a few questions for Romani

[bigmilt16]

I play EB with the add-on pack (excellent stuff).

1. I guess the general houserule is that you should not place FM's in positions of command/governance until they have been in military service for ten years (as a military tribune). How do you guys simulate the tribune period for your FM's? Do you stick them in a campaigning army, or allow them to be a right hand man to a governor in a settlement? What do you do with them when there is no active military campaign-just let them sit in Rome until age 30? I ask this because, once I start getting a flood of FM's I just don't know what to do with all of the tribunes I'm stuck with.

2. I hear that Alex.exe improves the AI a bit. What campaign difficulty should I use for Alex.exe? Thanks

3. I know its really no fun to just roll over your neighbors for no apparent reason (and early on), but Rome's goal is to conquer... well... all of its neighbors (which is what makes the campaign difficult-the ambitious goals of setting up such a big empire). Do you just wait to get attacked, or just wipe out the gauls at first chance?

4. Do you guys build type IV's in EVERY newly conquered area? Including Italy, Sicily, and Corsica/Sardinia?

5. When is it proper to allow allied generals to lead armies, and should they lead Italian troops at all?

[ldb88]

3. When I played as Rome, the only faction that I declared war on was Koinon Hellenon. And that's only because I had enough forces to kill them within 5 years. Everybody else (Carthage, Lusotana, Adeui, Averni, Sweboz, Makedonia, Epeiros, and Getai) declared war on me, and they did it as soon as I had a border with them. So I really didn't have a choice about fighting the Gauls.

4. I built the highest government type that I could. I trained all of my army in Italy and transported them via boat or over highways, so I preferred getting the public order bonus of type I and type II governments.

I don't really know about the others. I never really did anything like #1. I don't have Alex.exe, and I'm not really sure what you mean by allied generals.

[MarcusAureliusAntoninus]

3- Waiting to be attacked first and taking wars slowly are pretty good house rules. The Romans really didn't become overly expansionistic until around the Marian Era.

4- Type4's should only be used for client states. These would be places that the Romans claimed to have no control over. There would be local leadership with very little Roman intervention and no Roman colonies or Romanization. I would put Type2 or Type3 in places you want to integrate into your empire.

5- Personally, I would only have a mercenary general lead a non-Roman army in a non-Roman war.

[bigmilt16]

3. When I played as Rome, the only faction that I declared war on was Koinon Hellenon. And that's only because I had enough forces to kill them within 5 years. Everybody else (Carthage, Lusotana, Adeui, Averni, Sweboz, Makedonia, Epeiros, and Getai) declared war on me, and they did it as soon as I had a border with them. So I really didn't have a choice about fighting the Gauls.

4. I built the highest government type that I could. I trained all of my army in Italy and transported them via boat or over highways, so I preferred getting the public order bonus of type I and type II governments.

I don't really know about the others. I never really did anything like #1. I don't have Alex.exe, and I'm not really sure what you mean by allied generals.

Thanks for the tips man. By allied generals I meant the recruitable generals in a type IV gov., but since you don't do type IV's, I guess that question doesn't apply to you.

[Fixiwee]

Ad 3.
I really let that evolve through my campaign. At first, Rome is just ruling over italy, and basicly wants to make all the invaders go away. War with Catharge? Please go away. War with the spanish Celts? Please noo we are just silly romans with funny hats. War with Greeks? Wooops we didn't want to.
No, but serious. Until the marian period I was playing in defence, conquering lands was secondary. I tried to make peace all the time, before destroying a faction. The shift happend when I took land in asia minor. A 60 years war with the ptolemaic faction took place that triggered the marian faction for me and shifted the expanstionistic thinking of people.

