ok...same Q but which countris are good for 2 player MP

[boehm]

Originally posted by Prince Eugene
The very few times that I have been France I have one each time. It is very simple. Move your treasury tab all the way to the right in the bugget window. In this manner you will become filthy rich. You have to make this end after the war though because your inflation will get really high. The military strategy is as follows: split your army in Ill de France (Paris) into groups of 6,000 each. Lay siege to Calais, and most of the Burgundian provinces in the North. If the English are AI they will attack Orleanis and areas east of there first. If it is a human player then it is a different story, but it can still be won. England and allies have massive armies, but they get tied up in attrition when they besiege your land. After you have won the northwestern front you can use your armies elsewhere. Withdraw everything (including the army in Languedoc) to Central France. Use the split-up method again and take Orleanis, Bourgogne, and Normandie. (If you would notice by now the English have been caught by surprise from your original attack and are being cornered.) By now Henry V is dead and they are pretty much down to Bedford. Sign peace with Burgundy and take about 2 or 3 provinces. (The Dutch ones are better because they have higher revenue.) When you get General Richemont you are ready to take on Bedford. Merge together a force of maybe 20,000 men (depending on how much Bedford has) and attack him. You should win. Pursue him until he is too weak to pose a threat. The England and allies prbably control about 2 of your province's in the West. Now make sure that there are no more enemy army threats and recapture all of your lost territory in western France. While you are at it you should invade Brittany and take 2 of there provinces in a separate peace. By now you should control all of the English provinces in Continetal Europe (unless they somehow were ceded one from another country). If you have done everything right and avoided costly battles at the beginning of the war then you should be able to get all of their land in continental Europe except for Calais in the treaty. Happy huntting!

-Wade Houston (Prince Eugene)

I tried playing a short 2 person game of France vs. England....and it pretty quickly boils down to what houserules u play with with respect to answering peace offers....since ONLY one thing can save France from England and that is to send him all the offers u can as quick as possible offering him enough for him to loose 1 stability point if he declines....and against a dedicated enemy this will probably not be enough anyway since its not like its impossible to break a truce...eg. in my pbem game I attacked Spain three times during my 5 year turn ...its only stability!

 

[boehm]

although I think its impossible for France to fight England in the beginning of the gc...here is one small hint!

get millitary access with any nabours u have which England arent at war with or have MA with....and/or use your vassals for this if they make separete peace with england....then "hide" your main cav force inside this neutral country...and conduct guerilla warfare against the brits...never fight his main force...only strike at his siege armies...this can buy u some time ...a couple of years perhaps but it pretty much means that england can only besiege 2-3 provinces at a time.....since all siege armies pretty much need to be strong enough to defeat the french forces on its own....which isnt too difficult for britain with their vastly superior morale and leaders...up til 1425 (or is it 24 that France gets its first leader?)

 

[Jon Shafer]

Originally posted by boehm
although I think its impossible for France to fight England in the beginning of the gc...here is one small hint!

get millitary access with any nabours u have which England arent at war with or have MA with....and/or use your vassals for this if they make separete peace with england....then "hide" your main cav force inside this neutral country...and conduct guerilla warfare against the brits...never fight his main force...only strike at his siege armies...this can buy u some time ...a couple of years perhaps but it pretty much means that england can only besiege 2-3 provinces at a time.....since all siege armies pretty much need to be strong enough to defeat the french forces on its own....which isnt too difficult for britain with their vastly superior morale and leaders...up til 1425 (or is it 24 that France gets its first leader?)

That's the main strategy that allows France to ever win (against a good opponent). You need to keep your army alive, and mass it against smaller English armies whenever possible. The only way they'll be able to consistantly beat you, is if they mass all their troops on one of your provinces. However, this will take high tolls on their army due to attrition, as well as give you time to gain strength, and knock off Brittany/Burgundy, as well as allowing time to get your leader(s). You get what, 3 leaders early on? Use them, and the English will fall.

 

[boehm]

Originally posted by Trip
That's the main strategy that allows France to ever win (against a good opponent). You need to keep your army alive, and mass it against smaller English armies whenever possible. The only way they'll be able to consistantly beat you, is if they mass all their troops on one of your provinces. However, this will take high tolls on their army due to attrition, as well as give you time to gain strength, and knock off Brittany/Burgundy, as well as allowing time to get your leader(s). You get what, 3 leaders early on? Use them, and the English will fall.

well...if u play against a competent human opponent its my impression that u are quite DEAD....because as u say its possible to knock off the weak allies and France just has most of them....and the english leaders are just horrible from the french perspective....

 

[Prince Eugene]

Originally posted by boehm


well...if u play against a competent human opponent its my impression that u are quite DEAD....because as u say its possible to knock off the weak allies and France just has most of them....and the english leaders are just horrible from the french perspective....

Keep in mind that the English provinces in France have very little manpower unlike the French ones. This means that once you have beat their original army that it is all over for them.

 

[Jon Shafer]

Originally posted by Prince Eugene
Keep in mind that the English provinces in France have very little manpower unlike the French ones. This means that once you have beat their original army that it is all over for them.

Exactly. Once you manage to combine your northern and southern armies, then decisively defeat the English army(ies), and you're home free. Once I managed to beat off the English alliance with only the northern army.. it was the first time I had played as France and I never noticed the southern army. ^_^

 

[boehm]

Originally posted by Prince Eugene

Keep in mind that the English provinces in France have very little manpower unlike the French ones. This means that once you have beat their original army that it is all over for them.

well, like I said if you play against a COMPETENT human player....then he will probably hire troops in England and transport them to France....

