Couple of questions from EB newbie

[Joekai]

Hi all o/

Ive been playing EB for a couple of days now, and tbh, this is my first time. Ive played many campaigns with vanilla RTW but I never used mods. Which I regret now ofc after playing EB for some time

That aside, Ive read a lot about this mod and its quite some info, but very interesting.

Now, there are some things that I couldnt find in any FAQ orso:

1. Ive read that when I conquer a province, the current government building should be red (like in 100% damage) but this does NOT happen, why not?

2. I have really no idea what buildings to destroy when conquering a new city, except for government buildings, barracks and temples.. but there are other buildings right (some warfare buildings that doenst necessary enable the training of units)?

3. I might have made the mistake of not activate the script every time I loaded the game.. Im Makedon, so I know I shouldnt worry about reforms but does it damage the whole game experience from now? Also when I use the script always from now on? If so, how can I check if I missed the activation some time? Is it really necessary to restart my whole campaign now? Ive been playing for some days and Im just celebrating that I own whole Greece now..

4. Because of some olympic game, 2 of my generals got a trait that decreased their movement by 100%, I mean wth is that??? Also, my generals kinda suck, I want battlestars! But I dont seem to get them :<

Well, thank you..

[Frtigern]

The FAQ is the first thread of the forums
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=97258

Welcome to EB Joekai.

1. Everytime you load a game or start a csmpaign you should click on a settlement and an advisor at the top left will popup asking you to activate the script. Chick the question mark "Show me how" icon. No need to start the campaign over it simply triggers reforms you might have if you've met the requirements.

2. If you conquer a city of a different culture the native gov will still exist unless u destroy it. Its advised that you destroy it and build regional pacification to gain access to your factions building tree.

3. If you find you do not like the native temple's benefits you can destroy and build your own. That is optional. As for barracks if in the description you see that it is not used by your faction sell it.

4. For Hellene generals keep them in the cities for the games. Dont campaign that season. If they win they will be gifted with positive traits. So its worth it. Also gaining stars is harder yes but not impossible. Pick your best general to command your primary army. Focus on that general. Choose to fight battles where odds are not in your favor and use your tactical brilliance to overcome the odds. Numbers arent everything. Let yourself be attacked by superior numbers. Show up to sieges with the same number of men. Make ample use of missiles and cavalry. Infantry fights are bloody messes. Make friends with the javelin and flank charges and stars you will gain!

[Stath's]

Frtigern has spoken well

[Joekai]

Thanks for the quick reply! Im very happy I dont have to restart my campaign

I shall check the building tree for cultural different buildings! For so far, there is 1 general that has seen almost all the action Ive had this far. Lately he has been getting negative traits cause of his supply line. He even got that trait while travelling through my own provinces, so thats kind of weird I guess (based on what Ive read so far).

Now that Ive conquered whole of Greece, Im curious where to go. In vanilla RTW I loved to start a campaign by taking Italy, Greece, the Greek islands and the west part of todays Turkey. Just because of the economical benefits (big cities, LOTS of trade). Is this any different in EB? Cause Id like to just relax now, build up an ecnomy and meanwhile conquer most of the rebel cities around me and mabey take a shot at Sicily (meanwhile trying to get an alliance with the Romans)

[Titus Marcellus Scato]

The AI generals in EB will always have far more stars than yours - it's to give the brain-dead AI a fighting chance. The human still easily wins on the battle map (most of the time) - but beating the AI in automatically calculated battles becomes difficult.

[Frtigern]

Now that Ive conquered whole of Greece, Im curious where to go. In vanilla RTW I loved to start a campaign by taking Italy, Greece, the Greek islands and the west part of todays Turkey. Just because of the economical benefits (big cities, LOTS of trade). Is this any different in EB? Cause Id like to just relax now, build up an ecnomy and meanwhile conquer most of the rebel cities around me and mabey take a shot at Sicily (meanwhile trying to get an alliance with the Romans)

For the Greeks The obvious answer is western Anatolia, but also think of expanding north. Good mines up there. Italy is close by and you will find some native units that will complement your armies well. Southern Italy was Greek for a while. If you take Sicily expect to get attacked by Carthage, you may be able to play a Roman alliance against them, but the Romans could simply betray you. Epirus and Makedonia must be taken out. If you take western Anatolia, the Seleucids, Ptolomies and Pontos will attack you. Get some ships ASAP to protect your sea lanes to the east. Going north is the easiest and most profitable (Mines) option after you take out Epirus and Makedonia, as the Getai will not be much of threat.

[Joekai]

Alright, north it is, tnx for the advice dude

[Boriak]

Epirus and Makedonia must be taken out.

Not necessarily. In my Koinon Hellenon campaign, I didn't destroy either. I'm currently at war with Makedonia, Carthage, Rome and Seleukids and having a blast!

[seleucid empire]

If you want to know which buildings to destroy, first check the barracks and see if they are usable or not. Then destroy the government

As for everything else, of you click on a building and it doesn't have a description of what it does, then you should destroy that aswell

[Titus Marcellus Scato]

Not necessarily. In my Koinon Hellenon campaign, I didn't destroy either. I'm currently at war with Makedonia, Carthage, Rome and Seleukids and having a blast!

Agreed - I almost never wipe out enemy factions altogether. As KH, I just drive Macedon out of Greece, they survive in Anatolia and take Pergamon from the Eleutheroi, becoming a Pergamon faction and giving Pontus and Seleukia a problem.

