Expansion rate?

[Izay]

So how tough do people find it expanding your empires? Personally I'm 200+ turns in to a Rome Hard campaign (normal BAI) and I've only just started to conquer Iberia after having secured Raetia et Norticum, Cisalpina and Italy. It's the first campaign where I think I'm gonna hit AD even with 4TPY. I have 3 stacks and my treasury can maybe carry a 4th, but I prefer the income. I love it. It's slow paced for SURE, but I genuinely feel the weight of an army. The sheer costs involved recruiting one and the upkeep they require makes some battles nailbitingly tense because there's SO much to lose. I am mixed on the food requirements, though. I find myself struggling with hunger alot.

[broodwarjc]

I have found that losing a city seige battle with an enemy reinforcing army means losing your army 9 times out of 10, due to the retreat of your losing army being so short, that the enemy army can move over ot it and attack with the remaining city garrison for support meaning you will most likely lose the battle and lose our army due to its retreat points being gone. This leads to expansion taking a lot longer than it should since you can't just deplete their armies over extended battles while gaining Vet on yours, you HAVE to win every battle or you just lose your armies. I think they need to adjust the retreat movement of armies to allow retreating armies ot escape back to your own territory rather then retreat an inch away form the city and have other enemy armies swarm over your remenants.

[RollingWave]

At turn 50 with getae and still stuck with one settlement this gonna be tough

[User29]

I cranked up income with submods but... I think I'll turn them off so the game takes longer

[ostendadler]

80 turns into a Junia M/M campaign and I'm fighting proxy wars with the Helvetii, the Raetii and the Nori. Tried conquering them but they would revolt way to fast for comfort when I had my back turned fighting the other two. I finally managed to client state the 3 of them its way better. Massalia got vanquished by some of the Gaul tribes and they are now attacking Genua.

Got 4 armies all at 12 units each.

Love the pace, love the headache of conquering "new land" and paying the price for it. I get about 3.5 4k per turn. I'm barely trading with anyone due to my Junia handicap.

Really got the feeling of building Rome now ;-). I did get a few war declarations with northern celtic tribes. Gave up the idea of going after Sicilia ... way too much work up north.

[Zanze]

120 turns into Carthage M/M. About two more turns and I will have conquered the last settlement in North Africa west of Cyrenaica. Conquering that (Gaetuli capital) will leave me with all of Spain, North Africa west of Cyrenaica, and Italy minus Cisalpine Gaul. Was at constant war with Rome since turn 2 and only managed to defeat them around turn 90. There was constant fighting between us, both by land and sea. What tipped the scales in my favor was my slow conquest of Spain alongside the Numidians. Eventually I had enough manpower and cash to overpower the Romans and the province of Italia + Brundisium was conquered in less than 4 after the deaths of their legions.

Conquering was done in carefully planned phases though. Rapid expansion, followed by assimilation in a consistent cycle. Broken only twice, both times having to do with client states and their annoying mechanics. First time was my conquest of the Po Valley. The Suebi had moved in at sign of Roman weakness and Massilia called for help (offering to be my client state, then asking me to join the war). I took their offer and quickly conquered the settlements there, leaving Milan for the Greeks. Not wanting a real front, I liberated and bribed to make the Veneti and Ligurians client states. Of course, they are uncivilized Gauls... Po Valley turned into a three way battle between the two Gauls and the Greeks. I retreated back to Ariminium with my sole army to focus on the second annoyance.

While the Po Valley mess was happening, I was preparing to move on the Numidians. That ended up being another mess, but it was sorted out a little easier. I simply wanted to clean my borders...and not get backstabbed later on. I think I'm done with clients and allies... Well, except Egypt. But they are another fun tale... They gobbled up -all- of the Seleucid territory and Vassals and ended up at war with all of Anatolia and the Roxolani, who had essentially made a Caspian Lake. Roxolani got bored and liberated 3-4 Persian factions and peaced out. Egypt just lost Antioch and is quickly losing Mesopotamia / Armenia. Best allies ever! So busy getting curb-stomped they cant betray me =D

Edit: I'm not paranoid! I just spent a long time playing Stainless Steel for mtw2. I know how "alliances" work! I'm not crazy!