My first RTR CTD....Help please
Hopefully you folks won't mind me posting here asking for assistance, but for some reason the RTR community forum has been down for some time (it may be just at my end, don't know?).
http://rometotalrealism.com/community.shtml
Anyway, here goes.
This is my very first CTD using RTR version 6.0, and I'd really, really, like to complete my current game (one way or the other) if at all possible.
First, I’d like to personally thank the entire RTR team for this wonderful MOD. Your unselfish ongoing efforts have far extended my enjoyment and game play on an already very excellent Rome Total War experience.
I loaded version 6.0 on a fresh RTW version 1.2 install. I incorporated the two modifications to correct errors previously noted by orestes: “50citycrashfix” (fix for crash after conquering 50 provinces), & by Spurius: “RTRmaps601a” (fix for map errors). I’ve been playing the Roman campaign, at the medium difficulty level, and up until my last turn I’d experienced no crashes or problems.
It is now the winter of 244 BC (36 years and approximately 72 long turns into the game). Because I cannot sit down and play this MOD everyday, as I’d like, and I am limited to an hour or two at most, at each sitting, it has taken me over a month to get this far into the game.
NOTE: If you wouldn't enjoy reading about my RTR gaming experience, please skip all of the following down to the last few paragraphs. Otherwise, I hope you'll enjoy me sharing my game Odyssey with you so you'll have a better appreciation why I really want to continue this current game.
History of my Game up to this point:
Within the limitations of the game, I have tried to play as close to history as possible. So far the only noticeable historical characters to appear have been King Pyrrhus of Epirus and Hamilcar Barca. In 280BC Pyrrhus had already landed in southern Italy.
In the beginning of the game, I quickly dispatched my emissaries north and south and sought alliances with both the Gauls and Carthage. The mutual defense treaties included trade agreements and the sharing of maps. This provided a reasonable amount of temporary security from those two fronts, allowing the focus of my attention on matters closer to home.
My plan, at first, was to attempt to build up a power base in the south by consolidating the independent Italian towns with the force of my initial two legions. I increased the economic infrastructure of my core cities of Roma, Capua & Ancona and gradually bolstered my legionary strength while attempting to avoid an immediate confrontation with King Pyrrhus.
I spent all of my cash queuing up buildings that would generate some capital, such as trading posts, roads, and farms. Any remaining money went to building up additional replacement units as quickly as possible. I sent half of my force north to take the non-aligned rebel cities of Arretium & Armenium; while my spies kept a watchful eye on Pyrrhus. But instead of moving on to Sicily, as I’d hoped, Pyrrhus forced an immediate show down by attacking me as I was besieging my first rebel town of Confirmium in Samnium. I retreated and linked up with my second legion.
To my surprise and bewilderment, Pyrrhus divided his force sending one half of his army, with his cavalry, archers, a large block of hoplites and most of his skirmishers, down to Croton, while he and the other half, to include his elephants, went back to Tarentum.
The enticement to attack Pyrrhus’s divided force at Tarentum was overwhelming. I gathered every available unit, leaving my three towns guarded by a single contingent of Italian spearmen each, and marched down to lay siege to Tarentum with my combined armies. This would be an all or nothing fight. I hoped to lure Pyrrhus out of Tarentum to break my siege, where I, as defender could better choose my ground.
I knew this would be a defining battle. Pyrrhus claimed to be a relative of Alexander the Great, who only 30 or so years previous laid claim, by conquest, to an empire that reached from Macedonia to Egypt and east to India. It was an Alexandrian style army that opposed me! If Pyrrhus won, with his larger, diverse force of phalangite pikemen, archers, slingers, skirmishers, cavalry, and squadron of elephants, then nothing would stop him from proceeding all the way to Rome, if he desired, and my game would likely be over in the first few turns. I gambled with all my available troops to stop him here, or die trying.
I was hoping my strategy would paid off but, during the next turn, the second half of Pyrrhus’s army left Croton and quickly returned to relieve him at Tarentum. The AI logic had suddenly revealed itself and I the hunter had become the hunted. I was now boxed in and found myself facing the full force of Pyrrhus’s might. Pyrrhus had used himself as bait, to lure me into this confrontation, confident, no doubt, that his superior, combined arms force would be victorious. When his relief army from Croton attacked, Pyrrhus and his Tarentum defenders also came out to fight. I appeared out numbered and outmatched. :sweatingb
Fortunately the tactical map allowed me to gain the wooded high ground first, where I quickly concealed as many troops as I could for ambush.
