First Game - How do I split forces into my flanks? Other nooby questions.

[unmerged(606683)]

Hey all, just got this game on sale the other night. Some questions...

1. Started playing as an Earl in Dublin. After one mishap (I backed a council member who had a claim for the seat in Leister, which I got no part of), I learned to not back anyone except myself.

To this end, I fabricated a claim for the seat in Kildare. My war in Leister hardly necessitated troop arrangement (I had 330 men to his 40... he had sent men to the Crusades), but Kildare had a comparable force. No matter, I thought, I still outnumber him.

Well, he flanked me with a small group and I attribute this to my loss. I reloaded an autosave and tried to do the same to no avail.

Am I missing a button somewhere? I draw up my levy, all 540 of them, and I cannot for the life of me figure out how to move some of them to my flanks, nor can I figure out how to assign a leader to them. I figure that if I split my forces some, there should be no reason why I can't overcome this Kildare guy.

2. When I started the game, there was some sort of notification that said a title could be created... just like with the force splitting, I must be missing a button somewhere. I click on the notification and the only thing I can interact with on the window that opens is a box that I can click that says 'de jure,' which results in showing me Dublin and Kildare as a barony. Don't know what a title is or how I can assign one or what the purpose is.

3. What in the name of all that is holy does WAD mean? I was scanning the forums for an answer to my questions and saw this waaaaay too much.

Thanks to all that take the time to read and answer!

 

[the kookaburra]

3. What in the name of all that is holy does WAD mean?

Working as Designed.
A way of asking is the game supposed to do this.

 

[shypixel]

You can only shuffle units into flanks if you have more than one unit in a stack.

When you raise your levies, do you get one unit, or multiple? If just one, they are all coming from the same holding, there is nothing you can do about it for now. If you get several smaller groups of soldiers from multiple holdings and stack them, they will automatically divide into flanks. On the army screen, there is an arrow you can click to get an expanded view of your army (Only when you are in neutral territory or walking). This screen has an auto-balance button to help make the flanks even.

As far as appointing leaders, you need a high enough crown authority to appoint leaders.

EDIT: for the title, hover your mouse over the (assuming here) greyed-out "Create" button, and the tool-tip will tell you why you can't create it just now.

 

[the kookaburra]

2. When I started the game, there was some sort of notification that said a title could be created... just like with the force splitting, I must be missing a button somewhere. I click on the notification and the only thing I can interact with on the window that opens is a box that I can click that says 'de jure,' which results in showing me Dublin and Kildare as a barony. Don't know what a title is or how I can assign one or what the purpose is.

Ok that means you have enough Counties to create the higher level Dutchy. Usually has 3-5 counties per Dutchy.

Click that link in the box it will list each county in the Dutchy. Click the small box top left of box that reads 'De Jure' that will show what County and Dutchy belongs with which.

Click on the shield of the Dutchy and the create button will highlight.

Click that and you are done.

 

[the kookaburra]

As far as appointing leaders, you need a high enough crown authority to appoint leaders.

Low crown authority or higher.

 

[unmerged(606683)]

You can only shuffle units into flanks if you have more than one unit in a stack.

When you raise your levies, do you get one unit, or multiple? If just one, they are all coming from the same holding, there is nothing you can do about it for now. If you get several smaller groups of soldiers from multiple holdings and stack them, they will automatically divide into flanks. On the army screen, there is an arrow you can click to get an expanded view of your army (Only when you are in neutral territory or walking). This screen has an auto-balance button to help make the flanks even.

As far as appointing leaders, you need a high enough crown authority to appoint leaders.

EDIT: for the title, hover your mouse over the (assuming here) greyed-out "Create" button, and the tool-tip will tell you why you can't create it just now.

What constitutes a 'unit?' My levy from my capital is the one with 540 men, but within that 540 are included light infantry, heavy infantry, light cavalry, pikemen, and archers. Are the 540 from that levy an inseparable unit, or is each type of soldier a unit?

I did notice that when I raised the levy from my vassal's city that I had a separate army of 130 men, but I couldn't find any way to combine the two forces.

 

[Anthropoid]

I noticed something working different than I remember from when the game first came out:

When you try to reorganize your army during a siege, you cannot do it. The window closes down within a second or less.

I assume that is WAD?

 

[unmerged(606683)]

Ok that means you have enough Counties to create the higher level Dutchy. Usually has 3-5 counties per Dutchy.

Click that link in the box it will list each county in the Dutchy. Click the small box top left of box that reads 'De Jure' that will show what County and Dutchy belongs with which.

Click on the shield of the Dutchy and the create button will highlight.

Click that and you are done.

If a county is each outlined region of the map, I only have one of those, Dublin. Is the game merely informing me that if I can conquer Kildare, then I can create the title of Duke? Because as of right now, it seems that there isn't an option to create anything.

Edit: how do I increase my crown authority?

 

[shypixel]

Each holding produces one unit, regardless of the number or type of soldiers in it.

To stack units, drag over an area to highlight all armies. If they are all in the same region, you can then merge them with a button on the army screen.

Oh, and to raise crown authority you need... A crown! Until you become a King in your own right, you must suffer under someone else's crown laws, even if you are not their direct vassal.

 

[unmerged(606683)]

Ah, okay. So under no circumstances can you split the forces from a single holding? They are considered a 'unit?'

I guess that means that Kildare's flanking force was a town levy. I'm not able to play right now, but I'll try combining when I can, I didn't know you could draw a box in this game.

 

[Ahaz Flagg]

If a county is each outlined region of the map, I only have one of those, Dublin. Is the game merely informing me that if I can conquer Kildare, then I can create the title of Duke? Because as of right now, it seems that there isn't an option to create anything.

Edit: how do I increase my crown authority?

The lower 7 counties of Ireland is composed of 3 duchies, I think it is the best base to form Ireland. I also would not create both duchies.As you only need 2. I am pretty sure, you do not need low CA to appoint leaders as an Earl, at least I am able to appoint leaders. *unless I am bugged* As to how, form Ireland, and go to law screen. A small suggestion that I found handy, get the 4 counties for the 2 small duchies in the lower 7, then form one. Then take the other one, form Ireland, and the top 6 should become vassels without war. I replace all of them asap, generly when the ruler who formed Ireland is in his early 60's. This way you replace them with fresh nobles. They will only be a pain later, could be 50-100 years, but best to get rid of them imho. I am pretty harsh to my vassels though!! Once you control the lower 7, you can be harsh.

 

[Baron Jukaga]

In your early expansion phases as a Duke I find it helpful to plot to revoke all of my vassal's counties in my realm, making my own desmene far more powerful and rich. You can worry about handing out county vassals after you control more than one duchy.