About to play first mod

[Subotan]

It's true that type I and II governments generally give you the most options in the long term, but the Romans are unique in that they cannot build factional barracks outside of type I provinces until the Polybian reform, and not outside of Italy until the Marian reform. Because of this regional barracks are more important, and type III and IV governments allow higher levels of the regional barracks. Furthermore, certain provinces offer good high-level regional units that make it worth keeping them as a type III/IV. For the Romans, the prime example would be the Brihentin cavalry (check the recruitment viewer: IIRC it's available in a couple of Celtic provinces).

Ah, OK, ignore my comments about government then, at least when dealing with the Romans.

@ Subotan

No minimods yet. I'm still trying to get used to a mod at all! However, if the trees are going to make life hell against the Gauls, I'll have to look into it.
So far, though, it's been addfing a level of uncertainty that I like.

You'll need https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=112360 and maybe https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showt...-MINI-MOD-PACK! then. The latter isn't save compatible though.

And thanks, I like to think I'm a fairly reasonable person. And yes, I saw the Atlantis request. I lol'd. Maybe Rifts: Total War? :Grin:

No problem. I compliment people who deserve it, hard though some particular members of the forum may find it hard to believe.

[Madoushi]

Well, first off, I had Arrentium and Ariminum backwards (how the hell did I make that mistake?)

Also I finally took Taras and Rh-...that other place.

Taras went horribly. I let them lure me into the city and cut off my cavalry and lost 500 of my 1200+ men, mostly cavalry and unarmored javlin infantry as my casualties, wiping out their 570 men. Totally unacceptable.

I leanred from my mistakes assaulting the toe of the boot, however. 1500 vs 700, with only two units of Roman cavalry, my General, two Princepes, three Hastati, three slingers, one Triarii, one Samnite Hastati and the rest javelin infanty.

This time anytime they tried to engage me in the streets, I sent a column with my Princepes at the front, Hastati behind, slingers behind them and would engage, then slip my cavalry and javelineers around back, neatly hammer and anvilling them, making sure my cavalry always hit their Hoplites in the back off a charge, then immediately pulling them back to do so again. As I expected, their General panicked and sent everything to try and catch my General and Cavalry from behind and relieve their units, but my cannon fodder javelineers kept theim back untill their Hoplites broke. I quickly sent my Cavalry down a side street, nd when he persued, I sent my column of infantry at him full charge. His remaining units turned, and as soon as they engaged, my Cavalry came crashing down on his back.

Only 200 casualties this time, less than half from cavalry. Which is good, since I'm a cautious General, I expect I'll be assaulting lots of cities, so I'd better make sure I learn to get it right. Now it's 267 BC, but as soon as I've retrained my cav and heavy infantry, Messala and Syracuse should fall pretty quickly. Also the Carthage garrison at Lilybaeum is practically nonexistant.. not sure if I really want to provoke them just yet, though. I'll probably thake those two cities and look northward. I'd like to take out some more rebals before Aedui and Arveni decide to expand. Sweboz is already doing so...

[Titus Marcellus Scato]

Madoushi:

Be a true Roman. Don't worry about casualties. As long as you win the battle, that's all that matters. None of the patrician senators back in Rome really care how many of the plebians get killed, unless they're planning to use the issue to try and embarrass you in the Senate...

Unarmoured javelin infantry, 'Leves' in particular, are just fodder to soak up enemy missiles, and should be used (and abused!) accordingly. And they are from the poorest section of Roman society eligible for military service (poor Latin trash). Doesn't matter how many of them get killed, or if they rout screaming from the field - the heavy infantry will always win the day in the end.

Remember, plebs are like rats. They are as common as rats, as annoying as rats, as stupid as rats, as filthy as rats, and - their only good points as far as war is concerned - they fight like rats and they breed like rats! No matter how many die, there will always be more where they came from. There will always be another army to recruit.

Greek cowards might whine about casualties and talk fearfully of so-called 'Pyrrhic victories' - but for a true Roman aristocrat there's no such thing. There is only victory! In fact, the harder-won the victory, the greater the glory!