I aligned my troops atop a wooded hill. If I were to win, surprise and elevation must be my ally. My Hastiti and Principe, heavy infantry, were staggered along my first line with Triari spearmen on either flank. Aside from my general’s Praetoria guard, I had no cavalry, and those mounted troops would need to be preserved as critical units of last resort. My Velite skirmishers were my fastest foot soldiers. I assembled them in a second line, between and behind my heavy infantry and in front of each of my two generals, holding one in reserve for Pyrrhus’s elephants. I positioned my second General’s elite guard to cover mid way to my right flank, while my lead “visible” General lie mid way to my left flank. The rest of my line was hidden, waiting to surprise my foe with a hail of javelins flung from the advantage of superior height.
Instead of joining together on the battlefield and attacking me in unison, Pyrrhus’s relief army arrived first and overanxiously began the fight.
His skirmishers attempted to reach my generals but were met with a barrage of javelins flung by my previously hidden skirmishers. Decimated, they fell back in a route against their own troops. His cavalry, led by an impetuous captain, rushed my right flank to attack my skirmishers, and attempted to close with my generals. But they were surprised to find triari guarding my flanks and found themselves pinned between spearmen as they raced in panic behind my line, looking for an avenue of escape. The captain and a handful of his once proud cavalry finally succeeded in fleeing back down the hill, spreading further terror among his comrades. I kept my disciplined troops in place knowing that eventually those routed would probably stop and regroup, but when they did, their numbers would be far smaller, and they would have to again tire themselves against the hill to reach me. I had won the first round with few casualties. But the battle was far from over.
Next came the phalanx units with archers behind them. Their slingers exposed themselves to my left flank as they climbed to firing position. My skirmishers exhausted their supply of javelins against them, cutting their number in half, but now they attempted to pepper my heavy infantry as they raised themselves to fling their pila at the advancing phalanxes. Likewise, their archers now had my range. My only chance to neutralize Pyrrhus’s ranged units was to send my expended skirmishers around both my flanks and the flanks of the phalanxes and hope that they were fast enough and tough enough to do the job. Fortunately, Pyrrhus and his elephants were still further behind the bulk of his men. But I would have to move quickly to prevent him from linking up with the reminder of his already engaged army. Pyrrhus’s slingers were as fast as my skirmishers, but since their number had been cut to half, they fled down the hill, putting themselves well out of range from my heavy troops.
To my pleasant surprise, by the time the phalanxes closed with my legionnaires, the pila and skirmishers had demoralized them to such an extent that a couple of them crumbled in route, sending panic to their fellows.The archers had been distracted into close combat with my flanking skirmishers, allowing my freed front line units to be sent into the flanks of those phalanxes hardy enough to remain. Soon panic spread among the enemy line causing them to flee, one by one, back down the hill. I sent a couple of my hastiti to assist my skirmishers in taking out the archers, and before long the bulk of Pyrrhus’s army was in a general route.
His force had been cut in half, but they could still be formidable if they regrouped and joined with Pyrrhus. The captain and his handful of remaining cavalry came back and attempted to relieve the slingers by charging into my skirmishers. My skirmishers could not outrun them, and when they stopped the chase, the remaining slingers turned and hurtled their missiles into the backs of my men. I would not allow my skirmishers to die running away, so I turned them back and ordered them to attack, head on, into the cavalry. They held out long enough to allow a group of principes, diverted from chasing routed phalanxes, to come to their aid. The captain, along with his remaining cavalry was sandwiched, as they tried to escape. I sent my last reserve group of skirmishers, holding their fire, to rundown after the remaining slingers, sending them again to route.
By now Pyrrhus’s elephant squadron had arrived and began to charge my infantry. My heavy infantry was no match for his elephants, as they were flung to and fro and trampled.I redirected my reserve skirmishers and ordered them to attack the elephants with their javelins. Fortunately for me, Pyrrhus had only brought 5 elephants and eventually they succumbed to my skirmishers javelins, but not before they caused damage to my men far beyond their few numbers. But now my remaining legionnaires outnumbered Pyrrhus and his intact phalanxes almost 2:1. The odds had dramatically changed. To keep Pyrrhus’s routed units from regrouping, and coming back, I sent my skirmishers, a couple of hastiti, and one mounted general and his guard to chase them off the battlefield. I now turned my remaining general, triari and principes to face and outflank Pyrrhus. When Pyrrhus was finally cut down, there was no place for him to run.
