WRE Campaign

[The_Bulgar_Slayer]

Excellent mod! I started a campaign as the Western Roman Empire on very hard/very hard and have been having a great time. I have to say that this is probably the most difficult campagn I've ever played. With enemies on all sides, low income, and high unit upkeep the campaign is quite hard, but I'm persevering. I went after the Vandals initially and now have a strong base in North Africa while I've been fighting for my life trying to keep the Ostrogoths out of Italy.

I have one question though. Around turn 4 or so in the game, without any warning, my trade income was cut in half(by 14,000). This caused me a lot of trouble recovering, which I did after about three turns or so. I had no cities or ports blockaded, nor did I get any new enemies. Is this part of the script, a bug, or just bad luck maybe with several rebel armies poping up at once? It really didn't bother me. It kind of made the campaign more challenging, but I'm just curious. Overall, great job!

[Riothamus]

Excellent mod! I started a campaign as the Western Roman Empire on very hard/very hard and have been having a great time. I have to say that this is probably the most difficult campagn I've ever played. With enemies on all sides, low income, and high unit upkeep the campaign is quite hard, but I'm persevering. I went after the Vandals initially and now have a strong base in North Africa while I've been fighting for my life trying to keep the Ostrogoths out of Italy.

I have one question though. Around turn 4 or so in the game, without any warning, my trade income was cut in half(by 14,000). This caused me a lot of trouble recovering, which I did after about three turns or so. I had no cities or ports blockaded, nor did I get any new enemies. Is this part of the script, a bug, or just bad luck maybe with several rebel armies poping up at once? It really didn't bother me. It kind of made the campaign more challenging, but I'm just curious. Overall, great job!

Thanks The_Bulgar_Slayer

This I would guess has to do with family member unit upkeep costs. Roman family members have the highest upkeep in the game and if not careful they will drain the treasury dry. ..especially early in the game. The emperors bodyguard has the most numbers exceeding the heir and the others thus its upkeep can double what a non heir bodyguards upkeep costs.

Good strategy..Carthage is very rich and Africa is sort of isolated thus a good source of money

[ThePianist]

The higher unit upkeep definitely makes the campaign much more challenging and exciting, and it is the most intense campaign (at least twice as much as the WRE campaign in original BI) out of all the mods. It's also a much more accurate depiction of the era, especially the difficulties in maintaining and expanding the Roman Empires.

[Templar Knight]

personally i think the upkeep is too high

[ThePianist]

Could you write a guide on the WRE or ERE campaign. In current WRE campaign, my easternmost city is Aquileia, westernmost city is Arles (almost no trade except Tarraco), northernmost city is Mediolanum, Croton and Syracuse are held by rebels, Lilybeum by Vandals, have Mariana and half of Sardinia. The entire Adriatic coast is held by Ostrogoth. Only make about 2000 something per turn, which is not nearly enough for all the cities.

[The_Bulgar_Slayer]

What I did was start out by gathering all my best forces from around Ravenna and Rome and sending them by boat to Africa. I had a full 20 unit army. On the way I captured Lilybeum to give myself a safe harbor for my ships from the Vandal fleet. I then proceded to Carthage which I sacked gaining nearly 25,000 dinari for my depleted treasury. From there I conquered the rest of North Africa sacking each city I took to replenish my treasury and killing the Vandals.

After I took Carthage, I used part of my garrison from Lilybeum and a few units from Italy (in total 2 infantry, 2 generals, 1 archer) to capture the rest of Sicily. I faught a really hard battle outside Syracuse against a large rebel army and somehow was able to defeat them and take the city. These men plus some more left in Africa then took Sardinia and Corsica before moving on to Arles where I now plan to take on the Burgundians and Visigoths.

Meanwhile during this whole time I sent any men I could spare(mostly Limitani and archers, as well as 1 general and another cavalry) to garrison Aquileia against the Ostrogoths. When I saw Ulpia was threatened I destroyed all the buildings I could before I lost it, which I did(only having 1 garrison unit). I defended Salona against all the odds by repeatedly sallying forth and just firing away with my archer until the Goths retreated. As my treasury began to fill from my African conquests I was able to beef up my garrisons in Aquileia and Salona and I've managed to just hold on, in the later case again by sallying forth many times and letting my archers do there work. I also helped myself here against the Ostrogoths by having 3 assassins repeatedly kill new Gothic generals. They probably killed about 20 in the first 15 turns!

