How to you guys control a large empire

[xjlxking]

Okay, so far whenever I play any campaign in RTW XGM or not, I always stay clear of the big empire whose land is huge like the Seleucid Empire, or Parthia. Hell, even when I am conquering empires, the east is always the last place I take. I stop next to Jerusalem and I try not to go further. Once over, your military lines are far apart, cities have different technology and it's hard to attack and defend.

I tried playing the SE campaign but quickly lost interest. I was attacked by computer from each side, and yeah, I did have money but it was hard recruit and keeping armies together. In the other campaign like Rome, Greece, Macedonia...etc, my cities are close to each to get help quickly. Further more, I always choose 3 or more cities that are close together and pump troops non stop. The other cities usually just become economical.

[a-woowie.doowie]

Actually in my opinion and experience - grabbing land from the Seleucid empire is one of the easiest things to do. Sure you will maybe have to fight of a stack or two once in a while. But since they always fight a multi-front war they have huge issues with army control. I almost always grab the trade areas first(Aegean sea, eastern medditeranian or the area between Italy and north Africa. Each one of these grants great trade income, I think that their efficiency is also in the same order I wrote them with the Aegean sea being #1, area around Egypt to Turkey being #2, Italy - Africa #3. With any of these areas under control - you can builid massive armies and say if you play as the Greeks, I recommend following; #1 take Greece, kick Macedonia out - from Sparta to Byzantium should be yours. #2 take the western coast of Asia minor(modern day Turkey) from Halicarnassus to Nicomedia should be yours(P.S never forget to take the islands of Crete and Rhodes - Rhodes for the wonder and Crete for the massive trade income it generates). The time you have to do this is diffrent depending on which difficulty you're playing on. Me for example take about this time for completion; Easy - about 20 turns(since you just barely have to keep soldiers in cities and you can still tax quite high) Very Hard - about 50-60 turns(I'm not the best player by any means, but in VH you need to keep militia in almost every city AND be ready for sneak attacks(the romans/thracians in Greece or the Seleucids/Pontus in Asia minor). VH also seems to give you a penalty in finances - granting less than in easy. This will make it harder for you to amass armies and militia and still afford to builid necessary buildings.

Ehhm - I hope you can make any sense of what I just wrote - I kind of got lost while writing

[Celestial Oblivion]

^I think he means he can't stand playing as TSE, not that he minds fighting them.

Seleucid campaign was the hardest campaign in Vanilla (minus some obscure factions you need to cheat to unlock anyways), and its probably the hardest Imperial Campaign in XGM. If you can pull it off though its highly rewarding both because you get the best military roster (as in Vanilla). Anyways, I usually try and pick one of my neighbors to focus on defeating (usually Pontus/Greek cities in Asia minor or TPE because those territories are fairly secure from further threats), and the rest I just leave enough forces to keep them in check.

You'll probably lose some of your far east settlements to Parthia or Backtria, but that's just how it works. Phalanxes do not work against horse archers, so besides defending city gates my eastern armies are usually slingers, those heavy peltasts and Thortikai later. Recruiting some AOR horse archers of your own also helps. If they get as far as Susa or Selucia, Syrian archers are worth deploying for their longer range. Later on, both of you will probably be using Cataphracts, so make sure you have more or another ace up your sleave like Elephants to deal with them.

Its a lot easier to play as Parthia over the huge Eastern lands because your armies should be all cavalry anyways. This allows you to move much faster over those vast distances. Ditto for Baktria and Armenia who can also recruit armies of horse archers and cavalry.

Any other faction that attempts to take the far eastern provinces will find it difficult to do so. The Romans get a bit of help with the Tortoise formation and easily recruitable long range archers, but remember Rome could only hold up to the Persian gulf for a reason, and not even for that long. If you are determined to do it, AOR horse archers will be very useful.

[Elvis]

^I think he means he can't stand playing as TSE, not that he minds fighting them.

Seleucid campaign was the hardest campaign in Vanilla (minus some obscure factions you need to cheat to unlock anyways), and its probably the hardest Imperial Campaign in XGM. If you can pull it off though its highly rewarding both because you get the best military roster (as in Vanilla). Anyways, I usually try and pick one of my neighbors to focus on defeating (usually Pontus/Greek cities in Asia minor or TPE because those territories are fairly secure from further threats), and the rest I just leave enough forces to keep them in check.

You'll probably lose some of your far east settlements to Parthia or Backtria, but that's just how it works. Phalanxes do not work against horse archers, so besides defending city gates my eastern armies are usually slingers, those heavy peltasts and Thortikai later. Recruiting some AOR horse archers of your own also helps. If they get as far as Susa or Selucia, Syrian archers are worth deploying for their longer range. Later on, both of you will probably be using Cataphracts, so make sure you have more or another ace up your sleave like Elephants to deal with them.

Its a lot easier to play as Parthia over the huge Eastern lands because your armies should be all cavalry anyways. This allows you to move much faster over those vast distances. Ditto for Baktria and Armenia who can also recruit armies of horse archers and cavalry.

Any other faction that attempts to take the far eastern provinces will find it difficult to do so. The Romans get a bit of help with the Tortoise formation and easily recruitable long range archers, but remember Rome could only hold up to the Persian gulf for a reason, and not even for that long. If you are determined to do it, AOR horse archers will be very useful.

I think it is fair to let the far east fall. Beyond Susa, there are hardly any rich teretories worth having. So leave the steppe to the horse archers and just concentrate on holding the juicy bits like mesopotamia and asia minor.

PS: Once the Parthians break out the Cats, you can go back to recruiting pikes and make horse-kebap.

[Fouch]

The best advice I've ever gotten for a Seleucid campaign is to give up a large chunk of your eastern starting territories to bactra in exchange for an alliance. It won't last but it does buy you quite a bit of time. Also you can use bacteria like a shield against Parthia, effectively trapping them in their starting territories. Then later in the game when you inevitably are betrayed by bactra you'll be in a better position to wage war, you won't have to slog through horse archers, and bactra will have westernized and build Greek Barracks in the towns you're conquering.

[Pinkie Pie]

and any buildings they build you can use