1.x AI Faction Progression Thread

[Molinaargh]

I'm guessing the settlement rebelled to the KH.
But they won't last for long

You're right they won't. I have plans for them!


Roma, 154 BC. I don't really like the Marian units

I also went pretty crazy with my spreadsheets this game:

https://img43.imageshack.us/img43/6074/ebsheet1.png
https://img36.imageshack.us/img36/7891/ebsheet2.png

At the beginning I killed all starting family members and played with only Titus Aemilius Lepidus. Adopted some Plebeians to get Marian Reforms. The Reformator ended up becoming Augustus without meeting all conditions (bug). I didn't mind because I liked him, being 10/10/10 and all.

[Jebivjetar]

alex m/m

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

i guess you all know why i put the whole line in there

[DaciaJC]

Getai, 186 BC, VH/M

Pretty insane Qarthadastim expansion... they finished conquering the Romani in 213. I've spent more than a decade hurling 1-2 full-stacks (often comprised of their numerous elites) back every turn on the bridge just west of Patavium.

In 191 I launched a blitz campaign in Asia Minor, taking four settlements within three seasons. Of course, this brought me to war with the Yellow Fever and its 11 idle fullstacks (as well as Pontus), but with so many border settlements, I have been able to wipe out several fullstacks at a time.

I also raised a 3/4 stack of elites (Ischyroi Agema, Komatai Epilektoi, Ktistai, Tarabostes and a promising young general) as well as a fleet of Lemboi (commanded by a four-star admiral) to attack the heartlands of the Ptolemaioi and Qarthadastim and raze their major cities (troop production centers).

[athanaric]

I also raised a 3/4 stack of elites (Ischyroi Agema, Komatai Epilektoi, Ktistai, Tarabostes and a promising young general) as well as a fleet of Lemboi (commanded by a four-star admiral) to attack the heartlands of the Ptolemaioi and Qarthadastim and raze their major cities (troop production centers).

Excellent. You should also take all their islands. At least Sicily, because they can train Elite Pikemen in Lilybaeum.

[Zim]

VH/M BI.exe (for the latter half, first half was RTW.exe) Carthage game.



I started out the game very slowly, letting most of my starting settlements rebel and slowly reconquering them. I was hoping for an epic confrontation with Rome to end the game, but after they received the Marian reforms they started recruiting armies of mostly vigiles', so I decided to conquer Greece (then held by the KH) to get to fight some elite armies and get revenge for their sinking so many of my ships through the game. It was so much fun I just kept marching east... I know many players conquer far bigger empires, but it's rare for me to take a faction that far. It's been fun. Right now I'm trying to regain some lost ground from the Arverni while conquering the rest of Egypt.

I may be hitting a natural limit to my expansion, though. My new settlements generally aren't making enough money to make up for for garrisons thanks to high corruption and large garrison forces to combat distance to capital penalties (haven't been able to bring myself to move the capital from Carthage itself). I also hit that magical size where even with large garrisons on all borders every AI faction attacks me if able. Until recently I could recruit whatever armies I liked and ship them around to different fronts, but now things are fraying on the edges of the Empire a bit and I have to make due with what I can get, especially troublesome in the east where I lack good regionals.

[Mr Polska]

Holy schmoly. That's one hell of an AS.

[Centurio Nixalsverdrus]

OK it's been a long time since my last update... so here the world history, 272 - 152 BC.




272 - Makedonia is a kingdom on whose survival nobody would place a bet




262 - Epeirotes and KH destructed, the former become a Roman protectorate as Italiotai




252 - Makedonian Hegemony on the Balkan peninsula, Romans and Carthaginians quarrel a bit about Sicily




242 - The Romans start their conquest of Gaul, the Makedonians the war against the Ptolemies




232 - The Carthaginians on the advance




222 - Roman betrayal and the rise of the Arverni Kingdom with Makedonian help (Celtic Crusade)




212 - Carthaginians withdrawing in Iberia and advancing finally in Italia, attempt to snatch Kyrene leads to war with Makedonia, incessant Sabaean attacks on Nabataian allies




202 - Lusitanians in Iberia and Romans in Gaul gain the upper hand, an expedition corps ravages Sabaean domains




192 - Romans become the Galloromans, Carthaginians continue the war as Phoinikes, Armenian betrayal, peace with the Sabaeans (FDed)




182 - Lusitanian betrayal, Makedonia betrays the Getai, Carthage becomes Axum and the AS the Indohellenes




172 - New invasions of the Arabian peninsula, Qataban gifted to Axum, Civil War ravages the Arche




162 - the Baktrians take the position of the Makedonian Nobles in Iran, Saba profits from the Civil War




152 - Conquest of Lugia and gifting to Sweboz allies. Sosipatros Philippeus finishes his great mission (the destruction or Rome) at the age of 75. Goidils switch sides to a Lusitanian expedition corps, Albionoi (Casse) invade Belgica (both FDed)

[XSamatan]

simply WOW

must have been a pleasure to get all the ideas for that and to get it to reality...