I was able to aquire money through a few different ways. At the begining of the campaign I destroyed most of my blacksmiths gaining about 3000 dinari. I abandoned Curla right away destroying its buildings gaining a few thousand more. I also disbanded any unnecessary units like those on Corsica, the old Curla garrison and a few more to save on upkeep costs. Through trade rights and selling map info I gained more money, while of course my biggest gain was from capturing new cities. Whenever I got enough income I would build new cheap monetary buildings, like the weapons trading and horse training, or happiness buildings if necessary, like the prostitution building or burials. This way my income continually rises. I never build new military buildings and only build new units when absolutely necessary to save on upkeep costs. I currently have a treasury of 30,000 dinari.

The situation is now stabalized. I have an army of 11 men(including 3 generals) about to move into southern Spain, another 11 men(including 3 generals) in Arles about to fight the Burgundians, a 12 man garrison(including 2 generals) in Aquileia, an 8 man(no generals) garrison in Salona, and a small 4 man mobile army(including 1 general) near Zama to fight the Berbers if they attack me. My garrisons in Sicily and southern Italy average 2 men, in north Italy they all have 1 man, and in Africa they average 2 men.

I hope this helps, feel free to ask for more details.

[ThePianist]

Thanks. It's the first time I see an IBFD guide and it was very helpful. Please write more with your gaming experience.

[Riothamus]

Very good guide there The_Bulgar_Slayer

The higher unit upkeep definitely makes the campaign much more challenging and exciting, and it is the most intense campaign (at least twice as much as the WRE campaign in original BI) out of all the mods. It's also a much more accurate depiction of the era, especially the difficulties in maintaining and expanding the Roman Empires.

This is the intention. I really want to depict the severity of the Western Empires condition. I also understand thees a fine line to making a very difficult campaign not fun. Hopefully with some understanding of the games economics, and the cities functions, a player will see the fun in the challenge.

[domgr]

I completly agree with "The_Bulgar_Slayer"
Great mod, great campaign.
The high upkeep costs are one of the best changes the mod does. So for the WRE it`s very exspensive to have big armies. Like it was in real history. There are always to many enemies and not enough well trained and equipped soldiers to defend the borders.
The desperede situation makes the campaign very interesting.

[Riothamus]

personally i think the upkeep is too high

Could you write a guide on the WRE or ERE campaign. In current WRE campaign, my easternmost city is Aquileia, westernmost city is Arles (almost no trade except Tarraco), northernmost city is Mediolanum, Croton and Syracuse are held by rebels, Lilybeum by Vandals, have Mariana and half of Sardinia. The entire Adriatic coast is held by Ostrogoth. Only make about 2000 something per turn, which is not nearly enough for all the cities.

I completly agree with "The_Bulgar_Slayer"
Great mod, great campaign.
The high upkeep costs are one of the best changes the mod does. So for the WRE it`s very exspensive to have big armies. Like it was in real history. There are always to many enemies and not enough well trained and equipped soldiers to defend the borders.
The desperede situation makes the campaign very interesting.

Thanks for the comments guys. I have to say Rio did a great job with this mod. I'll be sure to post an update of my campaign when it moves further enough along.

thanks for the guid. it was very informative and im using it now in my west roman camp. but I did not destroy my blacksmiths I disbanded my pesdo and used mostly limites ans archers with som calvery of coures and im doing pretty ok with a income of around 5k per turn and I just strated. with sliver shilded troops you can put a dent in those goths pretty good. though now I have a strang feeling they are cathing up in the arms race..:hmmm:

Thanks for the the input

With some further tweaking, I'm hoping to make the 432Ad campaign better.
-I lowered the base farm rates that control the population increases. This should make the population much more stable especially in the larger empires such as the WRE. A lot of additions are in the fix. I just need to finish the 432AD 4 turn per year scripts(the chronological turns part) and Ill m post its dl.
Thanks....I get a lot of ideas off of the feedback so its very much appreciated.

