What do you do the last 54 years?

[Clown]

Yeah, title says it basically. Once the 14th century hits, I'm in a "Shit, let's get the things I want to do done." mode. It's usually the most productive in terms of achievements (both set by myself and steam achievements).

But once the 15th century hits, there's very little left to do. By that time I can easily defeat anyone. In the game I'm currently playing, I can fight battles where I'm outnumbered 30 or more to 1 and still easily win with minimal losses for example. Conquering more territory is rather useless as well, since it serves no purpose at that point.

Usually I tone it down a bit, rearrange vassals and internal borders before I release them as independent states with opposing cultures/religions, in case I wanted to convert it to EUIV. But since I actually never do play it in EUIV, it became an end in itself.

A little variation would be great, I think. Therefore I'd like to know what you guys do in the 15th century.

 

[Pied-Noir]

Never played a game that far. I usually get bored and start a new game well before 1400.

 

[Zoomun]

If you want a more interesting late game I would recommend not using retinues in the early game. Retinues make the game much easier and without them you might still have some decent threats. This doesn't make a massive difference but it usually keeps the game interesting for a bit longer.

 

[Tomaster]

Dynastic map painting.

 

[Clown]

If you want a more interesting late game I would recommend not using retinues in the early game. Retinues make the game much easier and without them you might still have some decent threats. This doesn't make a massive difference but it usually keeps the game interesting for a bit longer.

That's not so much the issue here. It's just that from 1400 onwards, everything you can possibly do feels rather pointless, since the game is almost over anyway. I'm searching for fun stuff to do in that time, where nothing really matters. But thanks for the reply!

 

[Sunspawn]

Win a crusade and swap to the new ruler.

 

[Sunshine Moon]

I managed to be in a state where crusades were being declared exclusively on me every 30 years, which included two in the 1400s (the last one about 10 years before the end date), so that kept things interesting. Of course, from the sounds of it you're generally better at the game and able to become more unstoppable by then than me, so it's likely even that wouldn't fill much of the time for you.

 

[Clown]

I managed to be in a state where crusades were being declared exclusively on me every 30 years, which included two in the 1400s (the last one about 10 years before the end date), so that kept things interesting. Of course, from the sounds of it you're generally better at the game and able to become more unstoppable by then than me, so it's likely even that wouldn't fill much of the time for you.

Honestly, you don't want to become too good at the game. It's much more enjoyable if you don't know how to min-max the game. You have to restrict yourself quite heavily at that point to find enjoyment.
This is a very extreme example, but if you get to this

stage, you're basically done with the playthrough. I'm only playing it to the end to get the Persistent Survivor achievement.

Never played a game that far. I usually get bored and start a new game well before 1400.

Heh, I'm currently forcing myself to play to the end. I still need the 867->1453 and 1066->1453 achievement. Might as well do something fun while slogging through.

 

[Geglash]

Move to Sri Lanka with your retinue, change your religion and give everyone independence. It's like smashing your magnificent sand castle

 

[Justicar McLeod]

Honestly, you don't want to become too good at the game. It's much more enjoyable if you don't know how to min-max the game. You have to restrict yourself quite heavily at that point to find enjoyment.
This is a very extreme example, but if you get to this

stage, you're basically done with the playthrough. I'm only playing it to the end to get the Persistent Survivor achievement.



Heh, I'm currently forcing myself to play to the end. I still need the 867->1453 and 1066->1453 achievement. Might as well do something fun while slogging through.

Holy Glitterhoof!!! If you don’t mind me asking, how on earth did you slaughter a +/- 16k army with less than 500 men??? That’s amazing!
I thought I had a hang on combat tactics / retinue formation / commander traits / terrain, but clear I am absolutely terrible at this.
Kudos for you, and please share a little bit of your wisdom with us!

 

[Chlodio]

I honestly don't know why this game extends past 1300 AD. This game breathes High Medieval Period, but—with the exception of Black Death—it doesn't have mechanics from the Late Medieval Period. The 14th century was radically different: it was the rise of more centralized governments, the spread of gunpowder and decline of knights. Whereas the High Medieval Ages was the emerge of knights, castles, rise and decline of crusades.

So that would be 1066‒1300, that's 234 years of gameplay. Somebody would argue that's too short, but I disagree. In that time, the throne of France passed eight generations, so it's more than enough time to breed the perfect family tree and forge a great empire.

