How difficult is this game?

[Meglobob]

Fenris99 said:The game is not easy. It seems I have to build up for at least 3 turns before I can start grabbing indie provinces. The Ai seems to be doing it sooner.

Look to be conquering 1 province per turn from turn 2 (ie...1 turn to strengthen your starting army), aim for 15+ provinces by early spring year 2.

This is minimium, some nations you should expand faster with.

[Endoperez]

That's the minimum in competitive multiplayer. In the beginning, and against the AI, you don't have to hurry. Depending on your tastes, you might never start playing against other people, and thus might never feel the need for such a rapid early expansion. It's easy to do with some tactics, and some nations have an easier time than others, so you'll probably manage to do it at some point even if you aren't going all out for it.

[Edi]

Meglobob said:

Look to be conquering 1 province per turn from turn 2 (ie...1 turn to strengthen your starting army), aim for 15+ provinces by early spring year 2.

This is minimium, some nations you should expand faster with.

Once more, minimum with what independent strength? Indies 5, doable. Indies 7+, forget it, province per turn from turn 3 and you're likely not going to be able to do more unless you have good luck with the neighbors and good quality units in decent numbers.

[SlipperyJim]

With strength-9 indies (all I ever play), I can usually take a province every two turns when I get started. I'll take a turn or two to beef up my starting army, and then I go a-conquering.

After I've conquered the ring of provinces around my home fortress, then I can usually put a second army in the field and speed up to one (or more) provinces per turn.

I probably wouldn't be competitive in multiplayer, but I'm more-than-fast enough for SP. Sometimes, the AI will get a little ahead of me in the early game, but I always overtake it once I can get the war machine rollin'....

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PS:
As others have written, the key to fast early expansion is Mercenaries. Hire up any mercs that are worthwhile, and use them to snag provinces while you build up a solid army of national troops.

Remember that your mercs are generally disposable, so use them appropriately. Put the Brave Breakers, the Black Fists, and Dante's Stingers on the front lines and let them do the hard fighting for you. You're paying them to die for you! Meanwhile, you're recruiting a strong force of whatever your best national troops happen to be. Once the mercs are dead, you'll have a company of Helhirdlings (or whatever national troops are best for you) ready to go forth and spread the word of your Pretender.