After finally downloading and playing EB for the first time, I was at first blown away by how much more informaton the campaign map seems to convey, with all of the vineyards, quarries, small towns, etc. It really livens things up. I also am enjoying all of the descriptions....I've learned quite a bit about ancient military technology thanks to this game, and more specifically this mod. So, I'm sure you've heard this a million times, but thanks for the great mod.

That being said, I do have a few, small criticisms I would like to speak about.

BTW, this is EB v.0.8.1a V2, with no mods whatsoever. I decided to play vanilla EB at first, to get the full experience before I mod the game to suit my tastes.

As far as A.I. progression goes, it's gone rather well. I haven't really been able to blitz, which I'm thankful for. By 245 BC, I've only been able to conquer Korinthos, Demetrias, Pella, Thermon, Chalcis, and Kydonia. I'm allied with the Ptolemaioi, Baktria, and Epeiros. Ptolemaioi are doing rather well in Anatolia, Carthage is a real powerhouse in western North Africa, and Roma is allied with Carthage, with Epeiros as a client kingdom (even though Epeiros seem to be doing quite well, as they control the entire dalmatian coast all the way up the Adriatic, and they've managed to maintian control of Tarentum as well).

Anyways, I only have two criticisms as of right now, and they both involve pirates.

1. In 245 BC, there are at least 5 massive pirate fleets in the Aegean alone. I can generally only afford 2 fleets. Trying to control all of those islands in the Aegean with two fleets vs. some pirate fleets which are nearly 10 times as strong as my own fleet is fairly impossible. Is there any way to tone those pirate fleets a bit? I usually enjoy pirate fleets, as they add another challenge to the game, but this is just silliness.

2. Please allow me to build naval vessels on the Caspian Sea. I find it hard to believe that there has never been a military naval vessel built on that sea. Quite frankly, even if there wasn't, it should be allowed. Perhaps one on each coast. Otherwise, you're sort of nuking the steppe peoples ability to get money, as the pirate fleets inevitably blockade their ports. For countries like Sauromatae and Pahlava, this can be a serious hindrance on an early economy.

Aside from those minor quibbles, I am really enjoying your mod, and know that I'll never be able to play vanilla RTW again.

Thanks for your time.