 

[Sunshine Moon]

Honestly, you don't want to become too good at the game. It's much more enjoyable if you don't know how to min-max the game. You have to restrict yourself quite heavily at that point to find enjoyment.
This is a very extreme example, but if you get to this

stage, you're basically done with the playthrough. I'm only playing it to the end to get the Persistent Survivor achievement.



Heh, I'm currently forcing myself to play to the end. I still need the 867->1453 and 1066->1453 achievement. Might as well do something fun while slogging through.

Oh, wow. I honestly don't even want to know how you manage that, haha. I entirely believe you that it's more fun not to be at the level where you can min-max to the point the Mongol hordes are like rain on the windshield that is your retinue!

 

[SSA]

Get ready for EU4 is all I really focus on that late into the game;

 

[Clown]

Holy Glitterhoof!!! If you don’t mind me asking, how on earth did you slaughter a +/- 16k army with less than 500 men??? That’s amazing!
I thought I had a hang on combat tactics / retinue formation / commander traits / terrain, but clear I am absolutely terrible at this.
Kudos for you, and please share a little bit of your wisdom with us!

It's just cheesing as many commander traits as you can. The Warrior Lodge traits are insane on their own. But stacked together, you get something like this.
It takes roughly 3,5 years per lodge to get a trait, so you can easily get the best ones within 20 years. This char might be immortal (my first immortal one to boot), but in this picture she's only tender 62 years old. Once you have the best traits, you literally cannot lose a battle, as long as you have a semi-high martial skills (30+. Which should be easily achievable even for regular, non-genius chars). At this point you don't care for army composition, terrain or even other commanders anymore. Put her in charge and you win.

I honestly don't know why this game extends past 1300 AD. This game breathes High Medieval Period, but—with the exception of Black Death—it doesn't have mechanics from the Late Medieval Period. The 14th century was radically different: it was the rise of more centralized governments, the spread of gunpowder and decline of knights. Whereas the High Medieval Ages was the emerge of knights, castles, rise and decline of crusades.

So that would be 1066‒1300, that's 234 years of gameplay. Somebody would argue that's too short, but I disagree. In that time, the throne of France passed eight generations, so it's more than enough time to breed the perfect family tree and forge a great empire.

I'd be fine with 936-1354. I totally would put the beginning of the 100 years war and the turkish arrival in Europe into the gamespan. The coronation of Otto as HR Emperor is also something worthy of the game. The Old Gods and Charlemagne however....meh. They're fun for completely nuts playthroughs. But that's about it. 1354-1453 is terribly represented in the game. The lack of actual centralization doesn't do the period justice.

 

[Ambion Iskariot]

"Help I am cheesing the game and now I am bored"
It's strange that the game allows to be a member of every single warrior lodge and to learn their Special Combat traits. As you have the immortal Achievement allready turn immortal Events off in your next playthrough. Hopefully devs will restrict the number of lodge traits like they restricted the number of books.

 

[Clown]

"Help I am cheesing the game and now I am bored"
It's strange that the game allows to be a member of every single warrior lodge and to learn their Special Combat traits. As you have the immortal Achievement allready turn immortal Events off in your next playthrough. Hopefully devs will restrict the number of lodge traits like they restricted the number of books.

That's not what this thread is about at all. And I stated so multiple times.

In my last campaign (the 769-1453 achievement) I ended the game with only 14 counties in my whole "Empire". I know how to restrict myself. That doesn't change the underlying problem of the last 54 years feeling pointless because the game is basically over anyway. Your power level doesn't affect that feeling in the least. Even in that game I was basically just letting the years roll by without doing anything as it felt pointless to do anything.

 

[Justicar McLeod]

It's just cheesing as many commander traits as you can. The Warrior Lodge traits are insane on their own. But stacked together, you get something like this.
It takes roughly 3,5 years per lodge to get a trait, so you can easily get the best ones within 20 years. This char might be immortal (my first immortal one to boot), but in this picture she's only tender 62 years old. Once you have the best traits, you literally cannot lose a battle, as long as you have a semi-high martial skills (30+. Which should be easily achievable even for regular, non-genius chars). At this point you don't care for army composition, terrain or even other commanders anymore. Put her in charge and you win.




