Sassanid dominance is now assured.

[Kraut and Tea]

I only just started my campaign, but what I have seen so far looks to me as if the newly added faction further deminish the Eastern Roman Empires chances for survival and further benefit the Sassanids.

The Lakhmids start at war with the Eastern Roman ally The Ghassanids and having good releations with the Sassanids. I have only played a few turns as the Lakhmids but basicaly it seems like there is nothing due to happen that could in any way disturb the releations with the Sassanids. Thereby if your playing the campaign as a different faction the Lakhmids might aswell be the Sassanids.

The Tanukhids are totaly wrecking the Eastern Roman Empire in the Levant. They start the campaign at war with the Eastern Roman Empire and it`s client states and therefor waste no time and emidiatly attack the weak settlements of the Eastern Roman Empire. Rome is due to lose it`s properties in the Levant and doesnt even get the breathing space to deal with the Visigoths and Huns in the Balkans first.

Aksum hasnt done much so far it seems in my campaign, but I would not be suprised if they soon start marching on Egypt.


Now I definatly dont want to whine about difficulty. A hard game is a good game and that wouldnt even be my point. I was simply hoping that this faction DLC pack would finaly put the breaks on the unstopable Sassanid steamroler that always marches right through Anatolia mid-campaign. Besides it being a reocuring annoyance, I wonder what the Sassanid campaign will be like now?

Do you even have to fight battles when playing as the Sassanids? Basicaly you now have a major faction with all the major faction bonuses as a client state that conquers lands that were laid to waste by the Tanukhids. So as the Sassanids all you have to do is watch it happen.

I hope CA make the decision to at least change the Tanukhids diplomatic status. Or at the very least add some DLC that makes a Sassanid life less easier.

Playable White Huns? A playable Armenia seeking independence? Or a playable Parthia seeking to regain what has been lost?

[Darios]

Yup, that's definitely a private concern I felt when I noticed the diplomatic stances of the new factions through the live streams. There seems to be the possibility of a Roman-Axumite alliance but in general - yeah, this DLC has made things even more difficult for the Romans. I'm very happy that I've managed to achieve the ERE's victory conditions in previous campaigns before this DLC dropped. It's all over for them now.

For the world of me I'll never understand what in the hell CA was thinking when they created the Sassanids in Attila. It's not even fun.

Update: Turn 23 into my Aksumite campaign - the Sassanids have declared war on me. ing hell...

[stalker33]

This is a shameful display! poor Roman AI. and why are the Tanukhids at war with the Empire? I did not study them but i know they supposed to be foederati.
Damn, the good impression i had is now gone. mods that make the Sassanids weaker are essential

[Kraut and Tea]

The Tanukhids were historicaly in the middst of a rebellion against Rome apparently...

Ok. I do enjoy historic accuracy. But something must be done about the Sassanids because they just spoil the game.

[Aeneas Veneratio]

Queen Mavia of the Tanukhids led a revolt against the Romans, won several battles and got the Romans to accept their terms at the peace agreement. The final war between them and the Romans was in 383 AD as they revolted for the second time. Before the first revolt, between the first and the second, and after the second they were allies of Rome.

[Lugotorix]

Yup, that's definitely a private concern I felt when I noticed the diplomatic stances of the new factions through the live streams. There seems to be the possibility of a Roman-Axumite alliance but in general - yeah, this DLC has made things even more difficult for the Romans. I'm very happy that I've managed to achieve the ERE's victory conditions in previous campaigns before this DLC dropped. It's all over for them now.

For the world of me I'll never understand what in the hell CA was thinking when they created the Sassanids in Attila. It's not even fun.

Update: Turn 23 into my Aksumite campaign - the Sassanids have declared war on me. ing hell...

The Sassanids can't really do anything to the Aksumites. I'm playing on Hard, and I have a feeling my war with them is only going to be tough when I have complete control of Arabia Magna and their satrapies start coming after me.

[AnthoniusII]

The actuall problem is not the fact that the new factions will give a breathing space to Romans or not.
The actuall problem is that half made diplomacy of the game!
In reality..money and personal relations could make a state to change sides in war or peace.
But in that "famous" unfinished Attila game the player can not have diplomacy options with an other state's vassals.
I had numerus times when Sassanid vassals had exelent relations with me (Rome) and worst with their parent state (Sassanids) but i could not have diplomacy options to make
them (bribe, marriages, titles etc) to make them come to my side or atleast revolt against their suppresor!
CA/SEGA developers seams that never had in mind to finish Attila but now they seam to need more funds to complete Warhammer and they sell us parts of a still incoplete game!

[Turumba]

Keep the reports up, guys. I started a Himyar campaign yesterday. I took out Aksum first. Nobatia attacked ERE, failed, and I got a their homeland and the goldregion in egypt without beeing at war with the ERE.
Tanukhids tried their luck at the levante, but failed. The rest is besieging the minor settlement of egypt at the red sea coast. I wish them luck, because I'm going to kill them as soon they settle there.

Biggest bad news for me, was ERE and Sassinids are not fighting with eachother. They dont even have armies at their borders (sigh). ERE is the strongest faction, second Sassinids. It seems to me, ERE and Sassinids have plenty of breathing space now. But I just play Himyar for now...
And on the last turn of the stream, Sassinids have declared war on me as well... indeed.

Are the Sassinids and ERE at war with eachother in your campaign?

[Turista_838]

Playing as Himyar, turn 43



The only ERE territory in Europe is Crete, still holding egypt... but for how long?

