Question

[Shadowshadow]

I apologize if I am posting this in the wrong place, but will this mod work with Rome Total War Gold Edition? I don't know if that qualifies as RTW 1.5.

[Mylemakis]

I apologize if I am posting this in the wrong place, but will this mod work with Rome Total War Gold Edition? I don't know if that qualifies as RTW 1.5.

Yes, it works. When you install XGM you can select Barbarian Invasion or Alexander expansion to be it base. Barbarian Invansion comes with RTW:Gold, so select it.

[Sigur Rós]

Sorry Shadow, I take advantage of your thread to ask one thing: I used to play Rome vanilla at medium level of difficulty, yesterday, when I started to play XGM, I wanted to try with hard... within just 3-4 turns, Spartan armies (huge) started to arrive to take over my cities. I didn't even have the time to face them!

[Sigur Rós]

Is it the difficulty level I set or is it the MOD itself which is difficult?

P.S.: Sorry for the double reply, why I can't edit my own posts?

[LucretiusTC]

As you know the campaing starts around 280 BC, and for historical reasons some Factions may have a strong enemies in the very beginning of the game. For instance the Romans has to deal with Pyrrhos of Epeiros who controlls southern Italy, or Macedonians have to face a big Celtic invasion from the north. I think it's important to have a strategical initiative when you play against the AI Factions. If a neighbouring Faction has a big army near the border, it will probably attack next turn if you are not prepared to face it. When you play the battles manually, you can beat far larger AI armies.

Usually H/H is level is quite enjoyable, but M/M level can good be too, especially if you want to get more time to build an Empire. In a long campaing, when you want to crush your enemies, it's usually essential to capture their original Capital that means to a major blow to AI bonuses.

[Sigur Rós]

I've tried to start with another faction, I took Germans. With Germans you start with four settlements, I've spent the first 15-20 turns making troops to defend my settlements and building/improving structures. No attack nor conquer other factions.

I'm able to resist against Rome for a couple of turns, then huge armies with powerful units start to arrive... impossibile!!! And I'm playing at medium level, I don't dare to imagine at H/H or V/H level. IMHO, AI cheats.

Basically, is it possibile to play opting for a strategy like "building all structures, improving all settlements to the maximum (getting so all élite units) and then conquering and expanding?

[LucretiusTC]

I think you need to combine improvements in settlements with expansion. Conquering new settlements e.g., from Rebels and other Factions give you more money to maintain armies and improve settlements. I usually build my armies with certain mid-level units that are relatively good to fight and not too difficult recruit. I think the Germanic Axemen are pretty good unit combined with Skirmishers, Archers and some Light Cavalry units in the early game. Besides I prefer to maintain just minimal garrisons to keep the population happy, and fight the main battles with mobile field armies. It is also wise to develop certain settlements as main recruitment centres for better units with experience or weapon bonuses.

This is Rome Total War mod after all, so it is necessary to play quite offensively and keep the initiative in your own hands.