Why don't you love me anymore, Senate?

Playing Julii, long campaign, normal battles/hard campaign, And I have 15-16 cities. Before I was the darling of the Senate. I had 7/10 on the Senate approval, 5/6 Senate offices, 4/10 with the plebs. But over about 10 turns, the Senate started to dislike me. I've suceeded all but about 3 Senate missions (out of about 30), I'm about level with Brutii in the cities stakes, and Scipii are miles behind (heh, everybody hates them). But now I have the office of Quaestor only, and 1/10 Senate approval. Bwuh? Like I say, I'm about level with Brutii, but they have 6/10 Senate approval.

Is it anything to do with the fact my plebometer rating has gone from 4/10 to 6/10? Or that my faction leader (Manius the Defender :duel: ) has been producing naff heirs recently (not to mention my daughters' annoying habit of falling in love with 2-command, 2-influence, 0-management blokes who may have Been in the wars, but are still Useless assessors)?

I think there is a trigger at about 30 cities for the civil war event, which kicks off by the Senate taking a big old dislike to you...

I don't know if the other Roman factions can trigger the civil war event themselves....

So, they're afraid of me? Time to start training Praetorians and Urban cohorts to defend Arretium

That's what happened to me. My popularity with the people exploded and with the Senate dipped once I conquered Spain and Britain. I got a Senate Mission where the "reward" was not exposing my secret. I had 5 years and no idea what "secret" they were talking about. I decided to investigate the Senate archives with my legions to find out what they knew.

TinCow, that mission reward is quite normal and not part of the civil war thing... If you fail basically they say something nasty about one of your generals and he is forced to kill himself in shame!!!

I have noticed that your standing with the senate appears to effect the rewards... It ranges from piles of cash or exotic units to "do this or else"...

Thats odd, if you've succeeded that many missions you should have a better standing with them. Have you maybe been attacking Senate allies/civilizations they want to be fiendly with? I think that drops your popularity with them as well. It also could be you have traits/retinue members reducing Senate popularity. Like alot of Conquerers among your family members. But there isn't some set point where the Senate starts to dislike you, the turn before I conquered Rome and won the Senate was still at 6 popularity points I think.

It is somehow factored in if you are a bad boy or not. I did all the senate missions only failing 2. If the senate loves you the people wo'nt becaus it is the senate the plebs are against. Funny thing is the plebs still love you when you exterminate another Roman city ......... yaaaaayyyy we do'nt care about you exterminating us just get rid the damn senate.

I had well over 40 provinces until I had the support from the plebs. Now that I think about it it might have to do with population as a factor, because even with 40 provinces and the Brutii with 20 we were in tight competition on population.

So maybe you also have to have a huge or the biggest population over all the other factions.

No, I've kept to the Carthaginians (temporarily took Carthage on Senate orders, have mainly merc army close by rebel Carthage now), the Numidians (limited naval war, blockades etc), the Thracians (same), Gauls (conquered), Germans (after the Senate declared them personen non grati so to speak - okay, my Latin is crap, but I haven't had many lessons yet) and Spanish (conquered). I only have 1 Conqueror, IIRC.

I have two huge cities (lots of enslaving of Iberian towns), and quite a few cities.

You can easily tell if your low Senate rep is due to too much popularity with the people (pre-Civil War) or just general Senate not liking you. If you mouseover your Senate level, it will give you a brief description of the situation. When you simply haven't done anything to impress them, it says something like they don't know who you are or they ignore you. If you have gotten too powerful and are approaching the civil war, it says stuff about them being jealous and such.

There are vices and virtues and retainers that affect your popularity with the people and the senate.

I think I've seen some that are -5% popularity to senate +10% to people. These usually get given to good generals iirc.

That could be your problem.

GAH!

Vanya moved Scipii capital from Capua to Byzantium. Vanya did this mostly to improve happiness.

Next turn: Senate gives Vanya the mission to seppuku his faction ruler!

:duel:

The reward for NOT doing it? BEING OUTLAWED! (Vanya has maybe 29 provinces...?)

:furious3:

And naturally, the silly Capuans tossed out Vanya's paltry garrison composed of a sedentary old geezer general family member and 4 -- FOUR -- town garrison units! Vanya then got senate mission: TAKE BACK CAPUA FROM REBEL SCUM!

But, they want my silly old man to lop his own head off before that?

At least there was some mercs around to beef up the Capua besiegers. Silly defenders might think they actually have a chance against the senile old bastid...

GAH!