The Roman Empire, 193 BC (Poll Closed. I'm now doing a Seleucid Campaign until 200 BC)

[The Good]

The Roman Empire, 193 BC....





Above is a YouTube video with good music to go with the thread! Listen to it, it is very Roman-esque.

Well guys, I did it, I made roughly (I say roughly because I do not hold Mesopotamia) the complete Roman Empire as it was during the Imperial times. At first I took much of my time, but as time went on, I aspired to conquer the known world.

I would appreciate advice on what to do next though, I don't want to go too much past the historical borders of the Roman Empire. Should I just try defending the empire now? I know that the Parthians will eventually be up to something, if I give them time. The Germanic tribes have difficulty taking over a strange settlement in the Baltic, the inhabitants were originally from Britannia. Due to the chariots the generals ride, the Germanics have a terribly difficult time conquering that one land. The Briton generals bodyguard also have gold chevrons. I think thats enough details of them though. The Brutii are still alive and well, I have let them live in the steppes of Scythia under the condition that they never return to the city of Rome again, they are banished from it, exiled.

Well, that is my Roman Empire. Of all my time playing Rome: Total War, I have never actually played this long into a campaign. Although I have won many of the Imperial Campaigns, this was my longest, and most enjoyable.


Also, I will hold a brief election on what faction I should try playing next, the election will last two days. I am obviously using Vanilla Rome, and for the sake of multiplayer playability, I won't modify it so that all factions are playable. (Pontus, Macedonia, Thrace, Spain, Numidia, etcetera)

Once I play that faction, which you have voted for me to play, long enough, I will post a screenshot of the empire's borders.

I have a few choices for this one though, I won't have the Romans in the election, and definately not Egypt!

The Greek Cities (I prefer to call them Koinon Hellenon, or The Hellenic League)
Britannia
Gaul
Germania
Carthage
Parthia
The Seleucid Empire

[LeonidasOfSparta]

Hey,

You got nice empire there

Since you played to make it historical you shuld defend it now at my opinion.


About other faction, I suggest you Britons. Very good faction because of chariots and various good units altho one of more hard ones.

Good luck in next campaign

[EMV]

Nice Empire! Before you start a new one, restore the Roman Empire before the death of Augustus Octavian (conquer Germany!)!

[The Good]

I forgot to mention, and this is nothing impressive to most of you, but I play this campaign on Medium/Medium difficulty.

[LeonidasOfSparta]

It doesnt really matter , myself I play on vh/vh and its not such big difference ( at least to me :S ) but we all knows its amazingly hard to conquer this all and hold lines. I never tried something like that , I always just chrushed enemies

EDIT: Nice music

[HeroSK]

Really nice empire Lucius Julius and excellent music..

My suggestion for next campaign is The Selecuid Empire, wide range of troops from best phalanxes to cataphract elephants..

Also, their income very good, eventually you become really rich.

However, I dont know if you know how to use phalanxes, their usage is different than roman infantry...

Lastly, at the begining, you are covered with enemies, but my advise is first finish Egytians, if you let them live, they become really trouble...

PS. Isnt music from Gladiator...?

[LeonidasOfSparta]

Hey HeroSK,

You gave good advice , expect one thing. Seleucid Silver shildes are worst of elite pikemen/hoplites.

Macedonian Royal pikemen are much better, Bronze shildes are too. Spartans are best of hoplites followed by excelent Greek armoured hoplites.

Only Egypt's pharaoh guards are worse then Silver shields.

[HeroSK]

Hey HeroSK,

You gave good advice , expect one thing. Seleucid Silver shildes are worst of elite pikemen/hoplites.

Macedonian Royal pikemen are much better, Bronze shildes are too. Spartans are best of hoplites followed by excelent Greek armoured hoplites.

Only Egypt's pharaoh guards are worse then Silver shields.

At least best avalaible for Selecuids

[Monsieur Alphonse]

Although the Seleucid's are the frontrunner's in the poll they are really boring. Your early games is nothing but defending against Pontus, Armenia, the Greeks and Parthia while you take out Egypt. Every turn you will be attacked and have to sally against small Armenian or large Pontus stacks. The only fun is that you to rely on militia hoplites until you can train phalanx pikemen. (levy pikemen are ****. If you play Carthage you start with infantry that is extremely good in running ......... away. Until you can train Poeni infantry or even better Sacred Band you won't have any good infantry and you are fighting against the three Roman factions.

