BI appreciation Thread

**Kanov** · June 27, 2011, 09:25 PM

Why are there not many threads about BI? I consider it a lot better than original Rome because it has more things that keep you entertained like factional rebels, emerging factions, hordes, loyalty and religion. It is also more balanced, the romans aren't really a superpower since the WRE starts almost bankrupt and the ERE has powerful enemies around it that can wreak havoc in its territory, namely Sarmatians, Huns and the Sassanids, which are in a way, the most worthy of superpower title just because their cavalry and Cataphracts that seem to win against most AI factions.

The map is also more interesting because it has less cities it seems, which allows for more field battles. The troop selection is not that varied but it works, just the Burgundii and Lombardii suck because they are almost exact copies but the berserkers are fun.

Favorite Factions: WRE, Saxons and would love to play with the Celts and Romano-British but I'm not very sure how to proper mod the files to get the RB playable. Also the Huns if I'm in a pillaging mood. The Franks are OK too for their varied selection of troops and because of having access to paved roads.

Just yesterday fought an impressive pitched battle as Saxons against a combined 3 armies of the WRE. It was on a wooded area, me outnumbered 3:1 but still managed to win albeit with high loses, won the city though as I was laying siege and a relief force of two armies came and attacked me but I destroyed the three armies and killed a FM. The saxon axe troops saved the day against several cohorts of comitatenses, there were only two axe units that ended badly mauled. Loved the whole fight.

On my other campaign as WRE I'm about to take the ERE territories in Egypt and the Middle east, I'm in a predicament at Greece and Byzantium though because my Sarmatian allies have already taken those places and I would hate to wage war on them. The Sassanid empire has already peeked to Western Europe's direction after taking The Roxolani territories. Vandal FM's are roaming through the Saxon shore but have no army as 99% of the horde has been defeated, the goths are destroyed and the Huns settled on their territories. The Celts have become very numerous and Britain seems on the brink of revolting.

Only mod I'm using is player1 bug fixer.

General BI discussion.

**TheFoolOnTheHill** · June 27, 2011, 11:05 PM

Bi is cool but seriously who cares about how many threads there are and no one playes the multi so why wast your time

**Vice** · June 27, 2011, 11:33 PM

There are no Greek factions in BI...which I imagine makes a few less people like it. Also the emphasis is more on the barbarian hordes rather then Rome...even though you can play as the 2 factions of Rome of course. Also they went cheap on the voice acting and what not too which is cheesy!

**Lord Romanus III** · June 28, 2011, 12:12 AM

BI was a good game. I played it far less than Rome, but I had a blast with holding off hordes.

**vampiric_canniba** · June 28, 2011, 12:44 AM

BI is far superior to RTW. No bloody phalanxes, and fewer HAs also. But most people use BI to play vanilla era mods, anyway. Though the IB series I'd say is the finest collection of RTW mods. Half a dozen fairly unique grand campaigns, variations in complexity, and since SAI, the best graphics the engine allows.

Vanilla BI is still extremely fun to play. Better than the even worse anachronisms of RTW.

**TheFoolOnTheHill** · June 28, 2011, 09:30 AM

Originally Posted by vampiric_canniba

BI is far superior to RTW. No bloody phalanxes, and fewer HAs also. But most people use BI to play vanilla era mods, anyway. Though the IB series I'd say is the finest collection of RTW mods. Half a dozen fairly unique grand campaigns, variations in complexity, and since SAI, the best graphics the engine allows.

Vanilla BI is still extremely fun to play. Better than the even worse anachronisms of RTW.

Play as the Huns see how many ha they have

**Maiar93** · June 28, 2011, 02:24 AM

BI campaign is just a little better than vanilla, it still has the

AI and diplomacyfailure.

Besides, it has many overpowered units, much more than in vanilla. For example clibinarii, 6 of these and anything as infantry and archers and you win no matter what happens. Most OP unit: clibinarii immortals, those guys can take out anything.

**Grymloq** · June 28, 2011, 03:28 AM

BI is great! But it isn't set in classical times, with proud phalanxes and Roman legions killing Barbarians, so lots of people doesn't like it. The swimming elephants are the best thing in BI

**Spartanss300** · July 14, 2011, 11:10 PM

Originally Posted by Grymloq

BI is great! But it isn't set in classical times, with proud phalanxes and Roman legions killing Barbarians, so lots of people doesn't like it. The swimming elephants are the best thing in BI

Amen to that

**Justinian Australis** · June 28, 2011, 03:47 AM

The only good thing about BI has been the spawning of Invasio Barbarorum.....in my humble opinion.

**Kanov** · July 06, 2011, 01:37 PM

One thing that always bothered me was the Scholae Palatina cavalry, they are weaker than Sarmatian Auxilia but costs much more. I think they have higher morale but the extra cost is ridiculous. Probably should have higher charge and better armor or the Sarmatian auxilia be downgraded somewhat.

I started another campaign as the Alemanii, it has been really fun so far, I blitzed and conquered what is roughly Germany today, I hoarded the Franks and they went west after sacking one of my cities, with a bit of luck they might settle and form France. The Berserkers units have been really fun, you can rout an army with two of them, their Berserk rage mode is a very entertaining sight. The WRE made me a protectorate offer and I accepted, they helped me defeat the Vandals but then betrayed me next turn. The possibility of making onagers was a great surprise, I can now destroy the mighty walls of Rome!

I've found my spear warband to be very weak even after considerable experience and some upgrade, they get 1/5 killed if they are lucky, they rarely survive 3 battles because I have to merge them or retrain them, drop like flies against archers and javelins.

One thing I've noticed in these campaigns is that the Saxons don't seem to expand, I don't know if I broke something or what, but I remember they even sailed to try and conquer the Celts, haven't seen any of that recently.

Going to try the Franks next, I think they have the most varied roster among germanic barbarians, Or maybe the Huns as I feel like sacking every town in the map.

**Cap'n Ahb Veeus** · July 15, 2011, 11:31 PM

I like BI. Sarmatians are great fun, I remember beating back the Hunnic hordes one time, the endless sieges lasted ~20 turns. And another time as the Saxons I fought against the Huns, the Slavs, and the Vandals for ages. They kept coming up against my walls, where my hunters shattered them every time. Good times.

Oh, and that time I beat some heavy duty Sassanid infantry using only peasants and a unit of archers..

**jbelaguas** · July 16, 2011, 01:48 PM

Man I love BI. A lot more balanced than RTW. And a lot more unpredictable...

Currently doing a Vandal Campaign. Settled around the Balkans. Huns forced Sarmatia and the Goths to horde. Now, the Huns settled north of Rome, Goths are around France, amd now Sarmatia settled...in Spain

**Etruscan Warrior** · October 28, 2011, 11:21 AM

BI is really good its more realistic than the original but its either really peaceful and boring or it can be really exciting and action packed and sometimes the hordes are very fun to fight or really annoying but altogether its a great game which is as good if not better than the original.