HARD IS PRETTY DAMN HARD!.
I've tried three games so far on hard. From my own observations, hard means 3 starting feuds, 2 your neighbors, and one ally. It also seems to reduce the goodwill of your neighbors. Also, I dont really understand what makes you stronger or weaker in combat, and feel like the only real way I know (warriors and magic) are too convoluted for me to get easily. Ill send 30 weponthanes against 150 frydmen, sacrifice to the war god, and still have shrines of war set up and still get my rump kicked in.
- We Started surrounded by hostile intentions and the entire planet raiding us. We somehow succeed in not dying, and when over 100 farmers get wounded I may have went overboard on the recruiting; earning me over 200 children to feed and a 50% increase in population over 2 seasons. Opps
-We made it to tribe-making, due in part to one of my starting feuds being weak enough to regularly raid at my leisure. But then Colymar decide I should pay them, and my clan laughed as I died under 500 men raids.
-We started in hostile intentions, and I somehow lost a string of battles over the course of a year. every clan nearby saw that as a sign to raid me, along with Praxians and 2 nomad clans.
King o Dragon Pass.
If I have to hear that 'sad note' chord again Im going to toss my computer.