Quote Originally Posted by Gaius Sempronius Gracchus View Post
I know that the idea of the game is to offer more of a challenge (as well as being more historically accurate - which it certainly is...this is the only reason I got R:TW ) but..... Having played a number of pretty succesful Romani campaigns (roleplaying, as best as I could), and then having to re-install EB because of bugs (all sorted now I think. I hope) I'd tried a couple of campaigns on VH/M. Koinon Hellenon and Makedonia. With the Koinon I was interested in the well-thought out government system (basically you play as two factions, and a 'helpful' ally.... Having come across the huge, multi-stack armies of Makedonia during this campaign I thought...hmmm, a real alternative to the might of Rome.

Ahem...now, as I said, I know the idea is to be challenged but..., is being economically crippled really a challenge? (and with the Koinon you are economically and militirarily disadvantaged) And..., where did the historical aspect go? Surely the only reason for Rhodos being in the KH is because of the aid they supplied to Athens.... What they are in the KH is a huge drain on your economy.

So, then you get to the Makedons and....where have those huge armies gone? Pella's left unguarded, so Epirus attacks. OK...so, they'll hold out until my relief force can crawl its way up the map.., so you're half way there and....oh, Corinth is under attack now. OK...then.., Epirus attacks your walls..., but I'm confident, there's enough of a force in the city to hold-out, just need to stop the rams and.....what's this? The gates are open? The gates of Pella have, by subterfuge, been opened to the Epirus? The gates of the Makedonian capital, the heartland of Makedonian power have been opened by agents within....

Kinda puts the idea of 'roleplaying' on the ground and stamps all over it....

Any suggestions as to how to overcome these factors?
A couple of points...As others have said, pay no heed to the ficticious figure for income on the city icon. This includes a per capita division of army pay. E.g. A city of 12,000 will pay 12 times the amount of a city of a thousand populace. To find the TRUE income for a city, use the "settlement details" screen. At the beginning of the game, Rhodes is probably 50% of your total income (tax and trade) as The KH.

Secondly, and note this is mine and a good amount of others opinions, DO NOT play on VH if you intend to roleplay. The VH/M setting is in theory designed to discourage blitzing of the map (when in fact all it really does, is to ENCOURAGE blitzing the map, even making it a necessity, but that's a topic on it's own.....)

M/M is the best setting for a balanced roleplay orientated game.

You also as noted by others, had some unlucky circumstances in the first few turns. I'd say try again on M/M, and see the difference (one of the first things you'll notice, is that the ai stacks aren't around 70% mercs, and actually their own faction troops). You may find you have to invent some "house rules" to limit yourself on M/M, but then that goes with the RP element..