superpowers?

**Barbarossa82** · 04-29-2005, 23:38

That sounds like a great game - I must have played 30 campaigns and only once have I ever seen the Seleucids survive the Egyptian onslaught and expand. Such a waste of a cool faction.

**Craterus** · 04-30-2005, 00:07

You've seen the Seleucids beat the Egyptians?? WOW! Did you help them out? If you didn't I am shocked, I didn't think they were capable, I thought the Egyptians steamrollered through Seleucids

**AntiochusIII** · 04-30-2005, 00:12

Try playing the major mods out there if you, like me, desires the Seleucids to be the superpower they actually were: the most powerful empire in the known world at the time. Most major/large mods really put their efforts into this particular case of Ptolemaic unhistorical/annoying success in crushing their supposedly superior neighbors, who, in history, successfully drove the Ptolemaic dynasty out of Palestine and Salamis, and even threaten, several times, with real possibility of success, to conquer Egypt. The Seleucid rise to power, albeit going through several huge setbacks, finally ended at Magnesia, by Rome's hand, who viewed them as the eastern superpower who was a serious threat.

In game it's just Ptolemaics beat out poor Seleucids, indeed, I would like you to post a screenshot about this campaign, if you really don't interfere in the early wars of the east when the Seleucids were often wiped out among the AI.

**Craterus** · 04-30-2005, 00:16

You may have seen me post this before but I'd really like it to be 50/50 in these wars. You know the wars you know will happen i.e. Carthage vs. Scipii, S.E vs. Egypt, Brutii vs. Macedon, Brutii vs. Greece, Julii vs. Gaul.

I think it'd be really good if these were unpredictable as to who would win. Apart from maybe Gaul vs. Julii because it was obvious who would win there, the Romans have better economy and men. Every campaign I start I begin waiting for the same "Faction Destroyed" messages as before.

**AntiochusIII** · 04-30-2005, 00:24

Originally Posted by Craterus

You may have seen me post this before but I'd really like it to be 50/50 in these wars. You know the wars you know will happen i.e. Carthage vs. Scipii, S.E vs. Egypt, Brutii vs. Macedon, Brutii vs. Greece, Julii vs. Gaul.

I think it'd be really good if these were unpredictable as to who would win. Apart from maybe Gaul vs. Julii because it was obvious who would win there, the Romans have better economy and men. Every campaign I start I begin waiting for the same "Faction Destroyed" messages as before.

As I said, play the mods. Indeed, some sub-mods by fans of RTR built to further balance the game proves to be very useful in creating randomness, and solve the ridiculousness of the east. The Seleucids will be very, very powerful, for example, but will be surrounded with lots of enemies. This gives difference, since it may be the Seleucids or one of their many enemies who will rise in the east. Oh, and the Gauls were much stronger in some of those mods, as well. Strong enough to hold their own against the now-unified Rome, which plays less overpowering on other AIs, but no less dangerous as an enemy of the player. Carthage, too, proves to be a proper superpower it really was in 270 B.C. That makes Numidia soooo much fun to play for me. Every single little skirmish decides victory or death.

All this and other balance changes in those mods makes the game really more random than before, though not as random as the scale of MTW, where everybody was indeed 50/50. But still, it's much better.

**Kraxis** · 04-30-2005, 00:26

Part of the reason for Egypt's strength is that chariots are so powerful in auto-calc (also the reason why the Britons seem to steamroller everything). And of course that the Seleucids are surrounded by enemies all wanting a piece of her rather than each other.

Luckily I have changed the game a bit so that not only are the Seleucids hanging on more than 30 years into the game, the others have even ended up going at each other (Pontus taking a bite out of Armenia, Egypt and Numidia fighting over Siwa, Greek Cities actually pushed out of Asia Minor by the Seleucids) and Carthage held back the Scipii for about 20 years (even going on the offensive, taking Syracuse from them) and now they are ripping Numidia a new one.

**AntiochusIII** · 04-30-2005, 00:30

Originally Posted by Kraxis

Part of the reason for Egypt's strength is that chariots are so powerful in auto-calc (also the reason why the Britons seem to steamroller everything). And of course that the Seleucids are surrounded by enemies all wanting a piece of her rather than each other.

Luckily I have changed the game a bit so that not only are the Seleucids hanging on more than 30 years into the game, the others have even ended up going at each other (Pontus taking a bite out of Armenia, Egypt and Numidia fighting over Siwa, Greek Cities actually pushed out of Asia Minor by the Seleucids) and Carthage held back the Scipii for about 20 years (even going on the offensive, taking Syracuse from them) and now they are ripping Numidia a new one.

Wow, you're a good modder yourself, Kraxis, especially in terms of mechanics. Ever thinking about going for real modding for the public?

By the way, your signature is one hilariously sharp sarcasm!

**Craterus** · 04-30-2005, 00:36

Well, in my game, Greeks have halted Brutii expansion majorly with help from the Dacians. Greeks and Dacians own all of Macedon's land between them. Primarily, the Greeks are on top but now, they have turned on each other and I'm expecting Brutii to step in and pick up pieces. Meanwhile, Pontus are ruling Asia Minor and even resisting Egypt. S.E. are down to Sardis and Seleucia. Carthage are putting up a moderate fight, have taken Spanish land and have even secured North Africa, this is definitely my most exciting campaign by 242 bc.

**bubbanator** · 04-30-2005, 02:05

Regarding the fact that S.E. beat out Egypt: The two powers went to war with several full stacks each. Then everyone died. Then I went and took modern day egypt then went north along the coast to Sidon. So it was me that actualy took out the Egyptians, but not until S.E. wiped out their armies and took a few northern towns. Looking back on it, it would have been cool to see if S.E. could have actualy beaten Egypt on their own...

**Diadochoi** · 04-30-2005, 09:08

Originally Posted by Kraxis

Part of the reason for Egypt's strength is that chariots are so powerful in auto-calc (also the reason why the Britons seem to steamroller everything). And of course that the Seleucids are surrounded by enemies all wanting a piece of her rather than each other.

Luckily I have changed the game a bit so that not only are the Seleucids hanging on more than 30 years into the game, the others have even ended up going at each other (Pontus taking a bite out of Armenia, Egypt and Numidia fighting over Siwa, Greek Cities actually pushed out of Asia Minor by the Seleucids) and Carthage held back the Scipii for about 20 years (even going on the offensive, taking Syracuse from them) and now they are ripping Numidia a new one.

This really bothers me, seeing how in real life chariots had already been virtually obsolete for hundreds of years by the time of the rise of the roman empire. I have to say that power of chariots is my biggest problem with the RTW combat engine.