In review, the outcome of this initial critical battle was in no way certain. If Pyrrhus had restrained his men, and attacked me as one group, with his elephants, he may well have been able to break my line. Once broken, the route could just as easily have been mine.
As in reality, victory on the battlefield is often the result of small strokes of good and bad “luck.” This time the “gift” of good terrain combined with the ability to quickly occupy the high ground first; along with the ability to recognize and take advantage of an enemy’s momentary vulnerability and “seize the moment!” won the battle and saved Rome.
“If” I had not attacked Tarentum, or “if” Pyrrhus had survived the battle, would the game have proceeded along more historical lines? Would he have left Italy and invaded Sicily, before returning back to Italia and then maybe home to Epirus? For now, in this game at least, I’ll never know. History has already been altered.
At the end of the battle, to my surprise, Tarentum had fallen without the need for further attack. I regrouped my troops and sent a force to capture Croton, the only other remaining Greek town on the Italian peninsula. Croton was now weakly guarded and fell quickly into my hands.
I then sent my second general back up north to lead the attack of a small legion force sent ahead to place Arretium (the home city of our historical Etruscan rivals) under siege. At the same time, my first general proceeded to methodically take one barbarian town after another, until all of southern Italia was in allegiance to Rome.
After Pyrrhus, most of these battles were anticlimactic. Sometimes my advance spy would succeed in opening the gates for me, allowing a quick attack. Otherwise I would have to wait a turn to build a battering ram, but in every instance, these towns fell, usually producing minimal casualties to my legions.
My strategy when attacking a settlement with wooden fortifications on the battlefield map was to choose a gate with far spaced defensive archery towers, and then to stay narrowly between them. As soon as I was able to recruit Funditore slingers, I added them to my battle line, and used their ranged abilities to help thin the ranks of enemy units before approaching with my closer contact cohorts. I approached the walls on either side of my ram with skirmishers in the first line, hastati in the second, then principes and triari. When defenders came to the gate they were assailed by a hail of javelins and pila. After the gate was captured, hastiti, principes, and triari rushed in first, in that order, followed by skirmishers providing covering fire, from both in and outside the gate and walls. Cavalry counter attacks were most often met by my spearmen. Routed enemies were run down by my general’s guard, whenever possible. Usually the defenders offered only token resistance to my troops, and once inside the gate I would send my men in two or more divided formations to surround the town square. My men would approach in unison from opposing sides until in range, and begin peppering the defenders with javelins and pila. If I ran out of throwing weapons before the enemy was defeated, my men would then close on all sides making a quick end of it. I eventually hired a band mercenary Greek archers who helped to expedite the process.
This routine was infrequently broken, such as when my troops gathered outside Arretium. I had a small legion composed of a single cohort each of skirmishers, hastiti, principe, and triari awaiting the arrival of my general from the south along with additional reinforcements. Once consolidated into a sufficient force, the plan was to muster an effective siege, as usual. But before this could happen, Arretium took the initiative and sent her Greek style, Etruscan army out to meet me in the field. Her numbers were superior to mine, but I had an edge in quality. On the defensive, I followed the same battle plan as I had with Pyrrhus, only on a much smaller scale. The outcome was no less in question and no more dramatic. Upon my heroic victory, Arretium fell without the need for a siege after all, and I gained an opportunity to adopt my legion’s victorious captain into my family, making him a general in the process, and leader of my new northern force.
My emphasis on each captured town was to first build up a basic trading and farming infrastructure connected by good Roman roads. Capua, Ancona and, of course, Rome served as my primary training armories until the smaller towns were sufficiently developed and Romanized to build barracks of their own.
My reinforced northern legion then took Ariminum. As in the south, I methodically absorbed each rebel town until I ran, face to face, into the Gauls, which had settled into the Po valley. My northern army deliberately avoided war with the Gauls, with whom we had a treaty and trade agreement. But we could see they were rapidly expanding their territory, and were already as far to the east as the province of Venetia.
