View Full Version : House Rules
Post your house rules that you use when playing EB, to make it funner or more challenging.
1. Only Family Members can capture settlements. Captains may recapture a lost city though.
That's it. :clown:
No stupid armies like 15 units of gaestae and 5 cavalry, all have to be realistic to what they would have been in those times.
No city assaults unless the enemy sally on the last turn before they starve, as was what happened 9/10 times in those days.
No retinue transfer to make super duper uber generals as soon as they come of age.
No blitzkrieg. (#2 kinda takes care of that though)
'm sure a couple more'l come to me, i haven't played for a while you see so i can't remember all of my own personal rules.
LorDBulA
11-04-2006, 15:37
No river crossing battles. Never. Even if you are playing as Gatai and 3 roman armies are marching at your capitol and you have only one army to defend and lots of river crossing all around to use. It just kills the gameplay.
No hill camping.
Always try to use family members, dont go with captains just because its easier.
Dont rush the game.
No river crossing battles.
I follow that rule too. However I do it to prevent the huge amount of lag that occurs during all river crossing battles. I think that that might have something to do with my ancient computer. :laugh4:
Train a wide variety of units
Use Family Members for large campaigns. For small campaigns you can use captains. However with captains use auto-calculate.
Don't give up on a campaign until you are either defeated or you have a complete victory.
Don't give up on a campaign until you are either defeated or you have a complete victory.
zomg, why? Doesn't that get really boring sometimes? :P
NeoSpartan
11-04-2006, 19:37
u all f*ing wierd....
My rules are:
-Attack the AI once u have an advantege.
-Fight in da bushes if ur Barbarian and the enemy is Civilized
-Fight on the uphill.
-Attack the AI armies when they are sepparate.
-Assult cities when u have an advantege.
-Try to never autocalc.
-Send familily members to rule rioting cities.
-Attack with Captains , Generals, it don't matter. There arent enough familily members anyways by the Mid-Game.
Its VH/VH the AI is stronger than u, get more $$ than u, and they gang-up against u. So u need all advantages u can get.
....maybe if I play VH/M I could apply some of the rulz u guys have.
scourgeofrome
11-04-2006, 22:49
Send diplomats to the ends of the earth for trade rights.
Ally with strong people I will probably never meet just for the heck of it.
Try to have a general in every city.
Try to intefere with local problems to create a peaceful world (actually, just so they won't fight so I don't have to fight lots of armies)
Cheexsta
11-05-2006, 00:51
Roleplay. Only do what your generals/king/monkey ancillaries would do if they were real people at the time.
Anything else goes (except cheating), really.
Tellos Athenaios
11-05-2006, 10:16
Send diplomats to the ends of the earth for trade rights. :yes:
Ally with strong people I will probably never meet just for the heck of it.
Ally with anyone, ASAP, you don't yet know who's going to be strong or weak.
Try to have a general in every city.
Only if it quells dissent or makes you earn more money. Use the 'leftovers' to lead your campaigns.
Try to intefere with local problems to create a peaceful world (actually, just so they won't fight so I don't have to fight lots of armies)
Always.
And add to that:
Send diplomats to obtain map information, or at least money for your own, to whatever faction;
Don't assault cities just stacked with lots of enemies inside it, except if you're forced to; starve them out instead;
Don't betray your allies;
Economy first, public order second, and health/food supply third, as a guideline for building policy;
As little army buildings as possible;
Manage everything yourself;
No autocalc;
Tax as much as possible, without causing public order trouble;
Try not to destroy your enemies completely, just for the sake of it, get ceasefires instead;
Be economical with your soldiers, try to have only the very worst acting as garrison.
And as always:
No cheating;
Use your common sense.
zomg, why? Doesn't that get really boring sometimes? :P
No it doesn't get boring. It is historically accurate, after all a leader could not just give up on his faction and quit to the main menu if everything was getting hard.
NeoSpartan
11-05-2006, 20:06
:
.....
Try not to destroy your enemies completely, just for the sake of it, get ceasefires instead;
.....
