Roman Report/AAR

[Espadas:Benson]

Roman Report/AAR
Difficulty Hard/Hard
Turn 100
Year 50


Im going to give my Report as Beta Testing my designated faction, Rome. I have written it in two versions. One in cold hard facts about gameplay, and another version in an AAR format, with an interesting story, detailing my decisions and the factors influenced my decisions. I unfortunately forgot to take pictures, and will try to upload in a few days. Scroll down to read the AAR Version.

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Report: Rome has been a fun but challenging faction to play as, and I will divide this Report into 3 segments; Economy, War, and Other Factions

Economy: After dealing with initial crises Rome gets a reasonable amount of money. The way money flows is very realistic, and enhances gameplay; if you go to war, obviously your income does down to a reasonable point paying for troops. If you have a horrible leader, you will fall into an Economic Depressions. (which is very realistic, as shown in modern times) And if there is a prolonged period of peace, your Economy boasts incredibly.

War: Factions seem to have a lot of troops to protect the front lines, but i have seen some flaws. While fighting the Carthaginians, I almost lost the Spanish frontier, but when i invade its homeland, North Africa, Im virtually unchallenged. Battles seemed very well organized, but the AI never seems to attack, just moves formations occasionally. That it good that they don't charge in a jumbled mess, but sometimes they don't attack while i have a defensible position, which gets frustrating at times, but doesn't destroy game experience.

Other Factions: Other factions have a lot of money to spend on armies, but not so much for their own country's infrastructure. More scripting to make the AI spend atlas 40% on improving cities? It makes it more rewarding to take down a rich country. Thats my opinion on other factions behavior.

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AAR:


As I start my Campaign, I first evaluate the situation in Italy, and did not look to good. Hannibal's forces pinned down my own forces by a lake, and Genoa defenses looked impenetrable. I queued up troops and building to be built in Rome and Arretium. Hannibal's forces were able to destroy my main army by the lake, but were able to inflict a considerable amount of damage and Hannibal fled to northern Italy. After 6 months, I drafted a Legion to deal with the higher threat in Italy. It consist of 2 Generals, (5 star and 3 star) 4 units of equites, 2 units of veliets, 2 units of polybian cohorts, 6 units of allied polybian cohorts, & 4 units of Triarii. The Grand Legion was led by my faction heir, Decimus Fabius Maximus (5 star) and General Publius (3 star). The Grand Legion then perused Hannibal's rag tag army near Genoa, and delivered a devastating defeat. I thought Hannibal was slain on the battlefield, but to my disbelief, later in the game I found that Hannibal was alive, and governing Carthage. The Roman Rebellion died shortly thereafter. After 3 years, a healthy cash flow of 50k a turn was established, and was able to levy 2 additional legions, with the same composition of the first legion. With these nicely armed legions, I started the conquest of northern Italy, by starting a war with the Boii Confederation. My legions walked into northern Italy virtually unchallenged, and had minimal casualties. The Boii, were willing to pay for a peace treaty, after taking all of northern Italy. Carthage then launched an offensive into Emporie. Thinking it was a small maneuver, i only sent 16 units under a rookie general Spurius Maximus. Once he arrived, he was meat with 2 full armies from Carthage, with 2 more nearby. I was then dealt with the hardest battle ever.

On the north eastern shore of Spain, 3,000 Roman soldiers were attacked by 7,100 Carthaginian soldiers. The Carthaginian armies were well balanced troop wise, but they didn't seem to attack, just stayed in there formation. That aside it was a spectacular battle. There were times where i thought i was going to lose, and then there were times I thought I was going to win. After the first wave of attackers, Spurius's soldiers were broken down, having only 3/5 of what they started with. after the second wave, there was about 200 soldiers left. During the battle, my troops were surrounded outnumbered 3:1 but won, the prolonged melee made me win, but if I were those few troops left with an army bearing down on me, I would flea or surrender. The fact that I won breaks the realism.

After the Battle, Spurius Fabius Maximus had 6 Stars, 3 Management, and 5 influence, making him the youngest yet most powerful individual in the Roman empire (16 years of age). Spurius spent the next 2 years as a guerrilla fighter with a band of rag tag troops (manly mercenaries) raiding trade routes, and killing enemy stragglers. Spurius's dangerous situation is why I had to spend a ridiculous amount of money to rescue him from the wilds of Spain. 5 Legions sent out on a mission to save Spurius & quell the Carthaginian war effort in Spain. My Faction heir Decimus Maximus lead the rescue Mission. 3 Years into the offensive, Spurius and his Father Decimus are besieging Nova Carthage with the remainder of the Legions. Decimus is then informed of his Father's death, and has to abandon the siege to govern Rome. Spurius then executed the siege with efficiency and minimal casualties. After that, the soldiers turned to the galleci and wiped there territories out shortylt there after. After 6 years since the beginning of the Spanish Invasion, Rome has conquered the entire north eastern coast of Spain, Spurius Maximus is a grand commander, and the Roman treasury is bankrupt.

Maintaining 5 Legions in heavy combat for 6 years put to much of a burden on the Roman treasury, and for this reason, the Roman people and Senate do not love there new leader Decimus. To revive the economy, 3 Legions were disbanded. The troops were given land in the newly conquered Carthaginians lands (I disbanded the troops in the new territories.) For 6 years Decimus (55 years old, 4 Command, 7 Management, 9 Influence) is leading a prosperous nation with a revived economy. Spurius (24 years old, 7 Command, 6 Management, 8 influence) has been studying at the Rome Academy.

The Carthaginians, after loosing all there territories in Spain, they reinforced there African territories. I was surprised the AI was acting defensively in a war it was loosing, instead of suicidal approaches. Once the Economy was back strong, I mobilized 6 Legions (2 Generals, 2 equites, 3 latin medium cavalry, 3 veliets, 6 polybian cohorts, 4 triarii) on a massive D-Day like scenario invasion on Carthage. With the "Spurius Reforms" I changed the Legion composition to something more uniform and professional. Spurius spearheaded the Invasion. Within 2 year of the Invasion, Rome had captured Carthago, Thapsus, Hadrumentum and a few other cities around the area. By the end of the 3rd year, Carthage was blitzkrieg to damnation, and there country was then absorbed into the Roman Empire. This was at a cost, as many Romans had to die for the spoils achieved by this war.

A brief peace was followed by the end of the second punic war. For 5 years, no wars were waged in the Roman Empire, which now ranges from North Africa-Hispana-Southern Gaul-Italy. The Macedonians, the most powerful faction on the greek peninsula declared war by marching armies into northern Italy. The surprise attack devastated the fertile lands of northern Italy, and damaged my economy. I dispatched 2 Legions to deal with the Macedonian army, but to a horrid surprise, there 4 armies managed to hold off my Legions. The enemy pursued the fleeing Legions, leaving only devastation in its path. Emperor Decimus, now 60 years old, drafted a small Legion, and fought the Macedonian slurs. The battle was hard and long with major casualties on either side. He was victorious, and is considering his next move toward the Macedonian threat.


Thank you for reading my Report/AAR

To be continued…

[tone]

Sounds great, thanks for this.

[dvk901]

Cool.