In the meantime, I bolstered my fledgling navy and blockaded the Greek ports in Sicilia, while my southern legion consolidated the remaining rebel cities in the south. Eventually I was postured for an invasion of Sicily.
Once all of Italy south of the Po river valley was pacified; I sent my northern Second Legion to take the coastal barbarian regions to the east (Aquileia) and west (Jenuensis) of the Gaulish held territory in northern Italy. This continued to not only bring me into direct contact with the Gauls, but also with the Illyrians, in the east, with whom I made peace, exchanged maps and established trade. Eventually I was approached by ambassadors of the far northern Germanic tribes, the Iberians of Hispania, and the Macedonians (the last of whom were also at war with the Greeks). I unhesitatingly made peaceful alliances, trade agreements and shared maps with them all. As I hoped this would cushion me against future invasions from either Carthage or Gaul, should they decide to become hostile?
After the capture of Regulus, at the toe of Italia, I built up my southern legion in preparation for the invasion of Sicily.
Because there is no way (in the game) for a diplomat to make treaties, alliances or protectorates out of independent “barbarian/slave” towns; and to offer a bribe to join Rome proved exorbitantly, and prohibitively expensive; each of these settlements must be obtained by force, rather than diplomatic persuasion.
Messana remained an independent city state despite repeated attacks against it by both Carthagenians from Lilybaeum, and the Syacusa Greeks. My present goal was to replace the Greek presence on Sicily with a Roman one. That meant the possibility of a protracted siege of the heavily defended stone citadels of Syracuse and Agrigentum. But a weakened Messana proved an invitation just too attractive to resist.
Rome and Capua continued to pump up my small fleet of biremes and triremes. After landing my Sicilian invasion force, I proceeded to blockade the Greek port of Syacuse, with one navel squadron, while sending a second small squadron to guard the port of Tarentum, in the mouth of the Adriatic, ready to intercept a counter landing force or reinforcements from the Greek City States.
My experienced spies opened Messana’s gates and after a brief but intense street to street battle, the city fell without a siege, allowing me my toehold in Sicily. I further strengthened my Sicilian 1ST Legion and then moved south to lay siege to Syracusa!
Outside the city’s gates, I was promptly attacked by a Greek contingent from Agrigentum, and barely managed to defeat both forces from the high ground, when Syracuse sent out its cities forces as well. But the result of my victory gained Rome the possession of Syracuse and further weakened Agrigentum’s defensive strength. With the port of Syracusa in hand, I was able to bolster my naval arsenal with Quinquiremes and Corvus Quinquiremes.
I then sent a small but adequate force and laid siege to Agrigentum. Assaulting the city’s intimidating stone walls required the construct of siege towers. After a season my hastiti successfully attacked the cities fortified walls and gained control of the main gate, allowing the legion to enter. When Agrigento fell, all of the former Greek cities on Sicily were finally under Roman control.
The Greek presence on the island had served to separate Rome from Carthage, and unite us against a common foe. With the mutual threat from Greece now eliminated, we suddenly found our nations within an uneasy close proximity to each other.
In the meantime, Illyria treacherously broke our peace treaty by invading our province in the far northeast and laid siege to the Roman settlement of Aquileia.My 2ND Legion was now far to the North West, assaulting the barbarian held coastal cities of Massilia and Narbo, and were unable to make a quick response. So I commissioned my Italian homeland defense forces, in central Italy, into Rome’s 3RD legion, and dispatched it, by naval convoy, for relief in the north east. This put me at war with Illyria; a long war that eventually came to an end when all of what was once Illyrian territory (Segesta in Illyria, Salona in Dalmatia, Delmatia in Moesia, and their once proud capital Scodra) became Roman.
My legions were small, seldom larger than ten cohorts, and generally consisted of a core of heavy infantry: Triarii, Principe, and Hastiti, with one or two skirmisher cohorts of Velite peltisti, a Fundaitore slinger contingent, one or two Italian skirmishers, one Italian heavy cavalry, and a general with mounted Praetorian guard.
My home cities were busy turning out Italian occupation forces; increasing the Roman navy; and refurbishing worn down legionary cohorts, as necessary.
