Loaded an old game where I'm level 38 and have successfully helped Yaroglek force the other factions from Calradia, ensuring a lasting peace.
Obviously, I wanted to shake that up. But sadly, all the claimants are gone. Non-Vaegir claimants presumably went home, and Prince Valdym the Bastard Claimant left too. Apparently claimants can only stay in other factions' holdings for... retroactively obvious reasons.
Anyway, I've started a rebellion anyway. I'm outnumbered of course, but I hold Uxkhal Suno Veluca and Yalen.
yeah, I'm basically the rhodoks vs everybody
I fought a battle with Yaroglek after officially resigning, and... wow. I kinda forgot how much the AI cheats in this. As of right now, I feel no guilt whatsoever in taking 1/4 damage and 1/2 damage for friendlies. Particularly if that applies to tournament fights, because my allies get slaughtered in that regardless.
But even in combat, it's ridiculous. 1/2 damage for allies seems to make things roughly even. I have no grasp of the fancy tactics, I just park my guys on a tall hill (with an emphasis on ranged) but I still feel like the 1/2 damage thing only brings things up to "fair". Eh, except in sieges... We slaughter the enemies in those.
So maybe the AI doesn't cheat against my allies. But it sure as hell does cheat against me! The worst of course is the mass of infantry who swing through each other, blocking in multiple directions. Whereas my swings bounce off my allies. I'm trying to hit the rightmost one, but nooo, his friend off to the left blocks it. And hit detection from a horse is just... flip, I should make a video about this, it's ridiculous. EVEN after I learned to stare at the horizon while swinging. Because looking at one's opponent obviously means "shave your horse". Ugh.
This character has killed 9539 men to get to this point, and is a queen. She has 2838 renown. King Yaroglek has 1540 renown.
Yet he has 400 men while I have 164. 164. That's cheating!! It's also tedious as all get out. I kill 90 men, my 90 men kill another 90 (despite taking half damage, mind) and we're back to "Yaroglek faces you with 220 men to your 50"
This is somehow as tedious as XCOM with Long War. It's crazy.