Originally posted by Trip
Exactly. Once you manage to combine your northern and southern armies, then decisively defeat the English army(ies), and you're home free. Once I managed to beat off the English alliance with only the northern army.. it was the first time I had played as France and I never noticed the southern army. ^_^

...once again there is a HUGE difference between playing against the AI and a competent human....the major difference being that the ai doesnt know to create a real killer army and hunt down the inferior french forces....AND the ai doesnt retreat....

against the ai it really is a cake walk "winning" the 100year-war as the french by 1423-24 - taking apart Burgundy, Britanny and 4-5 english provinces....Who needs Jean d´arc anyway

 

[Jon Shafer]

Originally posted by boehm
...once again there is a HUGE difference between playing against the AI and a competent human....the major difference being that the ai doesnt know to create a real killer army and hunt down the inferior french forces....AND the ai doesnt retreat....

against the ai it really is a cake walk "winning" the 100year-war as the french by 1423-24 - taking apart Burgundy, Britanny and 4-5 english provinces....Who needs Jean d´arc anyway

I know that. You don't even need a strategy when playing an AI England. If you combine your armies right away, then you have a chance to win a few battles, and maybe even crush an English army every now and then. Them retreating could be a problem, but eventually you'll get them in a major battle that you can win. Just don't try to take any of their provinces yet!

 

[Prince Eugene]

Well even if you do play against a competent human player if you take all of your armies south and let the Brits have the North then you have somewhart of a defense strategy. Once you control all of there lands in the South build your army strong there that is mostly cavalry. By the time the "competent" reinforcements arrive you should have a cavalry advantage and in real life be able to win, but Henry V and Bedford are unrealisticly powerful. The next step would be to flee your remanining force to Vendee and lauch siege detachments of maybe 6k each and take back the North. By the time Paris is recovered you should almost be ready to start getting your generals. Build your army until you get Richemont. Now the English don't stand a chance! Strike them with everything you have got and kick them out of your country! The rest is self-explanitory.

 

[boehm]

Originally posted by Prince Eugene
Well even if you do play against a competent human player if you take all of your armies south and let the Brits have the North then you have somewhart of a defense strategy. Once you control all of there lands in the South build your army strong there that is mostly cavalry. By the time the "competent" reinforcements arrive you should have a cavalry advantage and in real life be able to win, but Henry V and Bedford are unrealisticly powerful. The next step would be to flee your remanining force to Vendee and lauch siege detachments of maybe 6k each and take back the North. By the time Paris is recovered you should almost be ready to start getting your generals. Build your army until you get Richemont. Now the English don't stand a chance! Strike them with everything you have got and kick them out of your country! The rest is self-explanitory.

u wouldnt have a chance.....I tried playing against one of my friends who hadnt understood that cavalry ruled and I had to admit my defeat, although I had danced around and sieged and countersieged and all that....it just delayed my defeat with 2years....but not enough and then u cant stop england from eating all your minors

 

[unmerged(2833)]

IMHO, the only chance France has in MP are other human players. Well, if i play Castille, or Austria for that matter, i won't sit there watching English superpower emerging.

(i would prefer weak France AND England)

 

[boehm]

Originally posted by Maur13
IMHO, the only chance France has in MP are other human players. Well, if i play Castille, or Austria for that matter, i won't sit there watching English superpower emerging.

(i would prefer weak France AND England)

ofcause if the MPs include powers are England, France and Castille...then u also just run the risk that castille and England will strike a deal and partition France...that is unless Austria or somebody else interferes

 

[unmerged(2833)]

Originally posted by boehm


ofcause if the MPs include powers are England, France and Castille...then u also just run the risk that castille and England will strike a deal and partition France...that is unless Austria or somebody else interferes

And have superstrong England just across the Pyrenees? No, thank you, no when i'm playing Castille.

I want hundred years wars to be waged untill XVIII century


Though, when i would be playing England.... everything could happen, you know

hehe

 

[boehm]

Originally posted by Maur13

And have superstrong England just across the Pyrenees? No, thank you, no when i'm playing Castille.

well u woulnt have superstrong Enland just across the pyrenees if u had PARTITIONED France would u??....then Spain would own half of France and England the other half...which would most likely mean that spain would get the southern part and thus NOT have England "just across the pyrenees"

 

[unmerged(2833)]

Originally posted by boehm


well u woulnt have superstrong Enland just across the pyrenees if u had PARTITIONED France would u??....then Spain would own half of France and England the other half...which would most likely mean that spain would get the southern part and thus NOT have England "just across the pyrenees"

Technically, yes. BUT

England has French culture, Spain doesn't.

England already owns a bunch of French provinces, Spain don't, so the partition would probably left Spain with much fewer, and, due to different culture, less valuable provinces.

England is stronger than Castille in the beginning. No need to strenghten them further

Of course, if i would play England, i would be glad to partition France together with Castille

 

[boehm]

Originally posted by Maur13

Technically, yes. BUT

England has French culture, Spain doesn't.

England already owns a bunch of French provinces, Spain don't, so the partition would probably left Spain with much fewer, and, due to different culture, less valuable provinces.

England is stronger than Castille in the beginning. No need to strenghten them further

Of course, if i would play England, i would be glad to partition France together with Castille

well if its a partition its a diplomatic deal and doesnt necessarily have anything to do with the military might...eg. if England wanted to shorthand Castille on the basis that England was stronger Castille could always just threat to side with the French and England would get zip nada nothing....unless ofcause England then turned around and made a deal himself with France...