Being short on soldiers and a little long on cash, during the Illyrian campaign; allowed my first experience at hiring local mercenary support troops, whenever needed, to help turn the tide of battle. I usually hired the less expensive to maintain skirmishing units, that would eventually be available to me, once their native cities were sufficiently Romanized. But I was quick to snap up any archer unit that made itself available, and being unable to produce them, I did my best to preserve their usefulness for as long as possible.
My battlefield tactics were to gain the high ground and take a defensive posture whenever possible. Wear down the enemy with ranged units, before assaulting with my heavy infantry. Use cavalry to: run down fleeing routed units; chase, or draw off opposing cavalry, and skirmishers; and to rescue my pinned units with rear and flank charges, when necessary. The most difficult battles, where I sustained my greatest casualties, were usually when I was forced to attack ranged units up hill, with or without cavalry support; and, of course, when assaulting heavily defended walled cities.
Once Illyria was pacified, and I was again poised to attack blockaded Greek cities, I was surprised to find that the Greeks had unilaterally declared a ceasefire.Not wanting to appear the aggressor, I gained from them a trade agreement along with an exchange of maps.
My eastern territory now bordered Thracia. After exchanging maps, obtaining trade rights, and securing a mutual defense alliance with the Thracians; my easternmost 3RD Legion wandered north and began a campaign of extending Roman domination over the barbarian towns of Oduba, in Pannonia, and in Noricum; annexing additional territory that began to encircle the Gauls settled in northern Italia.
During the latter part of the Illyrian campaign, my 2ND (western) Legion had moved into Hispania and conquered the barbarian coastal cities of Emporaie and Arse, bringing Rome again into contact with an expanding Carthaginian Empire. Carthage was at war with Iberia, but because Rome was allied with both parties, and already embroiled in wars with Illyria and Greece, we thought it prudent to support neither side. But then Carthage decided to break our treaty with them and attack Agrigentum in Sicily, bringing on the first Punic War.
Rome’s navy had been building up for just such an event, and by now had three fleets, each consisting of six triremes, for ramming, and one or two each of quinquiremes, for long range attacks, and corvus quinquiremes, for boarding actions. Our naval strategy was to seek and destroy smaller enemy and pirate squadrons with our larger fleets, some of which had been refitted with better attack and defensive weaponry from our armories in Rome and Syracusa.
After the defeat of Illyria and the Greek ceasefire, we concentrated our efforts against the Carthaginian navy. Eventually the western Mediterranean was fairly clear of enemy ships. We then began a blockade campaign that would eventually encompass every port city of the Carthaginian Empire.
On Sicily, our southern most 1ST Legion laid siege to Lilybaeum.
Rome dispatched a portion of its central Italian homeland defense legion to amphibiously leapfrog from Aleria, in Corsica, to Caralis, in Sardinia, quickly subduing both unwalled Carthaginian towns, before heading on to Palma.
During the first Greek campaign, Rome found it to her advantage to hire a few mercenary hoplite cohorts, to help pin enemy phalanx’s in the field, while veteran Hastiti and Principe cohorts engulfed them from the flanks and rear. These tactics now proved just as valuable against Carthage’s legions.
After Sicily was secured, it was on to the Island of Malta and from there, an invasion of Tripolitania.
As soon as we landed in Africa, the 1ST Legion bolstered its heavy Italian cavalry with a couple of mercenary Numidian light javelin cavalry units and native Libyan skirmishers. This was the first time any of our legions had a full complement of 20 cohorts, and they were well needed.
We laid siege to the city of Leptis Magna, but along with the cities full garrison, there was also a large Carthaginian legion close by, led by Hamilcar Barca, that attempted to render relief. This would be the second time our legion’s fought against elephants, but the lesson learned from Pyrrhus was not forgotten.
Thanks to the tactics of the Numidian mercenary cavalry, we kept the Carthaginian cavalry at bay, and lured many a phalangite and skirmishing unit away from the front lines. This allowed those steadfast enough to reach us, to be thinned down by our slingers and skirmishers before we pressed against them with our own fresh heavy infantry. Eventually the odds descended close to even; and once our missiles were spent, our heavy infantry moved forward pinning their disrupted, spread out hoplite units long enough to be attacked by our skirmishers from the flanks and rear. It was a heroic victory that would be repeated again and again. This time the great Carthaginian general Hamilcar Barca lie dead in the field, and we gained the city of Leptis Magna, and a foothold in North Africa.
