First thoughts.

[aleh]

So, I've been playing for a couple of days now, and I gotta say I'm impressed with the game. And here's what I think about it at first glance if anyone cares to comment.

- Slow, god it's slow! The battles are fine, and even the regular campaign screen is fine to a certain degree, but the time between turns is so slow, and let's not even talk about load times. It seems to go faster the longer you play, but it's all good, EB does need to have at least one downside, right?

- I've been playing as the Romans(the only reason I picked up the game when I first bought it anyway) and I gotta say I'm impressed here. The level of immersion and whatnot is excellent. Also, there was something that I found pretty cool, which is when a character spends some time in a settlement with a primary deity, they sorta adopt that deity. Like 'governs best in a settlement with Vesta/Ceres....'. At first, I thought it was odd, bu t then after thinking it over, realized it could be the family member thinking that since the 'appropriate' deity is not being worshipped to the full extent, bad mumbojumbo will happen. A small turnoff is when the generals give their pre-battle speech, he says that they're Greeks or some such. But hey, it's all good. What's the Latin Voice Package that I downloaded though?

- Why is it that people consider the Gaesatae ridiculous to fight? I mean, they're very hard to take down, but they don't deal that much damage. And I'm playing on medium/medium(that's the recommend setting right?)

- I love that even after several years, I'm still very much in a tough fight. I'm not in any critical danger since the main body of the Italian Peninsula is pretty much all mine. With Segesta/Arretium/Aminium/Rome(why is it losing so much cash?! :D)/Capua/Can...iumsomething/Taras under my control(after a -tough- battle following a long siege with the Epeirote garrison). I'm laying siege to Bononia, and since it's got two turns left to stand, I expect to be attacked either this end turn or the next. I've also landed an army near Lilibeo(I think) since Rhegion/Mesaana/Syracuse are packed with rebel armies and small stacks, and I couldn't go through it. Lili's the only settlement that Carthage has in my "sphere", and I thought about taking it, and after a turn or two, going back east to take Syracuse/Mesaana and send part of my Bononia army down south to reinforce whatever will be left of this army.

- Yup, you've heard it, since about 268/267, I've been in my version of the Punic Wars. I've yet to lose a land battle to Carthage, and I'll probably take Lilibeo(with the Heir no less!), but out of about five sea battles with them, I've only won one. Either my navy sucks, or theirs is very good. Which kinda is bad because they kept besieging my Western Med cities and disrupting my economy.

- Speaking of which, I can build up armies at a pretty decent rate, and I can even support a fleet, two at the very most. But I don't really have a guaranteed economy that'll carry me through most of the worst of times, which means that my cities sorely lack development. But don't get me wrong, I love this, it's still very much a struggle.

- Speaking of struggles, man, alliances are hard to come by. I've only gotten Pontos, and either Arverni or Aedui, and one other faction to accept(I think). But luckily, I can get trade rights easily. I can't seem to bribe anyone, not even rebels. And I'm trying with seven/eight/nine(and perhaps even ten) laurelled diplomats. And my spies aren't as good as they were in RTW, which is good because it wasn't really all that realistic.

- For the two sieges I have, I'll force both garrisons to attack me after having built up several battering rams. My plan is to sorta make an 3rdcentBC laager(I think that's what it was called), where during the battle I'll arrange the wagons on either side of my main force so as to force a frontal fight, and I'll be able to better flank them. Does that make sense to anyone? After these two sieges, and after clearing the rebel rabble from southern Italy and Sicily, I'll settle down and just save up and build up my cities with an army at either end(Sicily/Northern Italy) and one in the center for those 'just in case' situations.

- Family members. I know it doesn't happen like in RTW, but to confirm, the only way I can get a new one is to have my forces commanded by a Captain right? Wouldn't it make sense if after a while, a city left unoccupied by family members would have a chance of offering up a character for adoption(sorta of like a local magistrate who stepped up to the plate and deserves promotion)?.

- That's about it. I love the realism of EB, and the toughness and whatnot. Definately my favourite of all TW games.


P.S. Question. I know I should destroy some sort of building after having conquered a new settlement. But, what building are we talking about exactly? Like, religious temples of other cultures, should I keep them? How about buildings that allow me to build units that I otherwise wouldn't?

Long Live Rome! :)