Which is your favorite faction?

[QuintusSertorius]

Numidia has the honor of having to wipe out the Ptolemies as part of their campaign objectives. Huge distances, massive population, and incompatible cultures mean that holding onto Ptolemaic settlements is nearly impossible. The Saba meanwhile have to destroy the Ptolemies AND the Seleucids. That's like Cold War-era East Germany having to defeat both NATO and the USSR. Sure, you can just ignore the official campaign objectives and play to your heart's content, but let's not forget about those

Speaking personally, I really hate the "destroy faction X" requirement in the victory conditions, I don't think it makes any sense.

[Shoebopp]

Speaking personally, I really hate the "destroy faction X" requirement in the victory conditions, I don't think it makes any sense.

With some scripting maybe alternative faction objectives can be implemented? Some ideas right off the top of my head are maintaining an alliance/trade rights/military access for x turns, ensuring the freedom of y settlement for x turns, or killing off a rival dynasty (killing all characters with a royal ethnicity - not necessarily wiping out the faction).

[Rad]

@Quintus - Agreed. There's really no point in destroying a "rival" faction if you have overwhelming superiority. Controlling a certain amount of certain regions is less linear, but still a goal.

@Shoe - The "destroy enemy royals" goal sounds interesting for some factions if we can count on the A.I. to not wipe them out long before the player does

[Roma_Victrix]

I always build huge empires regardless and play well over 700 turns, sometimes up to turn 1000, so eventually destroying various factions isn't a problem for me.

Koinon Hellenon is my favorite faction, but they do have a few annoying limitations. Nothing that a little editing can't fix! For instance, in my latest campaign, I made sure to give them both Thorakitai Epilektoi and regular Phalangitai, instead of just regular Thorakitai and the weaker (but still effective) Deuteroi Phalangitai.

That being said, I really enjoyed my SPQR Romani campaign a while back. That was fun. I will pursue playing as Carthage whenever the new patch comes out with the awesome new battle map settlement models for both towns and cities.

[Marvzilla]

I cant decide. Voted KB, due to their history and position which is extremely interesting and has a cool steppe influenced roster. Same reasons I play as Ptolemies, diverse roster and love the egyptian region. Then there are cultural and historical favourites, such as the Sweboz, Saka and Sauromatae. Also the KH is a favourite too.

[VINC.XXIII]

Speaking personally, I really hate the "destroy faction X" requirement in the victory conditions, I don't think it makes any sense.

I like it as Arverni vs Aedui or vice versa. I tried to subdue(hard) Aedui as Arvern but they never agreed so I took their last settlement.

[Camcolit]

I like Pahlava, interesting mix of cultures. Nomads who are Persian Empire wannabes but also need to keep the Greeks happy (after conquering all of them).

Also like KH because I'm a big grecophile, screw Rome. Unimaginative copy and paste masters wiping out more interesting cultures left and right. They are like if Microsoft were an ancient people.

Sometimes I like Saka and go full nomad conquering the whole steppe and doing a Mongol or Hun style invasion late after seeing what happens with the other factions if I don't get bored. A Greek slave said though that you never go full nomad.

Not too interested in the western Celtic factions even though that's where I'm from (- influence + unrest trait), or any of the other non-nomad 'uncivilized' factions.

[Calypze]

A lot of people favor the Romans. I am not surprised. I suppose it is easier to get immersed when playing the Romans or the Hellenistic factions, as we know so much more about them than we do about the Germanic or Iberian tribes of the period.

One problem I found with the Romans, as I do with the Carthaginians, is the rules for who is supposed to lead the armies. I don't find it practically possible to have characters going back and forth between the frontlines and the capitals in order to be selected for that, so I typically end up ignoring that. Which brings with is harsh penalties so that my generals, no matter how often they win battles, never ever get any command points.

[eyelurker]

Numidia for me.

Basically they are eastern pahlava but your only target and neighbor carthage is your ally at first which means you have as much time as you want to plan your betrayal.

And their government reform are a lot more easier to enact and implement while also more rewarding than pahlava. After reform and conquer carthage, numidia will effectively become a resurgent more powerful carthage

[Camcolit]

Numidia for me.

Basically they are eastern pahlava but your only target and neighbor carthage is your ally at first which means you have as much time as you want to plan your betrayal.