While our 1ST Legion battled in northern Africa, our 2ND Legion, far to the west in Hispania, was placed on the defensive. Attacked again and again, by the Carthaginians; they struggled to hold their own.The long supply line from Rome to Arse made it a logistical nightmare to render replacements in sufficient number to allow a western offensive.
With Rome’s 1ST Legion in Africa, her 2ND Legion in Hispania, and her 3RD Legion in the far north; war again broke out between the Macedonians (with whom we were allied) and the Greeks. We were too preoccupied to assist the Macedonians, but the Greeks decided to take advantage of a perceived weakness on our eastern frontier, and laid siege to Scodra.
Once again Rome found itself fighting on three far fronts against two enemies. Though the Greeks fought alone, Carthage had an alliance with Numidia. After our forces captured the Carthaginian city of Thapsas, moving ever closer to Carthago, the Numidians sent an army of their own against us, to test our legionary metal.
Using a force now half composed of native mercenaries, the attack was rebuffed, and the attackers all but destroyed.
On the eastern front, our newly formed 4TH Legion defeated a large Greek force in the field, and rescued Scodra. Then we took the coastal city of Apollonia, in Epirus (the former homeland of Pyrrhus), away from the Greeks. Next we delivered a successful assault on the city of Antigonea, in Aetolia. With this the Greeks had had enough.
In my efforts to mimic history whenever the game allows me to do so, I demanded that the remaining Greek City States submit to Rome, becoming our protectorate, and pay an annual tribute. To my surprise the fiercely independent minded Greeks agreed,
As our settlements became more Romanized, indigenous troops became recruitable. Often these soldiers fought well and were maintained on cheaper wages than Italian Roman cohorts. Soon our frontier settlements were garrisoned by cohorts consisting of: Italians and Greeks, Italians and Illyrians, Italians and Gauls, Italians and Spaniards, and eventually, Italians and Africans.
A newly promoted general, from our western settlement of Narbo, went exploring with a few such mixed cohorts. The small barbarian village of Burdigolo, along the far western coast, proved too tempting to resist. It was easily taken and extended Rome’s western frontier all the way to the Atlantic, effectively isolating the Gaul’s in central Hispania from the Gaul’s in northern Europe.
Eventually the northern Third Legion was poised to make a similar exploit by conquering the barbarian held territory of Lugdinensis. Rome’s territory now encircled the Gauls in northern Italia; and Roman roads could eventually be built that would join the eastern and western frontiers. But no sooner was this territory annexed, than the Gaul’s made it known to Rome that their alliance with us was no more. Though we had never behaved aggressively against them,they felt somehow threatened by our expansive efforts, and a large Gaelic force rose out of the Po valley and attacked the growing Roman settlement of Aquileia.
Again Rome sent its central legion forth, this time north into the fertile Po valley. Although this Gaelic force was very large, a full 20 cohorts in strength, it was composed almost completely of tribal war bands. These warriors, fierce as they were, were no match for our small but disciplined legions, and our combined arms tactics. Aquileia was again rescued, and the Gaelic force was crushed, leaving the Gaul settlements within the Po valley weakly defended and vulnerable. One by one, in swift succession; first Boninia, in Aemilia, next Patavium, in Venetia, and finally Meddenium, in Cisalpine Gaul, were annexed; bringing southern Italy, at long last, in contact by land with its northernmost territory.
Our ambassadors went forth and sought peace with Gaul, but they’d have nothing of it, the wound was too fresh, and they were too proud and angry for peace. They attacked our tiny settlement of Comata, in Lugdinensis, but our veteran northern 3rd Legion was garrisoned near by, and ripped them apart.
Taking advantage of the situation, or perhaps instigating it, Carthage made an alliance with Gaul, and they continued their opportunistic and harassing attacks upon our north western settlements. This forced Rome to increase its strength within those territories, tying up more troops. But Rome responded by using more and more indigenous recruits, rather than pulling manpower from Italia.
