Wrath of Sparta! impressions and discussion

[Myth]

Got it last night. I was thinking $15 was too pricey, but then again, i spent that exact amount on lunch with a female colleague just that day. So why not?

My overall impression is good. The map is smaller but somehow I found it more immersive than Rome 2 standard. Perhaps it was the long break I took from the game, but somehow the sounds of everyday life we hear from here and there, the changing of seasons (1 turn = 1 month), the flavour text, they all fit. Ancient Greece comes alive before your eyes and it just feels so good. Upon clickng on a settlement for the first time we get historical information about it from the advisor. Now that's something that makes it even better for me.

I don't even need to lead battles to enjoy it, the strategic and diplomatic aspects of the game are what I enjoy most anyway. I didn't have much time to play, but I do have a gripe with it. Athenai has been set up as this garand "villain" of sorts. Having direct ownership over some key settlements, it is pretty much stated that we need to make leagues and allies and coallitions and whatnot to try and contest their hegemony, particualrly their incredible navy.

I was like "OK, so here's the plan. Make a fleet, make a land army of elite units, sail for Athens, capture outlying settlements, go for the Coup-de-Grace and capture Athens."

I went for a tier 3 barracks which was completely unecessary, since I can recruit Spartan Hoplites and Helot Archers from a tier 2 one. I did make a big fleet. FYI fleets offer a lot more value in this campaign as I'd say 70% of the settlements are coastal. The low movement speed and horrid combat stats of transports also play a key role in incrasing the value of warships.

Anyway, by the time I was ready to go and fight my arch nemessis for the dominance of Hellas, the Ionian Leage had gutted them. Lol. I found a starving Ionian army in Athens. I conqured some settlements with my fleet and then got oblitherated by two stacks of ships from an enemy coallition I had paid no heed to at all. My land army was stuck somewhere around Athens due to losing a lot of movement points embarking and while at sea (which is a good thing IMO, I still remember how stupid it felt at Rome 2 release when my legions could basically walk from Rome to Carthage at no extra movement cost)

Anyway, it is then when I had to stop because it was already 3 AM, and I will start a new game and have plenty of time to play during the holidays.

But please CA, when you set up this grand conflict between major players in the region, make sure they are actually powerful. This reeks of 1 province African minors destroying Egypt and Carthage in the main campaign.

And why was the Ionian league starving? It had 6 or so settlements!

As a side note, this campaign will make for a killer sucession game.