Which faction is the most fun/challenging?

[bthizle1]

Which faction is the most fun/challenging? And for what reasons?

This is far different than the question: Which is your favorite faction?

By fun I mean challenging, great looking units, are they versatile? I put an emphasis on challenging, because to me that's really what makes a factions lasting "fun" appeal to me. If I can simply dominate the game from beginning to end then I don't really consider that much fun. However if I'm playing as a faction that I actually enjoy playing as and am encountering at least some difficulty in both maintaining my current empire and expanding it then that is what I consider to be fun. So far I've only played as Rome, Carthage, Greek Cities and the Epirots, and I most definitely had the most fun with the Epirots, which just so happens to be the only campaign I could have lost. My favorite faction would have to be Carthage so far, so as you can see there is a difference between the most fun/challenging and your favorite faction.

[CK23]

Pergmum, Really difficult...Difficult starting position, benefits of Greek hoplites...I believe so.

I mean dealing with the secluids right away is hard, I know I've tried.

[cherryfunk]

The Bosporans, Pergamon, and Syracuse. All unique factions to RS, all challenging, all fun...

[bthizle1]

I suppose I'll have to start a new game as the Bosporans or Pergamon then....Oh but who to choose....

My Rome, Greek and current Carthaginian campaigns I've stopped after like 40 years or so (Rome I took far, but the 0 turn recruitment got me tired of fighting so many pointless battles a every turn). Just to bored. I mean they are portrayed great in this mod and really well done and all, just to easy.

[century x]

ROME

AND

Parthia

ALSO the seleucid Empire. You have to keep together a crumbling empire and expand.

[bthizle1]

Rome? How do you figure? I mean when I played with them it was sooooo easy. They have great infantry units that throw pilums before battle. (beat virtually anything near them) and have the ability to make a lot of money after a short while of building up the economy. I haven't played as Parthia yet, nor the Seleucids, but still the Seleucids? I can't see them being that hard to play as, and usually the AI does well with them...if the AI can do well with a faction then I would think they wouldn't be to much of a challenge.

[century x]

If u play by the house rules rome is a big challenge. Thats what I do

And I make my own house rules to make it even more of a challenge

[icydawgfish]

The Bosphorans are very challenging considering that you have to fight off Samartian horse archers from the start.

[aja5191]

Dacians/Getae.

No questions asked, ridiculously hard.

[Nellup]

Dacians/Getae.

No questions asked, ridiculously hard.

Really? I found them to be fairly easy, after having stabilised the initial start. You start surrounded by Free People, so can choose your expansion route without going to war with a real faction. I'd say Pontos are fairly hard - they have an odd mix of hellenic and eastern styles, which doesn't seem to mix very well in a battle line.

[bthizle1]

Well, I started a campaign as Pergamum on H/H ( I tend to play all my games on H/H sometimes H/VH). I'm something maybe 5-8 years deep, and so far.....easy. I am at war with both the Greeks and Ptolemaic empire. I willingly went to war with the Egyptians, so I could secure the coast line (I have 4 cities in total, all on the coast). The Greeks keep landing troops trying to take my capital, so I fight them off wave after wave. Made alliances with Macedonia and the Epirots in order to try and stop their assaults.

[Oli]

attack macedon and the seleucids at the same time and gift some random faction 50000 denarii a turn for 20 turns. that should toughen it up
Or just wait 40 years before you start expanding

[Taelok]

I'd have to side with the Bosporans. Their campaign is the one of the only campaigns I have lost. Facing the Sarmatians early on is extremely tough, especially on VH battles.

[El Crumb]

Does anyone here play as the Gauls? I'm considering giving them a whirl. I usually play one of the more "civilised" factions, but they have a great looking roster, lots of flexibility in their troop types. Also, they have a good starting position, with areas of expansion all around and powerful enemies on the horizons.

[Wurfspiess]

Syracuse is pretty hard and fun.

[The_Killian]

Syracuse is pretty hard and fun.

Yeah they're my favorite faction.

Just go into your Roma Surrectum folder and give every other faction 1,000,000 before starting the campaign to make it harder.

[bthizle1]

Well, as Pergamum I'm something like 20 years deep or so...maybe less, not sure. Anyways, I now have 7 cities, those being the entire western coast of Asia Minor, the Greek city that was on Crete, Rhodes and their other city just to the east of mainland Greece. I've decided that it's way to easy to continue this...I only expanded because I thought it was actually going to be a challenge and figured the Seleucids would break their alliance with me right at the get go. Well, I'm still at war with the now very weak Greeks and the Ptolemies, who by now I think are almost as strong as the Seleucids themselves. Now I'm just going to wait for another 10-20 years, maybe more depending on how the other factions are doing and then see if this Pergamum faction actually presents a challenge.

EDIT: Oh and the hoplites of Pergamum kick a$$, better then most others, as far as comparing stats goes. I'm sure the Spartans are better, but I'll have to check that out.

[Taelok]

bthizle, can I suggest you start again and this time wait thirty years or so? It will be far more challenging then. If you blitz from the start, especially a faction like Seleucids, it will be far less challenging.

[Oli]

or you could actually take on a real threat rather than a few stand alone cities/ island

[bthizle1]

bthizle, can I suggest you start again and this time wait thirty years or so? It will be far more challenging then. If you blitz from the start, especially a faction like Seleucids, it will be far less challenging.

I only expanded because I figured the Seleucids would break their alliance and attack me early on. I thought this obviously because as well all know alliances are worthless in the eyes of the AI. I thought to compete with them at all I'd need a few economical trading ports. I am not going to expand at all now, simply wait it for a while then see if it's a challenge.

And I did take on a faction that is much more powerful than myself, that being the Ptolemaic empire.