Barbarians...

[dharos]

you know, one of the main reason i don't play the barbarians much (except i've started enjoying playing as the Sarmatians on the battlefield!) is because they have such a limited tech/city tree. however, the thing that bugs me more than anything (and might seem silly) is simply their lack of roads, or rather, paved roads. i just can't abide dirt roads and i know they are "barbarians" but i think eventually they should be allowed paved roads, its the one thing that just irks me so much. i wish i knew how to mod because id like to just include more barb development at least one more city level, to 12000-24000... only because this game is based on history, but obviously it diverges from it like Candelarius said, once the first end turn! i know one (at least that i have seen) mod includes i think the barb advances in BI, does anyone know how to do this and if it is easy?

[JoeyJubb]

Yeah I'd like to know this too - I think it's unfair to cripple certain factions because they didn't do too well in history. I know its a historical game, but it would be nice to see what was possible if things were different back then.

[JaM]

My suggestion is to give Barbarians factions a movement bonus without roads, Romans need roads, barbarians are better in wilderinnes, so they should have advantage because of that.

[Dramascus]

i was under the impression that barbs generally didnt have very big cities, but they had alot of people overall when considering they were spread out over the countryside. it would be good if there were simply more buildings avaliable for them. europa barborum has some really good buildings, like soap makers, river traders, hero burial mounds etc.

[King_Azzole]

Maybe you can tie in paved roads with the Marian reforms?

[century x]

For a while I stopped playing the barb factions cause of that reason, but I got passed it when I learned to mod, and made them more powerful. Now that I did that, I love playing as any barb faction.

[Xraider]

barbarians are good like they are expect gaul , No matter , or in vanila or in RTR they still stink DD one hastati can kick ass of an entire gaul army (well it shut get it ass kicked but the gauls still stink) thats why i never play them they stink anyways like i said barbarians are good like they are ;]but maybe a few new buildings shut not hurt right ? , but later you will not need the buildings as soon as you learn how to play whit them i played a short but a good thracian campaign loved them !

[Solaris]

Not true, in Vanilla, I remember I had a wicked Gallic campaign.. I might still have the screenshots *looks* Ahar.





That was pretty funny. Those Forester Archer guys were so overpowered it was funny.

[century x]

I prefer playing as the gauls or the iberians. Both are bad ass. And let's not forget the germans

[King_Azzole]

Not true, in Vanilla, I remember I had a wicked Gallic campaign.. I might still have the screenshots *looks* Ahar.





That was pretty funny. Those Forester Archer guys were so overpowered it was funny.

Haha thats pretty funny seeing the Gauls holding games in Athens.

[Ares82]

Well I'm playing Iberia in RTR with the Ancient Empires mod added. It's pretty fun so far. Kicked out Carthage from the two cities they have next to me, and took over all the rebel cities in Iberia. I'm thinking of leaving Gaul alone for now and increasing my empire by taking over North Africa plus the various islands belonging to the Carthaginian empire.

[The Walrus]

Glad you like AE Ares82. I hope you haven't had any CTDs. Remember to save often since it is still in beta.(Most CTDs are inherited from PE I think)

[century x]

I think germans and iberians are like the strongest barb. In my opinion.

[Titus Marcellus Scato]

Paved roads for the barbarians? That's totally ahistorical and unrealistic.

Only civilised people built paved roads - barbarians never did.

After the fall of Rome, Christian Europe (whose population was largely descended from barbarians like the Britons, Saxons, Franks and Goths) didn't build paved roads (apart from city streets) until the end of the Middle Ages!

If the 'barbarians' didn't have paved roads even in medieval times, why should they be allowed to have them in ancient times?

If you want a fast-moving barbarian army to counter brigands, build one composed of nothing but cavalry - then you can move quickly even on dirt roads. Combined with a warband or two from the nearest garrison, you can deal with any rebels.

[Warmaker]

I like the "limitedness" of the Barbarians.

Why?

They bring a certain challenge in gameplay.

* They don't have the well armored, high attack, infantry & cavalry. If anything, they may have good attack but atrocious defenses.

* As a whole, they move faster on the field.

* Taking on a Roman Legion or Hellenic Army with a "flimsy" Barbarian Army is a challenge.

From the Barbarian factions that I tried, here's what I like about them.

- Gallic & Germanic units are pretty cheap.
- Gallic & Germanic Warband type of units are cheap and efficient fodder and anti-cavalry screens.

Gallic Armies
- Good cavalry.
- Some high attack units.

Germanic Armies
- Do you like Javelins? The Germans have TONS of them. Try charging a proper Germanic "Warband" and Skirmisher battleline. The sky will turn black with Javelins.
- Good cavalry
- A few high attack units.
(They're better than the Gauls, which ties in with history. The Gauls had numerous military problems when they tangle with the Germanic tribes.

Sarmatian Armies
- Missile-centric warfare.
- Great cavalry - Horse Archers and Heavy Cavalry.

Iberian Armies
- Shield and Sword style of warfare... A Roman player should have no problem adapting to an Iberian campaign.
- Unlike Roman armies, they have inherent spear units (some good ones, too).
- Decent cavalry.

All the Barbarian Armies bring numerous Pro's & Con's to the table. It's up to the player to make the best use of them, limited tech / units or not.

If they had the same advantages and technology as the "Civilized" factions do, then what flavor do the "Barbarians" bring to the game?

[dharos]

this game is historically based, but it diverges from history every time a new campaign starts. your problem stating that even medieval european barbarians did not have paved roads does not have as much merit as you'd like it to have considering that after the fall of Rome the whole western half of the empire basically went to crap. if "barbarians" would have conquered earlier it cannot be said that after establishing themselves they would not have learned/adapted from civilized people. this would include technologies/religions etc etc. this is a game, with many divergent possibilities. plus, if you as a barbarian faction conquer Rome, or any other major civilization before it can become so, then you have more time to settle and civilize yourself.

[Titus Marcellus Scato]

Anyway, there are ways for the barbarians to get paved roads.

1. Wait for a neighbouring civilised faction to build paved roads in their territory, then go invade them and take the territory for yourself. Free paved roads.

2. If you want paved roads in your original barbarian provinces, wait till you are powerful with a large empire, then use a diplomat to give each old province at a time to a very rich but very distant civilised faction like the Selucids or Ptolemies. Wait for them to build paved roads in the province, then get your diplomat to ask the civilised people to give the provice back (perhaps swapping it for two more). If they refuse, you send an army to take it. Once again, free paved roads!

[King_Azzole]

I also noticed with my brief dabble with the Gauls in gold RTR that they had no "healer" retinue. It was the only time I ever played a faction and none of my generals had received some sort of ancillary to heal wounded soldiers in battle.

[Warmaker]

I also noticed with my brief dabble with the Gauls in gold RTR that they had no "healer" retinue. It was the only time I ever played a faction and none of my generals had received some sort of ancillary to heal wounded soldiers in battle.

I'd attribute "healer" retinues to the more advanced sciences and medical knowledge from the more civilized factions such as the Romans and the Hellenic world.

[King_Azzole]

I'd attribute "healer" retinues to the more advanced sciences and medical knowledge from the more civilized factions such as the Romans and the Hellenic world.

While true, I noticed other barbarian factions get retinue like Herbalists and whatnot. I was just surprised the Gauls were the only barbarian faction I tried that did not have them.