Which Campaign Are You Playing & Why

[Julianus Flavius]

Yeah I don't like playing as Constantius much because you've still got a massive empire but you don't quite have the whole shebang so you can't say, "oh I'm sole Emperor". I (Once I get the mod reinstalled properly) will probably do a Procopius campaign. It'll be hard getting used to playing as the whites (Usually the baddies) but i'll manage.

[Patricius]

Your campaign sounds very entertaining. I have never played a Constantius campaign before. I think I'll play that one. Thank you.

Now in that campaign all the neighbouring factions are at war with me. The Allemanii have some very powerful units in armies around Mediolanum while most of the cities of northern Italy are only capable of raising basic units. IJ remains at war with its neighbours, I intend to flatten them. My border with the Sassanids is fluctuating, but it's interesting I'm in a area I can now get Gupta mercenaries.

[SeniorBatavianHorse]

This is a snapshot of the my main 361 AD Campaign - it's 364 now and I am finally back in the black and can begin rebuilding defenses and developing the economy. As you can see from the world view, I still have a few rebelling towns - mostly in Africa and Aegypt which I am patiently bidding my time about.

As for the strategical overview, Britain remains strong, with the southern settlement of the Picts sacked in a ferocious campaign. The Franks surged over the Rhine but in a series of tactical battles, the Roman forces there eventually wore them down and then struck back, sacking one of their settlements in the process. I am not sure what happened deep in the dark depths of Germania but barely half a year ago, the Frankish hordes began wandering deeper east and lost all their homelands to independent tribes and rebelling Roman troops.

The Allemanni attempted to sack Argentoratum but were repelled and then swept eastwards to surprise Augusta Vindelicorum and settle it - a sore loss to Roman prestige! The Quadi war bands took Carnutum as most of the Roman troops in the area were being sorely pressed by wave after wave of Iazyges. Several desperate battles were fought but so far Roman soil remains free from those barbarian stains. However the cost to men and material has been high and the Roman field armies in that region are on their last legs now.

Greece and the lower Danube have seen Gothic war bands storm a fort or two but have so far remained quietly away from the large towns and cities in that area.

The Oriens saw war break out against Persia but little hard fighting - however, the Augustus Julian mobilized a major Roman column and pushed it deep into the shifting sands of the Saraceni west of the Euphrates with the apparent intention of subduing the sons of the desert. The capitol was indeed sacked mercilessly by Julian's forces as several Roman legions converged in that area. This is all a ploy however as Julian intends to launch a sudden assault across the lower Euphrates into the underbelly of the Persian beast under cover of a war against the Saraceni. Large Sassanid forces have been seen moving westwards towards Cannae and Callinicum thus leaving the fertile lands around Ctesiphon unprotected. Julian will storm east and then north westwards attacking the Persian capitol from the rear.

It is a bold plan but one fraught with danger as it will leave the Roman forces deep in enemy territory cut off from supply lines and relief.

May the Gods favour the bold!

[Blatta Optima Maxima]

I decided to resurrect this thread (It is stickied anyway) to tell which campaign I PLAYED. I played 355 campaign because it is the beginning of Julians reign. I enjoyed it, but then my computer died. One thing I didn't like, though, is that at the start after defeating all the rampaging barbarian armies, there was this half stack of crap alamanni troops versus Julian, in whoes army I had merged the most elite stuff I could find in Gaul. I decided to autoresolve, the odds were like 5:1 in my favour. Do I need to tell what happened next? After that I restarted the campaign and went halfway to constantinople having to fight every single battle personally. Atleast I suffered minimal loses.

[Sthilico]

I am playing the campaign with Procopio and me enough good goes, for the present the sassanids are to it grates and the Goths in the borders being furious like always though I have a great problem:

I cannot delete to the faction of Valente's Empire ... I am in Crimea and to only a battle of eliminating them but providing that I play and I me load them he says that I have failed in the mission!
There is some way of eliminating to the faction of east and only to stay Valentiniano's Empire and that of Procopio??

