Hardest Roman faction

[Guyus Germanicus]

Hard to say. (no pun intended) I think it depends on the game and circumstances, and what difficulty level you play at. There's just enough randomness in the AI from game to game that it can change circumstancecs for your Roma faction.

When I take the Scipii, I too, try to move in on the Brutii action in Greece. If you're going to do some serious empire building, you need Corinth with it's wonder that supports public order. It behooves the Julii to slip down to Greece, too, if possible. Take Crete and slip over to Rhodes to get that wonder, too, that supports sea trade.

I am amazed at how profitable the Julii can make the Gaulish provinces. And given their five star city cluster of Arminium, Patavium, Arretium, Segesta, and Mediolanum, one can really rake in the cash. Throw in Segestica, Salona, Caralis, Marseilles, and Narbo, and you've got 10-11 cities in close proximity that provide the backbone of your finances.

Where the Julii miss out is they have no temples that enhance the military character and capabilities of their units.

The Scipii, if they plant a Temple of Neptune in Syracuse add to their naval capability, and that can be important in the later game. Couple that with a temple of Vulcan in Messana, and Sicily becomes a serious arsenal of quality units.

The consensus in this thread is probably correct - the Julii, by virtue of being geographically further from the 'wonders' and short-changed a bit on the temples - may be the most difficult to play. But I think the Gauls are a bit easier adversary than the Carthaginians and the Macedonians.

But the, I actually enjoy playing the Julii more than the other two rome factions. whatever . . . .

Sick'em wardogs!!

[Fookison]

I agree with Pizzaguy!!!
It really depends on how you play the faction. I have found that each Roman faction can be easy or hard depending on your tactics and where you mount your attacks. Also you must change your tactics as you face the different opponents.

[Stuperman]

I am amazed at how profitable the Julii can make the Gaulish provinces. And given their five star city cluster of Arminium, Patavium, Arretium, Segesta, and Mediolanum, one can really rake in the cash. Throw in Segestica, Salona, Caralis, Marseilles, and Narbo, and you've got 10-11 cities in close proximity that provide the backbone of your finances.

Agreed, but with the addition of Balares. I have never had a financial problem(s) playing as Julii. And once roads are paved the european cities make decent money too.

Where the Julii miss out is they have no temples that enhance the military character and capabilities of their units.

True, BUT they have temples that give the 'strategist' trait to your generals, I like that better. I've had it give me up to +3 command stars, add good attacker/defender, and a couple stars from retinue and it makes it very easy to get 10 star Generals.

Also, IIRC, one of the temples makes you more popular with the senate, although that might be Scipii

[mrdun]

Does anyone know which temples^^?

[JamesMarat]

[Stuperman]

I can't remeber right now, but will check and get back to you.

[gaiusjulii]

I have been playing the roman factions a lot and I replied to this thread before, But in honesty i dont think there is IMO a hard roman faction each has its good and bad but in all they are pretty equal, The Julii, they have a slow start and seem harder cos you get such a huge culture penalty and unlike the southern factions only get dirt road enemies so it actually takes longer to get get from A-B so its not hard just long winded, The brutii have the advantage that all the helenic cities are close together so you really ony need on or 2 full stacks and bunch of peasents in each city to patrol all of the southern cities, so yes you do get money quuicker than anyother faction but then i found you spend so much time having to micro manage the cities and get huge cities quicker than you can upgrade them(unless you use Massacre as a rule) even if you enslave them your just making life harder on the other cities. The scipii are secure on the mainland and take syracuse fairly quickly and even have head start when the civil war starts as all they need to keep the julii and brutii at bay is a strong navy to stop them transporting troops to syracuse and north africa, but agian like the brutii they will suffer big problems with Squalor, corruption (due to huge distances between cities) and the problem of taking cities in the deep desert, ie the numidian lands, but if you dont take them you leave a dangerous foe at your back and sandwich yourself between them and the sea. so if you wanna play following the Senates rules then a quick start and the ability to steam roll/blitzkrieg any enemy near by the Brutii are your first choice, if you like a long fairly balanced game them Julii are good at being constant, and if your wanting a game where you may are may not lose the game in the first few turns but will also played right be quick to expand but slow to a snails pace once your in control of the north african coast choose the Scipii. but if you like me and start your game without the senate in control and all alliances cancelled Ie neutral then no are harder than the other, as you will need to conquer italy before you can do anything else.

G

[hamilcarX]

i think, if julii never get money, they are hard to play, b/c gaul is not such a rich territory, so if you plunder it, you wont have that much profit, that's all