Medieval : Total War

[Eli]

Is there a comprehensive guide or manual somewhere on the net?

I passed the tutorial battles and tried some "quick battles", but I cant manage to win those using smart tactics.
Most of the time I manage to arrange a nice formation, but cant draw the enemy to battle thus making my flanking maneuvers and ambushes worthless. So after 10-20 minutes I just click ctrl+a and start an onslaught on the enemy.

The Campaign is also problematic. I still havent figured out what should I do, what objectives I need to strive to if I want to achieve dominance, what to do with the buildings, etc.

[Jamski]

There's a pretty good forum here :

http://pub24.ezboard.com/fshoguntotalwarfrm5

Like all forums you have to swich on your BS filter, but its not bad. (Not up to 'poly standards though)

-Jam

[Eli]

Bump.

[DrSpike]

I like http://www.totalwar.org/cgi-bin/forum/ikonboard.cgi.

Also the site has links to some good strategy guides for total war games.

[Jamski]

I got my link from you, Spikie.

As you bumped this thread, I assume the link wasn't satifactory. OK. The key to winning this game is to make lots of money. To do this put a ship in every sea "square" and a port on every coastal province. Makes lots of cash. Don't build armies you're not going to use, as these cost lots of money, and put someone with a high financial rating in charge of every province. Build a few units of Peasants until you get lucky with the stats. Go for Switzerland. The Swiss pikemen are so good they're broken. Now you can win

-Jam

[Buck Birdseed]

There's an excellent review of the game here: http://www.counterglow.com/article.php?id=mtw

[Eli]

Ok, a few questions :
1) Assasins, emmisaries, princesses - I know what they do, I know how to do it, but I see no purpose. Yet every turn my guards kill at least one assasin.

For what purpose are they used so often?

2) I'm playing as the English. I got a ship in the sea square between Ireland and Wales, but I cant move armies from Wales to Ireland.

When I tried moving armies from Wessex to a province in France using two ships(one in every square) it worked perfectly.

3) Technology. Every once in a while I get a message saying that this or that civ have the most adcanced technology.
I tried clicking pretty much on every possible button in the game looking for something related to technology but to no avail.

4) I tried to wage war against Spain. But the Pope ordered me not to. I managed to grab one province, but still, how do you wage war against other Catholics without messing with the Pope?

[Standup]

Not an expert on the game but...

1) Assasins - You can kill off other players/CPU generals or if they're stationed in your own province apparently improve your 'defence'. Princesses i use for scouting as marriage never seems to achieve much.
EMissaries - combination of above

2) have you built a port in each province ?

3) Not sure but i think its connected to the buildings you build in your provinces. The more advanced the building the higher the tech and the more advanced the unit.

4) With difficulty. I got attacked by another country and the pope threatened me. You can conquer the Vatican but you just get loads of revolts. If you're excommunicated then you need to wait for a new pope (or use those assasins).

[Grumbold]

Fighting other catholics is an exercise in patience. If someone declares war, at the appropriate time hit one or two provinces hard and capture them fast, by storm if you have to. Then when the Pope warns you off take no further offensive action, withdraw from any ongoing sieges and try and declare peace. Hopefully if the enemy continues to invade you then they will be excommunicated. At that point you can resume grabbing their territory. If not, you have to wait for the Pope to cool down before grabbing some more land.

[Grumbold]

Young assassins don't stand much chance against good generals but you can train them up by assassinating enemy priests if you want to take a modest risk. Just call off any missions if the priest in question leaves your land and goes back home since you're very likely to fail and be exposed.

If you get a well trained assassin in play then you really can affect the outcome of a battle by killing generals on the turn you invade.

[Jamski]

Also very good for killing Muslim priests, who keep trying to convert your people.

-Jam

[Space05us]

Is there a comprehensive guide or manual somewhere on the net?

I passed the tutorial battles and tried some "quick battles", but I cant manage to win those using smart tactics.
Most of the time I manage to arrange a nice formation, but cant draw the enemy to battle thus making my flanking maneuvers and ambushes worthless. So after 10-20 minutes I just click ctrl+a and start an onslaught on the enemy.

The Campaign is also problematic. I still havent figured out what should I do, what objectives I need to strive to if I want to achieve dominance, what to do with the buildings, etc.

1. a manual came with your game

2. when the computer is defending it can be hell. all you can do really is try to get all of your infantry in a straight line and charge thier line. Or if you want to risk losing an entire unit and turning moral to mush you can send some sort of mounted unit up to the enemy line. Get them just close enough to get the enemy moving then move back to your line, but remember not to move too fast or too slow.

one basic formation I often use when on the offensive;

H- Cavalry
M- Heavy Infantry, usually foot knights or men at arms
P- Light Infantry, peasants spearmen, etc.
A- archers, if you have any

H MPM H
AAAA

have everything advance slowly. once the enemy line starts moving send your cavalry out and around the enemy line. Once the two armies are fighting each other have your cavalry mow down the middle of the enemy's line from behind.

the most common formation Ive seen the computer use is;

HHH
MMM
AAA

they have thier archers fall back as your line gets closer, and they have thier cavalry charge down the middle

3. think of it as Civilization IV

[Space05us]

heres an example of what Im talking about. just put this in your savegames/battles folder. then go to replays in game