Lack of late game challenge?

[AusHaching]

I´ve played 3 campaigns so far (Suebi, Macedons and Sparta). In every case, the beginning was somewhat challenging. As soon as I reach the "noteworthy" stage of my empire (i.e. 6 Armies, 2 Edicts etc.) the game turns easy. Plenty of people want to trade with me. I can always send two full stacks at minors. As my armies don´t die, I´m getting access to better units and champions are really good at training, it gets easier and easier. MTW had the mongols with their 10 Dread-Generals as a credible challenge. Shogun used the Realm Divide, i.e. the ai starts ganging up on you. I have yet to see somethin comparable in Rome 2. Maybe the devs expected the major factions to expand sufficiently to make for great battles. However, I have never seen that happen. The largest "empire" I have seen was around 4-6 regions (the Raeti had conquered Roma). Carthage has never survived a game. Egypt seems to go strong, but they are far from where I fight my battles. Rome never expands. In any case, no challenger for my armies to be seen, making the game repetitive (conquer, digest, conquer). (Not really related to the opening question, but I think the lack of large scale conquest is due to the garrisons. AI minor factions will in general have about the same size of field armies, meaning that the defender is always stronger than the attacker. As the ai has to keep autocalculating - where numbers count more than other factors - the attacker is at a serious disadvantage). Maybe the civil war is meant as a challenge. In that case, I find it too easy to avoid. About 300 turns played, no civil war and no problems managing the Chiefs/Gerontes etc. What´s your opinion? Do we need the Huns?

[Sketchik]

I agree with you and I would say that one of the major problems is that the AI doesn't upgrade any units. The start was interesting and really challenging with barbarians invading from every side but at some point my technology just got too far supirior and I anihilated them in every fight. I am at about turn 100 playing as rome with veteran legionaires and all I fight against is stonethrowers and spearmen... plus maybe from time to time 1 unit of mercenary cavalry. Whenever I loose a single unit of legionaires its already a miracle.Is it still the same at turn 300?At least in my case there is a big nation that has 6 or 7 regions so I'm looking forward to that war