I've already read that threads. Found helpful, but sadly, couldn't apply most of it.
Playing as Rome, I've reduced all my armies to similar numbers as the ones of this example. Even managed to hold the carthaginians back, and killed Hanibal and routed his army. However, for some reason, I only made 8k dinars on the second turn. Even with all the cities with pretty high taxes, my collection is around 60k by turn, while in the example, is over 100k. There are cities that gives significantly more tax money (like cities with minor treasures; just found two while playing with the Belgae) or there is some kind of "emergency tax" mechanism that increases your income when your treasure is almost empty (the reason for filling the building queue, besides staying away from the 50k problems)?
"RTW/RS VH campaign difficulty is bugged out (CA bug that never got fixed) and thus easier than Hard so play on that instead" - apple
RSII 2.5/2.6 Tester and pesky irritant to the Team. Mucho praise for long suffering dvk'.
That 'old' AAR can no longer be relied upon for figures, I'm afraid. That said, 8k profit is reasonable IMHO at that initial critical stage for Rome.
The Finances have been changed up and down rather a lot of the last year of developing v2.6 and there will be a lot of worthwhile change. The Roman player, for example, will have money available from the first turn to help them with the challenge and worries about an army that is too expensive at the start unless the battle against Hannibal is lost badly.
I shall construct a post to give my view on where things are currently and so encourage a bit of useful comment on some aspects.
"RTW/RS VH campaign difficulty is bugged out (CA bug that never got fixed) and thus easier than Hard so play on that instead" - apple
RSII 2.5/2.6 Tester and pesky irritant to the Team. Mucho praise for long suffering dvk'.
That would really be appreciated. But, still, I find really strange a mod with such complexity having almost no guides, tactical or strategical, or even, general developing. Europa Barbarorum had a lot, as it had in common, maybe, with version 1, but at this point, are totally different games. You guys should really start writing something.
Thanks for the clearing that up, anyways. Now I can lose good chunks of Rome without feeling incompetent.
PS: Also, would be really rad if you guys posted some standard armies in the factions previews, their uses and actual gameplay. For example, I remember that a roman legion had 8 cohorts (4 hastati and 4 princeps), 4 triarii, 4 ranged auxilias (preferentially velites), and 3 legionary cavalries. Was balanced, tough, had a good battlefield mobility, good pre-battle casualities (lots and lots of missiles from most infantry units), but low flanking capabilities and expensive as a hell.
Last edited by RodriguesSting; March 10, 2013 at 10:10 AM.
Early income depends a lot on governors and it takes a number of turns before they acquire certain traits that allow you to properly invest in your infrastructure and army. The Roman start is pretty rough due to Hannibal, overall army upkeep and all the scripted events but as soon as that is dealt with you will be swimming in denarii. If u want to speed things up from the start and u manage to beat Hannibal's army at the start u can sack the 2 large Greek cities and/or Carthago
Well... I've already lost that two colonies, in Iberia and Greece, but my income, with 3 full legions and tough garrisons on the northern provinces of Italy is arround 30k a turn, free of expenses. I can build up the Homeland tax collection and trade or, even, take over Carthago just to mess up with these bastards. Frankly... I had no idea that that the governors traits would make so much difference here.
Anyway, thanks. My roman campaign is at full steam right now.
Lower the amount of settlements required but don't tell so it can be a surprise.
Small, unrelated question: why the swap factions doesn't use the 0 turn recruitment system? Is interesting to play as them (like building an empire, starting with nothing but a single city), but with the vanilla system, it just takes to damn long to do anything. Your economy dies (or your generals become bastions of corruption -- also, old) before you finish your army.
I always loose those regions as well, they don't really matter that much early on. Without them you'll still be in the top 2 largest nations around basically. U could even do with a legion less if u take a pause from expansion and build up what u have, it only takes 2 legions to defend north-Italy and early on in the game and even that is questionable, who's gonna invade you at this point?, u can only hope Greece is stupid enough to try, their cities in close proximity are sweet rich targets
I didn't jump in and respond yesterday, but have been thinking about it.....particularly thinking of when I started and before I got into testing.
I was an experienced 'Vanilla' player and I spent time reading this forum; the first meant I knew how the game worked and the second told me of many of the changes. I don't fundamentally believe there's any more that is needed to enjoy playing and discover the mod for itself. However, many people ask and particular questions can be answered here, especially if someone is looking for something that he might believe is there, for whatever reason, but cannot find it.
The Forum stickies also contain a raft of information that, however, people always seem to ask about but never seem to have gone looking for the answer there first. There is also a mass of information in the building's blurb that tells players how to do the 'next thing'; but things like barrack upgrades are also asked about too. I find it puzzling myself.
