Flaming pigs, gladiators, war dogs?

[IronBrig4]

Does anybody else hope these units will make a comeback in Rome 2? I'll admit that the historically accurate units could be great fun. Flaming pigs in particular were amusing units to have. You'd put them in front of an elephant charge, light them on fire, and watch as hilarity ensued.

Gladiators could be useful additions to your army if they were the right kind. I'd use them as shock troops to assault enemy walls. Samnite and mirmillo gladiators could easily secure a foothold on the walls. They performed extremely well in the close quarters of street fighting (coupled with the atrocious pathfinding). I tended to avoid velite gladiators like the plague, however, because they were way too weak.

As for war dogs, I never built them for my armies because they were pretty much a one-shot weapon. You'd unleash that horde of rottweilers and then run your handlers out of there. I thought they were mostly useless, although seeing them rip into a mob of peasants was damn satisfying.

I almost forgot about the Arcani. I never used them very much because I got sick of always transporting them back to Italy to refit, but they were still good to have when you needed to attack your enemies in the rear.

If they announce that gladiator units will be in the game I'll be all like:

[John ''True Grit'' Wayne]

I would like Gladiators in the game and war dogs.I always kept war dogs for when the enemy was routed.

[Stath's]

Well, since we just say our opinion, i hope they don't have them, because they are not historically accurate.

This starts to seem like "it will be released, when it's ready", since me and others continue to repeat ourselves saying the same thing, but sharing opinions is a good thing.

[PROMETHEUS ts]

Well, since we just say our opinion, i hope they don't have them, because they are not historically accurate.

This starts to seem like "it will be released, when it's ready", since me and others continue to repeat ourselves saying the same thing, but sharing opinions is a good thing.

Wrong ! There are some sources mentionong them , the fact that where not standardly used doesn't make them less historically correct than some made up units of EB and other mods...

[Asgaroth]

Sooooo, again the same conversations, well, lets start over :

I always kept war dogs for when the enemy was routed.

I loved that, to see them run in front of my dogs.

Well, since we just say our opinion, i hope they don't have them, because they are not historically accurate.

Firs of all the pigs and dogs are historicaly acurrate

In the ancient world pigs were used(mostly to my little knowledge) from the greeks and the romans to scare away the elephants. Yes, those flaming pigs that appear in the game.
What is inacurrate is that they as well as the dogs are made in battalions which they historicaly didn't have, that is all.

The dogs were mostly used by the romans in their campaign in Brittain.

So I am for that they come back, but more acurratly portraited.

For Gladiators, I don't know. They could maybe appear when a revolt in Rome appears(Spartacus).

[Stath's]

Sooooo, again the same conversations, well, lets start over :



I loved that, to see them run in front of my dogs.



Firs of all the pigs and dogs are historicaly acurrate

In the ancient world pigs were used(mostly to my little knowledge) from the greeks and the romans to scare away the elephants. Yes, those flaming pigs that appear in the game.
What is inacurrate is that they as well as the dogs are made in battalions which they historicaly didn't have, that is all.

The dogs were mostly used by the romans in their campaign in Brittain.

So I am for that they come back, but more acurratly portraited.

For Gladiators, I don't know. They could maybe appear when a revolt in Rome appears(Spartacus).

I knew about pigs but i thought they were used a few times as an experiment to frighten the elephants. Still, if they were used a few times, i don't want them. If they were used more, then ok.

About dogs, i did not know that about Romans in Britain, but i still believe it depends on how many times they used them. Experiment units that failed should not be in the game.

Experiment units that succeeded should be in the game.


If you can build an army of pigs and dogs, then... then we can watch them eating the dead after victory.

[dom385]

I cant see why it would hurt to have them in, they might not have been used that often but they make things a bit more interesting. Rather than just: spear, sword, archers and cav.

[MrOuija]

I knew about pigs but i thought they were used a few times as an experiment to frighten the elephants. Still, if they were used a few times, i don't want them. If they were used more, then ok.

