Mini Guide: Getting started with Rome II

[Bramborough]

I have to disagree with you on the barracks. First of all, you only need one barracks to start and thus upgrading it isn't a big expense. Also, you can get it after you get your military tech and from then on you start investing similar amounts of money and food in ports and civic buildings. Thus it's not a big amount that you save from not getting it. However I find that the Urbans actually perform better than legionaires. Also, come patch 3, the AI will be a lot more competent and thus I suspect the players will need the edge the urbans provide.

I'll meet you in the middle. While I maintain that there's no real need to progress beyond Veteran Legionaries (in the game's current state), there's also no particularly compelling reason not to max out barracks development either, as it's easily affordable. I will also concede that future AI improvement could well change my opinion on this.

[Quillan]

I don't know if my games is bugged, but I don't think it is. I can only build one each of the level 5 buildings. It will not allow me to build a Circus Maximus when one already exists. I built the Colosseum in Rome. I could not build a Circus Maximus there because it only allowed one amphitheater-line building in the city, so I built in Carthago instead. When I completed the Circus, the only upgrade option there was the Circus Maximus, not another Colosseum. Since it finished, I cannot go beyond the Circus in Alexandria. I highly suspect the same will be true of any level V building.

[Sociopsychoactive]

Just a small point. You specifically say to build a barracks building in rome, and this is a mistake. Building slots in the provincial capitol are gold dust and the barracks (and auxiliary barracks) can be anywhere in the province and still get all the bonuses. The TEMPLE wants to be in the capitol because it can go to level 5 there, as does the gladiator school ect for those troops, but core barracks buildings, workshop level buildings ect should always be in minor settlements to leave you slots free for public order boosts and training buildings, they are capitol only.

[Bramborough]

Holy crap. I started reworking a few of my provinces along Myth's recommendations. Not even close to done yet, but already shocked at how much both my food and income are increasing.

Has become very clear to me that:

1. I was over-emphasizing public order, specifically by building far too many temples.
2. I waited WAY too long to research the tech which allows Level IV settlements. I hadn't realized just how high a percentage of income comes from those.

[Hooahguy]

Reading all of this, Im prompted to rework my provinces as well, Im only making ~850 a turn, pitiful from what I used to be making, which was about ~2k a turn. Somehow it plunged, not sure how though...

[Quillan]

Reading all of this, Im prompted to rework my provinces as well, Im only making ~850 a turn, pitiful from what I used to be making, which was about ~2k a turn. Somehow it plunged, not sure how though...

One word: corruption. I made the same mistake early on. I had reached a point where I was making about 8000 per turn, and over ~50 years of peace with no military expansions that shrunk to under 5000 a turn. So then I went to reading and researching, then rebuilding the provinces. After some Philosophy techs (some of them reduce corruption, and the side benefit of completing each trio of techs in a tier is further corruption reduction) that went back up to 8000 per turn. Then when the buildings kicked in it climbed to ~13000 per turn. Now, at 60 regions owned, I'm making nearly 40,000 per turn, with 12 full stack armies and 7 fleets maintained. The Empire bonus corruption reduction has a huge impact, too.

[Myth]

I don't know if my games is bugged, but I don't think it is. I can only build one each of the level 5 buildings. It will not allow me to build a Circus Maximus when one already exists. I built the Colosseum in Rome. I could not build a Circus Maximus there because it only allowed one amphitheater-line building in the city, so I built in Carthago instead. When I completed the Circus, the only upgrade option there was the Circus Maximus, not another Colosseum. Since it finished, I cannot go beyond the Circus in Alexandria. I highly suspect the same will be true of any level V building.

Hi and thanks for your feedback. It is possible that level 5 buildings are restricted to 1 total. I haven't gotten that far yet, as I haven't had the time to play beyond 30-40 turns. The guide I did after my initial experience + some planning based on the encyclopedia, where it's not stated that level 5 buildings are restricted. However, even if they are, the principle stays the same.

Can someone else confirm that level 5 buildings are restricted to one total? It makes little sense to get the technology for those if they are. Also, this might have been changed in Patch 2 (they mentioned high-tier buildings rebalancing)

Just a small point. You specifically say to build a barracks building in rome, and this is a mistake. Building slots in the provincial capitol are gold dust and the barracks (and auxiliary barracks) can be anywhere in the province and still get all the bonuses. The TEMPLE wants to be in the capitol because it can go to level 5 there, as does the gladiator school ect for those troops, but core barracks buildings, workshop level buildings ect should always be in minor settlements to leave you slots free for public order boosts and training buildings, they are capitol only.

Except if you want a Tier 4 barracks which I assume most people will, even if they don't NEED it at the moment. Minor settlements being capped to level 3 buildings means you should not invest a barracks there IMO.

This will work for Rome if you decide that Tier 3 barracks is sufficient, but not for other factions.