Arthur_Tuxedo wrote:Part of the problem against crossbowmen, I think, comes from the fact that their melee stats are too high in addition to cavalry's being too low. I'd have to check, but I believe crossbowmen are better melee fighters than levy spearman / spear militia.
Fucking A. I learned quickly that no matter how much sense it made, sending cavalry after Pavise Crossbow resulted in excessive casualties in melee, when in reality it should be an effortless slaughter.
Playing as the Byzantines is a lot of fun. But I'm only 25 turns in and I'm already in Italy (Venice decided to be a little bitch and sucker-punch me after I allied with them, so I've been slaughtering them en masse and taking their regions.
So now, I'm at a crossroads. Do I continue and take Italy? It'd be a huge campaign, I'd probably have to commit another full stack in additon to my own, plus I'd earn the ire of the entire Catholic World. On the other hand, expanding into Turkey will just piss of the Muslims. Then again, they're probably going to come a knock-knock-knocking on my door anyway. So, what should I do? Raise another army and confidently crush Italy, or turn my attentions eastward?
It's interesting times for my first Byzantine game. I'm at war with Hungary, Venice, the Turks and Egypt.
I started the war against Hungary by taking Sofia from them (them getting there first bothered me- I wanted Sofia as a castle to protect my northern frontier). For the better part of 2 decades (I love 0.50 timescale) they haven't gotten over it, and have rejected all offers of peace. Venice, the Turks and Egypt all attacked me first.
In fact- I find that the AI will never accept a ceasefire, no matter how much money I offer them or how much it's in their interests to accept it. Annoying.
I'm taking out the Turks and reclaiming all of Asia Minor first, then I'll deal with Venice (I've already taken Iraklion on Crete from them- all Greece is in Greek hands now.)
I've converted two castles to cities (Rhodes and Nicosia) but I'm still having money problems- the Council of Nobles giving me 4 Vardariotai units everytime I took a region has eaten into my profits some what (250 florin upkeep each) but they're so valuable I can't part with them.
I also took Adana from Egypt after wiping out their Jihad. I'm going to swing North to take Caesarea and Trebizond from the Turks now- as the Jihad came/ Egypt declared war on me after I took Iconium from the Turks (and killed their Sultan).