I'd be fine with 963-1354. I totally would put the beginning of the 100 years war and the turkish arrival in Europe into the gamespan. The coronation of Otto as HR Emperor is also something worthy of the game. The Old Gods and Charlemagne however....meh. They're fun for completely nuts playthroughs. But that's about it. 1354-1453 is terribly represented in the game. The lack of actual centralization doesn't do the period justice.

Thanks a lot for sharing your character with us! She is an absolute beast... Probably the strongest commander I’ve ever seen, by far. Those are just massive combat modifiers!

I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to reach such a high level with any character. I mostly keep the religion I start with (reforming it, if need be)... I also only play on “very hard”, so the boost the AI gets in morale is frequently an issue. I may beat it in a 3 X 1 situation with the right army composition, terrain, commanders, etc., but that’s about it. Not even close to your results...

By the way, do you ever mess with the difficulty level of the game? Were you playing on “normal” difficulty?

 

[Clown]

Thanks a lot for sharing your character with us! She is an absolute beast... Probably the strongest commander I’ve ever seen, by far. Those are just massive combat modifiers!

I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to reach such a high level with any character. I mostly keep the religion I start with (reforming it, if need be)... I also only play on “very hard”, so the boost the AI gets in morale is frequently an issue. I may beat it in a 3 X 1 situation with the right army composition, terrain, commanders, etc., but that’s about it. Not even close to your results...

By the way, do you ever mess with the difficulty level of the game? Were you playing on “normal” difficulty?

Well, that's something you do once and then go back to regular playthroughs. It'd become way too tedious to do it with every char in every playthrough. It's just that she became my first ever immortal char. It's like how when HF was released. I collected every single Bloodline in the game just because I could. It's fun the first time. Meh the second time. And then there is no third time.

I usually stick to the starting religion as well. Unless a conversion would make sense RP-wise. Like Germanic->Catholic or even Catholic->Cathar with an insane ruler. I mean, this is a sandbox game. The fruit hanging from the tree doesn't mean you have to pluck it. That's also something I strongly disagree with about Ambiot Iskarion's post. Yes, it can and will be exploited. But you don't have to exploit it. Your game, your rules. And if you absolutely must collect all Bloodlines and all Warrior Lodge traits, be my guest. If you find enjoyment in that, why the hell shouldn't you be able to do it?

But you bring up a great point about the difficulty. I definitely will set it to very hard for my next playthrough. I actually never even though about it. Thanks!

 

[WJS]

Once you have the best traits, you literally cannot lose a battle, as long as you have a semi-high martial skills (30+. Which should be easily achievable even for regular, non-genius chars)

*Not at all reasonably achievable without constant focus on martial only

(Seriously, I'm happy if I can reach the upper teens on a character. 30+ remains impossible.)

 

[Justicar McLeod]

Well, that's something you do once and then go back to regular playthroughs. It'd become way too tedious to do it with every char in every playthrough. It's just that she became my first ever immortal char. It's like how when HF was released. I collected every single Bloodline in the game just because I could. It's fun the first time. Meh the second time. And then there is no third time.

I usually stick to the starting religion as well. Unless a conversion would make sense RP-wise. Like Germanic->Catholic or even Catholic->Cathar with an insane ruler. I mean, this is a sandbox game. The fruit hanging from the tree doesn't mean you have to pluck it. That's also something I strongly disagree with about Ambiot Iskarion's post. Yes, it can and will be exploited. But you don't have to exploit it. Your game, your rules. And if you absolutely must collect all Bloodlines and all Warrior Lodge traits, be my guest. If you find enjoyment in that, why the hell shouldn't you be able to do it?

But you bring up a great point about the difficulty. I definitely will set it to very hard for my next playthrough. I actually never even though about it. Thanks!

My pleasure! I hope you enjoy it! It doesn’t really change the game all that much (basically the AI gets twice as much base morale for its troops than you, and double the reinforcement rate, as well as 20% more money), but I found it to up the challenge a little. Unfortunately, though, the AI mechanics do not change (so it still falls into your traps, fails to deal with guerrilla warfare, etc.).

I honestly have never had an immortal character, but I guess I would go totally ballistic with it (stack traits like hell, join every society, etc.). Sounds like a lot of fun, even if only for once!