Fun way to play AS.

[Smelly Jelly]

Like many others here, i find the Seleukids interesting as a faction, with good roleplaying opportunities. (They have these extra titles like "overlord of Micra Asia or Mesopotamia or one other)
However i don't like their starting position. Immediate war from all sides, too large to properly oversee, a heap of rebellious provinces you don't want, AND: no Eleutheroi territory between you and your immediate enemies, which makes a cease-fire with them impossible.

So: rebellious provinces + no Eleutheroi barrier = eureka!

I disband all troops in all regions i do not want, turn off autobuild/recruit, disband some structures (you'll get so much money you can leave the wonders, but temples or other public order buildings MUST go, occasionally also sewers/healers. I like to leave economic buildings as well, MICs go, to give my Pahlavan & Baktrian heirs equal chances.).

In this particular case i chose to become a Karian/Southern Anatolian state. So i disbanded structures and troops, moved capital to Ipsos and let my empire crumble.

I conquered the two Ptolemaeian Anatolian settlements, and let the one closest to Antiocheia revolt as well. Side, i held on to. Now having an Eleutheroi barrier between me and Ptolies i could easily obtain a ceasefire. However war was soon declared as i progressed to take Halikarnassos, and later because of Ptolies fruitless attempts at taking "our friends" in Cyrene; whom i have nothing to do with.

You could do this in any way you want; if you want an empire, based on the banks of Tigris and Euphrates rivers - go ahead, let it all revolt and play YOUR game, historical or not ;) .

[Cute Wolf]

yeah, crumbled AS empire was somewhat a long time favourite..... :coffe:

[Smelly Jelly]

But it remains annoying that there's always gonna be scripted wars between AS and Ptolemies. However, with the crumbled AS-start-up, and all the Eleutheroi provinces, Ptollies don't seem to eager to expand, strangely. It seems, without an AS to pick on around, Ptolies are quite peaceful...

Are there other factions that lend themselves well to this kind of play?

[Cute Wolf]

If you want better "Crumbling Empire" campaign, you should try karthadast, FD your Iberian holdings for Lusotann, FD your Sicilian holdings for Romaioi, and your Islands holdings for Either Lusotann or Romaioi. Turtle arround in africa and try to conquer Ptolies.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Actually, that campaign will result (after you trashing ptolies) mostly Romaioi grows as a big superpower at the north, before at war with you.

[gamegeek2]

It'll be even better in AtB! (Check out the new Nabatu previews!)

Sorry to hijack this thread with advertising, but just to remind y'all - we're always looking for volunteers.

[Hax]

And if you order now, you get a Maurya preview for free!

You know what's even better, playing as the AS? Try not to lose a single province (except Asaak). Seriously, it's really fun to try and hold on to Marakanda and Alexandreia-Eschate and turn them into stable powerbases from where you can march into the steppes. I succeeded in that for the first time and I sent them Sakai flying back to Chighu.