.
But I can't get the factions I AM BEATING UP to accept a ceasefire.:wall: :wall: :wall:
QwertyMIDX
11-05-2006, 20:10
Ever try to do nothing but autocalc?
Ever try to do nothing but autocalc?
I did that in MTW, focusing all my efforts on the campaign game instead. Was bloody amazing campaign, but without the risk-esque campaign map, I've never been drawn to doing the same in RTW.
Foot
-Praetor-
11-05-2006, 20:26
No it doesn't get boring. It is historically accurate, after all a leader could not just give up on his faction and quit to the main menu if everything was getting hard.
What happens to me is that I get bored because the game ceases to be hard. Once you obtain a critical mass of territories and resources in order to be powerful, the games ceases to be a challenge, because you know that the AI is already dead. Why still play something you know you`re going to win?
When I play as rome in every other mod for instance, once I get the entire italian peninsula, and the three italian isles (Sicily, Corsica, Sardinia)... it just ceases to be a challenge.
I actually find extremely fun to play those initial years with the Aeduii or Arvernii, when every bloddy mnai counts, and when you have to manage to make an arrow of every splinter in order to survive those messy first years... ahhhhhh
:charge:
NeoSpartan
11-05-2006, 20:27
Ever try to do nothing but autocalc?
HELLS NO!!!! in VH the autocalc is extremely tipped to the AI.
Hell, even when the odds on the autocals screen are against me I can still beat the AI and loose VERY few troops.
Also Autocal lets the AI army get away with about a third of its troops, after u win. And don't like to have to fight the same army again and again...one time, and kill'em all.
And besides..... what made RTW stand up above other games is that u can fight the Tactical battles as a RTS, along with having a TBS for the overall Strategic campain/war. :2thumbsup:
Tellos Athenaios
11-05-2006, 20:54
But I can't get the factions I AM BEATING UP to accept a ceasefire.:wall: :wall: :wall:
A matter of timing really. You take some of their settlements, beat a large quantity of armies, in fact so much that there are no standing armies left in the region and that the garrisons are minimal. Then you ask them for a ceasefire - either after a bit of negotiating about the amount of money you'll have to pay, or immediately they will accept.
Or you can use the force diplomacy cheat, to make the terms more realistic like what would happen back in those days.
Ceasefire and they pay tribute to you for losing the war.
But does that cheat work in EB?
Or you can use the force diplomacy cheat, to make the terms more realistic like what would happen back in those days.
Ceasefire and they pay tribute to you for losing the war.
But does that cheat work in EB?
What's this "force diplomacy cheat" you're talking about? I've never heard about that one.
The only cheat I know is toggle_fow.
-Praetor-
11-06-2006, 19:08
A year ago, when I first played the vainilla campaign of RTW, I couldn`t understand some situations regarding the attitudes of the various factions that were at war with me.
Somehow, I thought that their proposals didn`t correspond to their current situation. (Imagin playing as romans, having conquered every carthaginean province except the Balearic Islands, and receiving a proposal demanding me to become their protectorate... only if I handed back all of their territories, and paid them an indemnization of 93412942901409219041290 denarii) :shout:
In my desesperation, I searched through the net for cheats to control the diplomacy of RTW, and found the force_diplomacy one, that in theory should force the opponent to accept your next diplomatic proposal...
But it never worked for me... :shrug:
scourgeofrome
11-06-2006, 23:11
A year ago, when I first played the vainilla campaign of RTW, I couldn`t understand some situations regarding the attitudes of the various factions that were at war with me.
Somehow, I thought that their proposals didn`t correspond to their current situation. (Imagin playing as romans, having conquered every carthaginean province except the Balearic Islands, and receiving a proposal demanding me to become their protectorate... only if I handed back all of their territories, and paid them an indemnization of 93412942901409219041290 denarii) :shout:
Reminds of a BI campaign were the Eastern Romans did the same thing (I was the Persians and was a few cities from killing them with possesion of all the Middle East and Constantinople).
