About to play first mod

**Ludens** · 03-05-2010, 18:02

Originally Posted by Titus Marcellus Scato

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** · 03-05-2010, 19:47

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** · 03-07-2010, 01:28

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** · 03-07-2010, 01:42

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.

**Madoushi** · 03-07-2010, 02:00

It was the Battle Result tab opening that caused the crash, I think. They had their last unit in the public square, and my army was pressing upon it from both sides, firing missiles. Just as my cavalry charged in from one side, and my Princepes from the other, the game crashed.

Also, I was surprised at just how effective starving them out was. If I play as Rome again, I think I'll do more of that when attacking Northern Italy. Why waste thousands and thousands of mnai raising new armies, when I can spend the money developing infrastructure and economy?

@Andy: I'm pretty satisfied playing on medium, for now. I seem to make it hard enough for myself as it is. :)

**Madoushi** · 03-11-2010, 13:33

Well, I started new games as the Casse and Koinon Hellenon. With the Casse I've been taking my time, building my economy and taking England piece by piece. It's already 257 B.C. and I'm getting ready to take Wales, though it looks like it'll be a bloody encounter. I'm making thousands of mnai a turn, though, so captured settlements get rebuilt quickly saving up for three turns can get me a 6000+ mnai improvement started and I have my first triple chevroned unit (a lowly Imannae).

As for the KH.. I'll need to read a guide to play as them because no matter how many units I sell off, I always go broke instantly, get besieged by the Makedonians and can never afford to raise armies to defend myself, the nightmare scenario I invisioned when I first installed the mod...

**Subotan** · 03-11-2010, 14:22

Making Money? With the Casse?

**Titus Marcellus Scato** · 03-11-2010, 14:34

Originally Posted by Madoushi

As for the KH.. I'll need to read a guide to play as them because no matter how many units I sell off, I always go broke instantly, get besieged by the Makedonians and can never afford to raise armies to defend myself, the nightmare scenario I invisioned when I first installed the mod...

Have you tried my KH suggestions here?

KH is tough if Macedon is determined to take Athens from you - all you can do if they seige it early is hope they either get bored and lift the seige, or assault the city and fail to take it. But your hoplites aren't too effective fighting on the walls, and if the Macedonians take a gate, then their heavy Companion cavalry is very hard to stop even with hoplites. The best chance you have is to block the streets in places where towers still under your control are shooting the enemy troops in the back as they attack you.

If Athens falls, then things get very bad for KH. You might be able to retake it later if the Macedonians don't garrison it sufficiently, though - or put a spy in there and try to start a revolt. If all else fails and you lose Sparta as well, then, you'll have to 'emigrate'. Save enough of an army (if possible!) to go and take a rebel city somewhere else around the Mediterranean - Syracuse or Massilia would be best, although Empiron or Arse in Spain are alternatives. You'll also need a 'getaway fleet' to ship your surviving army elsewhere. Really, really try hard not to lose your family members in a hopeless seige or battle, because their bodyguards will regenerate no matter how badly in debt you are. So even if all your other troops are wiped out, you can still use your family members to conquer a new home from the Eleutheroi, somewhere far from the terrible Macedonian oppressors.

**Titus Marcellus Scato** · 03-07-2010, 01:46

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!