The Will of the Senate PBM - out of character thread IV

[Dutch_guy]

(Sorry, dutch guy has exceeded his pm storage space, so I'm posting his orders here. And before Augustus has a fit IC in the deliberations, because I know he'll check up on Servius, the proceeds from the demolished provincial barracks in Utica will be spent on that silly hippodrome and the small temple canceled out.)

Utica should not present much difficulty for a man of your caliber. Crush the defenders, enslave the population.

Good luck Flavius, though I doubt you'll need it.

http://www.totalwar.org/patrons/pbm/253-win-utica.zip

I have a bad feeling about this. Dutch_guy has not logged onto the Org since 11th October. I'll be surprised if he makes the 48 hour deadline.

I suspect he is a busy student in real life and am a bit reluctant to see him subject to the full Publius Laevinus treatment. I suggest that, if possible, Lucjan cancel the attack and arrange for another general to handle it later. But if people want to autoresolve, you could do that. Henceforth Dutch_guy should be treated as being in the Upper House until he signs back in here.

It's probably a good idea to check before giving a battle to someone who's not been around for a bit. Two days may seem like a life-time to some of us Org addicts, but for other folk it can slip by in no time at all.

Of course, Dutch_guy may pick up the savegame shortly and prove me wrong, but I'm off on my travels soon and just wanted to prepare for the contingency.

I was visting Rome* as Part of a school excursion, If I'm right I still have a couple of hours which I do intend to use, to play the battle

I was hoping to let you all know where I was going the day before I left, but at that exact time the Guild was taken of the net for an upgrade (or for repairs). Just for the record, I left thursday a week ago, and the Guild was out wednesday evening.

I do apolosgise for causing such a hassle, and I do thank all those who were maybe even willing to bend the rules for me. I do appreciate it, really. But I do agree, rules are there to keep the show running, so had I not shown up, I'd have respected the decision to keep the show running and auto resolve the battle. However, it's a good thing such an action won't be necessary.

On a side note, have fun on your trip Simon

I'm off to play the battle

* Pictures may be posted in due time

[Dutch_guy]

Okay, here's the post-battle save:

http://www.totalwar.org/patrons/pbm/...-utica-fin.rar

Just so we can move on before the battle report is posted (this weekend, or today) I am pleased to say Utica is ours, the city is enslaved and every Cartheginian soldier is dead. We lost about 180 soldiers, mostly Gaullic mercenaries.

Read more in the battle report.

[Lucjan]

I thought this was a pretty cool screenie, wanted to share it. It's from my, oh, I don't know, 500th Battle of Pavia. lol

Keep up the quality CA!
I demand it!
*Marks November 10th as a holy day.*

French Gendarmes assaulting Spanish Musketeers, German Arquebusiers charge to relieve the Spanish.




EDIT - Also, while playing on rtr v1.7 as Illyria, I noticed the Macedonians I was assaulting in Bylasora had a unit of cretan archers with 3 silver chevrons, silver weaponry, and gold armor. Myself, curious as to how much of an enormous amount of money this mercenary group had to be costing them, right clicked them. The unit card said Upkeep: 5. Yes, FIVE. This is on medium camp difficulty, very hard battle difficulty. Can somebody please explain to me this blatant cheatery on the part of the computer, and also, why even on medium, the ai's diplomacy in rtr sucks beyond compare.

Arthurian total war somehow harnassed diplomacy in such a realistic manner that I was astounded, why can't RTR do so?

[Lucjan]

Total nonsense, that's what it is!

GRRRRR, this is ridiculous already. Macedon had a FULL stack of those 3 silver chevron units, rhodian slingers, cretan archers, mercenary hoplites, I've spent three full stacks trying to dislodge this ridiculous army from Ratiaria.

EDIT - Ok, I had always assumed the ai cheated in all the campaigns I ever played, but on medium difficulty, I just watched it pull 5 heavily diminished units, that did not previously exist in Ratiaria (I just besieged and lost a battle against it and have a spy right next to it, they were NOWHERE anywhere even remotely near it), units not part of Ratiaria's ZoR, out of Ratiaria and move them a few spaces east.

[Dutch_guy]

Just wanted to post that my (two)battle reports are underway, and yes, I did convert everything to jpeg format.

[Glaucus]

Ok, I had always assumed the ai cheated in all the campaigns I ever played

YEA! And have you ever noticed how if the enemy capture a settlement, and you take it back a season later... there are miraculously 3 temples and a level 2 auxilia building?!?!?! They lie cheat and steal I tell you!

[Lucjan]

Most certainly, but that full stack army of 3 silver chevron uber equipped macedonian slingers and peltasts and hoplites... AAAAGGGGHHHHHH.

I quit the rtr 1.7 version until that kind of garbage is fixed.

I'm sticking with Arthurian Total War, which works, and works realistically.

By the way, first consul report is out.

EDIT - Alright..there are SOOOOO many females being born it's almost impossible to keep track of them all. Can we only report the male births, as they're the only ones that can become playable characters anyway? It's just a pain in the butt tracking down 3 or 4 parents every consular report for characters we can't use.

[TinCow]

I'll do an update on the family members section of the Library tonight. Frankly, I think you can ignore all births unless you want to mention them otherwise. I know how much of a pain all that stuff can be and I'm impressed with just how much you continue to report on.

