Overall Course of Play

The player would always start the game with too weak an army to engage in any kind of offensive operations. By setting the tax rate low, Arthur could encourage the growth of population in the kingdom, which would ultimately provide a larger tax base. But too much emphasis on long-term growth left the army too small to defend the kingdom. After building the army to a large enough size, Arthur could hazard an attack on one of his weaker enemies; success here opened the door to more victories. All the while, Arthur had to closely monitor the sentiments of his knights, attempting to placate malcontents.

Arthur's toughest job, though, was to figure out the diplomacy of England. Each of the kings had his own diplomatic attitudes; attacking one king could easily bring a second king into the conflict. Conversely, attacking the enemy of an ill-disposed king might warm relations with the third party if he didn't attack Arthur's lands during his absence. Most important, a threatening posture toward a weak king might well bring him into Arthur's fold as a vassal, saving the trouble of fighting. And the vassal's army was joined to Arthur's, making a big difference on the battlefield.