Will Starting Factions have an AI advantage or will they fall early like in STW2?

[Baldos]

The starting factions that have only one area at start may not have any "staying power" just like in Shogun 2. The Suebi, Athens, Sparta, and Partha may be taken out as the start by the AI non playable factions just like the Mori, Oda, Hattori, Takeda, and Tokugawa in STW2. At least the Iceni are isolated on Britain so they may last longer like the Shikoku. Any info from CA on this issue?

[The Useless Member]

I've been wondering about this too. Will we be seeing Aedui take over Averni? Or Gutones taking over Suebi.

[Captain W. Handberg]

In most cases we probably won't. It has been stated that the Major factions will have an advantage in terms of units and such, so they will be your main enemy in the later turns I believe.
A good example, when mentioning the Swabians, would be in the latest Rally point; the tribe starts with an almost full stack.

[-=PHX=-Hades]

I think the main factions will prolly last longer than Shogun II. You have to remember there is a lot more area in Rome II. In Shogun the main factions had to fight each other early because there wasn't a lot of room for expansion.

[Mollykins]

I think that since there are so many more places to capture, it will vary often. A lot more so than in other TW games. I think this will contribute to making each game different since early game should be a lot more chaotic.

[Arcani 4 Ever]

Most playable factions. Start with the Capital region as their home region. I believe holding the Capital region on a province rather than a minor city will have bigger advantages. So i do believe that most playable factions will survive the first 20 turns *which is usually when factions die left and right*

Also with an highly improved diplomacy in comparison with other games, even factions that have just one province or are surrounded by other playable factions *Athens, Epirus and Sparta* Will still manage to survive for a while.

And from we have seen on the let's play video factions now start with 2 or more armies. The Suebi with just one region, started with an offensive army and a defensive army. I am sure factions with more regions will start with more armies.

[Candy_Licker]

So i do believe that most playable factions will survive the first 20 turns *which is usually when factions die left and right*

I still hope this is not the case this time, but I fear that it will indeed be similar to ShogunII. I hope that many of the factions will survive the first turns, not only majors but also minors, would be a real shame if there will only be a few superpowers left after a few turns. Would be way cooler if they improved the client state mechanic, so that both the player and AI prefer this and forms confederations. I know that I will use this and 'free' as many factions as possible from superopwers if it's not completely broken. Garrisons should be strong enough to prevent early steamrolling. And conquering settlements should be troublesome for invaders, with high rebellion chances so that destroyed factions can rise again.

[Kadoken]

I would love to see a Pictish/Hibernian empire or a giant Bactrian nation in the mid to endgame. I hope Rome can get crushed by Etruscans or that eastern Sicilian tribe. It's good to have more variety than "Oh, Rome conquered a lot of places in my Campaign. Again."

[Abot_]

I think it would be quite interesting seeing a minor faction rise in power and start to steamroll surrounding nations.

[The Useless Member]

I see who the Hojo will be.

It'll be the Alvernia because they start with a gold mine.

[Captain W. Handberg]

I see who the Hojo will be.

It'll be the Alvernia because they start with a gold mine.

The Suebi is at war with a faction that owns a gold mine. Due to the Suebi's good starting army, they'll probably be able to crush the Hercynians and get the gold quite quickly.

[Lord Dakier]

I hope so. Even with all the mods we lacked majors being effective in S2TW.

In all honesty in S2TW there wasn't a major as for example the Oda couldn't even survive till turn 5.

[nameless]

You're all forgetting something that sets this game apart from previous total war games.

The number of armies that are fielded on the battle are limited by the size of the factions. Prestige, power, size, etc.

In previous games like Shogun 2 minor factions with just one region easily overpowered major factions because they could spam tons of armies in a zerg rush. Eventually the major factions despite being bigger would fall because they'd be surrounded and through attrition just fall because the minor factions just kept building and building.

Now that the minor factions if I recall correctly only have one region compared to the major factions that start off with a few regions the chances of it happening should be less.

Minor factions will probably be only able to field 1-2 armies while the major factions will field 3-4 and even then they can't just zerg rush anymore. EDIT: Or perhaps they'll both be equal like 1-2 armies at start

This is probably why the Seleuicids aren't a major faction and most of their provinces are client states. If it was truly under their control they'd steamroll over everything.

The Greek City states IMO are in a different field altogether due to their unique position and setup. I doubt that CA intends for the three to last. No doubt they are set in that after a few turns only one of them will come out top.

My 2 cents anyways

[Kadoken]

Not all minor factions have only one region though.

[Vlaanderen Vrij]

And not all major factions have more then 1 region.

[yutterh]

It would suck if you always faced off against the same people everytime. Yeah I would like some major factions to survive but having some minors take over would be cool also. If only majors took over then why add in all the minors?

[d4g4n]

In Shogun I alwas found it quite rediculous that 2-3 bigger factions fell, within the first 10-15 turns already.

Especially remember my first game was as Shimazu (or whatever) and then the second game, they literary fell in the 2nd turn.

[cenkiss]

I hope they don't have any big advantages. I don't think suebi were an unstopable juggernaut in germania, they should be easily defeated. I don't want to face same enemies in my every playthrough.

[Lord Cornwallis]

One faction I would like to see be strong under Ai control is Rome, it would suck not being able to face off against Rome mid to late game as the other factions. I seriously think there should be a super Ai Rome option, where the Ai Rome faction starts off with some large armies and a fat war chest to ensure their success as a dominant faction in their area.

[Balthazzar The Merciless]

If anything survives in southern Greece by 200bc I'll eat my sarissa!!