Seeking to force the Gauls to the peace table, we laid siege to Gergovia, then again sent our ambassador to them. But again our overtures were rebuffed, and Gergovia fell into Roman control. For now, Rome has no immediate aspirations in the north. She would be content to return to her previous happy relations with the Gaelic tribes, resuming a prosperous trade, and keeping them as a cushion against other potential enemies. But the Gauls may see our overtures for peace as a sign of weakness. At present we have two roads upon which to travel: war, and extermination of the northern Gauls, or maintain sufficient strength within our north western settlements capable of withstanding their attacks; and hope, that in time, they will opt for peace. For now, we can afford the latter path.
Similarly, Rome sent her most experienced ambassador to Carthago, seeking a peaceful resolution to our conflict.
Rome now controlled the waters of the western Mediterranean, but would again welcome a prosperous trade with Carthage. If only Carthage could be forced to agree. Honor dictated that a wealthy Empire be made to pay some tribute, but every time we demand it, Carthage demands back her former provinces in exchange. These we will not surrender.
Carthaginian diplomats have obtained an alliance with the Ptolemic Empire, and, no doubt, seek to bring the Greco-Egyptians against us.
Carthaginian assassins are frequently discovered near our cities, by our spies, before they have time to perform their dastardly deed; and our own assassins have become experts at eliminating them.
Perhaps, a siege of the Carthaginian capital will force them to see things our way. Our 1ST Legion marched to the city gates and did just that. Again our ambassador asked for a ceasefire, a modest but honorable tribute, and a return of trade; this time under threat of our continued attack. Again Carthage rebuffed, and invited us to “do our best.”
We really did not seek to capture Carthago, at least not at this time; it would spread our forces to thin, and place Leptis Magna and Thapsus, two quite valuable settlements, at risk. We were only bluffing and might have lifted our own siege, had we not been surrounded by another Carthaginian legion, with more elephants, blocking our path of retreat. Again two mighty Carthaginian legions faced us: one from within the cities walls, and another at our back. Perhaps they too, were bluffing. But no, they attacked; but instead of being crushed, to pieces between them, we defeated first one, and then the second as it came upon the battlefield to join the fight. Another, almost miraculous, heroic victory for Rome’s mighty First!
In the battles wake we ended up with Carthago as the unwanted prize. A prize we could ill afford to keep. Our ambassador approached the Carthaginians again. In return for Carthago, would they not be willing to submit to our terms for peace and pay an honorable tribute? No, they didn’t want us to attack again; Yes, they would pay a substantial tribute for a number of years, and return to trade; BUT only if Rome would return not only Carthago, but ALL of the former Carthaginian provinces as well. This we would not do.
Unable to keep Carthago, we took slaves and destroyed every city improvement we could, for recoverable plunder; gaining a few thousand denarii for our trouble.
As an afterthought, we again offered up a hugely devalued and revolting Carthago in exchange for a ceasefire, trade, and some worthy compensation. To our surprise, Carthage caved in.Although the tribute was small (a thousand plus denarii), considering that everything would have to be rebuilt, Rome decided the price fair, and accepted.
And just like that, the first Punic war had ended.
Our ambassador approached the Numidian Kingdom, and demanded they become a protectorate of Rome. Unhappily, they acquiesced, and if Carthage decided to get feisty again, perhaps it would be without an alliance with Numidia.
But, full strength Ptolemic legions still wander to and fro along Tripolitania’s Roman roads; and without a Roman alliance with Egypt, they have no right to be here.Our gut feeling is that they are up to no good. Perhaps they desire to test our strength, and our resolve. Perhaps they are baiting us to attack them and start a new war?
We positioned the 1ST Legion halfway between Leptis Magna and Thapsus, an easy forced march in either direction on Roman highways, should either city fall under siege. For now Rome’s 1ST Legion is effectively neutralized, forced to show great restraint, unable to wander far, should they be needed in a hurry.
But peace has temporarily returned to the western Mediterranean; a peace enforced by Roman strength. But how long it will last? No one knows.
The cost of maintaining inactive legions is expensive, and so our generals are again seeking opportunity to flex their muscle, and expand the empire.
An expeditionary force left Arse, becoming Rome’s 5TH Legion. The goal of the voyage was to capture the barbarian held provinces of Mauretania, and Numidia; hoping to make it more attractive for Carthage to expand its borders along the Iberian frontier of Hispania. Perhaps Rome will need to break its alliance with the Iberians, to further sweeten the pot?
