Spreading your Wings: A RSII Rome Guide
Spreading your Wings: A RSII Rome Guide
*************Be Warned: This is the first guide that I have ever written. I am not sure if I am a good teacher, but I would like to share my knowledge so that beginners can get some help. I won't have any images in this guide -- but who knows, maybe in the future I will. There is a lot of text, the large majority of it is relevant, but I encourage you to skip to whatever part you want!
*************Please: Because I want to be the most helpful I can be, feel free to offer any criticism, whether it is in aesthetics, tactics, writing style, word count, or anything else.
About Me:
Hello Fellow Generals!
I am Sextus Fabius Maximus. I have been playing total war games for about 5 years now. I began with Medieval Total War II which completely blew my mind. I learned about Rome Total War and I just knew that I had to buy it. I absolutely love Roman history. Eventually I found my way into the modding scene as it brings much needed depth and variety to already amazing games. I am currently playing Roma Surrectum II and loving it. I have progressed fairly far into my Roman campaign (right before 2nd rebellion)[IMG]file:///C:/Users/Joseph/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image001.gif[/IMG] and I am excited to try the Dacians and perhaps Macedon at some point.
RSII Background:
When I first played Roma Surrectum II I assumed it was just going to be Rome Total War with a more expansive unit roster. I was in for one HECK of a surprise.[IMG]file:///C:/Users/Joseph/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image002.gif[/IMG] Feeling fairly confident in my commanding abilities I foolishly chose Very Hard/Very Hard. When the loading screen finished I was completely lost. I had no idea what to do. As you all know, chaos everywhere, Cannae was just about to riot, Rome was generating -10000 denarii, and my armies were dispersed over Iberia, Sicily, Sardinia, and Greece.
I began by building rural population control everywhere.....very embarrassing. [IMG]file:///C:/Users/Joseph/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image003.gif[/IMG] After making that terrible move I made another; I attacked Hannibal thinking my superior tactics would overcome Hannibal. I learned in that battle, that VERY HARD battle difficulty in RSII is nothing like Vanilla. I think I sustained something along the lines of 1700 causalities and inflicted a mere 600. I couldn't believe it. I needed help. I began watching YouTube videos looking for help and reading forums hoping to improve my skill. (If you’re finding RSII overly challenging I would suggest you do this as well) Enough about me. I am going to help you fly like an eagle![IMG]file:///C:/Users/Joseph/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image004.gif[/IMG]
Introduction:
This will be a guide covering the first "ideal turn" in RSII. I will acknowledge deviations of course, but in my opinion this is what you should be aiming for as I have found it to be the most successful. At the end of the guide I will have FAQs.
· This guide is designed for Hard/Hard difficulty
· Battle time limit enabled (it actually benefits you more than the computer)
· Manage all settlements (no brainer, unless you really want to challenge yourself)
· No submods installed
· Using Large unit size (huge unit size makes battles longer, more EPIC, and is generally easier in my opinion)
Suggestions:
-If you are a more methodical, slower, or more historically inclined player, you may find the 4 turns per year mod (RSII is two turns per year) very appealing.
-If you are simply not as adept or skilled at total war games, I would highly suggest lowering the difficult to medium/medium.
-If the battles seem to take too long for your taste, you may be interested in Tone's 15%/15% submod where both damage and unit cost is increased by 15%.
Goals:
I am a firm believer in goals; if you want to succeed in life you better start formulating goals. And then plan on how you are going to achieve them. Roma Surrectum II is no different. What's confusing is not knowing what you want. Or not knowing which are the best buildings to construct, given the situation. Or the right places to go, the right times to start War, etc.... A lot of this you will learn from the age old trial and error. But I am here, like a good motherly eagle to guide you; I am going to challenge you, so that Rome Rises [IMG]file:///C:/Users/Joseph/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image005.gif[/IMG] and you become the leader of a vast and unbeatable Roman Empire. There might be some things in this guide you can't do in the beginning. But that's okay; it took me about 10 unsuccessful campaigns until I could even call myself remotely successful. Here are my goals for the upcoming 3 turns...
