Spawning stacks

[Javolenus]

I'm fighting a Romani campaign. I was having trouble with Epeiros so sent a strong army to their country and raised three cities to the ground. I wanted to destroy their infrastructure so as to weaken them. I went back home satisfied that, as they were at war with Geltai, they would soon be wiped out. A few turns later and Epeiros was fielding huge armies and kicking the Geltai all over the place. Now they are a big power in Greece.

Then I got invaded by Lusotani. Suddenly, out of nowhere, big stacks of Lusotani troops materialised in north Italy. I fought them all and beat them all but new stacks just kept coming. They also had generals with many, many stars. Earlier in the game the Lusotani had kicked Carthage out of Spain, so I guess they picked up good experience and a few big cities.

OK, I checked what was happening in Lusotani. No problem - the place was empty of troops - all I have to do is beat off the latest invasion then counter-attack. But next turn, when I checked Lusotani again, they had lots of troops and they were actually queuing up to invade me. This is not war, it's genocide - I seem to be fighting a whole population.

Anyone else have this experience? Anyone have any answers?

Because I'm fighing Carthage, Aeduii, Lusotani, Epeiros, Hellenos, and assorted rebels, my ecomony is in ruins and I can't afford to retrain, let alone recruit. I seem to be fighting the whole world - is defeat the only outcome in the strat game?

[johnhughthom]

The script gives AI factions extra money to help them out and if you play on VH campaign difficulty they get 10000 per turn extra.
Your problem seems to be you are fighting on too many fronts, when I use the Romani I try to fight one enemy at a time. Try not to share a border with too many other factions at the same time as that will almost inevitably lead to war on different sides of your empire. Saying all that I usually find the Romani economy can handle a few wars at the same time, are you building mines where possible? Sea trade is very important too.

[Javolenus]

Hi there,

Thanks for this message. I'll follow your advice about mines - good tip.

As for sharing borders, I was trying to limit this until my economy grew, but the AI seems determined to have wars with me anyway.

Also, the big Lusotani armies just appeared in N. Italy without warning. One minute I thought I was doing OK, and was wondering whether to have a showdown with Carthage or Epeiros, the next minute I was in a major war with Lusotani, which seems able to create large armies all over the map on every turn.

Although my economy can support a couple of battle fronts, this latest conflict with a Lusotani superpower is draining resources and I'm in negative mnai. Trade is difficult because Carthage is blocking my ports and I can't afford a navy. And even when I do have a navy it gets sunk - no matter what the sea-battle odds are.

I'm being successful on a battle/tactial level, but my problems are on the strategic/economic/logistical level.

It seems to me that once you've unified Italy it opens up a whole can of worms and whether you want it or not, you end up fighting a crazily manic war against the rest of Europe and N. Africa.

[Javolenus]

Just to add a postscript to this: I continue to be locked in mortal combat with Lusotani.

I have raided their big cities and destroyed 3 of them. I have kicked them out of italy.

I have won almost every battle against them, often completely demolishing their army. But still they are sending full stacks against me and still my economy is in ruins, trying to cope.

It's getting boring and exhausting. Also, their leaders keep having many, many, many stars - but who are they fighting? Me! And are they winning? No! So how come they are getting six, seven, eight, nine, stars?

My soldiers have many experience chevrons - I keep retraning them when I can. I haven't kept a tally but I must have trashed at least 12 full stacks of Lusotani by now. It doesn't seem logical that they can keep fielding such numbers.

But the main thing is that I'm losing interest in the campaign. i just keeping seeing those Lusotani stacks queuing up to invade. I can't even use diplomacy to get peace because that doesn't work either.

I've had some great battles - and so that is good - but now it's getting to repetitive. How can I stop this? If I invade Lusotani to try to end the war with them, I would need a million mnai and a million soldiers!

[Titus Marcellus Scato]

Javolenus:

What Campaign difficulty level are you playing on?

It sounds like you're playing VH (Very Hard) campaign difficulty.

If you are, no offence, but this is what you signed up for. On VH Campaign difficulty, the AI have destroying the human player as their main priority - you are, in effect, their Public Enemy Number One! Everyone hates you! You're the Adolf Hitler of the ancient world....the scum of the earth......you get the picture.

Because they all hate you, they generally very unresponsive to your diplomatic efforts. They don't want ceasefires and they don't want to be your ally.

Plus, as johnhughthom mentioned, they get an extra 10,000 mnai a turn extra. On top of the 5,000 bonus they get normally if their treasury is very low. So they can afford to build new armies until the cows come home or until their cities are bled dry of men.

If you want an easier time of it, pick Hard campaign difficulty. Then they only pick on you if they think you're an easy target or have a grievance, and diplomacy is far more productive.

[Javolenus]

Hi Titus,

Thanks for this. Actually, I always play on M/M difficulty!

I've been playing RTW mods for about 3 months now and have read many helpful hints on gameplay. I find EB an excellent mod but I always seem to hit this AI stack-spawning situation as described above.

Of course I want a challenge, and of course I want to fight battles, but I kind of give up when the game becomes an endless cycle of grinding away at full stacks turn after turn. I mean, it's OK for a few years of game time, but after, say, 20 turns with no sign of a let up, it starts to become a drag.

[johnhughthom]

What year are you in Javolenus? I usually try to approach my Romani campaigns likes this, take southern Italy in the first few years then take Sicily which kicks off war with Carthage. I take all of Sicily, Corsica, Sardinia, the Balearics and all of Carthages Spanish holdings. If I have a general who is likely to get a triumph I go to Africa and to win a few battles without capturing any cities to gain the imperator trait. Then I leave them alone, even on VH campaign difficulty they always accept a cease fire, usually giving me a small amount of money and map info for the cease fire and trade rights. You should then be able to trade with them giving you a decent income to fight other factions. Personally at this point I take all of northern Italy, put forts in all the Alpine passes and concentrate on taking Iberia.

[Javolenus]

Hi johnhughthom,

I see the logic of your approach: you are avoiding sharing borders in the north in the early campaign, thus lessening the chance of an invasion from that direction.

I chose the opposite route and took the rebel towns in Cisalpine Gual, which eventually kicked off war with the Audui and which later gave me a common border with the Lusotani. I assumed that taking southern Italy, Sicily and Corsica would prepare me, economically, for action on the Alpine border - but now I see that I'm wrong. Your approach sounds much better, as it grabs important commercial territory before seeing off the Celts.

I think I'll restart the campaign and follow your gameplan - thanks for the advice!

Incidentally, it was around 230 BC when the Lusotani war kicked off - just after I'd unified Italy and taken Sicily and Corsica.

What really got to me (and this has happened before in EB and other mods I've played) is that I just sit watching enemy spawn troops out of nowhere. I get plenty of pracice fighting battles but can't seem to develop my economy or further my strategic aims because of relentless attrition.

But I'll give your plan a go and see what happens. Again, many thanks.

[johnhughthom]

By the way Javolenus there is an easy way to get a lot of cash as the Romani in the early game. Most people would probably consider it cheating and I haven't done it myself in my last few campaigns, but you can get a fortune from the Gallic tribes for ceasefires. Ask the Aedui for a ceasefire, trade rights, map info and 9000 mnai or so, if they refuse drop the amount by 100 at a time, eventually they will agree, do the same with the Arverni, but ask for 13000 then drop 100 or so until they agree. Like I say most people would see this as an exploit and not really in the spirit of the game but if you are struggling it may help you out in the early game.