Good day, gents & ladies

[macsenrufus]

Greetings all, couldn't find an "Introduce yourself" thread, so I'm saying "hello" here.

I'm a confirmed fan of NTW1 - and now I've just got RTW and a new computer thereby adding myself to the hordes awaiting NTW2. Strictly SP campaign player as I don't have internet connection at home, and online battles not too favoured by my employers...

I'm still working my way through all the NAP factions, currently on Austria. Will check in as an when workload allows.

[[GG] Lord Ashram]

Hey man! Nice to see a new face around these parts:) The SP campaign is a good time, even if the AI isnt top top notch; still lots of fun to be had, and I am sure even more fun ahead! Glad to see you around, and please enjoy your stay... and if there is anything you want help with or even just to talk strategy and stuff, post away:)

S!

[GG] Lord Ashram

[macsenrufus]

Thanks for the welcome -- as you can see, another quiet day at work. Well, I have to have some revenge for them making me work Bank Holidays, I guess.

ONE DAY I'll get online for some MP battles -- the AI is getting a bit too easy now (always play on expert as it is), but then I do like the campaign side of things. My current one is shaping up most strangely, gone about thirty turns and only three battles (except rebels, but they hardly count, more of a police action than a battle ;-). Maybe my borders are too strong, but no-one's attacked me yet. First turn against the Piemontese as we both pounced on Rome, ceasefired after I got a much needed princess off them, until they went to war with one of my allies, giving me the excuse to nab Sardinia and kill off their last king. Such a resounding field battle that I didn't have to besiege the castle, and the port stayed intact. Peace again. Strange one. Still, it's giving me time to tech up and buff my armies before trying to expand any more. Well, my first king died last night, so maybe the new guy will have a different attitude....

[[GG] Lord Ashram]

Sounds good! I am in the midst of a campaign with Spain, and I am at war with the French to the north and the Russians of all people to the south; they have crushed my turkish allies:(

When you play MP, let us know, would be a pleasure to show a new guy around MP. There are a lot of little tricks that, if someone tells you, will help you in MP a ton!

[macsenrufus]

MP will have to wait til I have broadband connection but perhaps I should try some custom battles to get used to the idea of an army on a budget with some sort of MP-style composition rules. I believe limits on artillery and Guard units usually apply? Totally different mind set to using the campaign map to raise your armies.

It's taken me a while to get to trying the Austrians in SP, mostly I realised because in previous games they've always backstabbed me as allies!! I'm amazed the Ottomans haven't attacked yet - they've wiped out the Russians and the Danes, hold all of Africa bar Morocco, and have even invaded Denmark and Hannover by sea. The diplomatic situation, and my burgeoning trade routes have stayed my own hand a bit. The Ottomans still seem to be allied to just about everyone but me and Prussia, and I'm allied to everyone but the Ottomans, France and Portugal. Spain and France are at war, and the Ottomans are currently fighting the Prussians, but largely it's quite peaceful all round... I know if the Ottomans can invade Denmark, though, soon as I go to war with them my trade will crash. So the only option is to keep buffing my land armies (going for quality rather than quantity) and to build up a fighting navy as fast as possible. Oh, and spread a few spies and priests around in the attempt to provoke some unrest, and possibly a Russian re-emergence...

I need a war soon, though, or I'll have a totally alcoholic Empire!

[[GG]SirDabrowski]

It's always the French in my campaigns that always become all-empowering. They usually blitz Spain and most of the German States in the first few turns of the game, especially at harder difficulties.

My advice: Push against the Ottoman's now, even if it destroys your trade income. It would be more prudent to strike while you still have at least one ally left ( Prussia, though it isn't really an 'ally', you can be d**ned certain it won't attack you. ) then to try and duke it out alone against an All-powerful Ottoman Empire.

Use Jaeger's and Grenzer's ( Light Infantry! ) to weaken the Ottoman Armies when you're in battle. And make certain you always go in to battle with a large Cavalry force. The Ottoman's have relatively pathetic cavalry ( Though Camels can be a pain in the !#$. ) so you should use this to your advantage whenever you can. Always try to wrap around their Armies.

It's good to see a new, lively face on these forums. I hope you get internet at home soon, I'd love to have a few online games with you!

[macsenrufus]

Hi there, SirDabrowski. Well, the expected war with the Ottomans has started, over what I call the "Corsican Incident" - France lost Corsica to rebels, and I had Sardinia pacified by then to it was a simple case of island hopping to nab a new one. As it turned out the Ottomans also wanted it and sent a couple of cav units across, which were soon dealt with and ransomed back. Once the war started I was lucky enough that Britain chose to stay with me and drop the Ottomans. Although my navy was still half built, the alliance with Britain served me well, and between us we crushed Ottoman sea power in two or three years. Once my hand was forced I launched the Balkan drive, taking Serbia, Wallachia, Bulgaria and Moldova in the next turn, and Greece and Constantinople the turn after. A mix of waiting, bribery and assaults soon turned the strongholds over to me, and the sea battles meanwhile freed up trade remarkably. Now making 25-30k PROFIT each turn, and have turned my Western Army to France, already reeling under Spanish aggression. In a big push I seized Franconia, Schwabia, Burgundy and Provence. Burgundy fell completely, the others are still under siege. The battle for Franconia was a toughy (epic five-a-side -- stacks that is!), bridge from Bavaria, my artillery hampered by the bad winter weather, but the German Grenadiers took the fight to the bridge, and with my Jaegers providing covering cross fire, managed to push back the mass of French Line and Cuirrasiers. Once their first wave was broken the rest fled and I rolled across the river in triumph!

Knocking back the Ottomans helped the Russians and Danes re-emerge, and the Piemontese showed up once more in Sicily, where my careless British allies had a single cav unit as garrison (I know this cos my spy saw it all first hand.... he hee) Taking on the French only lost me the Poles as allies (btw the Ottomans killed off the Prussians along the way) and the re-emerged Russians were duly grateful for my princess.

France is all but broken as a nation, with the territory being a hodge-podge of blue, Spanish yellow, and rebel grey. Although pushing northwards, the Spanish are losing ground at home to the Portuguese.

I've sent a small expedition off to the Middle East, and now hold Egypt and Palestine, and have bribed a few nice-looking gold-weaponed camels for the upcoming desert war. Sooner or later either Spain or Britain will turn on me (being the two other remaining naval powers), and that will result in an African theatre opening up. Poland has been totally idle so far, I've tried to deplete Bohemia a bit to see if they are going to turn on me, but I might just leave them alone for now.

And that was another weekend gone!