A different way to roleplay the military hierarchy of the Romans

[bigmilt16]

MILITARY HIERARCHY

(I use the new 12 turn mod. This allows the Consuls to have real time to command campaigns.)


I roleplay a military relationship between the tribunes and their commanders.

Command.
I use traits to simulate command. I use the traits of Consuls/praetors/governor to command the tribunes under their command. For example, if a Consul is a warmonger, then, regardless of how squemish the tribunes are, they are going to see alot of battles. If the Consul is a humanitarian, the tribunes will man forts on the borders, regardless of the security threats. You can roleplay traits of loyalty, family gens, and more between the tribunes and the consuls.

Military Tribunes
-Directly commands the legions and the battles. Before, I used to simply stick tribunes in the army with the consul. The problem with this is that the tribune would gain absolutely no benefit for his service, for ten years. While this may be realistic roleplaying, this is not well simulated by the engine. Becoming a tribune is an immense national honor (check out Ben Hur) for a Roman and I reflect this in the game by giving them the heavy responsibility of commanding fellow Romans in battle. I treat them like a contemporary high ranking infantry officer (like a modern US army colonel). Those who fail in battle or have horrible traits are kept to domestic housekeeping (killing rebels), or manning a fort (for the corrupt, disloyal, and losers). Those with the highest influence get first dibs on the best combat assignments. This way, by directly commanding battles for ten years, instead of doing nothing for ten years, the FM gains real trait, ancillary, and experience benefits by the time his mandatory service is done.

Once they are elected quaestor, kick-starting the FM's political/senatorial career, their days of directly commanding legions should end. They should return to Rome to help administer the city as People's Tribune, Quaestor, Aedile, etc. This way the best Tribunes/senators get to stay in rome and build management experience. THEY DO NOT COMMAND TROOPS, these guys are national paper pushers.

Yes, I know that this is not how the Roman army actually ran itself; in fact, this is essentially roleplaying the Romans as if they were a modern-day army. But I found that this creates an extremely dynamic relationship of loyalty and developing careers. It just makes the ranks in the cursus mean something now. It makes the acts of a successful or loathsome tribune means something.

[applebreath]

Yeah, I've also been thinking about the best way to roleplay the FM's of Romans.

I also think its a big flaw that EB only lets the "general" get traits in the army. I think they could have modded it in. In cities any FM there will get traits (as much as the governor, I think), so I don't know why they couldn't do the same in Armies.

For me, I leave the commanding to the older, more experienced men. Then when the boy grows up, with influence and ex senate offices, I give him an army to get experience with command. The only exception to this rule, is that I do immediately do one battle with the young FM in command. This will blood them in combat (and with a mini mod give them a command star). Imo, making them blooded and giving them one command star should reflect some of that 10 years of service that they should be doing.

-Apple

[Ludens]

I also think its a big flaw that EB only lets the "general" get traits in the army. I think they could have modded it in. In cities any FM there will get traits (as much as the governor, I think), so I don't know why they couldn't do the same in Armies.

It's due to the way the trait engine works. It checks city and building related triggers are checked for every person in the city, but battle traits are only check for the commander.

[bigmilt16]

It's due to the way the trait engine works. It checks city and building related triggers are checked for every person in the city, but battle traits are only check for the commander.

Yeah, I figured as much. Any other FM in my armies, other than the commander, got zero benefit from being attached to the legion no matter how long they were there.

Therefore, I agree with applebreath: the only proper way to roleplay a military tribune gaining the requisite military experience of a ten year career would be to ensure that between the age of 20-30, the FM gets to either:


[for good tribunes]-lead AT LEAST one minor battle, making him blooded. That one battle seriously goes a looooong way down the line when it comes time for him to get elected to higher office or get influential posts. The RTW engine really rewards military experience; OR

[for piss-poor tribunes]-man a fort on the border. This should be left for tribunes with little to no political or military promise, his gens have little to no influence, are plebs, or have the traits of being fat and lazy. I had no idea how much lazy FM's hate to move until I force marched one... last time I try that one.