u/74DK

Hello everyone. As it happens sometimes, comments give birth to posts. As I commented a lot on SSHIP posts, I did decide to share and to bottom line all my thoughts, tips & tricks about SSHIP.

First, for vanilla players - join this mod, have a try. It is hardcore but more fun and engaging on a level rare mod would offer and it is very replay-able (well as any total war series in fact).

Some things that may attract you:

It hold alliances more than expected. If not, it gives signs you can be attacked (usually step by step: 1) worsening of a standing with that ally 2) break of alliance and only after it can invade you with doomstack/stick) - Jihads and Crusades the only exception when ally can suddenly turn against you in one go.

Core province mechanics - I.e. provinces needed for crowning - make you expect what your neighbour is about. If you occasionally take rebel settlement that belongs to his core territory - be sure he will invade you sooner or later, not tell given initial objective to eliminate faction - but it is more long term.

It never happens (at least in the early game) that England is suddenly being invaded by Danes or Norway or Portugal as it happens on vanilla.

Your reputation and diplomacy means a lot. Much more than in vanilla. You will never before run for a HRE princes to merry your faction head or heir from other side of a map with couple of spies - one for making a way for a diplomat and another one following and watching for a princess route not to lose her )))) in SSHIP it is normal. For example as Poland you want to secure alliance with HRE and your western border in order to fight with Lithuania. You will forget everything (trade deals, council tasks) but run for that princess which goes to Spain and you follow her and suddenly when your diplomat in 1 turn to propose her - she marries another guy hahaha.

Dynasty management is fun. Imagine your heir of Capet, Plantagenet and Habsburg dynasty all together?) I don’t even remember if it was fun in vanilla but in SSHIP it boosts your ability to public order.

Second, for existing and new players is a strategy. It puts strategic thinking on a higher level. You will almost never win war on two fronts against dedicated AI opponents unless your are very tough and experienced player or it is late game and you have powerful economy and supply of your unit roaster.

So pacifying one of potential enemies is a priority. Trading settlements sometime give you a time for development. Two examples:

Crusader States. Giving Odessa to that Muslim faction near your eastern border in exchange on alliance will give you time (well, taking Baghdad may ruin alliance as well as sudden crusade on them, so be careful). Thus you have all your attention to fight Fatimids and survive.

But before you may strip Eddessa of all buildings except for churches (bad reputation with papal state) thus raising money for Holy Sepulture building in Jerusalem or else - for all out war with Egyptians/Fatimids.

Another example is England. Giving Caen to France make you focused on war with Scotland. Don’t worry, when you will be in full strength D-day awaits you -:)

Other one, Kiev Rus - pacifying Qipchaks by giving them very underdeveloped thus not profitable two settlements on far north east of your border (along with some money) concludes a peace with them. After some time, one of settlement rebels against them and Novgorod your ally and at the same time a competitor takes them and thus goes to war with Qipchaks making you breath more. You may backstab them but I prefer to fight Lithuania with them.

Cons of this mod:

It is sometimes slow paced. Don’t expect you will have a shiny full armor, knights army at the start -:)) first it is very expensive, second - good units open slowly, recruiting is slow as well. So it is more or less like in real life. 80% of your army are common folks being given a spear or bow.

England is another thing to cry. Longbowmen appear there for recruitment only after 1285 -:) so you play without them since 1130-1140 -:))) suffering and pain for England except for Norman sergeants - best commonly available spear unit in early period.

Later part of campaign is not so balanced but it is not my opinion. People say so. Maybe… I myself reach objectives long before this era. Still play campaign because of new units, new enemy army composition and thus - new challenges like Mongols, expansion of either HRE or Fatimids, etc.

Third, emotional part. Role playing is more fun in SSHIP. Wonna be shiny knight with chivalry - good luck with that. ))) Necessities of war will anyway force you to exterminate populace, kill POWs - just because after long and bloody campaign when you besieging the only enemy settlement left - suddenly an army pops up from the bushes and gives you double army fight at the gates.

You win, but at what prices? You are shortened to few units, that for sure will not support public order in (for example) as Cairo while you are Crusader king. And none of your militia units in proximity (well it means you fcked up your war preparations).

So, you are to decide:

1. to continue being a shiny knight - and release all pows who will go to settlement and you will have to fight siege battle against or

2. kill POWs, exterminate populace and take settlement - win war in one go ))))

Good luck with such decision making haha.