Once you figure things out, then go back and start a new campaign in which all battles are played using the general cam. Talk about the chaos of battle! You really need to stay back and keep an eye on things intead of doing some distant flanking maneuver. Plus it really adds a degree of difficulty to walled city assaults - it's impossible to see what the heck is going on up on those walls (much less in the city streets on the other side). Want the highest degree of difficulty with this tactic? Stick a post-it over the little mini-battlemap. Gah! Now you find out how good a general you REALLY are.
As for ancillary sharing, only within the immediate family. Dad might pass off a hot mistress and/or a talented healer to his son, but certainly NOT to cousin Silius Silius!
johhny-turbo
11-07-2006, 05:17
When a general dies I send his "bodyguard" straight into the enemy. I know it makes sense since you gain nothing if they live but when I do it I ignore all strategy. If I can I'll try to get them surrounded by phalanxes or make a mad dash to the city square.
They should die horribly for their dishonour!
Cheexsta
11-07-2006, 06:02
For those wondering: force_diplomacy only works in scripts. So if you wanted to, you could set up a script so that every time you click a specific button (ScrollAdviceRequested diplomacy_scroll, for example) that it uses the force_diplomacy cheat.
I haven't tried it yet, though I am tempted...
A year ago, when I first played the vainilla campaign of RTW, I couldn`t understand some situations regarding the attitudes of the various factions that were at war with me.
Somehow, I thought that their proposals didn`t correspond to their current situation. (Imagin playing as romans, having conquered every carthaginean province except the Balearic Islands, and receiving a proposal demanding me to become their protectorate... only if I handed back all of their territories, and paid them an indemnization of 93412942901409219041290 denarii) :shout:
In my desesperation, I searched through the net for cheats to control the diplomacy of RTW, and found the force_diplomacy one, that in theory should force the opponent to accept your next diplomatic proposal...
But it never worked for me... :shrug:
So you own Italy, Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica and have enough money to pump out legion after legion and the game is won... I have many personal solutions to this most annoying of problems.
Firstly, you could build up a huge navy until you can only afford 2 or 3 land legions.
Or, my favourite one... Recruit 'mini-legions' as i like to call them, and post them in forts to all conquered provinces. These are my police force. They discourage rebellion, and fight rebels that appear, and since units are so expensive in EB, they drain your treasury very nicely.
Of course, no mod will ever be able to fix the problem that once you conquer a certain amount of land, the AI is so stupid that you will win no matter what, but this is why we have to limit ourselves.
So you play as the Aedui or Averni or British tribe, after 30-40 turns you have conquered your enemies, you have 10 or so cities, you have won.
So how would I create a "force diplomacy script" and make it work in the game? I would really want to have client kingdoms for once, or allies that actually help you.
Markus_Aurelius
11-07-2006, 20:22
In my campaigns I actuall often experience ai stupidity in the opposite manner, take my ptolemy campaing for example. The mighty carthaginians who were at least twice as powerful as i was decided to attack me and take one of my cities. I retaliate and attack the city which was taken than i decided to get my diplomat to ask them to be my protecterate and they did, making me very rich and draining them of all income.
u all f*ing wierd....
My rules are:
-Attack the AI once u have an advantege.
-Fight in da bushes if ur Barbarian and the enemy is Civilized
-Fight on the uphill.
-Attack the AI armies when they are sepparate.
-Assult cities when u have an advantege.
-Try to never autocalc.
-Send familily members to rule rioting cities.
-Attack with Captains , Generals, it don't matter. There arent enough familily members anyways by the Mid-Game.
Its VH/VH the AI is stronger than u, get more $$ than u, and they gang-up against u. So u need all advantages u can get.
....maybe if I play VH/M I could apply some of the rulz u guys have.
Forgive if I'm wrong, but I thought in 1.2 VH was bugged so that difficulty levels on the battlefield applied to both you and the AI.
I only play with General camera and I try to roleplay the family members. I also maintain the factions "philosophy" on expansion and so forth.