[Flavius Vegetius Renatus]

I like all 3 365 campaigns with Valentinian's being the hardest one and most challenging as far as fighting multiple enemies and one i play most. Procopius' being a neat one where u have to tip toe your way slowly but u hold the advantage of not having to many enemies except for Valens, your territories being rich and having some nice cash and good troops plus babrica arama. in Constantinople. Valens' has the advantage of being in the Oriens with the richest cities and best palatina units in the game.
361 campaign is a beast!! I play it only when i have ample spare time on my hand. I mean the first turn to set up everything in motion took me an hour and a half. Once this jaguernought gets rolling it beast all others.
And here come my 355 least favorites. Although Julians rise to power in the west is OK to me I rather play Valentinians to have the same experience. Constantius i barely touch, like some people said it just has something about it thats less desirable, maybe not being the whole empire or something else is missing there, cant explain. I guess more interesting would be to see pre 355 scenario where Constantius controls the East, Magnentius the West, with general Vetranio being neutral in Illiricorum, and maybe possible usurpaition of Constantius Gallus in the East to add twist to Constantius campaign so he doesnt gets to powerfull to fast.

[PSEUDO ROMANUS]

The 365 AD campaing is my favourite, too. Although, unfortunately, I've not played it for a while.

[SeniorBatavianHorse]

361 for me - and yes it takes a while to set up that first turn!

[Emperor Caesar]

361 For Julian I will crush the Persian scum.

[Blatta Optima Maxima]

361 For Julian I will crush the Persian scum.

I will probably crush your scum online. (Sassanids rock).

[juvenus]

365ad is my fav. although i like 355 too.

[julianus heraclius]

Well, even though I developed this mod for the unified 361AD campaign, I have to say, that I find the 355AD campaign as Julian the most challenging of all. Your economy gets shot pretty quickly and you are assailed by everyone immediately, and then you have to face Constantius II. Even with the bonuses given to the Julian Faction ala capturing the Italian Peninsula or Carthage or Sirmium it is still pretty difficult. Alot seems to depend on how the Constantius II faction has faired against the quadi, iazyges and goths.

Things are only going to get harder in V4 as the barbarians will be able to get reinforcements when their capitals are besieged but also when the barbarian factions are on their knees. So get ready!

[Flavius Vegetius Renatus]

As far as difficulty i would say i havent encountered much problems with Julian's 355 camp. even before bonuses were added. I think reason for that is that Julian doesnt have to face all out assault along both rhine and danube nor does he has to quell rebel North Africa, atleast part of it. The route i usually take with him is to take out Alamanni and Franks first and sack their cities, hold off the Picts in britain, pacify my rebelling territories, and then quickly go for constantius who is usually busy with quadi and others.
For me more difficult would be Julians 361 camp where basically u face everybody everywhere with the exception of persians and armenians for awhile then the 365 as Valentinian I with both rhine, danube, britain and africa being constantly assaulted

[julianus heraclius]

As far as difficulty i would say i havent encountered much problems with Julian's 355 camp. even before bonuses were added. I think reason for that is that Julian doesnt have to face all out assault along both rhine and danube nor does he has to quell rebel North Africa, atleast part of it. The route i usually take with him is to take out Alamanni and Franks first and sack their cities, hold off the Picts in britain, pacify my rebelling territories, and then quickly go for constantius who is usually busy with quadi and others.
For me more difficult would be Julians 361 camp where basically u face everybody everywhere with the exception of persians and armenians for awhile then the 365 as Valentinian I with both rhine, danube, britain and africa being constantly assaulted

I think I have been going about the 355AD campaign all wrong. It seems FVR that you seem to consolidate as you go, perhaps I have been rushing too much and overstretching my resources.

The thing I love about the 361AD campaign is that you get the chance to tackle everybody from east to west and it gives you a sense of the enormity of the empire.

[Constantius]

The thing I love about the 361AD campaign is that you get the chance to tackle everybody from east to west and it gives you a sense of the enormity of the empire.

Me two, nowhere else do you get to control the whole empire I also like the Valens campaign, be nice to have Adrinanople after you defeat he ursurper

[Flavius Vegetius Renatus]