[Lucjan]

Ah, well thank you.

Nobody knows what that uber army was all about then?

EDIT - I can't wait for M2 to come out. I'm having an aneurism waiting to see if the diplomacy was fixed. I'd like to have allies that actually act like allies, and a ceasefire that means a ceasefire, such things would make me drool on the keyboard!

I just had the following happen. "Alcuyd offers a ceasefire." On their turn, I accept, as soon as I accept, they turn around and besiege a town of mine. This is on Arthurian total war even..which generally has a more decent diplomacy behavior, it still pulls garbage like that on a regular basis. Total War should adopt Knights of Honor's diplomacy system. The diplomacy in that game is incredible.

[Death the destroyer of worlds]

If you want realistic diplomacy, check out EU II.

[Braden]

TinCow,

Have you updated the Library yet? Just wondered as I can't see any updates to characters there.

[Mount Suribachi]

Alpha Centauri also has excellent diplomacy (and that game is 8 years old!!). In my Bactria game I had Ptolomy, who had been my ally for many years and who I had repeatedly saved from extinction at the hands of the Seleucids turn round and attack me as soon as I bordered them. Grrrr. The last night, for no reason whatsoever, Macedon (who are the other side of Asia Minor from me) decided to blockade my port at Antioch, thus putting me into another war.

Sadly I don't think this suicidal diplomacy AI has been fixed in MTW2 going by the German review thread and CAs statements to the effect of "increased challenge by the AI attacking you".

Grrr....

[Lucjan]

This will still be my number one wish for the next tw...better diplomacy.

As for EU II, I do very much like that game, and can't wait for EU III to come out also. I like to play as Holstein and build a baltic empire. I usually aim to control Holstein, Jutland, Mecklemburg, Vor Pommern, Copenhagen, Skane, Gotland, Memel, Finland and Courland. Two trade centers (Mecklemburg and Courland) bring in huge cash stores.

If I'm not playing Holstein I go for Croatia and try for the Balkan empire, or Georgia and try to save the Cacaussus from the hordes.

[Death the destroyer of worlds]

I usually try to play as the dutch, evolving from Brabant, (with a historic realism mod), but it is really tough in the last 100 years as France gets mega-powerful on the continent. You're not all that popular as a reformed country. Good fun trying to keep Napoleon in check with a protestant-catholic alliance. One of the all-time greats. I've played this game as almost al the 'great' nations.
Alpha Centauri also has excellent diplomacy. When someone surrenders, they stay surrendered and actively help you in your war, ditto in an alliance. I love it. I also love the custom built units, like my anti-grav global insertion probe unit, or the antigrav dropship tank from hell, or whatever you fancy. The only trick that worked against the AI diplomatically was surrouding one of his cities early in the game and demanding the city in exchange for peace. Nasty trick to pull on the AI.

[Dutch_guy]

The Kirtha battle report will be up soon.

Just a heads up guys.

[Lucjan]

Busy day today, I'll be putting up a consular report tomorrow.

[Tamur]

hi all, glad to see things are moving along. It's been what one could describe as a pretty dreadful week between sick children and busy work. My apologies for failing to get the Side report up, and now we will be out of town till next Wednesday. I will get it up, as late is better than not at all I guess, but I did want to ask everyone's patience and am sorry I haven't done better when the time came for great (writing) deeds!

[Lucjan]

Really short consular report up now. Ugghhh..so busy, don't worry though, game is progressing, Marcellus has the save file now.

[Mount Suribachi]

TinCow, who you taking as your new avatar?

[TinCow]

I will be taking Cnaeus Caprarius and will continue in the Lower House. The crippled chap was rather tempting, but I think it's inappropriate to have him be a Lower House general given his -4 movement rate.

[Dutch_guy]

I will be taking Cnaeus Caprarius and will continue in the Lower House. The crippled chap was rather tempting, but I think it's inappropriate to have him be a Lower House general given his -4 movement rate.

Agreed, although I'd imagine it would make for some nice in-battle stories

[Dutch_guy]

So, how is it going Lucjan ?

[Lucjan]

Good, unexpected downtime yesterday with some local internet issues, but I'm back up today and I'll be sending battle duties out soon.

[Braden]

Have just completed a battle, report to follow shortly.

http://www.totalwar.org/patrons/pbm/win-252-manius1.zip

[Lucjan]

There's going to be a big Consular Report will be out on friday because I'll have a nice chunk of free time to put out a good one.

[Lucjan]

Consular Report up!

[GeneralHankerchief]

Savegame picked up. I have no time to do it tonight, but it will be completed tomorrow ASAP.

[Tamur]

hi all,

Due to some rather odd circumstances at work, I have to do a clean re-install of Windows on the computer I do everything on (including play RTW). Except I have to keep the drives clean for storage/manipulation space. So, no RTW (or any other game for that matter). I am out of commission as far as battle go for about two weeks.

I will keep up with discussion & reports in that time, and will post up again when I'm back in action.

Tamur

[Lucjan]

O.o

Ok...hope everything works out.

[Braden]

Firstly, I have to apologise. I've been very unwell over the last 4-5 days so I've not posted my battle report.

Not sure when I will get a chance as I've got a backlog of other stuff to get through as well.

So, again sorry but I have been attempting to ensure I am ready for a battle if needs be.