1. To defeat Hannibal and remove the Carthaginian presence in Italy.
2. Establish a growing economy.
3. Deal with or avoid the Roman Revolts.
4. Take Carthago Nova by my second turn.
Turn 1:
Beating Hannibal:
I see this as the first order of business. Honestly this is the question that almost everyone has, "How do I beat Hannibal?"[IMG]file:///C:/Users/Joseph/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image006.gif[/IMG] The outcome of this battle has two very different paths, one where you must be more aggressive and one where you will be more defensive. Don't worry if you lose this battle (you're supposed to), it’s not the end of the world. BUT that doesn't mean you have to! [IMG]file:///C:/Users/Joseph/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image007.gif[/IMG]
Preparation:
· Step 1) You need the best possible army that you can field if you want to defeat Hannibal. First, remove the Greek slinger from your army, he'll get ambushed by Hannibal and you'll lose most of the unit, but it's a necessary sacrifice as it gives you a much more desirable position on the battle field and allows you to add 1 triarii and 1 Latin medium cav from Rome, and 2 Campanian cav from Capua. This should give you a force of 10 cohorts, 3 triarii, 6 cav, and good ol' Gaius Flaminius Nepos!
Force Deployment:
· Step 2) You want your 8 cohorts in 2 rows, a little bit stretched out so that they cover more area. On your right flank put a single triarii slightly behind and to the right of your cohorts. On your left flank do the same but with two triarii. Finally overload your left flank with all 6 of your cavalry. You're now ready to crush Hannibal's army.
Battle Tactics:
· Step 3) It is absolutely pivotal to lock up all of Hannibal's infantry; otherwise your cav will get bogged down in melee with infantry. To do this you need Hannibal's army to engage your cohorts while they are in formation. Just be patient (I know it’s difficult, patience is my Achilles heel.),walk your army forward, then once they are almost in range of Hannibal's slingers run your army right in front his. While maintaining formation on your part, (and hopefully getting a few pilla shots if possible) Hannibal will engage with most of infantry.
· Step 4) Once your front line is locked in the melee, (keeping your second line right behind them) use your triarii on both flanks to envelope Hannibal's army. By now you should have all of Hannibal's infantry engaged in melee. When your first row of cohorts start to thin, send in your second row as reinforcements, with Nepos behind them they should hold.
· Step 5) Here comes the slightly more complicated part; while performing Steps 3 and 4 you need to be moving your cav to Hannibal's flank. Once the infantry are locked up in combat, move behind the infantry. You should have two missile cav harassing your own cav. The trick is to trick the computer. Don't charge prematurely, run perpendicular to the missile cav. And once they get too close (it will take practice to get the timing right) take em' out! After those two units rout, Hannibal will either attack you, or a barbarian noble cav will. The noble cav is extremely tough; they almost always fight to the last man with Hannibal alive. *********Don't be afraid to bring Nepos's bodyguard for assistance. Remember, he gives a morale bonus and has a fairly strong charge.
· Step 6) After this, you'll still have around half of your cav left. You need to finish Hannibal quickly or his infantry will break your line. Hannibal by now will have either engaged your cav or be locked into a melee fight. Either way kill him as quickly as possible. With Hannibal dead his units morale will take a severe hit, cycle charge (hammer and anvil) the heck out of his Celtic light swordsmen, they are the most susceptible to cav charges. Start a chain route and mop up Hannibal's fleeing men. The day is yours!
My personal best:
523 casualties and completely routing Hannibal's army. (See if you can beat this.)
If you are victorious:
Congratulations! You managed to alter the course of history and shame arguably one of the greatest generals in the ancient world, yet your great victory will leave your economy in terrible shape. You require fresh conquests to lower the upkeep of your army and generate more income. I will now list what needs to be accomplished.
1. Raise taxes everywhere possible without incurring the wrath of the people or causing negative population growth. (No population growth is fine.)
2. Build Jupiter temples in Cannae, Tarentum, Crotona, and Lilybaeum. (Send one allied skirmisher from Tarentum to Cannae to maintain public order.)
