Are the Romans too Powerful?

[econ21]

Noir and Caravel - don't be distracted by the high command of the German generals. Command does not alter combat stats in RTW, unlike MTW. That's one of the improvements of RTW/M2TW over the STW/MTW. It only affects morale and I doubt morale was the issue here (although I admit the Julii broke early). Also numbers were not terribly important - the point was just that a solid phalanx wall walks over hastati face on. I guess you had to be there to see it, but it surprised me at the time how effortless it was. The thing is that in RTW phalanxes seem virtually invulnerable to non-phalanx infantry head on - it is like the Roman swords just can't make contact with the enemy (a reach advantage).

... phalanxes and horse archers are the other two non Roman units that are severely overpowered.

I disagree on both counts. As I said, I think both are historical weaknesses of the Romans.

On the phalanx, before it came out, I wondered how RTW would handle the phalanx vs legion match up. I am not historian, but the way it is done just feels right. Head on the phalanx wins; with flanking the legion wins. It seems perfect. It is just a shame the AI can't handle phalanxes (either attacking with them or against them). Phalanxes are woefully underpowered vs cav, though.

On horse archers, I think RTW and M2TW have got them just about right (maybe RTWs Parthian shot is overpowered). They are now a real force to be reckoned with - the one unit type (apart from generals) you are going to take significant losses fighting. You can see how the Romans and Greeks would struggle against them. In STW, they took too much micro-management and in MTW, they were just fodder for foot archers.

[Caius]

Sorry if i go off-topic, BUT

Is Egypt overpowered?

He talk as how Romans are overpowered, but we never talk about the egyptians, who are powerful, sooner or later they arrive near the Pontus zone.

They have chariots, and those pharaoh bowman and those who have pikes.They are supertroops also!

[econ21]

Is Egypt overpowered?

I'm too historically minded when it comes to TW to think about "overpowered" except in terms of "unrealistically powerful". As the RTW Egyptian army is almost entirely ahistorical, to me asking if they are overpowered is a non-question. It's like asking if a Space Marine with a dual hyperblaster from planet Zargon is overpowered...

But yes, you are right: Egypt has always struck me as the number 2 faction after the Romans (at least until you get to a late game Seleucia - by which time the game is almost over). Egyptian chariots seem to combine the annoyance factor of horse archers with a pretty devastating shock capability. And their large archer units, nasty axe infantry etc are not too shabby either.

Although I don't know how they would fare against Parthia, as I can't bear to look at RTWs Egyptians and I don't have the patience to play horse archers. The match up almost sounds like how foxhunters in the UK were described - the unspeakable in pursuit of the inedible.