[The_Bulgar_Slayer]

Thanks for the comments guys. I have to say Rio did a great job with this mod. I'll be sure to post an update of my campaign when it moves further enough along.

[legio_XX]

thanks for the guid. it was very informative and im using it now in my west roman camp. but I did not destroy my blacksmiths I disbanded my pesdo and used mostly limites ans archers with som calvery of coures and im doing pretty ok with a income of around 5k per turn and I just strated. with sliver shilded troops you can put a dent in those goths pretty good. though now I have a strang feeling they are cathing up in the arms race..:hmmm:

[The_Bulgar_Slayer]

Here is my updated campaign which is drawing to a close. Last I left it I had taken most of North Africa and was about to enter Spain and France, while I had beaten back the Ostrogoths from Italy.

Africa gave me loads of problems due to their huge population growth. After trying and failing to appease them with happiness buildings, I was left no choice but to slaughter my own cities.One by one I aboandoned them and using a newly created army for this purpose, attacked them and exterminated the population. This was the only way to keep the cities happy, and it didn't last long. I've had to do this twice for Carthage and Thapsus, and Carthage still has a population of over 25,000. Meanwhile, I got tired of Berber raids, so I decided to destroy them, which I did using one small army of 5 units. I then abandoned their cities so I could keep the ancient borders of the Roman Empire.

My conquest of Spain went very fast. From North Africa my army quickly took Corduba and Cadiz. I then attaked the southern Suebi city in a massive battle capturing it and killing the faction since all their family members were in the city. That army then went on to take the northern Suebi city before backtraking to taking the rest of Southern Spain finishing in Carthago Nova. Meanwhile, my army in Alres went, not to France like I first planned, but to northern Spain to kill the Visigoths. After a number of good battles I did so, moving into southern Fance to finish them off.

Across my Empire during this time, I had finally decided to kill the Ostrogoths. My army from Salona captured the southern Gothic cities, while my army from Aqueleia took the Northern ones. My assassins killed a few more family members before moving on to France and Germany. The southern army stayed to garrison my new conquests(and for good reason as you'll see), while my northern army went on capturing cities along the Danube till I reached the southern Rhine. There I ran into the Franks who had several huge armies. my army, never more than 1000 men defeated five straight Frankish armies numbering between 1100-1600 men, capturing several cities as I went.

At this time I shipped my army in Carthago Nova to Arles and began conquering the Burgundians, while my army who had beaten the Visigoths poceded to take northern France, killing the WRE Rebels in the process, and my third army continued to cruch the Frnaks, retaking the Rhine frontier. After these conquests my northern France army crossed the Channel into Britain where I've been butchering the Romano British and Saxon factions. My Frankish army is garrisoning the Rhine, while some reinforcements went to Britain, and my Burgundian army is being shipped all the way to Egypt to conquer those cities who rebeled against the Eastern Roman Empire(ERE).

Now back to Illyria, as France was falling the ERE decided to betray our alliance and attack Ulpia. Well, I quickly crushed them with my army left in the area and proceded to Blitzkrieg through the Balkans before eventually taking Constantinople itself. Currently my army has just crossed the Bosphorus toward Nicea.

Now this is quite complicated, so I'll sum up my army movements this way:
Army 1:
Italy -> North Africa -> Southern Spain -> Burgundy -> Egypt

Army 2:
Italy -> North Africa -> Islands -> Northern Spain -> France -> Britain

Army 3:
Aqueleia -> Northern Illyria -> Southern Germany -> Rhine Frontier

Army 4:
Salona -> Southern Illyria -> Balkans -> Asia Minor

Army 5:
Pacifying North Africa, destroying Berbers

My treasury stayed around 30,000 mostly due to the massive coasts of pacifying Africa until I took Consantinople. Since then it has hovered closer to 60,000 dinari. I expect to finish the game in the next 15 turns or so by conquering Egypt and Anatolia leaving only Palestine and Syria out of my grasp(which I will take before quiting, thereby reforming the Roman Empire at its height). I am a fast campaigner, the year is 477.