I also help Epirus to survive by sending armies of mercenaries to take Syracuse, Massilia and Emporion, then giving them to Epirus. A decade or so later (long enough for Epirus to get a new family member in one of the towns) I can drive Epirus out of southern Greece without eliminating their faction, they become a 'Western Greeks and Illyrians' faction.

[Titus Marcellus Scato]

Oh I forgot, another burning question and something very annoying! Whats up with all my generals getting traits for extreme movement decrease during the winter? And why do I get so many morale decrease points (tightened belt, supply line etc). Especially the supply line, I get these ALL the time, even when retreating to my own provinces.. how can I get this in order?

In EB, generals movement is affected by seasonal weather conditions. In temperate climates, movement is limited by winter snow. In hot climates, movement is limited by the blazing heat of the summer sun. This is something you just have to live with - you may wish to avoid campaigning in the 'off season' or hole up in a fort.

Morale decreases the longer your army is in enemy territory, as your supplies run low, unless you have a foraging trait that allows you to live off the land (nomad and barbarian generals frequently have this, civilised generals frequently don't). The only way to increase supplies once your morale is depleted is to put your general inside a friendly town and leave him there for a couple of turns. Which means if you're in enemy territory but can't take an enemy town within a couple of years, then you will eventually have to retreat and resupply after your army's morale drops through the floor.

It's a shame the RTW game engine doesn't allow your army to lose soldiers every turn (as if you were in a town under siege) once your general gets to the starvation stage of low supply. In real life, desertion would be rampant if your soldiers didn't have enough food - your army would melt away.

[Joekai]

So, Ill give you guys an update + I have some new questions

After going up north (Ive taken all the possible homeland for Makedonia now), I went a little west towards Illyria and stopped there to keep an Eleutheroi province between me and the Romani. I also took Byzantion and was almost done preparing for an attack on Getai. But when the season changed I got a city of Arche Seleukeia due to rebellion. So my former ally became my new enemy. I quicksaved before that turn and reloaded the game a couple of times, but every time the same thing happened. Although I didnt wanted a war with them yet, I got it now. So I moved all my troops (which is not much, between 2 and 2,5 stack) towards Turkey and took a Seleukeia city. But then I was attacked again, this time by Pontus, which I beat pretty fast destroying most of his army. I did just take 1 city though, so he is still alive. While I was busy with Pontus, Seleukeia focussed on Eleutheroi instead of trying to get their province back. Because of heavy casualties I had to send some reinforcements quick and still Im just having 2 full stacks there, which is way to few but all I can keep up right now.

Other diplomatic relationships: Getai offered ceasefire a long time ago and is moving up north now. Our borders are filled with watchtowers to keep an eye on him. After Seleukeia attacked me I offered them an alliance, but they werent interested. Neither were the Romani (while I have been giving them small amounts of money every couple of turns) luckily for me he is busy with Aedui (he is not very succesfull), and an on going ceasefire/war with Carthage.
As for Egypt; they are still my enemy, they offered ceasefire a long time ago but I wanted some cash and they refused. I thought they would come back, but they didnt.

Now my main problem is; I have no idea what kind of government to build where. For now Ive been almost placing a level II everywhere, level I where possible and I think I have 1 or 2 level III and 1 or 2 level IV. I installed the recruitment viewer, but when I select a province it does not say which unit comes with which type of government so Im still kind of confused. Id really like some help here since Ive been reading everywhere that Thracian and Illyrian local units are very strong.

Also, but this is less important, why cant I make any allies? Why does everybody hate me? :')

[Joekai]

Oh I forgot, another burning question and something very annoying! Whats up with all my generals getting traits for extreme movement decrease during the winter? And why do I get so many morale decrease points (tightened belt, supply line etc). Especially the supply line, I get these ALL the time, even when retreating to my own provinces.. how can I get this in order?

Sorry for double post, couldnt find the edit button

[Joekai]

So I guess it is sometimes better to move forward without a family member? Cause my 3 main armies all have 2 or 3 generals and sometimes they all get the morale decrease plus/or belts tightened (morale -2). Which I, as I remember good, both did not see on my generals traits.. do they disapear after your supplies have been refilled orso? And does every generals decrease of morale effect the entire army (3 generals get the same for supplyy line is a total morale drop of 3)?

Also, funny fact, while Im whining about my generals not getting enough stars, I get this great general now who has finished the Spartan Agoge. He has 2 command stars without seeing a fight, and already 8 management (or influence) orso. My advisor spoke of an talented new leader that has arrived.. never seen him do that before..

[Titus Marcellus Scato]

You can have multiple family members in the same army, but only one is the general for the whole army (the one with the silver star on his unit card at the bottom of the screen) - usually he's the one with the most command stars. His supply traits affect the whole army. Traits of other family members do not stack with those of the main general, so your supply is not 3 times as bad because you have three family members in the same army.

An army without a family member general gets no morale penalties for supply, but no morale bonuses from positive traits either. And that leaderless army will likely be a lot worse at healing casualties after a battle than an army with a proper general, because army surgeons are part of the general's retinue in EB. So yes, you can evade the supply penalties by not having a general, but not without paying a price for it.

I'd recommend that armies have no general while marching from home cities to the front line, but give them a general before fighting a battle.

[Joekai]

Alright, then I wont change my strategy on this subject

Tnx