And their government reform are a lot more easier to enact and implement while also more rewarding than pahlava. After reform and conquer carthage, numidia will effectively become a resurgent more powerful carthage

A resurgent, more powerful Carthage that knows the Roman tricks. I like the idea! Just when they thought Africa was pacified, surprise!! Well, leaving aside the fact Rome never bothers with Africa. Will give them a try - never played Numida, and haven't played in the west at all in a while.

[Calypze]

The only Carthaginian province that seems to interest the Romans is Corsica.

[Jervaj]

Numidia for me.

Basically they are eastern pahlava but your only target and neighbor carthage is your ally at first which means you have as much time as you want to plan your betrayal.

And their government reform are a lot more easier to enact and implement while also more rewarding than pahlava. After reform and conquer carthage, numidia will effectively become a resurgent more powerful carthage

Why more powerful though? Don't they and carthage basically share very similar recruitment and zones of influence?

I agree though that they are undoubtedly the nomadic faction with the best settled transition. They can really become Carthage 2.0 as mentioned.

[Camcolit]

I guess he just means taking over the Carthaginian territories? So now you're basically Carthage without your troublesome neighbor.

The only Carthaginian province that seems to interest the Romans is Corsica.

You have to say though, it's a beautiful place!

[eyelurker]

Why more powerful though? Don't they and carthage basically share very similar recruitment and zones of influence?

I agree though that they are undoubtedly the nomadic faction with the best settled transition. They can really become Carthage 2.0 as mentioned.

Numidia has easier time building government and set up foriegn colony than Carthage which must build settler or trade colony before building kleruchy which itself is a timelocked reform while both yielding similiar manpower

Also don't get bogged down by Carthage election so Numidian leader and heir can actually fight for high authority

[Jervaj]

Numidia has easier time building government and set up foriegn colony than Carthage which must build settler or trade colony before building kleruchy which itself is a timelocked reform while both yielding similiar manpower

Also don't get bogged down by Carthage election so Numidian leader and heir can actually fight for high authority

Easier set up foreign colony? Isnt it the same? They just don't have their own colonies, so more likely to focus on those. But lacking their own can also be a negative, depending on what they give compared to each other, and having more limited means of conversion. Its true though that they have a much easier time to set up their higher level goverments though given such lack of colonial requirements.

The lack of election systems is relative. Purely gameplay wise it is indeed a dragdown if you get big because you cannot use it properly like it was realitsically due to the turns limitations and the capital requirement, specially when not using it gives you maluses. However there is some mechanical pros to those election systems (usually help governorship for those close enough to attend elections) and some people may enjoy the extra immersion. I still believe something should be done to ease these systems up given the limitations.

[Arshak I]

Hardly anyone mention Rome as their favorite in the comments, Yet they clearly win in the poll. I find that amusing.

Rome is always the most popular among the masses.

[Camcolit]

The Silent Majority!

[Big_guy_4_you]

230+ turns in, and I'm really liking the Saka. I've founded a Eurasian Empire Across the Steppes, Iran and India, I muster Saka, Alan, Sarmatian, Persian, Greek and Indian troops under my banner. Just wish the late game had some interactions with off-map China.

[Calypze]

Hardly anyone mention Rome as their favorite in the comments, Yet they clearly win in the poll. I find that amusing.

Rome is always the most popular among the masses.

I would guess that it might be because it is the faction in the game that we have the most historical knowledge of, and therefore it is more easy to get immersed. We also have a good idea of the important Roman characters of the era. Roman religious beliefs of the era are also well-known. Of course, much of this also applies to the Hellenistic factions.

Compare with for example Carthage. We know that they had a concept of citizenship, but we don't know the criteria for being included, or what it entailed. Likewise, we don't know exactly how their republican government worked.

Our understanding of for example Iberian religious beliefs is rather limited. And for most (or all?) of the "barbarian" factions, we have no idea what characters were around in 272 BCE.

[Calypze]

230+ turns in, and I'm really liking the Saka. I've founded a Eurasian Empire Across the Steppes, Iran and India, I muster Saka, Alan, Sarmatian, Persian, Greek and Indian troops under my banner. Just wish the late game had some interactions with off-map China.

Is Saka as difficult a faction as its in-game description suggests?