[HeroSK]

I think playing as Carthage is very hard, since lack of good quality troops and romans will not give you a moment of peace..

Romans hastai is very powerful,and even Carthage attack early on the senate army is too powerful for Carthage...

Also, Carthage,Thapsus and Corduba have fast growing rate which causes unrest...it is really hard to controll Corduba IMO...

For, Selecuids, it is easy to defend aganist Armenia, pontus and parthia by placing fortson mountain passes..Also, in the very first turns taking Susa will make Parthians slower..

Selecuids are actually have excellent late game, it is fun to watch Roman Legions flying in front of your Cataphract Elephants

[Scutarii]

Seleucids or Carthage. Both are challenging, and both have very diverse rosters, making for an interesting late game.

[LeonidasOfSparta]

I agree on that tho, carthage may be good when they get eles and elite sacred bands

[Selifator]

If you know how to use them, carthage can be deadly. They have war elephants, sacred band cavalry and infantry and a good position to start with.

[LeonidasOfSparta]

Hmm their position is not good...? They are isolated to africa and soon getting attacked by romans. No need to know how to use carthage , even worst player who cahrges his elephants into enemy inflicts amazing damage especialy against AI.

[Kratos]

They aren't really isolated, they are soon to be attacked both in Spain, on Sardinia and Sicily. And in north Africa Numidia can be annoyning.

Elephants are fun, but there is no challenge in using them if you just charge 4 units of them into a line of heavy infantry. Make your own houserules that says how many elephants are allowed in each army.

My vote goes to Carthage.

[Garnier]

You should play a VH/VH or H/H seleucids campaign. I did a VH/VH vanilla seleucids, and it is a lot of fun. Once you take out egypt and hold all of turkey as well, you have a large empire and can send out your silver shield legions to fight rome. I made up my legions like so:

10 silver shield legionaries
6 cretan archers
4 cataphracts

[allypup]

As you went to the lengths of recreating the limits of Rome's Imperial Empire, perhaps you are open to Role Playing a campaign. It has been a long time since I did a Vanilla campaign, so I couldn't give much help there. I currently am playing an EB campaign as Carthage. EB has some additional traits that aid roleplaying nicely. For example the Barcid/Anti-Barcid trait.

Here's how I RP so far.

My first faction leader was a trader: RP rules. Can only defend and not attack other factions. Rebel armies in your territory or in LOS from your territory can be attacked but no cities. Build trade and population buildings, military buildings ( as long as you can recruit something in a city ) are at the end of the line.

When Faction Leader reaches age 60, randomize sucession; the faction heir, or someone else will be the next faction leader. (dice work well here) Desiginated heir has say 90% chance to remain heir, if not to far from the capitol. Someone unexpected may become your next leader; read the traits and role play accordingly.

When 1st leader died, the new leader was a Barcid, and a good tactictian, understanding of logistics etc. So the new plan was 'Take Sicily and Spain'.

If my current faction heir does indeed become the leader his traits are Cowers behind walls, frightend by blood, Miner and Grower. So the faction will again shift focus.

Making your faction bend to the will of it's leader is a very fun way to play.

[spykid55]

wats an AI and go to Spain even though it means abandoning Carthage and Elephant trainin Cities its a good sacrifice which paid of for me

[spykid55]

Carthage is the best Armoured Elephants just becauz Seleucid has then to lets make a check list

Carthage Seleucid
1Phalanxes YES YES (and alot)

2Elephants YES YES

3Cavalry YES YES (and lot again)

4Foot Soldiers Few YES(still alot)

and that pretty much says that seleucid is good but for me ill stick with Carthage i like a good challange and

Seleucid-you can train elephants in every city

Carthage-only in the Carthage Thapsus and most of africa
if i were you abanon Carthage and go to Spain instead

[Scutarii]

Seleucid-you can train elephants in every city

Carthage-only in the Carthage Thapsus and most of africa
if i were you abanon Carthage and go to Spain instead

You cannot ever train ele's in every city, only those with the elephant resource icon on the campaign map. At the start, it just so happens TSE starts off with most of their cities being able to train ele's (every one but Sardis, I believe).

@spykid
AI stands for Artificial Intelligence, ie: the computer-controlled factions.