No ranks in the Pompey Campaign?

[Chief Rudiger]

I have just loaded my first Pompey campaign and none of my generals have classes or ranks until i hit next turn. When i do they all appear to become senatorial but with no ranks other than Pompey who is a Proconsul and Caesar who is Dictator. A cadidate for adoption was presented in the first few turn and had a class and rank (equestrian + Trib. Co). I noticed none of Caesar's generals have ranks either, to begin with. Is this intentional or have installed it wrong? It strikes me as odd, being different from the Caesar campaign and with morale and command bonuses being so important. I am working on a fresh install of CA's Rome+BI DVD Gold Edition installed to the Activision folder not the default CA. The RTW option screen shows it is v1.5. I've attached a screenshot of my RTW directory.

[Stuie]

You are playing the current version, correct? KPII (who is currently... uh... MIA) added ranks to "most" of the files, but he might not have done the Pompey campaign as that was not originally supported for versions after v1.75. And now that TFT is no longer being worked on, that's not likely to change ever. Sorry....

[GracchusTheGreat]

Vers 1.92 right? It seems you have to wait a few turns for *some* to get ranks. However, most of the family members you start with are little more than liabilities; having 0 loyalty, sending them out of a settlement usually involves immediate betrayal, so sending armies with them is out of the question. If its frustrating, I agree, but given the overall ease of any other mod I've ever played, the challenge is somewhat refreshing. Afterall, the fate of the republic came down to a single battle in Greece between the two protagonists rather than a long campaign of "Siege:TW" in various parts of the world.

The best solution to the problem I came up to was to use Pompey Magnus and Cornelius (Faction Heir and Legate) to fight the actually battles, with other generals serving as "transports" for reinforcements. Getting your junior or senior tribunes takes more balls than time, so if you really want to earn promotions you simply have to fight with the huge morale penalties. However, since you're fighting another Roman faction, they are considerably more vulnerable to this weakness (often sending 'bums' at the head of mighty 2HP legions). As long as you don't catch Caesar or Antonius in combat (they just seemed to reside indefinitely in this settlement or that in my various campaigns), then the morale playing-field should be about equal.

Definitely refer to the promotions and decorations guide. This link works!:
http://forums.totalrealism.net/index.php?showtopic=8062

The only other mod I know that attempts to simulate Roman leadership is Marcus Camilus 4TPY add-on, and promotions are based on time alone. I was suprised by the rigid trait requirements of TFT, but hell, its a welcome refreshment. This is the first mod, nay, the first gaming experience that even comes close to simulating the true effect of the super-human individuals that have shaped history. Having played, I can truly appreciate (although, of course, in RTW terms) how Caesar and only Caesar, or someone of similar talent and skill, could have accomplished what he did, which is something that never came through is RTW or any of its best mods. Well, I hope I answered your question.

Remember, morale is everything. The CPU's 2HP will mean little if you can hit them in the right places; that is, your best generals against their worst. The other main reason I recommend the reinforcement system is that, because of the losses you'll sustain due to ranged weapons alone (especially enemy pilae!), keeping a single army at full-strength is infinitely more valuable than having many that will be cut up regardless of generalship or experience. To be more specific, try an old-fashioned hammer-and-anvil approach. Caesar's forces will come down hard in Spain but not so much in Greece (thanks to the rebel buffer in Illyria, and, regrettably, the AI's stupidity). Remember that winning the actual campaign has nothing to do with keeping Spain or any place else. Just keep the bulk of his forces occupied by Cornelius' armies while Pompey Magnus charges up the Italian peninsula and severs Caesar's primary source of income and man-power (Gaul is *slightly* harder, especially if you don't manage reinforcements well). It is possible for you to almost entirely ignore your resources elsewhere and still have enough cash and manpower to complete your objectives, which is the destruction of the Caesarian faction, not the conquest of the world.