Trithemius
11-08-2006, 22:48
I don't play with conscious house-rules, but I do always try to have a family member leading an army (they just tend to move faster, and my military leaders often end up with Energy-related traits too). I also try not to make "cheap" armies, although I don't think it is unreasonable for my faction to adapt to pressures they did not face historically.
I don't know what people are on about with this "never camp hills/always fight uphill"! :dizzy2:
Mujalumbo
11-10-2006, 04:35
House rules? Eh, was more partial to techno myself, but whatever. :)
Haw haw.
First* - maintain the balance of power. I try to keep all factions in as long as possible. This is easy with, say, Koinon Hellenon once they get off the ground. This isn't always possible - for instance, if you don't put the Averni out as the Aedui, you'll never get anywhere.
Second - no starting wars. Unless necessary - see above.
Third - no bribing. Unless necessary - see above. Actually, the first rule is pretty much the golden one. Most of these subsequent rules can be broken.
Fourth - no extermination or slavery.
Fifth - diplomats and spies in every settlement. I hate having settlements bribed away, and I hate having to retake captured settlements because some dumb-@$$ left the gates unlocked.
Six - no assassination of family members. It's perfectly alright to assassinate diplomats, spies, other diplomats, and captains (if only to 'train' assassins).
That's it. I'll play differently depending on which faction I am.
* I remember one campaign as the Arche Seleukia, I had 'subdued' the locals... cash was rolling in, I had a good, experienced and versatile army. Then my spies noticed the Romani stomping all over Germania and Gaul! Damn. Can't let my honourable barbarian friends bite the dust. What's an emporer to do? Pile his hardest nuts up in a boat and send 'em over to do some damage! Hardest damn campaign I fought.
My rules about extermination:
If a settlement revolts, then I exterminate or enslave the population: Teach them a lesson.
If I lose a settlement to the enemy, but take it back, then no exterminations.
Enemy settlements I capture get exterminated depending on their pop size, but if I develope a hate for a faction, I totally destroy their settlements, take down all the buildings and take away all the population by creating the basic units until they have no pop left.
O'ETAIPOS
11-10-2006, 19:02
Playing as Makedonia:
1.
-heir have to be king's son
-if king do not have mature son king's brother should be heir
It's because in Makedonia royality was sacred and coming down a royal line.
2.Some units like hypaspistai, pheraspidai, hetairoi can only be led by king and his sons or heir(if he is not king's son)
Those units were royal guard and were usually close the king.
3.Makedonian national units(Taxeis Phal, Pedzetairoi, Hypaspistai, Pheraspidai, Hetairoi) should not be used as permanent garnison in non homeland cities(but they can stand in towns if king/heir is with them) - I use mercenaries/locals instead.
4. I try to keep sizable fleet - fleet was show of power for hellenistic monarch and the bigger - the bigger prestige.
5.I try to match governor's ethnicity with city's nationality if it is Allied City (gov IV)
Markus_Aurelius
11-10-2006, 20:28
I only have three house rules
1. Always have a balanced army (no elite only armies)
2. Never destroy a faction, either make them a protecterate or just leave them be, this rule can only be broken if the faction leader or hier gains a hatred for the faction in question.
3. All cities with a level 4 government system must be totally self governed(everthing must be automanaged, including troop recruitment)
Zalmoxis
11-10-2006, 20:37
No retinue transfer to make super duper uber generals as soon as they come of age.
What do you mean by that?
What do you mean by that?
I mean, no putting a 16 year old noob in the same city/army as a 60 year old veteran and transferring all of his retinues that give +command or +management or +influence, depending on what his intended role is.
Noobsters must acquire their own stuff.
Except for chirugeon/doctors... Every army would have doctors anyway, so this is realistic.
NeoSpartan
11-10-2006, 22:52
Oh i didn't know u could transfer retinues......:shame:
Oh i didn't know u could transfer retinues......:shame:
Yeah man just put them both in the same city, bring up the card of the guy with the retinues, and drag and drop them onto the mini portrait of the guy who you want to give them to.