The Maks are THE perfect faction for a civil war.

XSamatan

[athanaric]

The 172 map looks like you've given two thirds of your empire to the Suebi...

[Lovejoy]

Sorry for the big picture but there is a surprise in it.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

PS: They have walked all the way from Spain. :) How sad when they finally arrives in Africa only to find Carthage enslaved and conquered. ;) I really like the AI-expansion in this campagin. There is lots of action everywhere, still all factions remains. No one is too powerful, except maybe the Ptolemoi(sp). But they are being attacked from several directions. Saba in the North, Cartage(or the desert dwellers) from the west - and a war between them and the Pavhlan seems inescapable. Asia minor, turkey, is just a complete mess. Gaul is reallyyyy strong, I like how they conquered parts of Spain. The war between Aedui and me will be epic! ;)

Centurio Nixalsverdrus: EPIC overview!

[IrishHitman]

Conquest of Lugia and gifting to Sweboz allies

Consorting with barbarians is only ever a temporary measure, crush them or you are not a true Hellene.

[Hax]

PS: They have walked all the way from Spain. :) How sad when they finally arrives in Africa only to find Carthage enslaved and conquered. ;) I really like the AI-expansion in this campagin. There is lots of action everywhere, still all factions remains. No one is too powerful, except maybe the Ptolemoi(sp). But they are being attacked from several directions. Saba in the North, Cartage(or the desert dwellers) from the west - and a war between them and the Pavhlan seems inescapable. Asia minor, turkey, is just a complete mess. Gaul is reallyyyy strong, I like how they conquered parts of Spain. The war between Aedui and me will be epic! ;)

Have you checked their name? It could be a bribed army.

[Lovejoy]

Have you checked their name? It could be a bribed army.

I know they are not bribed, its full of iberian units and I first spotted them in the alps. Back then a faction leader, Gisgo, was leading the army. Since then I have followed them all the way. Pretty fun to watch actually.

[Centurio Nixalsverdrus]

Thank you all for your comments.

must have been a pleasure to get all the ideas for that and to get it to reality...

Yes, the best part of the game if you ask me. This is what keeps you interested in the campaign.

Consorting with barbarians is only ever a temporary measure, crush them or you are not a true Hellene.

I have crushed the Lugians and my army and Faction heir barely survived. Many did not survive. But I don't want Lugia, really. Would not have been realistic, and realism is all the campaign is about.

Next to be conquered: Noricum, Albion, Hibernia, Persia, Baktria. More or less.

[IrishHitman]

I have crushed the Lugians and my army and Faction heir barely survived. Many did not survive. But I don't want Lugia, really. Would not have been realistic, and realism is all the campaign is about.

Next to be conquered: Noricum, Albion, Hibernia, Persia, Baktria. More or less.

By the way, do I see the Lusotannioi in Ireland?

[Zim]

Yeah. For a lot of the game they and the Ptolemies switched places as the number one faction, and I would send raiding forcs to weaken whoever was on top. Then My armies were stretched too thin as I really started to expand, and next time I checked back the AS had become huge.

Holy schmoly. That's one hell of an AS.

[DaciaJC]

By the way, do I see the Lusotannioi in Ireland?

Goidils switch sides to a Lusitanian expedition corps, Albionoi (Casse) invade Belgica (both FDed)

3 characters, blah blah blah...

[IrishHitman]

3 characters, blah blah blah...

Also, why is Ireland on the Lusotannioi expansion zone?

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[gamegeek2]

I see more than a little inspiration from MAA ;)

[Ludens]

Also, why is Ireland on the Lusotannioi expansion zone?

There is a theory that, shortly before or during EB's time-frame, an Iberian warlord with a large number of followers migrated to Ireland. IIRC this theory is very much disputed, though.

