Does Rome II start during the third punic war?

[Acroneos]

Is it true, that Rome II is starting at the THIRD punic war? So that means, that the romans are already a mighty faction at this time, controling parts of spain and sicily? No Hannibal?

I think, Rome II will become more focused on roman faction(s) than Rome I did, if this is true.

[Dave Strider]

The Siege of Carthage is the Demo battle, so of course they're using screens from it.

[Sharpe]

I'm thinking it will begin about 300bc - 270bc, that way you get the focus on the Diadochi and the Punic wars in its entirety.

[Xerrop]

Is it true, that Rome II is starting at the THIRD punic war? So that means, that the romans are already a mighty faction at this time, controling parts of spain and sicily? No Hannibal?

I think, Rome II will become more focused on roman faction(s) than Rome I did, if this is true.

They will not even think about this - by 201 BC they have broken Carthage forever, in 197 BC the Macedonians and in 189 BC the Seleucids while the Ptolies became some sort of client kingdom without any actual war.
During the third punic war they were since more than a generation the unstoppable global power of the western world, so any start date later than 218 - the start of the second punic war - seems impossible to me.

[Sol Invictus]

No way CA will skip over Hannibal. They might skip the First Punic War since it wasn't decisive but the Second Punic War began Rome's meteoric rise and has to be in. If I had to choose I could forego the First Punic War if it meant that we could take the timeline further into the Imperial Era. Something like 220 B.C.-100 A.D. though I hope it goes even further to around 200 A.D. I do hope we have seasonal turns no matter what the timeline.

[Fabino79]

They said that the Battle of Carthage will be like a "Boss fight". So, im sure that the game will start before the third punic war. How many years before is the real question.

[Dodanodo]

they will start before the first punic war. how do I know that, you ask, well they said in several interviews, atleast the gamespot video, that you will be starting small. asuming he was talking of Rome (seleuicids aren't starting small, obviously), that means the campaign will start relatively early, if you, like me, consider anything bigger then the italian pennansula no longer small.

[caissus]

In an interview they claimed they really want you to build your empire, so you'd start small like in Shogun.

[Xerrop]

Sol Invictus has a good point. Starting in 220 B.C. is a better starting date than 280/270 from the first game and the mods.
The Roman faction has already conquered some territory. Can only be good for the AI-Romans as this time we have only one faction. Just think about all the pathetic AI-Romans in the mods getting usually conquered by all surrounding nations because they start too small and weak.
And second you have some of the most famous enemies of Rome from the start: Hannibal, Philipp V., Antiochos III. Not to mention the four seasons. I think they will keep them so you have less turns until the end date - 50 or 60 years to 4 season saves over 200 turns.

[|Sith|Galvanized Iron]

I vote for a year 334 starting year, as it allows a potentional and epic clash between the Romans, the Achamenid Persians and the Macedonian Empire, now that would be setting the ambition bar high

[JankoMega]

Just sit back and wait for news.

[Cyrus the Virus]

Republican times is all I heard, which I think is fair.
More fun to build an empire than start of as such a one.

[Bobz]

I'm expecting it to start a similar period as Rome I, around 300-250 BC.

[Manuel I Komnenos]

Most likely starting date is 281 BC, at the beginning of the Pyrrhic Wars. After a pretty easy expansion in Central Italy, Rome tries to expand towards Magna Grecia and meets with the first tough enemy, Pyrrhus. This is the time when Rome really starts to unveil her capabilities and determination to become a major power to be reckoned with.

[Petroniu]

Hehe, speculation is everywhere. Well, here's mine: The starting date will be somewhere before the second punic war. Why? Considering the big clash between Carthage and Rome they showed in the info released so far, it is logic to think they want that in their game. Why not the first punic war? Because it would take the need for a better Sicily with more cities and that it would place Rome into direct expansion in somewhat resemblance to history. You will be able to invade Spain and you can't say it's too early, you can even destroy Carthage now and can't say that the Romans couldn't do it if they wanted to, it would put you in direct aggression with the Macedonians and you would have a premise for invading Greece and also, when all this is done, you will have Marian legions because it's closer as a timeframe and you can play Caesar like and invade Gaul. It would make for the best timeframe for the game because there won't be so big historical discrepancies between the action in the game as you play it and the years and how it really happened. I would say somewhere around 230 BC - 220 BC.

[The Unknown General]

It would be nice if the game started before Rome was even an empire. Like they just started to kick the Celts, Carthaginians, Etruscans, and etc out.

[Maximus_54]

Lol don't be silly...All the main characters will be DLCS or Expansion Packs. And everything will be there at a price.

[Petroniu]

It would be nice if the game started before Rome was even an empire. Like they just started to kick the Celts, Carthaginians, Etruscans, and etc out.

Are you living under a rock? Rome I was about the rise of the Republic and in the interviews given about Rome 2 they specifically said that the game's timeframe will cover the Republic - that is before the Empire.

[The Unknown General]

Are you living under a rock? Rome I was about the rise of the Republic and in the interviews given about Rome 2 they specifically said that the game's timeframe will cover the Republic - that is before the Empire.

Hey dont make fun on my rock! My rock is very nice thank you very much! I dont even know why I'm posting here, seeing how I probably wont even be able to play it, due to having a crappy laptop and desktop. However, I'd loved to play Rome 2 seeing how I like Rome a little better than Medieval 2 Total War.

[Ballacraine]

On a related note, I am wondering how long the timeframe of the game will run.

Sure it is fun building an Empire, but it can also be a challenge to fight against it imploding.

Balla.