Diffrences in Roman Factions?

[Steppe Merc]

I was wondering if there had been any say if each Roman faction would be diffrent besides graphical location. I've been planning on playing the Scipii because their blue and their banner is cool. However, this is an idoitic reason. Is there going to be a faction that has better say cavalry, or excels at using auxaliries? Or is it just geographical diffrences?

[jimmyM]

apart from the slight graphical differences, and the location on the map, possibly influencing the objectives of the senate mission you will get historical generals for the faction - julius caesar for julii, brutus (i came to bury caesar, not to praise him!)something-or-other for the brutii and scipio africanus for scipii

[biguth dickuth]

I remember reading in the building layout some months ago, in the preentation of a certain temple dedicated to some roman god that some of the worship temples will be faction specific (for roman factions). For example only the Scipii will be building temples to Jupiter (i got this one out of my mind as an example; it's probably not exactly so). So, due to different religious choices the faction may receive some different (religious) bonuses. Sounds like age of mythology, doesn't it....?

EDIT: I just checked it out and it is the "Shrine of Saturn" which is only for the Scipii. Strange...it doesn't mention anything about faction-specific bonuses by faction-specific temples but i think i remeber reading that someplace....anyway, i could be wrong.

[Steppe Merc]

Religion? I was hoping for something a bit more tangible...

[Spartiate]

The Julii will be worshiping Venus and in fact claimed to be directly descended from the Goddess.They were one of the oldest Roman factions and they could trace their ancestry back to Troy.

[JeromeGrasdyke]

There are differences in the Temples, which give various Priests and bonusses, and they also get different Gladiator units. There are also specialised VnV's and ancillaries, and the way the map is organised means they expand in different directions and encounter quite different enemies as well.

[Spartiate]

Thank you for clearing that up.Keep up the good work and hurry up and get the game out............er............thanks.

[Big King Sanctaphrax]

brutus (i came to bury caesar, not to praise him!)

Wasn't that Marc Antony?

[Steppe Merc]

Thanks Jerome. I was hoping for mabye unit bonuses, but thanks for the answer. But two questions: 1. Say I'm Scippii, but get greedy, and decide to to Gaul and Parthia in addition to Carthage (which I believe is supposed to be my main enemy.) Can I do this. 2. What the heck's an ancillaries? Is that an axillary unit, or what?

[jimmyM]

Wasn't that Marc Antony?

argh! yes it was, well anyway, brutus was wrapped up in all those shenanigans,so..

*tiptoes quietly away*

[Big King Sanctaphrax]

What the heck's an ancillaries?

I'm pretty sure that the ancillaries in a Roman army were things like surgeons, quartermasters, paymasters, etc. The legion's logistic arm. I could be wrong though.

I'm not sure how this would be represented in game...

[MiniKiller]

I was wondering if there had been any say if each Roman faction would be diffrent besides graphical location. I've been planning on playing the Scipii because their blue and their banner is cool. However, this is an idoitic reason. Is there going to be a faction that has better say cavalry, or excels at using auxaliries? Or is it just geographical diffrences?

Then tally me up as the second idiot among us

[Daevyll]

The Julii will be worshiping Venus and in fact claimed to be directly descended from the Goddess.They were one of the oldest Roman factions and they could trace their ancestry back to Troy.

Claiming ancestry going back to Troy was quite common throughout western history, up until the late middle ages at least.
The fact that some members of the Julii family claimed this does not make it so, it merely indicates that it was apparently considered as prestigious.

[Steppe Merc]

Sorry mini, didn't mean to insult you.

[JeromeGrasdyke]

I'm pretty sure that the ancillaries in a Roman army were things like surgeons, quartermasters, paymasters, etc. The legion's logistic arm. I could be wrong though.

Nope, quite right. They're specialists which you can attach to a given general, giving him bonusses and allowing him to do certain things. For example, the surgeon returns a certain proportion of the casualties to the living after a battle has been won, and the siege engineer allows the building of more and better siege engines. Also they can be transferred between characters, although they're not present on the battlefield and cannot move on the campaign map by themselves.

[bhutavarna]

this topic makes me wonder how historical figures would be attached to each faction. i mean Crassus for example, he was not member any of the houses right? so if he appears in the game, would it be random?

[Steppe Merc]

I'd assume they'd be senate. For example, Marius would likely be Senate while Scipio Africanus would be Scipii.

[lars573]

As far as I can tell the 3 roman factions are based around the triumverate of Caesar (Julii), Crassus (Brutii), and Pompey (Scipii) and the roman civil war. I guess I'll find out for sure in 2.5 weeks . According to http://www.totalwar.com/ the Scipii can build a shrine to saturn and that a coliseum gives Velite, Samnite, and Mirmillo gladiators. 1 gladiator type per roman faction as has been said.