Rome’s 5TH Legion captured Tingis easily; but the unruly and rebellious population holds the conquering legion captive, until sufficient civic improvements have been built to pacify their mood. We can always leave the city to the mob, and recapture it again; enslaving another portion of the population, bringing their numbers down to the point where they are a bit more manageable?
In the meantime barbarian rebels arise every year, in practically every province. Left alone, they inhibit trade, destroy resources and damage roads. So they must be put down, whenever and wherever they appear. Our northern Third Legion has split its forces in half between two forts guarding key passes through the Alps. Sarmatian archers and fast cavalry, which excel in winter fighting, have been recruited from the eastern steppes to assist in manning the forts.
Gaul still hates us. But for now, for the most part, this is peace… Prosperous peace… Uneasy peace.
Macedonia and the Greek cities have been dabbling in biological warfare. Plague has found its way among their southern settlements, and they freely pass it back and forth between them with their spies. Their city populations have become emaciated shadows of their former selves. Yet, weak as they are, they are still disposed to declaring war.Though neither is strong enough to keep a city, or replenish their losses.
They present tantalizing bait with their weakness, though the fear of infecting our generals and legions with the plague makes us reconsider.
Be that as it may, Roma, the capital city of our empire, has somehow become infected.The central legion and Roma’s governor evacuated to Capua, before they became severely infected. But the cities numbers continue to fall.
244 BC
Then, in 244 BC, came word that Macedon had again attacked Thrace. Why in her weakened state, one can only ponder? But this opportunity could serve, perhaps as a pretext, to disengage from our alliance with Macedonia, and aid Thrace for Rome’s benefit.
We tested our alliance with both Thrace and Greece against Macedon, and suggested a joint attack. But both sides said our words, “vowing to intervene on their behalf,” rang hollow.
CTD’s
Rome’s 4TH Legion sallied forth and laid siege to Larissa, in Thessalia. Our spy had successfully opened the city gates, and we marched in, with a single cohort of mercenary hoplites. After a brief but heated battle, we capture the walls, as our skirmishers from below helped to eliminate the defenders. Another solid cohort of hoplites, followed closely by Greek peltists, and the now half strength cohort that had captured the walls, march toward the city square. A unit of our mercenary Cretan archers attacks the square with a hail of arrows from another street. Our two hoplite cohorts align themselves in the square. The enemy phalanx turns to face them, presenting its back to the archers who take full advantage of their vulnerable rear. The near full strength Roman phalanx approaches the enemy to pin them, while our skirmishers fling their javelins. At the same time, the second half strength cohort phalanx positions itself to assault the enemy flank. Few additional casualties are sustained by our side, as the Macedonian phalanx is ground down to nothing.
“Victory!” is the cry. “This city is now Roman!” The city population is only 400 or so, but whether I choose to enslave or occupy, the crash to desktop inevitably follows.
Alternate CTD scenario:
Larissa is under siege. I send an ambassador to either of the Macedonian cities of Elis or Corinth. I demand both of these plague infected cities to be turned over to Roman authority, or I will continue my attack on Larissa. Macedonia acquiesces, giving in to my demands.
Again, CTD.
I have read through the fixes listed in the RTR version 6.2 cumulative patch, but fail to see one that specifically addressing this problem. Since this patch will not allow me to continue the present game, I hesitate to install it, even if it does avoid the problem. Hopefully there is an alternative solution? :sweatingb
I will happily attach winzip files of all of my saves for this particular year, with the fervent hope that someone will be able to find an explanation and a fix for this problem that will allow my current game to continue.
If you think that you can help, please tell me how to upload my saved games.
If this game does continue, what might the future bring? A second Punic War, with an invasion of Italy by Hannibal? Roman annexation of Hispania? Further expansion into the Balkans and the total conquest of Greece and Macedonia? Slave revolts on Sicily, and later, Spartacus? Will the characters of Pompey, Crassus and Caesar appear in the Roman lineage? Will Pompey conquer Anatolia? Will Crassus attempt an invasion of Parthia? Will Caesar complete the conquest of Gaul, and lead an invasion of Britannia? Will Octavian and Mark Antony spring forth and feud over Egypt?
A lot could yet happen in the next 244 years.
Or will continued CTD’s stop this game???????
I ask for your help to find out.
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