[Mulceber]

@Madoushi - be careful about taking any city on Sicily - the mod is set up so that you have a treaty with Carthage forbidding you from taking any cities on Sicily. If you attack Sicily, it will mean war with Carthage. I would advise letting your economy develop first before going there. Oh and maybe taking a few more cities to the north, like Bononia, Segesta, Patavium, Mediolanum (after you take it from the Aedui, they should accept a peace treaty pretty easily) and Massalia. Maybe even a couple cities in the Balkans as well, if they're controlled by Eleutheroi.

@Titus - The Romans couldn't have said it any better themselves. =D -M

[Titus Marcellus Scato]

@Madoushi - Yes, Cartharge might declare war if you attack Messana. But will they actually DO anything, other than sail around aimlessly in their pretty little toy boats and shout insults from the walls of Lilybaeum? I'd wouldn't worry about them - they're only sons of merchants, after all. If they actually find the courage to leave their own territory, a Roman army will soon send them packing.

[Madoushi]

Madoushi:

Remember, plebs are like rats. They are as common as rats, as annoying as rats, as stupid as rats, as filthy as rats, and - their only good points as far as war is concerned - they fight like rats and they breed like rats! No matter how many die, there will always be more where they came from. There will always be another army to recruit.

Greek cowards might whine about casualties and talk fearfully of so-called 'Pyrrhic victories' - but for a true Roman aristocrat there's no such thing. There is only victory! In fact, the harder-won the victory, the greater the glory!

Ah, but it takes time and money to raise a new army, and as a good Roman, I am also notoriously miserly when not spending wealth to secure elections!
Losing half a Legion may be one thing safe in Italy, with home just a season's march away, but to lose half a Legion in Gaul, where the only thing hairier than the land are its people!

Is it not better to be a coward in victory than a hero in defeat? :)

@Madoushi - be careful about taking any city on Sicily - the mod is set up so that you have a treaty with Carthage forbidding you from taking any cities on Sicily. If you attack Sicily, it will mean war with Carthage. I would advise letting your economy develop first before going there. Oh and maybe taking a few more cities to the north, like Bononia, Segesta, Patavium, Mediolanum (after you take it from the Aedui, they should accept a peace treaty pretty easily) and Massalia. Maybe even a couple cities in the Balkans as well, if they're controlled by Eleutheroi.


@Titus - The Romans couldn't have said it any better themselves. =D -M

Hrghsdfkdfhlkd, thanks for the heads up! That would have been a rude awakening and a half. Suddenly, northward looks more appealing! Mediolanum may be a tough nut to crack, however. That's where the Aedui are building their army. However, if they should attack the Arveni and leave their back gate unguarded... :)

[Matinius Brutus]

If Segstica and Dalminion are not taken by Epeiros or Macedonia - get these two. They are cash cows and will be of great help when you build mines there! The bad side of that is you will most probably very soon start a war with one of the above nations. But Roman have no fear- Roman caligae will stomp them easily! (The last sentence is a joke - the phalanx heavy Hellenes may prove very hard to beat).

[Titus Marcellus Scato]

Ah, but it takes time and money to raise a new army, and as a good Roman, I am also notoriously miserly when not spending wealth to secure elections!
Losing half a Legion may be one thing safe in Italy, with home just a season's march away, but to lose half a Legion in Gaul, where the only thing hairier than the land are its people!

Is it not better to be a coward in victory than a hero in defeat? :)

Cautious strategy is all very well, but Roman consuls are only appointed for a one-year term. So that means the consul needs to win a battle or conquer a territory before the end of the year. Otherwise he gets no glory, and someone else gets appointed consul next year. The political annual cycle and desire for glory created an overwhelming desire for 'immediate victory' in Roman leaders.

[Subotan]

Hrghsdfkdfhlkd, thanks for the heads up! That would have been a rude awakening and a half. Suddenly, northward looks more appealing! Mediolanum may be a tough nut to crack, however. That's where the Aedui are building their army. However, if they should attack the Arveni and leave their back gate unguarded... :)

The Boii are pretty solid, so you'll need to prepare well to smash them. Also, when attacking the area that in vanilla was known as "Noricum", watch out. There's a 10 star general, with a fully gold chevroned army wandering about in that province, as well as a few others. This is to represent the difficulty of conquering the Helvetii, and the problems of fighting in mountainous terrain. If you do attack them, it is essential that you take the town that they are guarding in the same turn; otherwise, he will respawn, with a brand new army!

