Syracuse as a Playable Faction

[JustaKing]

I would choose Syracuse above all other factions being bandied about right now. Sicily was always my favorite culture in M2TW. I know Syracuse isn't exactly the Sicily we know and love, so no need to barbecue me for that comment anyone and everyone, but it is close enough to make me want them more than all the rest.

[King Yngvar]

I voted yes because all factions should be playable.

[I Like Rome]

It would be nice if Syracuse would be a free DLC but I would pay 4 dollars for it more if it was in a culture pack like the one the just released.

[Mausolos of Caria]

I really want to play Syrakousai, Shigawire said it very well: It was a very unique city and could be great for a siege in Total War. Besides, it was the biggest, most beautiful and most powerful of all Greek city-states, certainly in the Hellenistic period. On the eve of the Second Punic War 300 000 people lived in this rich city with its magnificent fortresses, so it would really be worth a faction spot.

[Keesdechinees]

I thougt that Syracuse was a part of Sparta. So it must be Sparta as playable faction.

[SirFork]

I thougt that Syracuse was a part of Sparta. So it must be Sparta as playable faction.

lolwut?

[Lord Dakier]

If you get al the other possible factions out which people still want then sure!

[I Like Rome]

Syracuse was an independent city-state at the time Rome became a power on the Italian Peninsula. I'm not sure who founded the city-state but it was not part of Sparta at the time the game starts.

[Mausolos of Caria]

Syracuse was an independent city-state at the time Rome became a power on the Italian Peninsula. I'm not sure who founded the city-state but it was not part of Sparta at the time the game starts.

It was founded by Corinthian settlers, allegedly in 733 BC which makes it one of the earliest Greek colonies abroad. Due to its favourable positions and its reckless tyrant rulers who achieved military success against the Carthaginians (e.g. Gelon at the battle of Himera in 480 BC) Syracuse soon became the most powerful city on Sicily and in the 4th century the most important Greek city and city-state. It's only relation to Sparta were the alliance during the Peloponnesian War due to the friendship between its metropolis Corinth and Lakedaimon.

And just to be clear: Corinth itself was no independent state anymore during TWRII's timeframe because its fortress hill Acrocorinth served as a Macedonian stronghold (albeit it belonged to the Achaian League for a while). ''Cyrenaica'' is no faction either, just the city of Cyrene which found itself under Ptolemaic attacks in the 3rd century and was not as important as in earlier times. Athens fell to the Macedonians just a few years after the game starts (261 BC, at the end of the Chremonidean War) which makes it unlikely it will be playable. Sparta on the other hand never gave up in trying to conquer the Peloponnesos, and even though they weren't really succesfull, they did enough to deserve a faction spot and to be playable, so we get a classical mainland polis.

Syrakousai on the other hand was not a classical city-state as it was dominated by tyrant, which makes it a pretty unique combination between Hellenistic kingdom and autonomous polis. Then again Rhodos would be an excellent choice as it was a trade republic, which grow very wealthy during the 3rd and 2nd century BC. You could compare it to the Republic of Venice during the Middle Ages, a merchant state, which also featured a great fortress and of course possessed the colossus, thus it would also be an amazing city on the battle map.

The most important Greek factions on the mainland are, however, the Achaian League in the Northern Peloponnese and the Aitolian League in North West Greece. Both started off as defensive alliances of minor towns against the common Macedonian enemy, but quickly started to expand. At one point the Achaian League owned all of the Peloponnese and became more powerful than Macedon itself.

Last of all, one could look to the Aegean where we got factions like the Nesiotic League, an alliance of island city-states, which would mount a severe challenge for the human player. Also, the aggressive and ever-expanding Gortyna on Crete could be an option.

Pergamon on the other hand was a Hellenistic kingom and not a city-state, especially from the late 3rd century onwards. The city itself was magnificent and I really hope it will also be one of the unique towns we are going to see in Rome II.

[I Like Rome]

I think more people would like the Seleucid Empire Just Because it was playable in the RTW 1 but I'm not so sure that they will add them, I hope they do but i'm not expecting it. But I think that Syracuse has much more of a chance. I'm surprised that the poll is 52.46-47.56.

[Shigawire]

That's a great wealth of concentrated information, Mausolos of Caria.

[Mausolos of Caria]

That's a great wealth of concentrated information, Mausolos of Caria.

Well thank you Obviously most people know more about the Greek city-states during the classical age, so I thought I'd clarify this a bit here. If you are interested in further reading on the topic, I posted some articles about Athens http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...ellenistic-age , Crete http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...ellenistic-age and Sparta http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...enistic-period during the timeframe of the game before.

[ROYAL SIPHAI]

Syracuse would be cool. Greeks had a profound in influence in Southern Italy.

[RexImperator]

Those are some great posts Mausolos, enjoyed reading them!

Though Cyrene could be independent at the start of the game as it was under the control of Magas at that point in time.

[Mausolos of Caria]

Those are some great posts Mausolos, enjoyed reading them!

Though Cyrene could be independent at the start of the game as it was under the control of Magas at that point in time.

Cheers! Yeah true, I'm only saying it should be called Cyrene instead of Cyrenaica. And it's probably not important enough for CA to consider it during this timeframe. Rise of Persia had it as a faction and it was very interesting to play, should CA do a TW game in the archaic or classical epochs they might be one of the playable factions, too

[PROMETHEUS ts]

After seeing Athens in I really hope that Syracuse will play a major role , after all at the Roman expansion timeframe , Tarentum , Massilia , Syracuse were more important than Athens or Sparta , whos glories belong to past ...

[achilles-91]

why i cannot vote in this pool :S

[CheesyFreak]

why i cannot vote in this pool :S

you need a certain ammount of post to be able to vote (25 i think)

[achilles-91]

okay, thx for helping

[Gondolin]

It would be great, and a really challenging campaign between Carthage and Rome
And Pergamon between Seleucides on the East and Macedon on the West.
One day I'm sure there all be playable factions