3. Build two biremes at Caralis so that you can safely transport your army.
4. Send Publius Cornelius Scipio from Emporiate south to take Saigon and then further south to Carthago Nova.
5. Send your fleet, located left of Rome, to the south to pick up the other Publius Cornelius Scipio (I will call him Africanus.)
6. Reinforce Nepos's army and attack Hannibal's secondary army, then move north to take Genoa.
Suggestions:
-You can choose instead to attack the Greeks at Syracuse by amassing all troops in Sicily under Africanus. After that you can assault the city of Syracuse and take it for your own. You can also send Scipio's army in Emporiate northeast along the coast to try and take Massalia from the Greeks.
.
If you are defeated:
It's not a big deal. You will still be fine in the short run. Do your best to weaken Hannibal's army as much as you can. Killing him will inflict a huge blow to the Carthaginians. Try to save Nepos! (Have him retreat once your army breaks.) He's an excellent governor with some very good traits; he can be used to manage Cannae. The advantages of losing, is that your economy will be in much better shape after the loss and you will remain historically accurate! Arminium and Arteium will both get sieged on turn 2, so you will need to take defensive measures.
1. Raise Taxes just as if you were victorious.
2. Recruit a few cohorts from Rome or build Jupiter temples in Cannae, Tarentum, Crotona, and Lilybaeum. (The temples help prevent roman rebellions.)
3. Build two biremes at Caralis so that you can transport your army to Italy.
4. Send the fleet left of Rome south to pick up Africanus.
Suggestions:
-If you are finding yourself sandwiched between Hannibal and rebelling Roman provinces it may be prudent to send a fleet and pick up Publius Cornelius Scipio from Emporiate as well as giving the Macedonians Dyrrhachium in exchange for peace.
What’s next?
There are many different ways to expand your republic/empire after you secure Italy from Hannibal and deal with the Roman rebellions. Here are some things you should consider:
· Expanding your empire into Cisalpine Gaul (northern Italy). The northern settlements are very profitable with their amber/tin trade.
· Securing both Carthago Nova and Carthage from the Carthaginians. By doing this you will severely hamper their recruitment abilities.
· Preparing yourself for the Gallacei. (Do not let them become the dominate force in Iberia.) Also, their lands are very rich due to mining.
· Expanding east into Macedonia. The Macedonians have many profitable cities, but you will have to deal with the Greeks and the Spartans at some point.
· Capturing the Greek cities of Massalia, Syracuse, and Salone.
· Finally, be wary of all the northern tribes; Arverni, Belgae, Cimbri, Dacia, and the Boii confederation who can all pose a serious threat if left unchecked.
Conclusion:
My hope is that by following my guide you will find yourself in an advantageous position that allows you to pursue your campaign in any way you see fit. I apologize if there seems to be a lot of text, but I have a lot to say. And now I will be answering some FAQs that I’m sure plenty of people have. For Glory! For Rome!
FAQs:
How is this guide relevant with the new patch RS2.7 coming out?
I've looked at the change log for the new patch and I've found there are only going to be a few major changes. Such as the removal of Campanian Cavalry/Latin Medium Cavalry and the new tax system which penalizes players for keeping taxes at very high. These changes seem to be the most significant and their impact will be relatively minuscule in the short run. But definitely more meaningful in the long run.
Why would I even want to play a Roman campaign when it is glitched?
As many people know the Roman campaign experiences a glitch once you reach 85 provinces. The idea behind this was to represent the 2nd Roman Rebellion between Julius Caesar and Pompey. The problem arises, when every turn after you reach 85 provinces, cities continue to rebel uncontrollably. This is why most people don't play a Roman campaign and have been waiting for the patch at the end of this month. Nonetheless I think it is excellent practice and still very fun. After all, once you reach about 85 provinces you probably won't be challenged nearly as much as in the beginning. Ultimately it’s up to you!
Why do you insist upon taking Carthago Nova by your second turn?