U r right JH, I consolidate as I go along epecially when playing the western part of empire (Julians 355, valentinians 365). U guys have given us plenty of good troops to hold out for 12-20 turns without reinforcements and having cash trouble. The key is how u use em and how u set yourself in the first 3 turns of the game. Usually i start of by consolidating my armies. Britain has plenty of mixed cavalry units that easily take out that one saxon stack and r able to hold off infantry based Picts for quiet some time. I retreat the comitatenses back to Londinum. Two settlements in britain will rebel but u can take em back fairly easy. In spain i know i will have rebellions no matter what so i pull the garrisons out, destroy non economic and non religious buildings there and wait for rebellions. Carthago Nova holds comitatnesis units which u can use to reclaim the cities back within 7-8 turns. When i reclaim my cities back throughout the empire i tend to set state religion, usually Christianity, that makes things flow more smoothly on as far as peace is concerned. North Africa has 2 ways to go. Some cities will rebel and u have tons of cavalry available there in forts along the border. Now u can either pull the cavalry out or leave it there. I used both ways as i found out Berbers to be smart and on many ocassions they bypassed the forts and went straight for the cities leaving my units inside the forts puzzled. Lately i used the method of disbandament of cavalry units in North Africa. I know u gonna say that Romans never disbanded any troops and that they r there for a reason but to me North african cavalry has little value. First, u have about 10 family members there with their own bodyguard units FREE of upkeep. Second, this cavalry is EXPENSIVE and they dont provide much fighting value against the berbers in the beginning of the game. Third, my milites units can easily hold off berber infantry when being besieged, and fourth i do need to lower my expenses in the beginning of the game so y use and pay for something that i really can go without. U can also transfer that cavalry to other parts of empire but thats up to u which alternate route u choose. Italy is usually quiet and peaceful. Illiricorum depending if u hold it or not (Valentinians 365) i withdraw most of my units to the cities. leaving forts on the crossings to hold the enemy for a while. the cavalry there can put up a fight against the Quadi but i wouldnt count on it to hold for long. Better chance inside the city walls. I hold sirmium for dear life till reinforcements arrive and i tend to loose one or 2 other cities to the quadi for few turns. Now the Gaul, thats where most hardest and fun fighting takes place. U will also have few rebelling cities in western gaul but not much of a problem. the approach i take if from Patton 101, speed is the essance and no breathing room for the enemy. I form ancient tank batallions consisting or purely sole cavalry; archers, light, medium and heavy all toghether. I withdraw all palatina and comitatensis infantry to their respective cities to be besieged. Franks and Alamanni r infantry based and they usually will besiege one of your cities while some stacks will chase your cavalry. thats when u pound them, when they divide. Against one full stack of either Franks or Alamanni in normal or hard mode i tend to loose between 5% and 10% of troops and completely wipe them out. Then i quicly turn on the unit that besieges my city and now its 2:1 in my favor. I repeat this move over and over again till there r no stacks left. Then i invade them and u know the rest. I never fight open battles with my infantry in the first 10-20 turns. Without cash to replenish their losses and with few fabrica upgrades their value is low. U have much better chance of preserving them in the cities where their bonuses kick in. Cavalry is totally the opposite, use em in the open, nver in the cities. Remember, if u loose your palatina or comitatensis unit in the beginning u cant get em back till u r in black, plus it will take u 3-4 turn to train one of em, thats 15 TURNS of waiting for 5 unit! on the other hand if u preserve em with some losses once u get in black u can replenish them the vary next turn and they r ready to go. The enemy will not wait for u to get ready and will show no mercy so preserve what u can. Do not autocalc battles, not until u r in black. And do not tranfer units to different parts of empire, u will waste time in turns units r enroute and diminish fighting force in a given theater. Basically dont fight divided, u have plenty of troops to tackle the problem. Finish off your enemies one by one starting with the toughest ones. U might loose some cities in the process but i guarantee u that u will reconquer anything that was lost and destroy your enemies within 15-20 turns. After that u can look to improving your economy, expand to other parts or do whatever u feel like. In this game u have to be cunning, use your strenghts to work for u and turn the weaknesses of your enemies in your favor. Good luck.

[Constantius]

Very good read FVR +REP, although was hard to read without paragraphs Why don't you write some unofficial players guide, I'd read them.
P.S with pictures would be great.

[Flavius Vegetius Renatus]

Sorry for the hard to read content but i was typing from office at work and havent had much time to put it nicely and orderly. I was trying to put as much stuff in here from memory as I could. As far as the pictures i would gladly put some on if someone would show me how to do that. I always wondered how guys put their screenshots on here.

[julianus heraclius]

OK folks, lets get some feedback as to which campaign you are playing, which turns per year and what faction and why??

[Blatta Optima Maxima]

355AD, 12tpy, Sassanids. Also modified the starting action points to 120, as it both fits my play style and is pretty realistic.

I want to regain my IB skillz by starting out easy, and use the 12tpy for more accurate timeline.