaw · Post by **Krimson Klaw** » November 4, 2002, 8:36 pm

Bubba I start with the britts everytime and I have never dropped down that far. You must have *auto purchase buildings* turned on.

Xanupox · Post by **Xanupox** » November 5, 2002, 8:13 am

Yeah I played it several times through, I think the higher the difficutly level the more "Garrisoned" troops you have to leave in a nation. I also find peasants, are not too good at garrisoning. On anything higher than easy level, I think you need to garrison like 100+ combat troops inside a fort in that province.

It also helps to have Forts/Keeps/Castles built there since that will lower the agression as well. Town watch and a Mosque help too it seems. If you controll all the ports then it really isnt that much a problem when an uprising occurs back behind the lines. You can easily move troops from Constantinople to anywhere on the north African coast, or around Spain/Portugal if you have that many boats.

Assasins can kill enemy princesses/priests if dropped onto them directly.

I also find that "prepping" a nation for occupation works well too.. I put one of my Muslim "priests" into every game tile on the board during the course of the game. Especially in those area that border you. If the border nation is not your religion, then that will cause possible rebel uprising for him, that could lead to a few game turns of that provice being controlled by rebel outlaws.. easy time to swoop in and claim, 'war-free' lands.. without pissing off any allies or making enemies.

Yes though I have seen at times those rebel uprising from Portugal to Egypt for no apparent reason. I had taxes LOWEST and a fort/mosque/townwatch in EVERY province with 150-300 combat troops garrisoned in each game province... still there was massive peasant uprisings, usually 1800 peasants with 200 desert archers.. not much against 200-300 Armenian Heavy Cav... but still it shouldnt have happened.

I think those uprising tie into you losing a major battle, or killling off another nation of your same religion... or the pope. Still trying to figure it out.

Oh yeah though, portugal is almost impossible to maintain unless you Garrison a HUGE army in it.. I reallly love it when the province is 150% content with lower taxation.. then next round a 2000 man army of elite Cav and heavy infantry arise from a loyal general in the region lol. The state was 100% muslim and still rebels.. fags heh.

Bubba Grizz · Post by **Bubba Grizz** » November 5, 2002, 11:53 am

Thanks Xan, I totally forgot about the assassins. I am wondering if keeping an assassin in your territories would be a good idea as well.

Krimson, I like handling the buildings myself. The only things I don't have on auto are the buildings and combat. I let the computer deal with titles and taxing. I turn off enemy moves as well because it sucks up a lot of extra time.

I am currently playing the Polish and am slowly carving out my territory. Now the question is, when starting the game do you go for total conquest or by acheivments? So far I have been doing the conquest. Has anyone played the other?

VeeshanVault

Medieval: Total War

Medieval: Total War

Im playing it now

...

docks

hehe