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I tried playing Carthage but ancient world did not like me much. Almost every one is at war with Carthage. Too much of a challenge in a game I barely understand. Is there any faction with an easier starting point AND a gradual increase in challenge ?
Start Rome on Hard or Averni on Normal.
starting position and toughness is stated on the main screen when you go for a new campaign
The Averni are too tough a start if you don't abuse the Confederacy mechanics. Go for Rome or the Iceni IMO.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sp4
On normal: Rome (roman, manipular troops) or Macedon (pikes, hoplites, cavalry, and the all-killing slingers) should be a cake-walk.
Carthage is probably one of the hardest starts; Epirus as well
The fact that everyone hates Epirus at the start makes it 'easy' to get wardecced by everyone. In my attempt I've had a bunch of people do that in the first 5 turns but the only one of those 5 I actually ever fought was Sparta. The others never came to do anything =(
"The others" do come, given time ;) unless they get wiped out themselves by other AI's. In my Epirus game, Syracuse, Rome, Venetti, Athens all declared on me within the first 5 turns. The only one I did not have to fight was Syracuse since the poor sobs had decided it to be a good idea to declare war on Carthage at the same time they declared war on Epirus.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sp4
However as soon as I grabbed all of Hellas + most of Italy, war declarations stopped (they stopped earlier than that even).
I had war declared by Syracuse, Venetti, Rome and Athens as soon as I defeated the first Spartan army. Macedon joined the whole thing after Athens dragged them in but they asked for a peace treaty when Sparta and Athens were destroyed in the same turn. The Venetti never came, the Romans never came and the Syracuseans (?) were destroyed by Libya before rebelling, retaking Syracuse, declaring war on me again before I sent a fleet and army there to take the town. Then.. Rome.. I had been at war with Rome for 60 turns by this point but I've never seen any Roman armies, even once I started bringing my soldiers into Italy via Syracuse and I literally defeated Rome without fighting anything other than garrisons.
The hardest fight I got from the Venetti after they threw a stack (literally a stack) of Oathsworn and cavalry at me and took out my army sent to 'hold' Illyria, should they ever decide to come and play but this happened so long after the wardec that I forgot I even was at war with them.
It's actually a great idea. The first thing anyone in that region should do is eat up Roma, Magna Graecia and Africa. Since the first two require you to fight Rome (which should be a bad idea and actually would be if they could secure italy in 5-6 turns and keep their legions together), beating on weak and confused Carthage is great. Syracuse sends The Thunderbolts of Zeus and another fullstack of hoplites and they AR for the win versus the crap that Carthage can field. Getting those grain resources and a 4 settlement province really does wonders for a faction.Quote:
Originally Posted by Slaists
The problem comes from Lybia or Garmantia/Nasmosometing. Lybia has two grain resources at its disposal s it can field a ton of armies, and the other two are just part of the secret African World Domination League.
Presumaby you'd have Athens and Sparta coming to wipe you out, so the AI would have time to consolidate at least half of Africa...
Also the egyptians start out pretty easy but have the potential to get really difficult really fast. Start by expanding west to control gain control of lybia, then move south (but watch out for the huge stack in ptoliemais theron) to gain control of aetheopia (sp?). The trouble comes if and when the selucids decide you need an Eastern bloc beat down, then the game gets interesting. Dropping Cyprus' satrapy either off the bat or as soon as they get attacked (and they will) will buy you a few years probably.
If you really are new enough to the game as to still be figuring stuff out, then go ahead and play Rome, at least for a while (not saying you gotta play a whole campaign) until you get the hang of it. Rome's primary starting advantages are: a) 4 settlements, two of which are provincial capitals, b) partial ownership and/or relatively rapid access to some of the richest provinces in the game (Italia, Magna Grecia, Africa), and c) very powerful troops relative to neighbors.Quote:
Originally Posted by jaspritsingh
If, on the other hand, you're asking for "a little bit harder than Rome, but not as crazy-hard as Carthage", then I can say give Pontus a try. Small start (2 minors), a couple of angry neighbors, and lousy troops can make the first few turns interesting. BUT...Pontus also has some diplomatic advantages, and should never have to worry about income because of trade from all the friendly Greeks. Plus, the Level I muster field provides the Hoplite...which will be your bread-and-butter infantry core throughout the game.
Bottom line, the campaign start menu gives an idea, with an "Initial Challenge" rating which is completely separate from Difficulty level. Rome and Egypt are "Easy", while Carthage and a couple others are "Hard". Most, including Pontus, are "Normal".
If you're truly brand new to R2, pick an easy. Otherwise, go normal.
I've noticed that in my campaigns...Egypt has some solid starting territory, but tends to get into big scrapes with Seleucids and all their satrapies. "Easy" initial challenge or not, I'm kinda thinking of giving Egypt a try for this reason.Quote:
Originally Posted by jbillybrack
Also, as Myth said, go for Iceni. They start easy and really only get easier, with the exception that you won't roll in the money right away like other factions. I'm working on a basic Iceni troop/building guide; they have been very entertaining, if VERY easy, so far.
In my Epirous campaign, idestroyed the forst Spartan army within the Athenean territory, then put Sparta under siege, destroyed their second army and garison since they salied to met mein battle.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sp4
The turn i conquered Sparta, Athens declared war as well as Knossos.
Without waiting i assault Athens, which by the way had only an army of 7 units and two navies of a total of about 15 ships plus the garison, so i autoresolve a close victory and Athens is mine.
Syracuse and Rome declare war to me, Rome haw an army in the sea close tp Apollonia, but it doesnt move.
Knossos comes to Attack Athens, its easily repeled, then a Syracusen army together with a fleet capture Apollonia and i attack the next turn with an army half regular troops half mercs,recapture it and imediately dispand all the mercs.
Until now i use only 1 full stack army and just starting to complete a second one.
Rome after a few turns tries to assault Appolonia, but there is a Cartheginian army near by, which adds in deffence and the Romans are destroyed.
Knossos mekes an other attempt against Athens, same results, then i invade Crete, cupture Hierapytna and thats all the agresivenes of the AI.
I must also note that, all this time, about 35 to 40 turns, Macedon, never made a move, which is very strange since they have a DA with Sparta and Athens is their CS.
Anyway, after the conquest of Crete, i see 3 armies of Tylis to besiege Pella, which has no standing Army and they could easily have taken it, but instead they just wait for the surrender.
I deside to declare war to them, move my both stacks and assault them, lift the siege and take the city later for myself.
When i move close to the borders, next turn they have abandoned the siege and thats not all, the funny thing is that, i then sent an agent to discover where they went and i saw 2 stacks of Macedonians just standing in a distance watching...