Diocesis system

[Eidgeniesser]

The Roman Empires clearly can't handle the 20+ wars they are in. But they should both survive until after the Attila timeframe. The campaign dynamics, CAI and the terrible border gore are borderline unbearable. It just doesn't work. Its so bad I might even look into modding this myself, but I hope someone more experienced might do the job in half the time and better. I would just be a copy paste of the Roman Empires and some rearranging diplomacy (and, well, a lot of adjusting I guess).

So my suggestion (maybe for a submod?):

1. No alliance between ERE and WRE. Only good relations. This way they don't participate in each others wars. Which in mid-late game was usually desastrous especially for the ERE.

2. Break it up into Diocesis or Praefectures. I have never played as one of the Roman empires because its just too much of a hassle. But maybe this would make the Roman campaigns more enjoyable too. For the barbarian campaigns its absolutely necessary IMO. It makes the Empire more of an impressive enemy. Instead of the scramble for territories after 405 the game would be about invading the most powerful empire of the time.

Each Diocesis would have 4-6 cities and could field 4 armies. Again no alliances with the central government. Just good relations and military access.

The Gautoz, Danir, Eutoz, Seaxe, Caledones, Iweriu and Pritanni would for instance start with bad relations or at war with the Diocesis of Britannia. The Franks and Allemans with the Praefecture of Germania Superior. The Markomans, Langobardoz and Kwadoz with the Diocesis in the Alpes. The latter two could only field up to two armies, so there not too aggressive and sill beatable for one province nations. Behind those border Diocesis would be stronger Diocesis of Gaul (northern France), Septimania (southern France), north and south Spain, and Africa. The great migrators would start at war with Gaul or Septimania. The WRE would be confined to an economical extremely powerful Italy and could field the max amount of armies, which it could finally use properly to reconquer provinces near to there border or possibly even gobble up the Diocesae. Sort of a Limitanei/Comitatenses-system.

This way the border gore might be avoided too since the wars of the barbarians could be confined to one or two regions. I thought it had become better but I usually just try to take whats left of France before the Celts of all peoples build their huge empires in Roman territory, empires in which none of their provinces borders another controlled province.

3. I would strongly suggest to make diplomacy in northern europe much more hostile.. There should be any alliances except for maybe one more or less historical alliances. As of now almost all other germanic tribes will trade with you and later conquer the WRE with you.

4. Something has to be done so AI ERE doesn't lose to Eranshah every single game. Maybe the diocesis system might work there too. AS far as I understand the Sassanids win because of their vassals, maybe this would balance it out. Diocesis Macedoniae takes on the wars on the northern flanks, and northeast Anatolia, Syria and Egypt help the ERE at the eastern front.


What do you think? Or has anybody already done something similar? Is it compatible with EP? I especially want a Diocesis Britanniae since the WRE always collapses from the northern flank while the Franks sit around in Flevum for the entire game.