Things you learned from playing vanilla RTW

[Valion]

I learned that being hit by a fire arrow burns you to the point you'r charcoal
I learned that the all mercenaries in the ancient world had a color coded uniform of green>.>
I learned that biological warfare was already used in ancient times.
I learned that Gaul once conquered the whole medeterranian o.O

[Mediolanicus]

1. I learned that biological warfare was already used in ancient times.
2. I learned that Gaul once conquered the whole medeterranian o.O

1. In the book Persian Fire by Tom Holland, the writer talks about a treaty between two city states in which they promise not to poison each other's water supplies (I'd have to take a look to get the details).
Anyway, biological warfare did exist in ancient times!
Albeit not with spies spreading the black death...

2. Well, that's the point of RTW, isn't it? Imean, what do you want to accomplish when you play the Aedui or Arverni in EB?

[Connacht]

I learnt that any general in the ancient world was a ultra-dumb asshole unable to perform just a little skilled tactical movement (that's the reason for I think that RTW is a lot overrated, too stupid AI).
I learnt that the Carthaginians spoke like stereotypal Arabs.
I learnt that eastern factions like Parthians or Pontus were sons of the desert and praised it like stereotypal beduins - although they still could gather thousands and thousands of footmen in the sands.
I learnt that beduins were very common mercenaries.
I learnt that in today's Poland there was a German settlement named "home sweet home" in Latin. XD
I learnt that any hoplite was in a Macedonian phalanx.
I learnt that even if wearing not so martial clothes, the Spartans were so cool, but so cool, that they could face the mighty of any huge enemy army and still exit victorious from the battle with few casualties, high morale and without fatigue.
I learnt that Cretan archers garrisoning the island before the Roman conquest were skilled as samurai in handling their swords.
I learnt that the Mediterranean sea was full of invincible pirates that forced the naval powers of the time (Carthage, Rome, Greeks) to take a lot of kicks in their asses from them, even with many triremes against a little boat.
I learnt that the Iberians were skilled shipcraftsmen.
I learnt that the Romans were so advanced, but so advanced, that the other people felt the need to copy their soldiers even before they actually become available to the Romans themselves.
I learnt that in every battle is necessary to say that the Roman gods are watching and blah blah blah.
I learnt that Germania was a Nubian colony and Nubia a German colony.
I learnt that ancient kingdoms, even if incredibly small and surrounded by overwhelming ultra-powerful empires, were costantly in full suicidal war, until everybody but one will die ("There can be only one").

Now let's talk about Barbarian Invasions:

I learnt that the Franks had their Paladins even in the V century. Now I want a Charlemagne unit!
I learnt that the Orthodox church existed centuries before the schism.
I learnt that Spain was already fool *ehm* full of Moors.
I learnt that the Huns invaded central Europe and Italy before the V century.
I learnt that the Sarmatians that with the figure of Artorius Cassus inspired the legend of king Arthur and above all the movie King Arthur were really the bulk of Roman and especially Romano-British armies!
I learnt that the Germans called themselves with Latin or English names depending on how they woke up that morning.
I learnt that Berbers were already Muslims.
I learnt that Slavs invaded Europe just a little after the Huns and the Germans.
I learnt that German settlements were called in honour of Roman tribunes, or perhaps resembling today's English word "tribe" in a sort of Latinorum.
I learnt that Goths and Vandal were Mongolic nomads.

[Recoil]

well i learned that

-gaul was always unified
-iberian infantry<roman hastati (hold on, somethin ain't right)
-spanish navy. nuff said
-nobody travelled further east than the caspian sea and the seleukids covered so little land the game designers decided to kill em off

[Zeibek]

From BI I learnt that the Sarmatians employed a huge number of female virgins in their army.

[Ibn-Khaldun]

Mmmm... Virgins..

[Narhon]

Lorica segmentata

[Hax]

I learned that the world was flat 2000 years ago.

[Moosemanmoo]

Lorica segmentata

Auugghhhgh its too much! Put it away! Put it away!

[Ibrahim]

I learnt that the Carthaginians spoke like stereotypal Arabs

@Connacht: no they don't. they sound like those B-movie actors trying to imitate stareotypical Arabs speaking english

I agree with Ludwag: its just a game. but whose to say we can't pick on it? I even have a series of diatribes against every mod I have

no I won't read them.

[Eduorius]

I learned a lot of stuff from Rome Total War and was very important for me to get interested in military history.

I learned stuff like:
- There was a King named Pyrrhus that tryed to invade Italy before Hannibal.
- That Parthians used armored cavalry before the Medieval timeframe.
- I learned there was a hairstyle known as the Swebian knot.


Rome Total War and all the Total War series are excellent games because they teach you more about history than most documentaries. For example, you at least know that there were units known as Hastati, Principes, and Triarii and not only Hollywood legionaries. If it would be for some documentaries, I would believe that Hannibal fought Lorica Segmentata legionaries.

[Aemilius Paulus]

I learned a lot of stuff from Rome Total War and was very important for me to get interested in military history.

I learned stuff like:
- There was a King named Pyrrhus that tryed to invade Italy before Hannibal.
- That Parthians used armored cavalry before the Medieval timeframe.
- I learned there was a hairstyle known as the Swebian knot.


Rome Total War and all the Total War series are excellent games because they teach you more about history than most documentaries. For example, you at least know that there were units known as Hastati, Principes, and Triarii and not only Hollywood legionaries. If it would be for some documentaries, I would believe that Hannibal fought Lorica Segmentata legionaries.

Yeah, despite the fact that RTW had *numerous* historical inaccuracies, it still taught people some stuff. A lot of stuff, if you consider some people's level of history proficiency. It is simply horrifying. Quite a bit of people have virtually no idea what happened 100 years ago. Especially considering the kind of people I met here, in America. It seems that no one around here knows any history, or geography for that matter.

Is this normal for European countries? Kids in Russia seemed much smarter. Europe is better than US in geography, but then any country is. What about history though? How much better are Europeans in history? I have traveled to almost very European country, but it is very difficult to tell how smart the people are in a certain country just after spending week in there. BTW, according to the stuff I read in the Economist as well as Time magazines, British students were just as bad as the American ones. Continental Europe was much better and Asian countries such as China, Japan and South Korea were the best, of course.

[General Appo]

I learned a lot of stuff from Rome Total War and was very important for me to get interested in military history.

I learned stuff like:
- There was a King named Pyrrhus that tryed to invade Italy before Hannibal.

Ummm... Pyrrhus wasn´t in RTW Vanilla, right?

But yeah, RTW really helped me get interested in ancient history.

[Novellus]

I learned that:

The world is really flat

The Oliphaunt actually existed

Phalanxes settled disputes with dance-offs-- no actual fighting took place

An army of dogs led by a general could defeat an army of generals led by the AI