Suggestion: Better defended Eleutheroi towns?

[NikosMaximilian]

I'd like to suggest some scripted eleutheroi generals (like those in Carrodunum, Eburonum, etc) in certain locations, to better represent the difficulty of conquering those areas. Of course, some of the locations could be in the territory of one of the new factions. If that should be the case, sorry. Also my apologies if adding too many scripted defenders could hinter gameplay, I'm not an expert on modding.

Anyways, I'm talking specifically:

- Northern Spain: to represent the Cantabri, Astures, Aquitani and Vascones among other peoples, who couldn't be conquered until the Imperial times).

- The settlements in North Africa in what is modern day Algeria and Tunisia, to represent the Numidian federations of Massylii and Masaesyli. This area always gets overrun fairly easily by Carthage.

- Axum and Meroe, to give some sort of resistance apart from distance from the Ptolemaioi. This would also help to delay the revolt-fuelled war that always happens between Ptolemaioi and Saba. Also Petra could be included.

- Caledonia (modern-day Scotland) and Hibernia (Ireland).

- The cities in India/Pakistan.

I think this would give both the AI and specially the human player a little more of a challenge in order to expand, rather than just blitz through the map. Imagine playing as Rome, you're already at war with the Aedui, Arverni, Lusotana and Carthage. Losing half of your stack in northern Spain would represent quit a challenge and stop you from blitzing.

[A Very Super Market]

The Numidians are going to be in EB II.

All others, I have nothing to contribute on this matter.

[eddy_purpus]

Id hope for EB Team leader, Foot...

To consider, or reconsider...

Having big armies for everyone , ala Rome resurectum...


Do please, Do want.

[fraoula]

The Numidians are going to be in EB II.



Exactly.

Also better defended settlements could mean slower expantion for the player but it also could mean no expansion for the AI controlled factions.

[gollum]

Indeed, its a subtle design point. Perhaps even more subtle though is balancing the autocalc (while keeping the intended battlefield balance) - although with the upgrade effect it can be hard.

[Macilrille]

If an Eleutheroi settlement is threatened by a blitzing faction or myself. I start scouring the map for a few years looking for Eleutheroi that has popped up in faction lands and move them to the region under threat (RP an emergency muster of all as the region is threatened and because those small stacks popping up everywhere is so futile). Sometimes it helps, sometimes not. It has cost me one army as I had moved the equivalent of an extra stack to one of the "ÜberEleutheroi" regions in my Sweboz campaign, and with another added by the script as there are fewer and fewer regions to put them in, I faced 4½ stacks there- most "Über". As my main army moved in from the north (2 stacks versus three Ele), I moved another one up from the south in support (I had taken all Italy and N Balcans) and hid it in a forest. It succeeded in ambushing the first Überstack coming looking for it, but that took it out of hiding in forest and the next stack killed it almost to a man, though suffering heavy losses. Odds were now 2 of my fresh armies from my homelands in the N against just over three Überstacks, I just managed it and in fact that small campaign proved more challenging than the great KH is in the South...

I think I am an advocate of higher Eleutheroi defence if the Eleutheroi region borders a blitzing AI faction or the player. Otherwise not as it can stop weak AI factions expanding.

[bobbin]

I think I am an advocate of higher Eleutheroi defence if the Eleutheroi region borders a blitzing AI faction or the player.

We get this in EB to a certain extent, the script beefs up the armies surrounding the player at the game start to provide more of a challenge.

I agree with the idea to a certain extent although I think they shouldn't be as strong as the spawned central european defender armies who are so powerful the essentially act as a manpower sink for stupid AI who single mindedly send army after army to be wiped out without focusing on other areas of the map.

[ARCHIPPOS]

I'm not sure actual army size has anything to do with eleutheroi settlements falling (or not) under other AI factions. In my current KH and Casse campaign i have seen massive makedonian and Arverni/Aedui stacks get beaten at Pergamon and Bratosporios respectively by mediocre eleutheroi troops. At Pergamon especially eleutheroi were repeatedly reinforced by some marauding halfstack or the other. Then 5 years later the same eleutheroi troops of Pergamon fell by a blitzing Pontos general (who was outnumbered), IMHO oppinion the AI is quite arbitrary(=random) in factions' expansions...