About dogs, i did not know that about Romans in Britain, but i still believe it depends on how many times they used them. Experiment units that failed should not be in the game.

Experiment units that succeeded should be in the game.


If you can build an army of pigs and dogs, then... then we can watch them eating the dead after victory.

Why not just put a unit cap on them like Shogun, Napoleon, and Empire? If you are able to recruit only one flaming pig unit at a time, as a specific counter to Carthage for instance, then I don't see anything wrong with that and you wouldn't have armies comprised of niche units.

[Biggus Splenus]

Firs of all the pigs and dogs are historicaly acurrate

I know, its frustrating to me too when spazzo's get this wrong.

[Lionheart11]

Flaming pigs? what are you trying to feed them?

[Asgaroth]

Flaming pigs? what are you trying to feed them?

What is the question actually ?

[alexanderswift]

At least the war dogs would be nice, they're a cool unit that I enjoyed using. I'd prefer to see them in a mixed unit with it about two dogs to every man, but the soldiers still fighting as well. Well it was kinda like that anyway, the gladiators could be an interesting mercenary type unit and the pigs... Well I dunno they're so niche it might be better to drop them.

[Brutalsubtlety]

Screaming women? Screeching women? Hitherto as accurate today, as they were in antediluvian times?

[Lockcaps]

How about making gladiators appear as a garrison unit if a town that has an arena is besieged? I don't know if there are any records of this, but i can easily imagine gladiator's getting forced to fight if it was in a pinch. Make them not as good as in the original, and fewer in number, but still somewhat useful for holding the walls. As for the pigs they were used - both on fire and not on fire(on one occasion a pig was suspended from the walls in order to scare the enemy elephants) so i do not really see why everyone is so upset about this. Yes, it sounds ridicilous but apparently they were used. And dogs - they were also used, roman invasion of Britain is a good example.If they were to be included in Rome 2 however i would like to see a few changes to them:
1. Make them recruitable only in limited number.
2. Change their behaviour so it's more like the berserker unit from Rome 1 - you cannot control the dogs while they are in combat and they will attack friendly targets if they get too close.

The problem with dogs is their animations, a dog isn't going to just bite someone once and he will drop dead, they will have to make a really long(messy...) animation of them holding the enemy down and sort of maiming him over and over and..yeah

[Moorish guy]

yes I'd like to see these units make a comeback, I want to see the roman emperor running away from my hordes of wardogs!

[Rasic]

I don't know about the pigs, but dogs would be alright. I know gladiators weren't really used in battle but god damn it would amazing to see them fighting on this updated engine and custom animations.

[daelin4]

Don't really care about them. If they're in the game, you wouldn't even use them. Like in RTW.

Gladiators could be spawned from revolts, but I'd never train gladiator units myself. Then again nor would I never train Early Legionary Cohort units over Legionary Cohorts. Only exception is when I needed the best troops available and I couldn't wait for the barracks to finish.

And it's not like the AI uses them so much either.

[amelius]

I don't think Flaming pigs were ever widely used enough to be put in the game but I am ok with them putting fantasy units like arcani and gladiators, since I'll just avoid them like in RTW.

But if they put in the exact same roster of the Egyptians from the first game...

[krisslanza]

Bring them on. If I wanted hardcore historical accuracy, I'd go play a Paradox game.

[daelin4]

Bring them on. If I wanted hardcore historical accuracy, I'd go play a Paradox game.

Or be like what most TW players do: never use them.

I mean I used them only like once. They weren't some powerful unit lie setting everything on fire. The closest flamig pigs were good for was when the AI brought elephants and you knew well enough beforehand when and where they will go. Since most of the time you don't, you'll be engaging them with regular forces.

Taking out things like flaming pigs and arcanii ought to be from a gameplay consideration, like say they were never used at all since they ere pointless.