Natural Catastrophes - Gathering Experiences

[ur-Lord Tedric]

RSII Players....

For all those previous years before discovering RSII I played: RTW (Lots); BI (Quite a few); & Alex (only about 3x as I wasn't fond of it). I was therefore used to: Plague; Earthquakes; Floods; Storms; and the odd Eruption (I think that covers them all).

In my latest test I came across a funny - Capua reported that it had 'grown' (to above 12k), but when I looked it had only ~4000 Pop and a few of the garrison troops had gone too - just as if there had been a 'disaster', but nothing showed (no warning message, no ground-rippling, no standing lake of water, no lava streams - although Vesuvius was smoking a little). I ran this test twice more, but a similar thing happened (except on the second I didn't get the 'growth message' - just the losses) each time.

dvk' also happened to comment that Storms never have seemed to work properly either in a separate post....

It gave me pause for thought - and, perhaps because I've been testing and monitoring very closely for the last several months (now half-a-dozen separate campaigns) I now recall several odd episodes:

- Citizens, troops and even the odd Governor have been lost a few times - perhaps to Earthquake/Flood - but with no hint.

- I've also had ships in fleets be lost to no cause - perhaps a Storm that never registered?

- I have had, as has the AI, Earthquakes, the odd Flood and an occasional Eruption - never had a Storm reported (as dvk's comment).

So, I would much appreciate, on behalf of the Team, anything any of you can add that might also hint that 'Natural Catastrophes' might well be happening, but there's no hint to the player.

I'm not suggesting it might be fixed, it may indeed be a base .exe issue - but any information would be useful in possibly hunting for a cause.

[Grimbold]

The only things that are registered and given a warning on my campaigns are floods, earthquakes and plagues. I don't think i've seen a storm warning in RSII

Outside of that, you get the warnings for those major catastrophes, like the Vesuvius eruption, plague in Alexandria and earthquake in Pontus.

[ur-Lord Tedric]

The only things that are registered and given a warning on my campaigns are floods, earthquakes and plagues. I don't think i've seen a storm warning in RSII

Outside of that, you get the warnings for those major catastrophes, like the Vesuvius eruption, plague in Alexandria and earthquake in Pontus.

Thanks - but have you suffered 'losses' without an apparent cause?

[Grimbold]

Can't say that i have or that i remember any cases.

[dvk901]

In Alex, I have had nearly whole armies destroyed by a 'storm' I didn't see...at first. In fact, the only reason I ever saw one was just by accident...because there is no warning. And, in looking in the file that controls natural disasters, I see there is no warning for:

earthquakes
floods
storms
hordes (not applicable to RS2)
dustbowls
locusts

The only thing with a warning is 'volcanos'.

[Grimbold]

In Alex, I have had nearly whole armies destroyed by a 'storm' I didn't see...at first. In fact, the only reason I ever saw one was just by accident...because there is no warning. And, in looking in the file that controls natural disasters, I see there is no warning for:

earthquakes
floods
storms
hordes (not applicable to RS2)
dustbowls
locusts

The only thing with a warning is 'volcanos'.

First time i heard about dustbowls and locusts. Then again i play with rtw.exe

[Julio-Claudian]

Dustbowls and Locusts? I've never seen them in all the time I've been playing Total War.

In my experience I don't remember losing anything to an unseen disaster. I seem to get messages for everything (Earthquakes, Storms and Floods.) Though I rarely see a flood.

[MemphisRex]

I guess, just thinking, I am not even 0.5% of a modder , but by any chance, is it possible to make as such 'Natural Disaster Notification' and link to as such 'Unknown/Unregistered Natural Disasters' so it pops up. I've seen storms. Don't remember in what Mod or even game(may be Medieval 2:Total War, which puts it outta consideration, but Medieval 2:Total War Engine is just an overhauled Rome:TW engine ) . What say?

[Sertorio]

Sometimes with no aparent reason, travelling units will get severely depleted. I have experienced this while moving units trough Sicily and Italy. It has only happened three or four times during my campaign.

[Paedric]

Based on all the reports, I'd go for the volcano explanation.
It may be that sometimes there's a graphical glitch, and thus it is not seen.

[ur-Lord Tedric]

Based on all the reports, I'd go for the volcano explanation.
It may be that sometimes there's a graphical glitch, and thus it is not seen.

Yes - and, given it happened again (on the final re-run) - and I zoomed in and could possible here some muffled 'screams' and 'earth noises' underneath the music, it's what I'm going for.

Using BI for all my RSII experience so far - I do normally get Earthquake and Flood (not as often) warnings and can go look at them.

[SMoVader]

I get warnings about earthquakes that wipe out armies and Generals on my Roman campaigns using Alex but I have noticed Vesuvius or Etna smoking sometimes with no warning message.

[Grimbold]

I was looking through some of my old screenshots and found this one:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Just the "wrath of the gods" that cause the character's death and the wiping out of an army.

[ur-Lord Tedric]

Well, I'll ask again....

As, with a review of my settlements....

I discovered that Rhegium had lost its Governor and 20% of the Garrision!

So, am I really the only one - do 'odd events' just not happen to everyone else too? (This wouldn't necessarily surprise me mind you - I recognise that I am often a 'probability outlier'.)

And, by odd events, I mean results that look like a 'catastrophe' happened, but there was no message/earning/effect?

[carmir]

I just had an eruption in Capua without any warning, ~10k people and some military dead. Playing with ALX.

[Julio-Claudian]

It's just happened in my campaign with Etna. No idea how many citizens died but all but 20 men from each of the three units in Syracuse were left.
Just as you described.

[ur-Lord Tedric]

carmir/Julio Claudian

Thank you - but can I just confirm...

You had the results (lost men), but no message or graphical effects? ie you can't see Etna or Vesuvius erupting?

I'm convinced mine was some sort of horrible storm now - for, whilst my review spotted the missing Governor and the lost troops - it wasn't until a bit later (after writing) that I spotted the fleet had gone entirely! (The Rhegium-Messana ferry service)

[carmir]

Well, no, the graphical effects were there, just no message.