Tarentum too strong?

[anubis88]

Although AI tends to expand very ahistorycally, my campanign looks like a miracle... Rome has conquered sicily and corsica an sardinia (still playing with carthage:D... and after taking the po valley they expanded via south france into iberia.... i'm reduced to only 2 cities in iberia, and the romans have allied against me with lusotanna.... so... kinda histroycall don't you think?

P.S. i had to conquer tarentum for them and give it to them for free

[NeoSpartan]

Ok fellas the garison in Taras is FINE. Usually the AI doesn't sends its troops to it. Have you guys ever paid attention to AI factions fighting eachother???? The AI is hesitant, not aggressive, and it doesn't recruit 6 merc units per general, and it trains levys most of the time.

[Thaatu]

Actually I've paid attention to AI actions all the time in my campaign (been playing with no FOW), especially Rome for the last 25 years. They tried to take Taras close to 20 times. The problem is that AI usually attacks settlements with too small armies, a problem which can't be directly helped. I don't know if reducing garrisons actually helps, it might or might not.

[NeoSpartan]

Actually I've paid attention to AI actions all the time in my campaign (been playing with no FOW), especially Rome for the last 25 years. They tried to take Taras close to 20 times. The problem is that AI usually attacks settlements with too small armies, a problem which can't be directly helped. I don't know if reducing garrisons actually helps, it might or might not.

Good, now you why a smaller garrison won't really fix the problem.
9 times out of 10, the Romani will send a smaller attacking force. The same thing happens with most AI siege attacks, even against the Eleuthroi (sp).

[mlp071]

Kalabria (Tarentum) also has 12 mercenary units available at the start , while Aemilia( Bononia ) only has 2. And Kalabrian mercs are respawning like every 3-4 turns, and we know that AI is thrilled to buy as many he can afford.

That explains Epyrotes General constant getting in and out of city.

That probably creates also huge difference in AI determining where to go first, since after AI calculates odds, they are way better in north then south.

Rhegion has huge amount and respawn rate for mercs too, in comparison to north provinces..

Exception is Mediolanum , they have 6 merc units that respawn every 3-4 turns plus almost full garrison. Thats why i never saw Romani going after that province yet....

[HamilcarBarca]

Put simply, Taras is too strong.

Having made the decision to begin the campaign in 272 BC - the historical year in which Taras submitted to Rome and Epirus faded forever as a significant Hellenistic power - I believe EB should adjust its set-up at game start.

Epirus was a power in 280 BC; the decision by EB to start the campaign in 272 BC should carry the consequence that Epirus is not a playable faction, and that Taras has a small "rebel" garrison ready to fall to Rome.

Remember, the Epirote garrison at taras surrendered the city in exchange for being allowed to evacuate Italy. It was a pushover.

The Roma-Epirote struggle was interesting 280-275 BC; that's it.

A campaign beginning in 272 BC should be setting up the situation for a Roma-Carthage clash in the central Mediterranean. Instead, Rome rarely subdues Taras and rarely attacks Sicily.

By eliminating Epirus as a playable faction, and considering adding a new faction like the Insubres (in the Po Valley), Scordisci (on the middle Danube), Dardanians or Ardiaei (Illyrian "kingdoms" in the Balkans), would have the effect of constraining an AI Rome from expanding northwards and eastwards, and instead return an AI Roma to an historical path southwards and westwards against Taras, Sicily & Corsica-Sardinia.

Just a thought.

H.

PS Luv the Mod!

[Kull]

Put simply, Taras is too strong.

If it were Rebel, AI Rome would wipe it out in a few years, so it's not too strong. The problem is that AI aggression is focused about equally on the human player and rebels, while other AI factions are a distant third. The EB Team is happy with Epeiros as a faction, so that option is off the table. But Tarentum almost always survives deep into the game, and that's annoying. And it may lead to some of the other problems that you and others have discussed. The team is looking at this.

[MiniMe]

Put simply, Taras is too strong.

I'm sorry but I have to desagree with you on this matter. EB is a game dedicated to alternative history and it is not a Discovery channel documentary.
History is based on mere chances more often than we would like to acknowledge.
The biggest city of Magna Grecia had every chance to stand against Rome. With or without epirotean help provided. It didn't happened in real life, but this doesn't mean they were doomed to fall.

Since you name yourself HamilcarBarca, I suppose you have some simpaties for the Carthies ;-)
Well, we all know one thing for sure: Carthage was destroyed. Then why bother playing Carthage campaign, if it would be completely ahistorical for Carthage to overcome Rome?

Instead, Rome rarely subdues Taras and rarely attacks Sicily.

Wrong. In mine Carthage and KH campaigns Rome did it. Despite its weak starting armies, Rome is a strong EB faction, it comes to power a bit later.

By eliminating Epirus as a playable faction, and considering adding a new faction like the Insubres (in the Po Valley), Scordisci (on the middle Danube), Dardanians or Ardiaei (Illyrian "kingdoms" in the Balkans), would have the effect of constraining an AI Rome from expanding northwards and eastwards, and instead return an AI Roma to an historical path southwards and westwards against Taras, Sicily & Corsica-Sardinia.

By eliminating Epirus as a playable faction (hope, that's never going to happen ) you won't provoke Rome from expanding northwards. Even if Epirus would be eliminated from the game, Rome would expand northwards and southwards only when it has enough power to do it.

Best regards,
Minime.