Republic or Empire?

[Mincecraft]

No doubt a major choice of the Roman Campaign will be wether you want to support the Republic or build an Empire. Which one will you most likely do?

I will probably follow the course of history. Long live the Emperor!

[Gollrir]

I would definitely support a republic over an empire. Even though the republic was also a massive aristocracy and a hierarchical mess (which actually worked).

[Bobz]

I would definitely support a republic over an empire. Even though the republic was also a massive aristocracy and a hierarchical mess (which actually worked).

If it worked it wouldn't of fell apart so disastrously.


Ave Caesar!

[Maklodes]

If it worked it wouldn't of fell apart so disastrously.


Ave Caesar!

By that standard, neither the Republic nor the Empire worked.

[Steward Denethor II]

Empire, love absolute power.

[ComnenusTheOne]

Empire, love absolute power.

Because you've obviously experienced it.

Republic all the way. Because of the Galactic/Roman Republics parallel (and since our armies are gonna be clone armies anyways).

[Wowwars]

Dictador of Rome Savior of the Republic Trait anyone?

[Maklodes]

(NOTE: This post is largely copied form a previous post of mine on totalwar.com.)

My ideal -- and no, I don't think this will happen, and I'm not even sure how it would be implemented -- would be to see policy more along a continuum than a binary republic/principate distinction: less about fulfilling a historical destiny that's clear from a 2000-year distance, more about making decisions that are understandable at the time. If you have tribunes or consuls, which senate resolutions do you allow to pass, and which do you veto? Whose side do you take in constitutional disputes? In civil wars?

(Other factions like the Parthians could have similar disputes (maybe how much authority to grant to vassals vs. how much to centralize in the hands of the Arsacid kings?).)

To people of the time like Cicero, for instance, Caesar probably seemed like less of a harbinger of the death of the Republic than some previous dictators like Sulla had.

For instance, which side of the "save the Republic/become Emperor" divide was Pompey on? At the beginning of his career, he appeared to be a populist military strongman with little regard for the Roman constitution or the traditional prerogatives of the nobles and senate. At the end, though, he and the senate allied to (unsuccessfully attempt to) stop the rise of Julius Caesar.

Or what about Sulla? He was a dictatorial military strongman, but he mostly used his authority to bolster the position of the aristocracy and reverse reforms that gave popular assemblies and tribunes more authority.

In fact, the far end of the "imperial" side of the spectrum, you might even have an emperor with a position of greater authority than Octavian -- you might even turn Rome into something more like Diocletian's absolutist monarchy (tetrarchy?) with the senate and other magistrates not directly appointed by the emperor totally disempowered.

Or maybe you take a Gracchi-like role, and make the republic something more like an Athenian-style democracy, empowering all free male citizens while disempowering the nobiles.

I think that inspirations for more non-binary approachs include Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri (with independent choices of political system, economic system, value system, ec), Tropico (with various independent edicts), and a few others I'm probably forgetting.

[Enarec]

Neither, really, since I dislike Rome, but if I had to pick it would be the Republic, purely because I oppose Julius Caesar.

[General Brewster]

Empire so I have fewer things to deal with at home.

[oppaiO_O]

i always tend to play for the people so whatever makes them happy

[Stath's]

Freakin' Empire!!!

[General Brewster]

I mean come on who wants to talk to old man before doing something

[Apio Claudio]

Principatus, i just want to kill some parthians and sassanids and if i m able to kill Vitellius that will work for me.

[Hresvelgr]

Empires are always horrible, evil things. Unless of course it's me who's running it, and obviously that'd be the case in Rome II. For the Empire, woohoo!

[Berry_Punch]

Republic on first playthrough and empire on the second one.

[BlackDragon1]

Republic on first playthrough and empire on the second one.

I'm with berry punch my answer would be both i'm gonna go repub for my first playthrough then i'm taking over empire style on my second

[Necromancer]

Republic. But, just to get a good sense of the two, I'll do this:

Republic on first playthrough and empire on the second one.

[Shankbot de Bodemloze]

Pah I say back to the Kings!

I think a Republic, more interesting things can happen... or so I hope.

[Sol Invictus]

Away with these grubby politicians and their endless maneuvering for power and riches! Ave the Empire and the Eternal City! I will be such a loved and benevolent ruler. Really, I mean it.