Taksashila Tribute

[kdrakak]

Cool script for Taxila! Tribute to the Mauryan empire every now and again and I am not sure how much... but cool campaign parameter.
Since there is still no way to just refuse to pay I wonder what triggers the rejection (since it's also a victory condition)?

[Mithridates VI Eupator]

How many rounds have you played? Generally, an event should occurr in around 268 BC (The year when Asoka became emperor), where you have to make a choice.

[bovi]

You should get the option each year to accept or refuse the tribute. You don't?

Edit: Nevermind, Mith knows better than me.

[Mithridates VI Eupator]

I had some plans on revisions of it for the 2nd release, that might include some changes to that effect. However in the first release, that is not the case, as far as I am aware.

[helenos aiakides]

I'm playing and I get prompted each turn whether I want to leave the empire

[kdrakak]

As soon as it got to be 268 I got a choice. Mauryans are serious about this... as one would expect. This perhaps makes it a better strategy to expand west first and then east so that the big army of elephantian family members is amassed to the easternmost settlement at Sagala (is that right?) to defeat the Mauryans and assert independence.... sorry Asoka... it's a VC....

I am curious... how does the allied army from Asoka appear if you come under attack. For example if Bactria attacks you in Paropamisadai then it would take a good 4-5 turns before any Mauryan army could reach the western part of the Taxilan state....

[Mithridates VI Eupator]

It is not a rebel army that appears, as that would be hostile to you too. The Mauryan military assistance is in the form of units being gifted to the player.

By the way, I take it that you declared independence? What has the Mauryan army done so far?

[kdrakak]

I am not really playing this campaign anymore. It was for testing purposes. I will begin a new one shortly with a clearer strategy. I do plan on independence though. And I plan to have an army in the east when the Mauryans appear. It seems poised for Sagala when it appeared it the test campaign. I could run a few more turns on that if you like. But I suppose you guys have done that already.

[Mithridates VI Eupator]

Well, we have tested it, bt it's great if you guys can also check what happens, as our observations are, for obvious reasons, rather limited. (There are only a handful of us, and there are 28 factions to test).
What we are interesetd in is the behaviour of the mauryan army:

1. What do they do if Sagala is Eleutheroi?
2. What do they do if they conquer Sagala?
3. What happens if you successfuly defend Sagala?

I'm not suggesting you just run this over and over to bug-check for us, but if you have any observations on this, I'm sure they will be of value to us!

[Vermin]

In my campaign (as the Hayasadan) I got a message stating that the Taksashila had been eliminated on turn 20. Is this just an odd coincidence or is it more or less supposed to happen then.
Regards
Vermin

[bovi]

A coincidence. We don't have Maurya invade when the AI is controlling Taksashila - we have no way of making the computer understand the consequences of choosing rebellion or servitude towards an off-map state.

[linuslinothorax]

In my campaign (as the Hayasadan) I got a message stating that the Taksashila had been eliminated on turn 20. Is this just an odd coincidence or is it more or less supposed to happen then.
Regards
Vermin

In my Pergamon-campaign they died in round 19 too, but not because Bactria conquered them...

[kdrakak]

Interesting...

[kdrakak]

Well, we have tested it, bt it's great if you guys can also check what happens, as our observations are, for obvious reasons, rather limited. (There are only a handful of us, and there are 28 factions to test).
What we are interesetd in is the behaviour of the mauryan army:

1. What do they do if Sagala is Eleutheroi?
2. What do they do if they conquer Sagala?
3. What happens if you successfuly defend Sagala?

I'm not suggesting you just run this over and over to bug-check for us, but if you have any observations on this, I'm sure they will be of value to us!

I cannot answer any of the above. The Mauryans went on to attack Taksashila, cooly bypassing Sagala even though it was only guarded by a single spearmen unit.
Oddly enough they attacked instantly without siege equipment.... I found my self in a battle without time limit (though there should be such a limit based on campaign settings) and an enemy outside the gates that couldnt attack... strange.

And yes they do appear as Eleytheroi.

Bug?

[MButcher]

A coincidence. We don't have Maurya invade when the AI is controlling Taksashila - we have no way of making the computer understand the consequences of choosing rebellion or servitude towards an off-map state.

That's interesting. I could have sworn that the rebels sent a Mauryan stack to take Taksashila while I was playing as Baktria. I don't recall what year it was, but Taksashila held Gandhara and the region south of it, and then a few turns later I see that they only had the southern region. I checked Gandhara and it was held by an eleutheroi stack led by a Mauryan.

Of course it's possible that the stack was from Sagala, rather than a scripted Mauryan invasion.

[bovi]

Maybe it's still firing then. @V.T. Marvin, can you shine a light here?

[kdrakak]

Well, we have tested it, bt it's great if you guys can also check what happens, as our observations are, for obvious reasons, rather limited. (There are only a handful of us, and there are 28 factions to test).
What we are interesetd in is the behaviour of the mauryan army:

1. What do they do if Sagala is Eleutheroi?
2. What do they do if they conquer Sagala?
3. What happens if you successfuly defend Sagala?

I'm not suggesting you just run this over and over to bug-check for us, but if you have any observations on this, I'm sure they will be of value to us!

If you successfully defend Sagala against both armies sent against you (a stack and a half actually) then Asoka turns Buddhist. But the game gave me another scare just with the announcement that a Mauryan army was coming. It never did. I think it was just Asoka saving face.
Btw. Brief opening Strategy for Taxila on VH/M:
Kill your Elephant Unit (upkeep). You can build farms if you like. Gather all your army except a single unit to garrison Taksashila, and head to Sagala. Infiltrate with your spy. Recruit all infantry (no mercs) from Taksashila. Next turn. Move them east to join the main army laying siege to Sagala. When that happens take the city. Then fight the rebel army to south between your two cities. It is a powerful army so you'll need to move in force. When done go back to Sagala. By this time you've paid a couple of tributes and your economy struggles but is not crippled (maybe you go minus for a bit). Asoka ascends. Tell him to turn Budhist and leave you alone!
He sends a stack and a half to Sagala (sooner or later). When this army attacks Sagala they do so without siege equipment. I did not try to wait it out. Maybe a draw, maybe they lose and disappear... Dunno.

First half stack was defeated in front of the city walls. Second full stack on the field. Publicity stunt stated above and behold!!! Independence!!! (or so I think. I clicked half a dozen of turns away but no asokans).
Note: Do not go after Paropamisadae. At least not until you are independent. The culture is sufficiently different to bog your army down. During a test campaign it even rebelled to Baktria.
At this point I plan to take Opiana and leave Paropamisadae and their leader's shiny Early Parthian Armoured Horse-Archer Bodyguard alone as a buffer zone between me and Bactria while I conquer the riverlands!

Oh and.... beautiful game guys!

[Antigonos Karchedonios]

Maybe this Screen is of some use to you. Takshaila got destroyed around turn 20. And when I looked a little later these guys were lurking around:

[bovi]

It might be that their main army turned rebel, which could explain their early demise. But those stacks there are huge, presumably consistent with a Maurya retaliation...

[kdrakak]

Maybe this Screen is of some use to you. Takshaila got destroyed around turn 20. And when I looked a little later these guys were lurking around:

Well I think this concerns people that are playing factions other than Taksashila. So far I have seen only minimal glitches.