[V.T. Marvin]

1.- I use young FMs instead of cavalry in my legions and occasionaly to command small detachements to surpress rebels and random enemy units. In battles the senior general usually just commands, while the youngsters do the cavalry fighting. Thus they usually gain several silver chevrons before becomming mature and a generalship or governorship of their own.
2.- I do not have Alex, so I d not know. As Roman I play on H/H on RTW.exe
3.- I have never needed to attack anyone (the script did that for me in the First Punic War) all my war were pure "self defense". Well I did attacked others several times for the purpose to maintain ballance or protect my allies. For instance when Lusotani, reduces to Potugal and Pyrennees after a war with me changed their direction and started to attack my trustful allies Arverni in Aquitania. I have twice took the city from them and gave it back to Arverni, the third time I have finally destroyed Lusotanna altogether. Generally, the more you allow AI to evolve itself, the more interesting battles you will fight and the more rewarding the game will become. Your blitzing is your greatest enemy!
4.- I have indeed installed Allied governments in all conquered settlements and replaced them with Type III (and proper Roman FM as governor) once the allied ruer died. I will replace them with Type II in another 20-40 years. In Syracusae, Massilia and Emporion I will maintain allied governments forever.
5.- Allied generals lead only troops from their own province (i.e. non-itallians) as homeland defence, or (occasionally) as an independent national undertaking. (Such as when Massiliotai - allied to Rome by Type IV - regained their former colony Emporion)

[Mediolanicus]

3.- I have never needed to attack anyone (the script did that for me in the First Punic War) all my war were pure "self defense". Well I did attacked others several times for the purpose to maintain ballance or protect my allies. For instance when Lusotani, reduces to Potugal and Pyrennees after a war with me changed their direction and started to attack my trustful allies Arverni in Aquitania. I have twice took the city from them and gave it back to Arverni, the third time I have finally destroyed Lusotanna altogether. Generally, the more you allow AI to evolve itself, the more interesting battles you will fight and the more rewarding the game will become. Your blitzing is your greatest enemy!

QFT!

This is my main rule when I play EB, also when playing the Romani (look in the faction progress thread and you'll see that in 202 BC not one faction has been destroyed in my campaign - although the KH are down to their last settlement and I can't afford to help them.)

[Maion Maroneios]

One word (two actually): Romaioi Barbaroi. Don't chose them, chose a proper Hellenistic Kingdom and recreate the Empire of Megas Alexandros. Much more fun and much more civilized

Maion

[Apgad]

1. Tour the provinces? What else would a young nobleman do? Climb Vesuvius (or is that Vesvvivs?) & Etna, rent a villa in Tuscany for 6 months, check out the nightlife in Arretium (it sucks, believe me...). Do you really think that young rich guys sat at the knee of some wizened general for 10 years leaning exactly what to do next time Carthage treatened Arse?

2. I've tried Alex and BI, and go with BI. Personally I find that battle AI is better with a formation mod (ie Darth) (save-game compatibile), which doesn't depend on your exe. I think I did 3 campaigns with Alex, and 2 with BI before I decided to go with BI. For campaign I don't know if there's much difference, but I'd suggest going with VH. If it sucks and you die very easily then try H. Then M. Then E. Is there a VE? Choose the level of diffilculty that suits how you wish to play the game. There is no right or wrong answer.

3. Depends on preferences for future gameplay. Some wish for an epic Punic war against a strong Carthage, others want to crush Greece/Asia before they get too strong. Work out who you want to fight later in the game, and give them space to grow. To roleplay, look for obvious lines of defence where expansion may have halted (mountain passes, river crossings), and use those breaks to develop your economy.

4. I hardly ever build Type IV. Some people do the IV->III->II->I thing, as they feel that this simulates incorporating a new settlement into your fold. Do that if you want. I generally build the highest level available, as long as I have the troops to hold it. If I'm on the blitz then I'll sometimes use IV, but generally I'll use this government for well-developed cities that I've recently conquered and want to get good quality regional troops from.

5. Mercenary generals - I like to thing of these like my young noble military tribunes. Of course they want to see the world and spread their 'wild arrows"... But leading armies? Perhaps, after they've seen some action under a more experienced fellow - and perhaps gathered (been given?) a few helpful ancillaries. I'd tend to save army-leading mercenaries for keeping remote borders secure, such as north Africa and the Black Sea. Of course there's no reason that you can't open up your fledging empire to competent young men of whatever nationality to become it's new leading class...

[Titus Marcellus Scato]

Romani only need to 'blitz' Taras and Rhegion at the beginning to get their economy working. After that they should never need to blitz again. (Unlike the Saka who need to blitz half a dozen cities right at the start!)

