Carthage

**Siculus** · February 21, 2007, 09:23 PM

I'm about 15 years into a Carthage campaign on the large map--Provincial Game. I've taken Sicily but am currently struggling with the Romans and Iberians.

I'm impressed!!!

A few observations:

Why can't I move overland between Iberia and Gaul along the Mediterranean coast? This was the route Hannibal took, I believe.

I've noticed that as I've taken Iberian towns, they have no population left--under 500. Because of the way recruitment works (the ability to recruit multiple units in one turn) the Iberians appear to have depopulated their towns. This is fine, as long as it's something foreseen.

I have my hands full with the Romans, even with the help of my tottering ally--Epirus. But this is as it should be.

I'll report back when the "First Punic War" ends.

Siculus

**pseudocaesar** · February 21, 2007, 11:43 PM

recruitment issues will be solved in the next patch, it is not just you that experiences depopulated towns and this is getting fixed in patch 9

**Tyr** · February 22, 2007, 09:56 AM

I'm going to keep this open as it could turn in to a valuable feedback thread for your campaign, which we would greatly appreciate. However, if you have any actual bugs / suggestions (like whatever overland route thingy you were talking about); please post in the appropiate stickied threads.

And welcome to the forums.

**~~removeduser_426582376423734~~** · February 22, 2007, 03:18 PM

I'm also currently in a Carthage campaign. Rome, Iberia and Gaul all have lots of stacks waiting to do something, so its pretty tough.

**Straticus** · February 22, 2007, 06:30 PM

I tried to play Carthage and got through the first 10 years but I was very disappointed with the Carthaginian fighting abilities. If I auto-resolved battles I suffered defeat after defeat even when outnumbering my ‘Free Peoples’ opponent with a 4-5 star general. If I fought the battle on the map, which I don’t like to do because it takes a long, long time, I frequently lost as my troops routed because it took such a long, long time for the battle to move along. The best I got was an Average defeat. They are definitely at a disadvantage. It is much more enviable to be playing Rome and enjoying the battle advantage.

Money was not a problem but it takes so long to build anything that it is getting to the point of boredom. Does anyone every finish 100 years? At this rate I will have had enough after 50. I don’t like the long battles and something just isn’t right with these ‘Free Peoples’ throwing their weight around like they do. I liked it better with the Rebel/Slaves/Pirate faction which you could manage but these guys are bullies. It will be interesting to see how this mod plays out as it matures but right now I think I am going to wait awhile before going back to it.

Thanks, Straticus

**Siculus** · February 22, 2007, 07:25 PM

I've managed to beat any full army I've met as the Carthaginians (VHVH). The problem I'm having with the Romans is that they have several and they keep on coming. (But I guess that's how Hannibal felt, too.)

As Carthage, I rely primarily on a center force of Libyan spearmen with slingers in front and peltasts behind. On the immediate flanks I have my light infantry. On the outer flanks I have my cavalry, and lots of it. Virtually all of my battles have been won by cavalry on the flanks.

BTW, what map are you playing on? On the big map there's lots of room for maneuver compared to the smaller map.

Also, I suspect that the recruiting problem I mentioned in my original post may have something to do with the strength of the Free People.

The Lucanians on the Italian in-step fielded two nearly full stacks, which is quite a bit for one town. When I took the place the population was denuded--about 450.

The main strategic problem I'm having as Carthage is dealing simultaneously with the Iberians and the Romans. Phase I involved securing Sicily and building a base-of-operations in Iberia. That went smoothly with a secure alliance with Rome. In Phase II I planned to take on the Iberians first and then deal with Rome in Phase III. But I realized that if I did that the Romans were going to wipe out the Epireans, so I switched alliances and sent two stacks to Italy.

Unfortunately, the Romans are overwhelming us both with numerous armies. I'm afraid that the Epireans are going to get taken out before I can finish off the Iberians. If that happens, I suppose the fight will move to Sicily, which I control.

I have to say that this is one of the few RTW games where I'm facing such a problem thirty turns into the game. Usually by this point it's less a question of if you're going to win, but when. I'm not sure what's going to happen next.

So a salute to the Roma Surrectum modders.

Siculus

**Oswald von Wolkenstein** · February 23, 2007, 11:55 AM

I am well into my Roman campaign. Few observations

Roman Cavalry incredibly weak at the beginning (perhaps as it should be)
Elephants wildly strong. (also perhaps as it should be)
The "depopulation" issue is in part a good thing, it gives the AI a fighting chance becuase you've basically got to ship over troops from Italy -- Roman navy is strong enough and ship building relatively cheap and easy.
Militia units strong enough to take out Roman calvary (with is good also I suppose)

Onagers take out as many of you own guys as the enemy -- consistently. This seems to be an issue in many mods (I've never bothered to play vanillia) and particularly in this one because Onagers are strong. But as a general questions: Don't those guys get better as they get more experienced? A least to the point where they're not smashing their own front line (that's only a few feet in front of them)?

Assinations are harder as they perhaps should be. I like this mod -- I like too what I am seeing now in Germania, the AI seems to just be building and building and building Armies and hopefully the will all descend on my Empire at once and keep me busy for a while!

My only comment would be that Carthage seems to weak if you're playing as the Romans -- they simple have never been a factor in my campaign. The attacked me, I besieged and took Carthage and they've been pretty much slowly being knocked out -- the Seleucids have torn through Africa robbing Carthage of everything not on the coast (which I've taken) and they've been out of Spain for years now.

**tone** · February 23, 2007, 01:38 PM

Interesting observations. Certainly in most of the AI games I've been looking at and in some of the AARs, Carthage has held on steadily as a power and worked its way up into Gaul. i've never seen the Seleucids cross into Carthaginian territory, so I think these are less frequently seen developments.

We will be looking carefully at faction balancement prior to this next release, what with so many changes, and we've got quite a few more beta testers on board now.

**Siculus** · February 23, 2007, 01:48 PM

One observation: While the battle in southern Italy pitting Rome against Carthage and its Epirean allies continues, the Roman navy is no where to be found.

As Carthage, I have the entire western coast of Roman Italy blockaded. I'm starting to work the blockade up the Adriatic coast, as well. I have yet to see a Roman fleet.

The battles in southern Italy are getting to be the biggest I've seen laying any version of RTW. I'm flashing back to the days of Shogun when you would face stack after stack of the "Hojo Horde." It's been tough, but so far, with some help from the Epireans, I'm holding on and slowly getting the upper hand.

I've finished off the Iberians and "The Beloved of Baal" with his ten command stars and battle-hardened Elephants will soon be moving by sea to open up a new front in northern Italy.

Siculus.