massive barbarian uprisings

[Dimension]

What causes uprisings?

This is the 2nd game in a row that (right around 1 AD) I got a "massive barbarian uprising near _____." Last game, it was a stack of 24 barbarian horsemen that landed next to a couple new cities. This game, there were two different places (I think they may have been un-popped huts deep in the mountains) where stacks of 24 horsemen suddenly showed up near my outlying cities. One of these stacks passed a unit of mine so I saw it coming, but the other decimated a size 7 city (destroyed production on a half-done wonder and reduced population to 2) that was garrisoned with an elite Spearman, an elite Jaguar Warrior, and an elite Horseman, all fortified. This city was connected by roads, but separated by a river, so there was really no hope of anybody getting there.

I suppose this is just something that happens, and you need to garrison your outlying cities with several Spearmen. After all, I was playing on Raging Hordes. It just seems really strange that I never saw anything like this pre-patch, but now in the two games I've played post-patch, I've run into stacks of 24 barbarian horsemen.

Yes, I've only played two games that made it into the AD years since the patch ... I've mostly been replaying the Ancient Era over and over to improve my early game.

[bsklepzig]

FYI, I had a Barbarian Horde reported pre-patch. They didn't show immediately and I abandoned the game then due to an impossibly poor start and unfairly aggressive AI ...

... so I don't know if it was a stack of 24.

I was on Regent with Raging Barbs.

Ben

[DaveV]

It's very dangerous to leave barb encampments sitting around, especially at higher activity and difficulty levels - eventually they will burp out a huge stack of horses. One of my early game goals is to clean up the barbarian encampments and establish line of sight on my entire continent. Barb camps will always pop up in the fog; if you never turn your back on the white boats, they will never land.

Note that the AIs will make a beeline for barb camps, passing blithely through your territory to attack the barbs. Since the AIs don't suffer from your reduced advantage over the barbs at higher difficulty levels, it can be worthwhile to let a friendly AI clear out the camp (as long as you don't mind them picking up the 25 gold bonus).

[Allemand]

With Raging Barbs that's what you get. They are easily defeated, but you need to have extra units to do it.

[Dimension]

Why do forgotten huts always have 25 gold? Is there a specific date where huts stop giving tech/warriors/settlers? Or is it just the random huts that pop up in unsettled areas after the start of the game that can only have gold?

[La Fayette]

In my own experience, the stacks are 24 horsemen and you are told they are approaching at least 2 turns before they attack your city. 3 spearmen fortified behind walls are needed to stop them. If you don't think you can manage it, just sell anything inside, move your poor troops away and use your cash elsewhere, because, if you fight them and lose the city, it can be very costly, since any horseman coming to the city after your last defender has got killed will pillage some gold from your treasury (I think I lost more than 500 gold the first (and only) time this happened to me).

But, contrary to Dave, I find it handy to have a nice place close to me where I can fetch 25 gold almost any time I send someone there. That's why I usually protect my nearest city and avoid to disturb the barbs otherwise than by destroying their camp for 25 gold as often as possible.

[Allemand]

Dimension, when you enter the 2nd era there will be no more tech, etc from the huts. Still get money.

By then, you should have a nice tech lead.

[vmxa1]

I get hordes with just roaming, from time to time. I love the camps, I just do not let them stay for long. Sent in horse and later a knight, then calv to collect the 25 bucks. If they are allowed to stand for a long time they seem to send in hordes. If the Great Wall is yours (not often) it is double damage againt barbs until obsolete. I just had one in last Monarch game, doing an EMP now.

[Harovan]

Just a few minutes ago I had a barbarian uprising in my monarch/restless game. I had a stack of 16 barbs, attacking my city defended with 2 spearmen (1 vet, 1 elite). 1 spearman survived with 1 hp, but held the city.

Interestingly, in the same turn I saw (while sending an assault force to the English) the same scenario happen with the AI. There were also 16 barb horsies attacking Canterbury. They took down all defenders except of 1 spearman with 1 hp. Helped me a lot, 1 swordsman strike and the city was history .

So the AI suffers from those uprisings as well.

[DrSpike]

Hmm, do the uprisings only come from barb camps? I thought this had happened to me when all my territory was in line of sight. Either way it sucks, though last time it was fun watching one standard (upgraded to elite along the way) spearman (with no walls) munch his way through 15-20 of the buggers before succumbing. I really thought he was going to make it...........

[Harovan]

Originally posted by DrSpike
Hmm, do the uprisings only come from barb camps? ...

As far as I can see, yes. They seem to come from barb camps you didn't take care for too long. Their number seems to depend on the barb setting (raging produces stacks of about 24). You need roughly 3 vet spearmen or 2 vet hoplites to hold the fort.

[Jaybe]

You WIMPS!
In the editor I changed the combat advantage against barbarians to 0% on all levels except chieftan!

I presently like to play at Regent level. I figured that the barbs ought to have a 'fair' chance like everyone else, and if there was greater threat to me this way, at least there would also be a similar threat to the AIs.

[Harovan]

Originally posted by Jaybe
You WIMPS!
In the editor I changed the combat advantage against barbarians to 0% on all levels except chieftan!

Negative cheating?

Why not, after having read about so many cheats in the other direction it's nice to read about someone, who still seeks a challenge in the game . But I love to play out of the box with only graphical mods (can't stand the original trees, huts, irrigations etc.), I have to take my disadvantages against the AI, so let me enjoy my advantages against the barbs .

[vmxa1]

Just play at diety, you get either 0 or 50 bonus for barbs, no need to change anything. Some might say playing at regent and calling others wimps, is strange.

[Hermann the Lombard]

Originally posted by vmxa1
I get hordes with just roaming, from time to time. I love the camps, I just do not let them stay for long. Sent in horse and later a knight, then calv to collect the 25 bucks.

Eh? I'm puzzled. Every time I hit a camp, it's gone, permanently. One-shot 25 gold. How can you do it repeatedly?