Weak faction dillemma in a slowburn game

[eyelurker]

So this mod and much of it's mechanic are acticely encouraging to play slowly and not rushing the campaign. Unfortunately this presesnt a weaker faction with a dillema as very often if a weak faction try to stay in their historic border they will be crushed by their stronger neighbor but in a much faster rate.

For example in real life Scotland despite it's size can still muster enough number to match or outnumbered English army, even if quality wise they are outmatched for quite awhile aginst English Knight and Longbow. In game however English very easily could overwhelm the Scotland both in Quantity and Quality, making any Scotland game that doesn't rush to conquer England will be severely punished by English onslaught.

I guess i want to say how do you make a game where it's possible for Scotland to survive WITHOUT conquering England? One of the thing i like in EB2 is that one could play faction with just one settlement and if you're barbarian you are compensated from the lack of development and consequently income in your settlement with an ability to raid enemy. It's also possible to survive with just your starting region manpower pool, you still need to manage the manpower but army are more durable and easier to conserve in EB2 and you will only lose a large portion if it were routed or neither manage to break the other morale and both side fight to the death until enough casualties/general for one side morale to give away.

[Jurand of Cracow]

It's why the small factions get extra benefits both financially, and also for recruitment pools'. Small is defined 1-3 settlements.
Furthermore, the lands "naturally" belonging to a faction are easier to conquer (you can even get a loyalist army to enable you retaking these provinces), easier to "tame" (this EUIV process of "coring"), and also, partially, do not provide bad effects on your aggressivity.

Raiding proposal - I've just last month coded a kind of solution in this vein. Namely, the Camp looted money will be now very significant (and it will actually work... in the August version not yet ;-). If you fight with inferior numbers., this will be a few thousands florins per battle. The idea is to provide the player with an alternative source of funds - glorious battles. Let see how it would play.

I'm not sure though it would be enough for Scotland to do nothing. But if it conquers just York, Dublin and Caernaforn, it should be somewhat ok. Or I don't know. To be balanced in the future.

[Sllhouette]

i would've loved that camp loot option. was disappointed to find it didn't do a thing in this current version, would've made life as scotland far easier. it meant battles were only lose-lose because you'd still be poor. it would also be historical, with scotland making small raids over the border to york