Hello fellow Total War fans & citizens of the internet etc. etc.,
I don't know how well-known this is, but, I thought that I ought to spread the word about it. On the T.W.C.'s sister site Total War.org, there is an incredible space devoted to understanding and researching, with fairly exacting precision, the inner-workings of Rome: Total War.
Unfortunately, the old laboratories are abandoned now, but, the research still stands. Almost all of it is very interesting.
https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/forum...Game-Mechanics
There's also another 'area' of the forum called the "Scriptorium". This has other, different, research:
https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/forum...77-Scriptorium
As someone who never really visits the site, I found this very enlightening, & thought it might be helpful for modders.
But, it is probable that this is just common knowledge & I am late to the party.