[AnthoniusII]

I asked CA/SEGA devs , in their forum if we could expect a diplomacy patch. They avoid answer us in TWC but i hope to get answers in their forums.

[Darios]

I asked CA/SEGA devs , in their forum if we could expect a diplomacy patch. They avoid answer us in TWC but i hope to get answers in their forums.

LOL! You and I both know what the answer to that will be my Greek brother.

I really do wonder what is CA's reasoning behind the super tough Roman situation and the super easy Sassanid situation. My best guess would be that they imagined that most people would be interested in playing as the Romans and needed to give them a challenge (while hiding the flaws of the piss poor CAI) so they designed a Sassanid faction that could throw endless hordes (300 style!) at the Romans. Wanting to create an "easy" faction (the Sassanids) for noobies to play was CA's excuse. I honestly feel sad for the legions of Persia/Sassanid fans out there.

I'll give credit where credit is due though - CA has really outdone themselves with the last two DLCs in terms of quality. This one in particular serves the dual purpose of nicely filling in Arabia/East Africa as well as doing a great job at representing the Semitic cultures of the period.

[juanplay]

If i remember correctly the diplomatic stances of every faction change with every new game, so if you initiate 5 different campaign you will obtain 5 different results.

[AnthoniusII]

If i remember correctly the diplomatic stances of every faction change with every new game, so if you initiate 5 different campaign you will obtain 5 different results.

Right...Start a campaign with ERE and try to "bribe" Sassanian Vassals.
Restart campaign again and again and try the same!
1st: You do not have diplomatic options (exept trade when you are at peace with Sassanids) with the Sassanid Vassals!!!
NO DIPLOMATIC OPTIONS AT ALL.

[juanplay]

Not necessarily, for instance i just started a campaign as ERE where the Sassanid king likes me a lot, so that gives me time to prepare before the inevitable war,alternatively you can keep bribing him 2000 gold every turn and extend his friendship and that of his vassals almost indefinitely, unless a new ruler who does not like you arrives. Its kinda like the tribute the eastern empire paid the Sassanids to keep them happy and calm during the IV-VII centuries.

[Caligula's_Horse]

The Sassanians basically need 3 things to be balanced:
1. Significantly cut the funding of client states so that they can only field a single full stack of levies, or less then a full stack of mid tier units. This should stop the Sassanian alliance from being able to field twice as many armies as both Roman empires combined.
2. Stick something nasty along the Sassanian northern border, ideally the White Huns that historically invaded the area. It doesn't have to be overwhelming, but it should prevent their early game from being a complete cake walk.
3. Add the diplomatic option to support a Vassal's independence from their suzerain (say, convince them to declare war on their overlord along with you at the same time). Armenia might not be too keen to rebel on its own right, but if the ERE promised their support... Making Armenia playable while we're at it would also be nice.

I'd say the first change is the most essential of the lot. A subjugated faction with less then a full province to its name really shouldn't be able to field two full stacks. Under the current system, a confederation of many small factions can take on a single large empire thrice their combined size and win without even trying.

[Slaists]

Folks who play as Lakhmids (on legendary difficulty) report Sassanids declaring war on them within a few turns. I had the same happen to me when I was playing as Aksum.

[The Chocolate Jesus]

I had to abandon my Aksumite campaign because I simply couldn't handle stacks after stacks after stacks of the Sassanids and their puppet states. I took Arabia Felix and established footholds there. Then moved into the Persian territories and got absolutely bum rushed. It was not challenging...it simply was unfair. So I started a Himyar campaign and thinks are looking a bit better. The Sassanids are ok with me because I gave them loads of money and joined their war against the ERE.

[billydilly]

My Himyar campaign:

I took Yathrib as soon as I could. Only Aksum declared war on me, so I invaded Aksum before the could reach me. I took both their regions.

The Sassanids and ERE are at war and are fighting in Judea. The Palmyra faction suddenly appeared and took Antiochia and Tarsus. I'm not sure what happened to the Lakhmids, I think they were defeated by the Tanakhids. The Ghassanids in Dumantha were destroyed by the ERE. The Dumantha region rebelled and the Lakhmids took it. Finally I took Dumantha.

So basically:
- The ERE and SE are fighting
- The emerging Palmyra faction is also attacking the ERE
- The ERE has lost control of Palaestina, Syria and partly Cilicia
- The Tanukids and Lakhmids are gone
- I killed off Aksum

[Turumba]

3. Add the diplomatic option to support a Vassal's independence from their suzerain (say, convince them to declare war on their overlord along with you at the same time). Armenia might not be too keen to rebel on its own right, but if the ERE promised their support... Making Armenia playable while we're at it would also be nice.

I like this idea a lot. Maybe you have to ask them two times, if they want to think about it, if they take the money two times, you get a new diplomatic option for the third time: declare independance and war on your former master and third bribe as well. It should be enough money to upkeep a decent fullstack for a year. One can dream...

Interesting. @billydilly. It seems that we all experience other situations. I think thats very good! What you gonna do now?

[Caligula's_Horse]

I like this idea a lot. Maybe you have to ask them two times, if they want to think about it, if they take the money two times, you get a new diplomatic option for the third time: declare independance and war on your former master and third bribe as well. It should be enough money to upkeep a decent fullstack for a year. One can dream...

Not exactly my original idea, I just really took a liking to it while playing EUIV. There's a lot the total war series could learn from it.

Another thing I got from EUIV, perspective about the Sassanids. Bad as they might seem, they're got nothing in the Ottomans the ERE has to deal as a shadow of its former self with in 1444...