[Titus Marcellus Scato]

Also, when attacking the area that in vanilla was known as "Noricum", watch out. There's a 10 star general, with a fully gold chevroned army wandering about in that province, as well as a few others. This is to represent the difficulty of conquering the Helvetii, and the problems of fighting in mountainous terrain. If you do attack them, it is essential that you take the town that they are guarding in the same turn; otherwise, he will respawn, with a brand new army!

I'd recommend Roman players to stay away from Noricum until after receiving the Marian Reforms. Besides, the Helvetii Elutheroi super-armies are a good buffer to protect Roman territory against enroachments by the Sweboz.

[Ludens]

Be a true Roman. Don't worry about casualties. As long as you win the battle, that's all that matters. None of the patrician senators back in Rome really care how many of the plebians get killed, unless they're planning to use the issue to try and embarrass you in the Senate...

(...)

Greek cowards might whine about casualties and talk fearfully of so-called 'Pyrrhic victories' - but for a true Roman aristocrat there's no such thing. There is only victory! In fact, the harder-won the victory, the greater the glory!

Nonsense. Greek aristocrats could be equally callous. Even in democratic Athens, many of the upper-class had an intense dislike of the "naval mob" (i.e. the poor citizens that served as rowers). It's true that the Romans brought an all-or-nothing, grind-'em-down mindset to warfare, but was that any different from the frontal pushing-match of the old hoplite battles? And it's not as if the Greeks started to employ tactics because they lacked enthusiasm for battle.

[Mulceber]

I think Scato's just trying to be "in character" for a Roman. I agree that Greeks could play the callous game as well, although Romans definitely took it to a new level. -M

[Madoushi]

Well, I took his advice when assaulting Bolonia,a nd lost 1100 of my 1600 men, my general barely escaping alive, and was forced to starve the settlement out (I figured they would sally forth, but I suppose my rebuilt army was too large)

I leanred my lessons at Patavia, I punched three holes in their walls, sent most of my force toward one to lure them into engaging, sent my cavalry and hastati around through the other two, effectively hammer and anviled them, broke their army with minimal casualties, then as I stormed their town square.... crash to desktop.

Well, maybe this will be a good excuse to intall the mini mods and try a different faction. It was a big bummer though. Are there any ways to minimize CTDs?

[Andy1984]

Some after-battle-ctd's are triggered by closing too fast the 'battle result-tab'. Especially when the fighting involved numerous soldiers, your pc needs some time to calculate everything towards the campaign map: give it some time. Waiting ten seconds after a battle usually does the trick. If that wasn't the reason why you experienced your ctd, then the AI hating your blatant victories is. :) Besides: you did set autosave on 'each turn', right?

About different factions: go ahead and experience some more pyrrhic victories. You may also want to increase difficulty levels.

[Titus Marcellus Scato]

Bononia is always hard because of the elite Gestatae naked warriors - better than anything early Rome has, man for man. Gallic cavalry is also better than Roman.

The average Roman unit is better than the average Gallic unit, but the BEST Gallic units are better than the best Roman units.

Rome's greatest strength is not her ability to win every single battle - she doesn't. Her greatest strength is her ability to just never accept defeat, and win every single WAR as a result. When defeated, Rome just builds and sends another army. And, if necessary, a third and a fourth! Victory at any cost!

[Intranetusa]

Madoushi:

Be a true Roman. Don't worry about casualties. As long as you win the battle, that's all that matters. None of the patrician senators back in Rome really care how many of the plebians get killed, unless they're planning to use the issue to try and embarrass you in the Senate...

Unarmoured javelin infantry, 'Leves' in particular, are just fodder to soak up enemy missiles, and should be used (and abused!) accordingly. And they are from the poorest section of Roman society eligible for military service (poor Latin trash). Doesn't matter how many of them get killed, or if they rout screaming from the field - the heavy infantry will always win the day in the end.

Remember, plebs are like rats. They are as common as rats, as annoying as rats, as stupid as rats, as filthy as rats, and - their only good points as far as war is concerned - they fight like rats and they breed like rats! No matter how many die, there will always be more where they came from. There will always be another army to recruit.

Greek cowards might whine about casualties and talk fearfully of so-called 'Pyrrhic victories' - but for a true Roman aristocrat there's no such thing. There is only victory! In fact, the harder-won the victory, the greater the glory!

Well said! The only thing worse than a damn filthy plebs are damn filthy slaves!