[MiniKiller]

Sorry mini, didn't mean to insult you.

haha I forgot to add LOL at the end haha I'm not offended at all, in fact I found it quite funny to read I'm not the only one who sometimes picks a faction to use in that manner

[Steppe Merc]

No Thracian Gladiotors? Heck, why are there gladitors that are recretable in the first place?

[Longshanks]

No Thracian Gladiotors? Heck, why are there gladitors that are recretable in the first place?

I have to agree. Gladiator units on the battlefield most certainly did not exist. Hopefully we won't be seeing AI Roman armies half filled with gladiators.

[econ21]

I am not too bothered by the gladiators - like the Sherwood Foresters, Jomsvikings, kensai, battlefield ninjas etc - I doubt the AI will build many and I probably won't.

But I do like the sound of ancillaries, although the surgeon sounds like a no-brainer. I think I saw a screenshot of an assassin with something like an ancillary - a dancing monkey or some such. Sounded characterful.

[Oaty]

No Thracian Gladiotors? Heck, why are there gladitors that are recretable in the first place?

Heck and I was hoping for some Russel Crowe gladiators. Maybe he will pop up in the middle of your campaign .............. a gladiator that defies the emporer

[lars573]

^The game only goes until 14ce (the death of Augustus), gladiator was set just after the death of Marcus Arellius in 181ce. But they said they will work in the Spartacus slave revolt.

As for those who were disappointed at the lack of thracian gladiator, I have good news you get Thracian mercenaries. They are but one kind of mercenary troops that are available. Personally other than the ones in the demo I've heard there will be cretean archers, mercenary Samite warriors, Thracian mercenaries, Cilician pirates, and probably more.

[andrewt]

Claiming ancestry going back to Troy was quite common throughout western history, up until the late middle ages at least.
The fact that some members of the Julii family claimed this does not make it so, it merely indicates that it was apparently considered as prestigious.

Well, considering they are the Iulii and Aeneas' son is named Iulus, it's not too difficult for them to come up with an excuse to claim ancestry.

[fenir]

Family name: Julius Caesar..........IVLIVS CAESAR

Now If i remember correctly, Marius Julius Caesar was Gaius Julius Caesar's uncle.


Gauis Julius Ceasar, father of Gaius Julius Ceasar the famour Dictator. Was brother to Marius Julius Ceasar, (of the Marius reforms), And, his Cousin Lucius Julius Caesar, Whose sister was Marc Anthony's Mother.

hmmm all kinda funny :)

fenir

[Stuie]

Family name: Julius Caesar..........IVLIVS CAESAR

Now If i remember correctly, Marius Julius Caesar was Gaius Julius Caesar's uncle.


Gauis Julius Ceasar, father of Gaius Julius Ceasar the famour Dictator. Was brother to Marius Julius Ceasar, (of the Marius reforms), And, his Cousin Lucius Julius Caesar, Whose sister was Marc Anthony's Mother.

hmmm all kinda funny :)

fenir

You are correct - Gaius Marius was Julius Caesar's uncle by marriage.

By the way, I thought the different factions also had political/military strengths and weaknesses. Thought I read somewhere that the Julii would be better militarily, the Brutii would be better politically, and the Scipii would be balanced. But maybe that's just based on the family members you get during the game.....

[Steppe Merc]

Odd.. I always thought that the Jullii had horrible luck, and constantly squandered their power....

[Colovion]

Nope, quite right. They're specialists which you can attach to a given general, giving him bonusses and allowing him to do certain things. For example, the surgeon returns a certain proportion of the casualties to the living after a battle has been won, and the siege engineer allows the building of more and better siege engines. Also they can be transferred between characters, although they're not present on the battlefield and cannot move on the campaign map by themselves.

that's awesome, yet another thing to micromanage

[Kraxis]

Well, considering they are the Iulii and Aeneas' son is named Iulus, it's not too difficult for them to come up with an excuse to claim ancestry.

And considering that the Aeneid was written by Virgil at the time of Augustus, for Augustus, who had everything to gain by getting the Julii-Aeneas connection confirmed, we can safely confirm that it has little historical basis.
It was written in a time when Julius Ceasar was skyrocketed into a deity, so of course his ancestry had to have been equally important, and thus his ancestors (even if they were only adopted) were equally cool in the mind of the Romans.

The Aeneid is more or less just a physical manifestation of Roman envy towards written Greek history. It attempts to jump in and tag along for the ride that is the Illiad.