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Notes -
Sounds like we have similar taste in games (and objectives, in any strategy game where I get territory on the Mediterranean coast I have an unshakeable urge to Mare Nostrum it).
In the past I've found myself in a bit of a loop with CK, Total War and Bannerlord where I go to the next one when I feel what is lacking from the current one. Something like: Bannerlord, but the diplomacy and kingdom management is lacking so -> CK, but then the battles are too automated so -> TW, but then I wish I was more in the thick of it so -> Bannerlord and repeat, not always in that exact order. Throwing in the occasional medieval-ish RPG for good measure. I have been greatly tempted by the CK3 mod where you fight the battles in Bannerlord, but I've heard it is a bit of a hot mess currently.
Yeah, every once in a while I think about that CK mod, or one that let you play them in a TW battle, but then I realize that I'm not sure I'd really want another method to give the player a pretty significant advantage. That said a really good union of those two would be fun!
I always start some game of CK thinking oh this time I'm playing tall, investing in my lands and crusading, and then my life does something unforgivably dumb or I accidentally inherit italy or something and then it's back to painting the map again. Good fun!
My last bannerlord playthrough I stayed solo for several months, it was pretty fun.
Since we play similar games, I highly recommend modded battletech, the mods are very well done. It can be a little slow but when it's good, it's very good.
I'll for sure check it out. I played through the campaign unmodded some time back, but never did a sandbox career. Will definitely look into the roguetech mod when I do.
Also good are BTA (battletech advanced 3062 and I hear good things about Battletech Extended). Roguetech is as close to tabletop as they could do with the engine other mod packs are different mixes of vanilla and tabletop.
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