[Foot]

Id hope for EB Team leader, Foot...

To consider, or reconsider...

Having big armies for everyone , ala Rome resurectum...


Do please, Do want.

We are not Roma Surrectum, and wouldn't it be boring if we were. Both mods operate under different design plans, and can therefore offer differing gameplays. This is a good thing. We won't have big armies for everyone.

Foot

[moonburn]

EB2 already solved the issue by using psf´s as secondary cities who can better represent those hard to reach places

plus with the new system of the top 5 units not costing upkeed in a city and up to 2-4 units in a psf not costing upkeep (wich will probably be scripted to double for eleutheroi i suspect) i believe the sistem is almost perfect atm concerning your concerns and we can have a more balanced game experience and with probably less blitzkrieging

p.s: psf = permanent stone forts

if you´re a player like me i guess you already discovered that for us we´re screwed in securing our borders in rivers setting up forts at every pass to gain time to react so we can only hope the ai isn´t that dumb as to attack without analysing the odd´s 1st

[Fluvius Camillus]

The AI rarely does something already, it is fine as it is now.

~Fluvius

[seienchin]

We are not Roma Surrectum, and wouldn't it be boring if we were. Both mods operate under different design plans, and can therefore offer differing gameplays. This is a good thing. We won't have big armies for everyone.

Foot
I can only applause. :)
Everybody having a huge army is ridicoulus in my eyes. Esspecially with the EB system were most eleutheroi cities already have bigger armies than the player could afford with just one city, even if it were rome or athens.
I think its the right balance for the game. Not to easy to conquer, but also not tooo far away from beeing realistic.

[anubis88]

Agreed. It found it most confusing when playing IBFD and RS, where i had a bunch of full stacks all over the place... didn't know what the hell to do with them

[NikosMaximilian]

The Numidians are going to be in EB II.

All others, I have nothing to contribute on this matter.

Is there a link to a list of confirmed factions so far? Thanks.

[A Very Super Market]

The previews are stickied, aren't they?

Anyways they are

Pergamon
1 of the Numidian factions (I can't remember)
Bosporan Kingdom

[Horatius Flaccus]

Is there a link to a list of confirmed factions so far? Thanks.

I think you would enjoy this (https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?106937-All-the-Previews-In-One-Thread) thread.

[Macilrille]

Back to topic. In my current (started yesterday) Roman game I will add units to all Eleutheroi under threat using "move_character" and "create_unit" and tell you how it goes. My idea is to make faction expansion more historical.

[eddy_purpus]

:'( not saying that EB= RS but Id have loved to fight big stacks vs big stacks ;'(
:P

[Subotan]

- Northern Spain: to represent the Cantabri, Astures, Aquitani and Vascones among other peoples, who couldn't be conquered until the Imperial times).

So basically the Basques? They might still be included.



- The settlements in North Africa in what is modern day Algeria and Tunisia, to represent the Numidian federations of Massylii and Masaesyli. This area always gets overrun fairly easily by Carthage.
.
They're confirmed to be in.



- Caledonia (modern-day Scotland) and Hibernia (Ireland).
.
These were not conquered for geographical, logistical and economic reasons, not because the Caledonians and Hibernians were exceptionally tough.



- The cities in India/Pakistan.

These are already pretty difficult. That said, they are meant to represent the Western fringes of the Mauryans....



- Axum and Meroe, to give some sort of resistance apart from distance from the Ptolemaioi. This would also help to delay the revolt-fuelled war that always happens between Ptolemaioi and Saba. Also Petra could be included.

I agree with this though.

[Cyclops]

EB2 already solved the issue by using psf´s as secondary cities who can better represent those hard to reach places...

Yes that was the first thing I thought on seeing the OP. There are few walkover targets at game start especially if I roleplay my various factional rules.

I take the point about India: if my dream of a Mauryan statrapy is but a chimera, then a "subcontinental reconquista" script would be a wonderful challenge to a player wanting a rich corner postion. Just a quality half stack every twenty years would be enough to keep a player on his toes.

I find when i take India its more worthwhile building its economy than barracks at first, and so far to send the troops anywhere much when i finally get the barracks built.

I mean i do it so I can have the pleasure of guild warriors and Indikoi Elephantes rampaging across the battle map, but thats usually in the end-game.