Quote Originally Posted by Cambyses View Post
They are a major status symbol, and at times they were very effective in battle. When things didnt go so well, it was generally because they werent used right or were too inexperienced to be effective. Rookie elephants were considerably less useful as they arent accustomed to the battlefield whick makes them more likely to spook.

But also you have to remember elephants were used as beasts of burden / construction assistants all over the wealthy parts of the ancient world. Nero allegedly needed 200 of them to move his "colossus" statue is Rome for example. They were perhaps an expensive luxury in war, but they were also used extensively as working animals in prestige empires that could afford it. So, elephant transfers woudnt have been that unusual throughout the Mediterranean.

And, I have to say as well, the fog of war at the beginning of the game is a representative thing put in for gameplay reasons, to suggest that in 272BC Carthage, for example, would not know of the existence of Baktria and vice versa is absurd IMHO.
Do not compare dealing inside mediterranean and dealing with distant countries.If u want,u can load african elefants in Leptis Magna and after two weeks unload them in Ostia.Do same thing betwen Epeiros and Baktria:).I dont simply care how much elefants Nero have and also its pointless in this case,because they are from africa,same common stuff as lions or lion furs.Rome in his times have infrastructure for this and it was deal inside one state..Roman Empire.But Epeiros must deal with end of known world and foreign powers.For example Nero need say: 200 elefants or there will 200 dead animal traders and he have his elefant,no big deal.Also betwen Nero times and Pyrhoss times are 300 years difference and world change.