Carthago Nova is the Carthaginians second most profitable city and their strongest foothold in Iberia. It is fairly weak and can easily be captured by Publius Cornelius Scipio. While it does generate negative profit along with Emporiate, it is about the equivalent cost of training a Polybian Republic Cohort. So you can decide if it is more helpful in the long run to take Carthago Nova or to have an extra cohort every turn.
What is the best army composition for Rome?
Generally speaking I would say 10 cohorts, 2 triarii/evocatti, 6 cav, 1 skirmisher, (to soak up arrow fire) and a general. This gives you a lot of melee firepower and a strong cavalry presence. Another variation would be 10 cohorts, 2 triarii/evocatti, 4 archers, 3 cav, and a general. This gives you a much stronger skirmishing component and is fairly effective verses enemy missile cav. If you are planning to just auto-resolve, a full stack of cohorts and one general will yield the best results.
My cities keep revolting and are generating negative income. What do I do?
If you have recently captured a settlement expect this. It takes a while for you to completely gain control of a city's economy. After capturing a settlement you should immediately destroy all religious and military buildings. After that, build a temple to Jupiter Optimus Maximus, Wells, Government Determination, and a Tribal Justice. After that, construct a market (required for granting citizenship). Then, if public order is within 100%, annex the region and grant citizenship. This along with continually upgrading Tribal Justices to Guard Posts, Wells to Public Baths, Governor's residences, and building over previously conquered buildings should insure a "stable enough" population. Though revolts may be unavoidable in many situations, this is where increasing the garrison and an imposing a governor will be helpful in the short run. Ultimately once the population starts to reach its peak and the culture penalty begins to decrease you will start seeing profit. Albeit it will take anywhere from 10-30 years, (20-60 turns). Just be patient and don't capture too many settlements in a short time period.
************Important: If there is a massive amount of unrest in a settlement, there may be an enemy spy/assassin encouraging it. Simply send in your own spy to remove the enemy agent and the extra unrest.
So should I occupy, sack, or depopulate provinces?
Currently I am still unsure about this. I have always depopulated settlements after I capture them, (except for ones that have rebelled) but it has been brought to my attention that in some situations it may be more beneficial to occupy the settlement instead. Seeing how revolts are almost completely unavoidable, occupying settlements will allow you to reach the population cap quicker therefore the settlement will be churning out profit sooner. I do not have enough experience to say which one is best. All I know is that depopulating has worked for me.
How important are governors?
I cannot possibly stress the importance of governors enough. A "perfect" governor (with level 10 management/level 10 Influence) can make a huge difference in a province by giving it high public order, population growth, and profit. Otherwise without this "perfect" governor a province would be in total chaos, revolting, with negative population growth, and negative profit. To encourage great governors leave them in a city with an academy, don't raise taxes too much, and over time they will acquire good traits. Some men are simply hopeless, they will acquire terrible traits, and have the opposite effect of what you want. You can just hope that his son's will acquire the "not like his father" trait.
What buildings generate the most profit:
Public order is always your first concern, but maximizing profit in a province can change based upon the resources available or not. For example, Carthage has an olive oil resource available therefore it increases the tax revenue granted by olive oil/wine trade by 11%. Another example is the Tin/Amber trade routes in Mediolanon which grant an additional 20% tax revenue generated from trade expeditions. You can also upgrade your taxation method, but be wary the -40% penalty to public order is serious and shouldn't be implemented in newly conquered areas. Note that taxation in Italy/Sicily yields twice the normal gains from taxation. Communal tribute----> Urban Taxation------> Regional Tax Collectors-----> Central Authority Tax Collectors. For example, in non-Italian cities Regional Tax Collectors grants 50% increased taxation with a -20% public order penalty, while in Capua it grants 120% increased taxation.
Final Words:
If you have any more questions feel free to ask! I will answer them to the best of my ability. I hope the FAQs were helpful!
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by Sextus Fabius Maximus
. All that you have written above can still be used and will just need a little editing after a restart.
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?470432-BunnyPoopCereal-s-Workshop-FTW