Note: The BIG ADVANTAGE you have over your enemies is ARCHERS! Be sure to use them and don't hesitate to buy horsearcher mercenaries. Using my generals as heavy cavalry, horseachers to harass, and foot achers to pummel the enemy I was able to beat far superior foes with hardly even engaging my infantry! One battle I fought 1200 Franks with my army of 800. So superior were my archers and cavalry that I won without using my infantry at all, inflicting 1100 casualties on them and only losing 11 of my own men.

[The_Bulgar_Slayer]

Good moves, it's best not to focus on too many areas at once.

[Lord Agelmar]

Anyway you guys could post some pics of your map? Not that I dont beleive you I just love seeing other people's empires. It inspires me so to speak.

[Lord Agelmar]

Anyone finish their campaigns yet? Im close to expanding Roman borders to their old limits and the year is 485. Almost done realing witht he Franks and my last great conquest will be Brittania.

[The_Bulgar_Slayer]

I did finally finish my campaign in 482 sometime. I just recreated the borders of the classic Roman Empire. I ended up expanding into Germany to kill the Franks, but then withdew to the Rhine to keep the original frontier. I was doing the same against the Picts and Celts when I finished. I've barely had to fight the Sassanids, but had some great battles against the Eastern Empire. Egypt has been a pain trying to keep from rebelling, just like the rest of North Africa, but it is very valueble. By the time I got there the ERE had lost all of Cyrenaica, Thebes, Jerusalam, Caesarea, Athens, and Thermon to rebellions. The campaign was a lot of fun, and when I get a chance I'll start a new one as another faction (I'm not sure who yet). :hmmm:

By the way, I don't know how to take in game screenshots or I would to show you the map. Let me know how your camapign finishes up.

[Riothamus]

I did finally finish my campaign in 482 sometime. I just recreated the borders of the classic Roman Empire. I ended up expanding into Germany to kill the Franks, but then withdew to the Rhine to keep the original frontier. I was doing the same against the Picts and Celts when I finished. I've barely had to fight the Sassanids, but had some great battles against the Eastern Empire. Egypt has been a pain trying to keep from rebelling, just like the rest of North Africa, but it is very valueble. By the time I got there the ERE had lost all of Cyrenaica, Thebes, Jerusalam, Caesarea, Athens, and Thermon to rebellions. The campaign was a lot of fun, and when I get a chance I'll start a new one as another faction (I'm not sure who yet). :hmmm:

By the way, I don't know how to take in game screenshots or I would to show you the map. Let me know how your camapign finishes up.

Hi The_Bulgar_Slayer, If you want to give it a try maybe this can help.
The Screen shots can be made through uploading to image shack or by another program. While a battle is taking place press the print scrn on your key board the with your paint program(I use paint.NET...Its free) save the pic to your desktop or folder and then upload it to image shack. Several urls will be displayed...choose the one that displays the pic for others to see and post it here on the forums
http://www.imageshack.us/


Are you playing on the new fixes? I have a recently modified a great deal of difficulty for the Romans to Expand out side of their Hadrian) boaders. It will be a major decision for an Emperor to try and conquere lands outside of the Known Romanized lands for the risk of the Empire crumbling from within It might be in the Fixes II that would just replace the first fixes.

[The_Bulgar_Slayer]

Thanks for the info Rio, I'll try that picture stuff out when I get a chance. I haven't downloaded the new fixes yet since I wanted to finish my WRE campaign first, but I will soon since I just finished it. Does anyone have any recomendations for my next campaign? I won't be able to start for a little while, but I'm open for suggestions for a fun faction.

[Lord Agelmar]

Does anyone have any recomendations for my next campaign? I won't be able to start for a little while, but I'm open for suggestions for a fun faction.

I definately recommend the Romano-Gaul or one of the British factions. Tons of enemys, bad economic situation and unhappy cities. What a good time!