Rome 2 Tips and un-/under-documented features

[CaptainCrunch]

they can also persuade an enemy agent to your side. You can actually exceed the agent number limits.
I have 4 military agents but my limit is 3.

I was wondering whether or not that was the case, cuz I haven't been able to do it when I'm at the limit even when my chance of success is 80%+. Thanks for clearing it up.

I also wanna mention that when you Loot a captured settlement, as opposed to Occupy or Raze, the slave populations in your provinces increases by as much as 30%. Since I don't see population totals tracked anywhere in-game this may have to do with population surplus? Not sure what affects this. It is mentioned in the Encyclopaedia, but no details as to specifics.

[phred]

I was wondering whether or not that was the case, cuz I haven't been able to do it when I'm at the limit even when my chance of success is 80%+. Thanks for clearing it up.

If I have the same odds for assassinating and persuading, I feel as though I have a much better chance to succeed with the assassination than persuade them to join my side.
But that's purely anecdotal - I haven't tried tracking actual occurrences.

[BroskiDerpman]

Usually which one do you use more? From the info above and from my previous experience it seems assassinating is usually the preferred method.

[Sp4]

I like converting them. I only ever assassinate faction members.

Also on the point of dignitaries sucking... yeah there's a little too much they are able to do and be helpful with for them deserve to be called sucking =P They can help with public order, conversion, tax rate and that's only the sort of things they can do at home =P

[CaptainCrunch]

Usually which one do you use more? From the info above and from my previous experience it seems assassinating is usually the preferred method.

As for myself, under normal conditions I'd prefer assassination cuz if successful that stops the AI from deploying an agent on another mission for at least 2 turns (since they can't be deployed when recruited), and when they do of course it'll be minus any abilities their previous agent managed to acquire. However, persuading them to your cause is really useful, especially in the early game, since you only have a single spy to work with. I've never been able to pull that off though even when the chances are high

There's also the consideration that if an agent is susceptible to persuasion once, they might be vulnerable to it again when working for you. Can a rat ever be trusted?

[phred]

Usually which one do you use more? From the info above and from my previous experience it seems assassinating is usually the preferred method.

I tried persuading and it often didn't work, and then just switched to assassination, which "seems" to work more. But assassination often just wounds someone and takes them off the map for a short period, so I could just be imagining more successes with assassination.
I think it was just last night or the night before that I tried persuading on a whim and it gave me military adviser over my limit.

Has anyone been using the agents to start rebellions?
There are a couple of regions I'd like to take without starting another war.
It was a bit overpowered in Shogun II (but fun).

[BroskiDerpman]

RoTS agents were worth several elite armies if they're leveled up. (A bit weaker in Sengoku but still powerful somewhat)

[Spoonska]

Has anyone been using the agents to start rebellions?

Yes, constantly. I use the spy's that don't start off with wealth bonuses to rough up nearby enemies, and territories. Fully talented a spy will drop public order by 60 I think ? You will get negative diplomacy for agent actions against the nation, but I've never seen the penalty go past 15. Once the revolt happens its a bit of a coin toss if it will work out. On the first turn of a revolt they will only have 1 unit the General. Every turn after that they slowly start to build. Sometimes the AI will will act and snuff it out, sometimes the AI doesn't have an army in sight and it works out. Then you're okay to steam roll it. A good example of a place to use this is during a Sparta Campaign since going to war with Athens might not be something you want to do for your province capital.


And also to tack on to this tip.

they can also persuade an enemy agent to your side. You can actually exceed the agent number limits.
I have 4 military agents but my limit is 3.

Enemy agents sometimes have faction (maybe culture) bonuses that are unique to them. There's one of the celtic tribes (I think) that will give you increased charge bonus from a champion. When you convert them you get that unique bonus not. Not forever though , just as long as that agent is alive.

[CaptainCrunch]

...Has anyone been using the agents to start rebellions?
There are a couple of regions I'd like to take without starting another war...

I was working on this very thing when my best agent kicked it from old age. Now I gotta work with a couple of rookies, I'll report if it goes well. There's a huge flashpoint brewing in my campaign that would literally draw 5 factions into war... and I'd like to engineer it

[Quillan]

I do not know if other factions have access to these buildings, but at least as Rome there's one of the aqueduct line that gives extra agent levels to all agents recruited in the city. At the moment I have two of them in different regions, and those cities are where I get all my agents now. As it stands I'm getting rank 3 agents out of the gate, and in the campaign I'm closing in on being able to recruit rank 4 spies and dignitaries with rank 5 champions (I built the Colosseum).

[Barkhorn1x]

I built the Colosseum.

Good man.