[Jebivjetar]

Pahlava, 222BC, M/M, Alex.exe




AS- moved to the west as i took their eastern provinces. they feed my armies with fresh new fullstacks. I fill Hades with their souls.
Baktria- i helped those buddhists to reach nirvana somewhere around 260BC; feeling good there, i guess. pure utopia.
Romans- doing good, but now brave Carthaginian and Epirote allies will eat them alive: if not, i'll erase them personally via sea (yeah, it's personal).
Ptolies- surprisingly inactive, yellow as the sun.
Aedui and Arverni- eating each other from the start. Arverni finally destroyed by the Romans
Makedonia- destroyed by Epeirotes
KH- have only Rhodos left, now they are making some naval invasions into Asia Minor: trying to conquer Asia Minor with akontistai
Saka Rauka- declared war on me, were pushed back: extremely inactive.
Getai- became Epeirotes protectorate, fighting Sarmaritians for some villages
Casse- feeling lazy on their island, sleeping naked in the forests.
Carthage- inactive until now: since 230bc conquering Italy
Saba- only revolt expands their empire, they just eat some sand in their desert and walking around
Lusos- live in ambush and fighting Carthies
Sweboz: loosing every fullstack trying to beat respawning rebel armies
Pontos- AS would destroyed them but i gave them ALOT of money (my own, without console command) so they could defend them selves. I've personally re-took some cities form AS for them. My allies.
Hayasdan: few fullstacks sleeping in the mainland. Fighting Sauros pointlessly. My allies
Pahlava- FTW !! :-))

[Zim]

Wow, that's the best I've seen Epeiros do as an ai faction.

[Marcus Ulpius]

Seleucid campaign - 233bc:



Lusitanians - took control over the whole Iberia, the conflict with Rome seems inevitable.
Aedui - fighting for their lives against the Romans
Arverni - pretty much gone
Sweboz - as usual building Central European Empire
Epirotes - stuck deep in the Balkan swamp (fighting Macedonians and the Getae)
Macedonian - were thrown out of Micra Asia by me after their treacherous attack. I thought they'll dominate mainland Greece, but Epirotes seem to be able to fight both the Getae and the Macs.
KH - somehow managed to take Corinth. Most of the time only Sparta was holding ground against Macedonian assault.
Getae - fighting against Epirotes, hard to tell who's winning.
Pontos - betrayed me at a very difficult moment and paid the price.
Hai - as usual stuck with the Suros
Saba - for many years they are trying to push me out of Nabatea. When my Ptolie war is over, they are going to be wiped out for being such a nuisance.
Pahlava - they had more land at one point, but I decided to minimize the threat and now they are in a "domesticated" condition.
Bactria - same as Pontos, treason will not be tolerated. Now they are at peace with me, but without Bactra. They are fighting Saka and will most likely have trouble holding ground.
Ptolies - after 40 years of constant war they are in a miserable condition. I won't destroy them completely in the near future as I need them on my western border as a buffer between me and expanding Qart-Hadasht, but they'll lose their Upper Egypt lands very soon.

[Jebivjetar]

Ok, here's update:

Pahlava 112BC:



-Romans kicked from Italy; Epeiros and Karthage now fighting for peninsula.
-Pahlavan victorious army reached Mediterranean sea. Meanwhile fighting Saka on the easterns borders. My faction leader is still alive (over 110 years old )
- Pontos- finally achieved to start taking control over the Asia Minor

[XSamatan]

My faction leader is still alive (over 110 years old )

Do you eventually play on Alex.exe and forgot to delete the "immortal-trait"??

XSamatan

[Jebivjetar]

Do you eventually play on Alex.exe and forgot to delete the "immortal-trait"??

XSamatan

I guess so... anyway i like it because he is a great governor in Alexandreia Ariana

[Lovejoy]

When you play with alex.exe you need to make some small changes in the files. Otherwise all your generals become immortals. I don't remember what changes tough. :/ Do a search.

[IrishHitman]

Romani Campaign (Got bored kicking ass as Makedonia for once)

249 BCE


The map of the year just before Makedonia, seeking glory as Greeks will, stabbed me in the back.
As you can see, I had already secured Sicily and Italy. I struck against Epirus on the first turn, and captured Taras by the skin of my teeth on the second. After that, I retrained the southern consular army, then bypassed both Rhegion and Messena to attack the Carthaginians in Sicily.

I won, after a siege and battles with a marine landing by Carthage's ships.
I then went on to capture Corsica and Sardinia, which earned a triumph.

After that, it was boring fights against independent city states in the North, which went well except for a pretty bad defeat at Massalia. The same turn, Makedonia attacked Segestica unsuccessfully, prompting invasion by myself.

240 BCE


As you can see, the invasion of Greece is pretty well advanced.
I've made peace with Carthage for the moment, so I can concentrate on the Greek front.
I also wish to see if Carthage holds up in Iberia before I start my expeditions there.

The Macedonians send mostly levy and skirmisher armies against me, which I defeat utterly with only 5-10% casualty rates each time. The problem is that they send them at an incredibly quick rate, meaning that I have to send armies back to Italy every year or so to retrain back up.

I apologise for the fog of war, but I can't use the console commands due to Vista...

[Mediolanicus]

I apologise for the fog of war, but I can't use the console commands due to Vista...

https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=103681

[Jebivjetar]

Pahlava, 213BC