There are so many posts about 'standard armies', I've done some myself (the above has twice as many Triarii as it should, for example!). There's a mass of literature about Ancient Warfare and Tactics out there available online. I'd strongly recommend some reading and then try things out. RSII does, IMNSHO, allow proper tactics to be used so much more than Vanilla.
I have hopes about RomeTW:2, but suspect I may be disappointed. I predict that ship combat will have far too much flaming artillery for starters - but would love to be wrong.
"RTW/RS VH campaign difficulty is bugged out (CA bug that never got fixed) and thus easier than Hard so play on that instead" - apple
RSII 2.5/2.6 Tester and pesky irritant to the Team. Mucho praise for long suffering dvk'.
Hey guys, is there any way to check whether you're playing RS 2.5 or 2.2 or 2.1? (I asked it in a separate thread but I guess not many people look here anymore because of the Rome 2 fever ) I thought I installed everything, yet it would seem that in my campaign I don't have some RS 2.5 features such as government determination and the icons for temples or Tribal Justice are different from what I've seen on the YT.
I am starting to get a good grasp here in the mod. The descriptions and most of the stuff is pretty intuitive, so, no problem.
Just a question... is there a faction that have, like, better opportunities for commerce? Like access to better products in its lands, or a better initial infrastructure The Partians have access to the Silk Road, but, however, it doesn't seems to give any bonuses. Carthage also, get's just a fraction of its income from trade. Rome seems to be the one which gets most money.
From what I've seen on various YT RS Let's Plays, I'd say that Greece and Macedon (one's it conquers Greece) have the best starting position in terms of possible income. A lot of gold and silver mines on their territory and also access to Aegean, Adriatic and Ionian seas (trade with Italy, Sicilly, Asia Minor + Africa across the Mediterranean).
In the unit description for the machairaphoroi it says that they are not available to Pontus and Macedon until the imperial reforms, but when I started a Pontus campaign they were available to me immediately. Is this supposed to happen, or is it a bug?
Okay, I am using a little system to build up my income and I would like to share with you guys in hope to improve it.
1- Capital City (or cities with treasures) - These cities not only have an huge tax bonus (probably your only and best source of money through the start and middle of your campaign), but also a good population (the most important factor to receive tax income) and general starting infrastructure (with a good governor, you can even build tax collection. However, I am not sure if it's safe, since I've read on the survival guide that it gives you bad traits). On these cities, I focus to increase the population as fast as I can, getting populating measures and farms (also, nice tax bonus). Secondly, for security reasons I also get some hygienic buildings when the unhappiness and squalor starts to get high (a plague on your treasure city could destroy your economy, apparently). With these two priorities, you can get a huge population boost there and a good deal of order. The bottom of the list is to build tax structures, with priority to the ones that gives you more than just the tax bonus (like certain monuments, mines, etc).
2- Conquered Capitals/Populous Cities - When I am dealing with conquered populous cities or capitals, I usually go for the ONLY tax bonus structures first, like trade expeditions or, if I fell I can handle the disorder, tax collection, since I need the money (and fast) to upkeep the army responsible for taking and, possibly, protecting it. After I get this initial boost (and deal with the most pressing matters, as eliminating strife and unhappiness, improving walls, getting barracks to be able to recruit troops to protect it, etc), I go for population boost, hygiene, order and, in the end, choosing between trade (if the City is near the sea and already have kinda of a good port, like Carthage, I improve the roads, ) and fast tax collection (trade expeditions, certain temples and other structures fast to build up, as river ports) or optimal tax collection (mines, farms, monuments, higher tiers of wine trade etc).
3- Minor cities - As a general rule, If it haves sea access (specially the Mediterranean), I go for building ports ASAP. If it's in the frontier of the territory (or commonly besieged), low tier/fast building population buildings and fast tax collection. If it's in the hearth of the territory, you are free to choose, but I generally go for population and optimal tax collection. For me, here is the gray area.
As a last addo, I must say I am really liking this mod because it doesn't take a life to build an army or an recruitment city with high tier troops. The challenge here is not an arms race to see who is the first one to have the idea put body armor in archers (YER BLOODY GENIUS!), but to build an expanding empire capable of defending its borders and developing its cities. And boy, this may be hard, but it's more rewarding than anything else I've played to the moment.
I'm looking forward to the next update, especially concerning the Seleucid Empire. I've noticed that their destruction leads to a very unbalanced game, yet, when I play as them - the gameplay improves in all respects, due to a more stable East - an East that doesn't involve Parthian stacks of doom which most players end up having to deal with at some point.
Hopefully strengthening the AI Seleucid Empire will allow it to continue fighting for longer, without losing too much ground.
Seriously, everyone should try the Seleucid Empire on H/H. I find their campaign far more challenging (lol) and interesting than any of the others.
I have a ? wouldn't the velites javelin be considered ap in stead of the the rock slingers mercenaries found around Italy?