Guide for Rome

[Velvet Elvis]

I try to 'mimic' history somewhat...

• Southern Italy and one or both of the Epiros cities in western greece. I like to take just one so the Mak and KH have someone to bully :p
• Sicily (will get Carthage all fired up!)
• Sardinia and Corsica (you should start bringing in some good cash at this point... if you dont recruit too many high end units)
• The Po Valley - make sure the green Gauls are still fighting the yellow Gauls and/or the Germans
• Inch your way along the coast through southern Gaul into Iberia (or as close as you can... trying not to piss-off the 'yellow' gallic tribe just yet
• Try to knock off Carthage for good in Africa (from Carthage west at least) and Iberia
• Southern Greece - Don't go north of Pella and try not to have a shared border with the Giedi (leave the Mak battered but still alive with a couple of cities in the north)
• The rest of Iberia and the Aegean islands
• Start picking your way north into Gaul and east into Asia Minor

Not saying it's the best way, but it's more or less the way the Romans did it. Just as a gauge... Carthage in 149 BC and Athens in 198 BC; came into the Republic.

Also, regular tribute of 100 or 200 for say 30 turns (or as long as needed) is an effective way to keep a faction you share a border with at bay. If you do it early and often, it works very well while they are busy fighting someone else (Mk, KH, the Gauls) and can delay their assult once they have no one to fight except you if you've been funding them consistently for a number of years.

Hope that gives your a starting point at least!