Re: Carthage/Rome
Carthage, as with other widely spread factions, depends on losing its overseas possessions so it can concentrate on the mainland. If it loses Lilybaeum early, it can often overrun Africa in short order, them start penetrating Iberia. Similarly the loss of Tarentum and Croton helps the Greek cities not get distracted from their main task of beating down the Macs, and the Ptolemies benefit from losing their Anatolian possessions (as long as Pontus joins the fray against Big Blue). AI Rome may just not be able to cope with the situation that's been designed for players. Unless the player takes a couple of settlements immediately, they immediately fall into debt, and the cost-ineffective triarii compounds this. The player can solve this by disbanding the triarii and going straight for conquest, but the AI doesn't do this, and once it gets into debt, it can't get out.