ptolemaioi is very mighty! see the pictures.

[khosro-II-parviz]

Hi. my faction is casse. i wonder why ptolemaioi faction is so powerful in EB. because historically they weren't so crushing like this. look at the pictures. i haven't even helped a faction with diplomatic relations. nothing
































can't this problem be solved ?

[Ludens]

It's not a exactly bug, but a balancing issue.

Historically, the Ptolemeans were very rich and influential. The problem was that they couldn't translate this into military success, at least partially due to manpower shortages. They couldn't attract enough Greek and Macedonian settlers to make up for losses, so they were forced to recruit the rebellion-prone natives. However, that does not mean the Ptolemeans were doomed to lose: if they had been able to knock out the Seleucids (as they came quite close to doing in their early years), they would have had access to far greater resources of manpower. Unfortunately, the successor manpower crisis cannot be simulated on the R:TW engine, as it treats the entire population as one. This makes balancing the factions a tricky issue. Previously, it was the Seleucids who drove all before them, but since they have been weakened it is the Ptolemeans (who have no other direct rival) who always seem to explode.

[MarcusAureliusAntoninus]

Yep, it is an accidental balance issue.

Though, that was a nice Parthian Empire there, before the Ptolemaioi crushed it.

[Ramesses the Great]

Hi. my faction is casse. i wonder why ptolemaioi faction is so powerful in EB. because historically they weren't so crushing like this.

They were powerful, Ptolemy III kicked the Seleucid's ass and even reached Babylon. The problem was the later Ptolemies, who were weak and corrupt. Of 6 Syrian wars between the Seleucids and Ptolemies, the first 4 of them were won by the Ptolemies, so we could assume it's correct how powerful they are in the beginning of the game. However not that powerful

[abou]

They were powerful, Ptolemy III kicked the Seleucid's ass and even reached Babylon. The problem was the later Ptolemies, who were weak and corrupt. Of 6 Syrian wars between the Seleucids and Ptolemies, the first 4 of them were won by the Ptolemies, so we could assume it's correct how powerful they are in the beginning of the game. However not that powerful

To be clear, Ptolemy III managed to succeed at a time of dynastic crisis in the Seleukid state. Also, the 2nd Syrian War was a clear victory for the Seleukids as Antiochos II had managed to kick out the Ptolemaic military from Asia Minor except in maybe a few coastal holdouts.

All things considered, I had improved the Seleukid starting infrastructure in hopes that it would balance the fighting between them and the Ptolemaioi. In some cases it works, but most of the time it seems that they lose. This might be due to the better chances we gave the steppe factions in autcalc, which is clearly seen by the actual expansion by the Parthians and Saka.

EDIT: the only thing we didn't get in were starting armies and navies around Syria for the Seleukids and Ptolemies.

Also, some of that expansion in Europe is really kick ass.

[Irishmafia2020]

Actually there are some great faction progressions on there... Macedonia is wiped out, and then rises from the ashes to dominate the Balkans... Epiros is driven into central Europe, Parthia, pontus and Rome all built empires that were destroyed, and Baktria simply survived for all of those decades, and Lusotannia, KH, and Germany have all expanded in new directions... Someone has to create an empire anyway, whether it's Rome, Saka, or Egypt... Are you useing 1.1? The yellow death was always a feature of 1.0 but I though that it had toned down some since then... Also are you using BI.exe? I would expect that those islands would have been invaded if you were...
PS - you should post this at the faction progression thread over at the .org, it is a great progression, and you must have had a lot of patience to hit end turn so many times!

[khosro-II-parviz]

EB1.1 and using rtw.exe

[Giuliano Taverna]

May I be so bold as to suggest making the Parthians slightly more powerful?

They are almost there but in my experience they stutter after some initial conquest and either lose out to the rebounding Seleucids or an emergent Egypt.

In my Carthaginian campaign I am using forced diplomacy to keep them from being overwhelmed by the Seleucids, I gave them most of the east but they can't seam to keep it.

[gaius valerius]

More powerful Parthians would be nice. I'm still hoping that one day I'll be able to conquer Syria as Romans and find the Parthian King of Kings on the other side of the Euphrates waiting for me... harhar

The problem for them is their recruitment pool I suppose. Any faction with medium phalanxes = ownage.

[Dominatrixx]

Hm, so Ptolemaios are still kickin' ass in EB1.1 like they did in EB1.0??? I thought that was fixed down...

[Hax]

Well, this seems to be an exception actually.

[delra]

Lusotana had quite a come back in your game. Wonder what happened to Carthage at that time so their empire fell like a house of cards.

About Ptolemaioi, if they take Antioch fast, AS has no place to produce their elites and loses one city after another until they are fully obliterated... Maybe rising the starting garrison in Antioch could remedy this?

[Hax]

Lusotana had quite a come back in your game. Wonder what happened to Carthage at that time so their empire fell like a house of cards.

From what I guess, the Carthies blitzed Europa, leaving only small garrisons in their cities, so they were easy prey for the Luso's who probably had two/three big stacks hanging around, waiting until they woke up from their asleep

[Arutima]

this isnt really new.

Here's my old romani game, in version 1.0, circa 160 bc



They destroyed Carthages with an army of 8, 3 golden chevrons, family members

[thebigbossnahhh]

I managed to drive Carthage off the Iberian African coast which forced them to head East into Ptolemi and they're being a thorn in their side.

I also concentrated all my forces on taking Gaul and Iberia so Macedonia has had free reign, they have taken Greece, Hungry, the Balkans and are causing Ptolemi strife taking half of Asia Minor, so they are being contained and slowly pushed back.
It's Macedonia that's uber, but Gaul has caused a buffer region between me and Macedonia so I'm planning coastal attacks of Greece to limit the threat.
The Parthian's are also pushing westward so Ptolemi has a fight on all sides.

[Phaylanx]

Woah in my EB campaign its the complete opposite! The Selukids(sp) are the dominant faction in the east! They've actually driven the Ptolemaioi(sp) back to Alexandria! Maybe its because im playing on M/M or maybe because im playing as Epiros?