Units and public order

[ReluctantSamurai]

I thought that farms reduced squalor

Farms increase food supply which increases population, and and increasing population adds to squalor.

Also, it probably doesn't make all that much difference at this point in the game for additional trade.

Especially once you capture Rhodes with the Colossus adding 40% to trade Don't recall if I've ever built a 'trade' temple except very early in a game, and I've had treasuries into the millions of denarii when playing non-barbarians...

Do the Cataphracts do better against Chariots than standard cav

Yes. That heavy armor reduces the losses you'd expect from non-armored cavalry. Still not a good idea to go wading into a full-strength unit of chariots, which is why I let the Persian Cavalry whittle them down first.

[Vincent Butler]

Farms increase food supply which increases population, and and increasing population adds to squalor.

Especially once you capture Rhodes with the Colossus adding 40% to trade Don't recall if I've ever built a 'trade' temple except very early in a game, and I've had treasuries into the millions of denarii when playing non-barbarians...

Yes. That heavy armor reduces the losses you'd expect from non-armored cavalry. Still not a good idea to go wading into a full-strength unit of chariots, which is why I let the Persian Cavalry whittle them down first.

Elephants also waste chariots. But Parthia can't afford elephants, though I believe they can train them. You have to be doing really well with Parthia if you are fielding elephants. Persian cav are your best option, and then get to merc hoplites when you can.
As Parthia, you don't have much choice as far as trade temple or public order temples, you are stuck with one. Don't know what their temple does, but then again, Parthia never lasts long enough to get very high.

[ReluctantSamurai]

Don't know what their temple does

Zoroaster (One God)...25% Law 25% Happiness...so pretty decent in that respect. No other bonuses of any kind The traits conferred are good: (+1/+2/+3) to Influence and (+1/+2/+3) to Management.

Never played a full Parthian campaign...too predictable and tedious. In my games, Egypt always forms an alliance with Pontus, and ignores Seleucia, which means even after eliminating Armenia, there's three powerful factions to fight, all with very good infantry. Sometimes, to make matters worse, a wandering stack of Scythians come down from the Steppes looking for a fight And with a very meager economy, it's difficult to compete.

My best progress was moving as quickly as possible into Anatolia after sacking Seleucia and Hatra, via eliminating the Armenians. But if Egypt and Seleucia declare a ceasefire and stick to it, they concentrate on Parthia separately which makes the going tough.

I've had Parthian Ellies, though never more than one or two units. Never waste them on chariots...best use is for busting up all the Desert Axmen hordes followed by a good old-fashioned hoof stomping by Cataphracts

[Vincent Butler]

Zoroaster (One God)...25% Law 25% Happiness...so pretty decent in that respect. No other bonuses of any kind The traits conferred are good: (+1/+2/+3) to Influence and (+1/+2/+3) to Management.

I've had Parthian Ellies, though never more than one or two units. Never waste them on chariots...best use is for busting up all the Desert Axmen hordes followed by a good old-fashioned hoof stomping by Cataphracts

Now are the maces that the Cataphracts carry effective against armour? I have started having my cav use their swords on infantry and spears on cavalry. I don't think I have ever seen the Cataphracts with their maces, because for a while I never knew about cavalry's alternate attack. Hmm. I wonder if the same goes for spear infantry. I know with a phalanx unit they attack with swords when the phalanx is up, but I think some elite spearmen carry swords, so if I can make them use them, that might be better against enemy infantry. In my experience, cav beat swords, swords beat spears, spears beat cav.

[ReluctantSamurai]

Now are the maces that the Cataphracts carry effective against armour?

Yep.

When attacking infantry, AP weapons make the target armour = (Armour - 1) / 2.
When attacking cavalry, AP weapons make the target armour = (Armour - 2) / 2.

The shield modifier is not used in this calculation, it is applied after the AP effect.