Type IV governments are the way to go for every newly conquered 'civilised' city. I.e. people who can be trusted to integrate peacefully, and not cause unrest. Like the Hellenic cultures, for example.

Barbarians, on the other hand, are not trustworthy (by Roman standards) and don't 'deserve' to be granted a 'soft-touch' Type IV government. (Unless maybe if they were allied to Rome before, were conquered by some other barbarians, and then 'liberated' by Rome. And then only for a while.) Barbarian cities should get Type III's straight away, Type II's if they were particularly troublesome.

Carthaginians are not trustworthy either. Nor are they civilised. Any culture that sacrifices babies and then dares to call itself civilised, is definitely barbaric! They should be treated worse than anyone else. Highest level of government possible.

[bigmilt16]

This is all great advice. Please keep it coming! I love developing and hearing the houserules of others because I want to start a new campaign and be consistent with governance.

The biggest debate seems to be with "romanization." Some feel that giving the nation a guise of independence for 30-50 years, through type IV govt's, is the best way to go. Others feel that building the strongest govt. available is the best way to go.

Thanks all. any other romani houserules in general? The general consensus for tribunes appears to be "give them ANYTHING to do besides command/govern for 10 years." I thought of using tribunes for 10 years of "border guard duty." What I mean is placing them at the border to command a border post for 10 years.

[Macilrille]

Despite not agreeing with some of his points this https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=101787 is a good guide to conduct becoming of a true Roman.
The age requirements for FM for example and army composition are good.

If you look at it historically Rome's wars changed characters over time and I would revise the guide a little;
272 BC- 241 BC, Declare only if attacked or directly threatened.
240 BC- 200 BC Declare on Carthage if they expand and is thus a threat, leave them be if not.
200 BC- 60 BC, Meet any potential threat by FORCE, you CANNOT allow a new threat on the scale of Carthage to pose a threat to Rome. Phillip IV of Macedonia and Antiochus IV of Seluika were both faced with Roman threat of war as they started to expand too much, Philip did not desist, Antiochus learned from Philip's mistake and wisely went home when met by a single old Roman with a cane as he marched on Alexandria.
59 BC- 30 BC, Take what you can, your military dynasts need the resources to fuel their political carreer in Rome and the barbarians are impediments to those carreers.
30 BC onwards, The Principate, expand Pax Romana. Rome was destined to rule the world, spread Roman ORDER, civilisation, culture and peace in a barbarian and unruly world, by conquest if necessary, but beware of those Germans in their forests!!!

You may want to do it by # of provinces instead of year.

[Mulceber]

1. Never really followed any rule with that - I'm a bit haphazard - if they look to be promising commanders, I give them an army, if not, straight to the properly pacified provinces (try saying that three times fast).

3. I agree with what's been said so far - the Romans really weren't expansionist until around the time of the third punic war. And frankly, in EB, you don't really need to attack people in order to wind up in a war with them - I haven't started a single war in my game, and I've conquered the Arverni, Aedui, Lusotana, Karthadastim, Ptolemaioi, Epeiros and Sweboz. Additionally, I've driven Makedonia, the Getai and Koinon Hellenon out of their home lands. All these factions started wars with me, back to back to back. It's 155 BCE and I have not been without an enemy since Epeiros attacked me way back in 240 or so.

4. I tend to build a lot of Type IV's - I find them very useful on campaign, because they take one turn to create and only a client ruler and a couple of units to keep the unrest down, thus allowing my commander and his army to get back in the field without having to commit much time to it. Then, once that region is secure, I generally transfer them all to Type II's. I find I don't use Type III's much at all - only when I can't make a Type II.

5. Well, I'm into the Marian era at this point, so there aren't really any "Italian" troops - except for your odd unit of Evocati and First cohorts. I really don't have a problem letting allied generals command my men - I mean, obviously I wouldn't send a client ruler out on campaign, since their place is with their province, but I have a few foreign generals who saw the light of Roman rule (coincidentally after some very generous "gifts" from me), who I allow to command Roman troops due to their very high command star level. -M