In vanilla you could take a 16 year old and immediately make him a 5 or 6 star commander just by retinue whoring... I only do it with doctors though, as like i say, every army would have a medic.
-Praetor-
11-10-2006, 23:46
Oh i didn't know u could transfer retinues......:shame:
You`ve missed a very important part of the game, and a good tool to discard guys like subdergullion and such. (Such as pet idiot, drunken uncle, and other dumbs :dunce: )
Even though I agree with Davye, I make only one exception with my heir... he has to be good... always.:grin:
EDIT: What davye said. :rtwyes:
PS: By the way, you can only have 8 ancilliaries per FM...
Zalmoxis
11-11-2006, 00:22
Yeah man just put them both in the same city, bring up the card of the guy with the retinues, and drag and drop them onto the mini portrait of the guy who you want to give them to.
In vanilla you could take a 16 year old and immediately make him a 5 or 6 star commander just by retinue whoring... I only do it with doctors though, as like i say, every army would have a medic.
Whoa, I had no idea you could do that! I kind of feel stupid, so I'm gonna try it (sadly, my generals from my current campaign have had no children in a while, my youngest is about 36, so I'm screwed).
You`ve missed a very important part of the game, and a good tool to discard guys like subdergullion and such. :dunce:
Even though I agree with Davye, I make only one exception with my heir... he has to be good... always.:grin:
EDIT: What davye said. :rtwyes:
PS: By the way, you can only have 8 ancilliaries per FM...
I find it best to pick a heir from your generals that have done something great, rather than make a heir good by retinue transfer, because as we all know, most kings/emperors in history were nutjobs anyway.
Usually i put a military commander as my heir, one who has conquered lots of land or done something great like defend a certain part of the empire with a small force until reinforcements could arrive, this is also a good reason to make war. Each generation needs a war in order for an heir to be picked.
Only 8 ancilliaries? Can you really make a super-General with that, considering EB's ancilliaries?
Mujalumbo
11-12-2006, 04:09
"Super" is relative. If you mean to other mods and/or vanilla, then probably not.
But you can get ancillaries that give bonus construction points and command stars during seiges, army morale bonuses (which are more helpful than you think), "herbalist" types that help recover casualties, a few give you a command star for attacking or defending, general's hitpoints or experience...
And that's on top of the traits you might acquire that give combat.
Morale bonuses are important if you need your army to slog it out - they'll stick around longer taking and meting out punishment. This is helpful especially if you're outnumbered and/or facing higher quality troops.
The general who has the right ancillaries and traits combination might be a better general than one with a pile of command stars.
My personal House Rules:
Objective: Play each faction as historically accurate as possible, keeping in mind the factions historical expansion and policies:
General Rules:
1: Only a family member can lead major armies. Small regional armies/garrison forces can be led by captains.
2: Sieges: Don't attack settlements until the last turn of a siege or ubless the enemy sallies on the last turn. (Historically, most settlements were starved into submission, although there are a few notable exceptions.)
3: Never use main battle units for prolonged garrison duty.
4: (As I usually have modified my installs to use 0 turn recruitment) Disband uneeded untis when not actively at war.
5: Never auto calculate battles
For added enjoyments, I use generals view camera. That'll really test your ability to command.
Kushan
Resurrection of this thread by the magic of Santa ~:santa:
So, now in 0.8 I...
Use basic phalanx troops (such as Henellic Native Phalanx) in large cities. However these troops must not be used where they were trained. They must be used elsewhere - in a community where they have nothing to rebel for as they have no families there.
The fields are for the elites, that is the only place where you may find any. Armies are structured of ten Henellic Heavy Phalanxes, five Henellic Veteran Phalanxes, three Henellic Elite Spearmen Units and two units of Thracian Medium Cavalry.
The Henellic heavy Phalanxes must return to where they were trained at least once every two years. If they cannot do this then they get offered a farm (using grant of land) in a new province.
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