Huge cities... huge problem

**Trigo** · 08-21-2007, 23:20

I just finished my first RTW campaign (Julii) and the most frustrating thing in the later stages was trying to control huge, unruly cities. There's a limit to how many troops you can stack in a city and I was finding I had to build arenas and spend a fortune on games just to keep the mob down. Yet the AI factions had often occupied the same city with a handful of troops - and this applies to other Roman factions too, so my problem was not just cultural differences.

Two questions: does the AI cheat or do other factions face the same rules?
And does anyone have any good tips for city control beyond the obvious ones (build happiness buildings, lower taxes)?

**Poulp'** · 08-21-2007, 23:39

yes, the AI cheats, it can even leave cities it conquered a few turns ago with a minimal garrison.

now, there's a "solution" to this, put them to the sword. Leave the city, let it revolt, retake it and suppress the populace. You should prepare an army to do this task beforehand (a stack of green troops you want to gain experience before a campaign for instance)

"Apart from public order, sanitation, water system and peace, what have the romans ever done for us ?"
(or something among those lines, quoted from Life of Brian)

"There's two kind of people, those who kill (good honest romans) and those who dig (basically, everyone else)"
Cornelius "Cluster" Brutus, in some Brutii long game...

**Guyus Germanicus** · 08-22-2007, 01:38

Originally Posted by Poulp'

yes, the AI cheats, it can even leave cities it conquered a few turns ago with a minimal garrison.

now, there's a "solution" to this, put them to the sword. Leave the city, let it revolt, retake it and suppress the populace. You should prepare an army to do this task beforehand (a stack of green troops you want to gain experience before a campaign for instance)

There's one minor risk to this strategy too. If you leave the city and let it rebel, there's no telling what kind of formidable rebel garrison will 'take over.' It may not be just peasants. You may be facing serious quality infantry depending on the buildings in the city. So be prepared to have to bring a serious army to the fight to retake the city. (Bring onagers and roast them.)

You may have some repairs to do afterwards, onagers or not, (the citizens often tear up some of the buildings before the rebellion 'takes over.' But the city will definitely become more manageable once the population comes down. And when you win, exterminate with extreme prejudice.

There's no excuse for a city to rebel against your just rule.

**Poulp'** · 08-22-2007, 01:52

ah... the gladiator's revolt... so many good memories, there's nothing like the smell of a burning city in the early morning while pretorians are fighting on the walls trying to get Spartacus...

What Guyus Germanicus said is true, one should always be wary of what kind of army can pop up.
Truth be told, when you have reached the point when cities are huge enough to revolt, you can usually steamroll the entire map, and nasty surprises like gold chevron rebels keep me playing the campaign till the end.

Well, if you can't face the rebels without suffering heavy losses, you can always let the siege go to its term, they will either surrender or try a desperate sally where you'll have a strategic advantage.
The drawback is that your (former) city won't participate in the budget for a long time (don't build epic walls everything to prevent this)

edit
forgot to mention this, if you raze the military buildings and the arena, you'll have peasants army; if you raze military buildings only, you're pretty sure to face gladiators; and if you don't raze any buildings, you can face any kind of army.
now, bear in mind that what I'm saying is not fullproof, just something I saw from experience.

**Caius** · 08-22-2007, 02:50

Remember, if you take the city from another faction, that faction will recuperate control.

If you take it from the rebels, it will be rebel. Also, they might can get better armours or swords.

**romanboy** · 08-22-2007, 18:06

hi
the leaving city-rebel-recapture is a waste Of time and units
read my hint https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=90392

**romanboy** · 08-22-2007, 18:20

[QUOTE=
Dont post if you are going to say something that can hurt someone.This is a community.And that isnt tolerated
[/QUOTE]

hi poulp,
sorry if i "hurt ur feelings"

i should've used some nice words.But i cant edit my reply

**romanboy** · 08-22-2007, 18:28

hey this Quote thing is not working

can somebody tell me how to quote frm another page?

**Caius** · 08-22-2007, 18:32

[QUOTE][/QUOTE]

Thats the quote code. write it correctly.

**mrdun** · 08-22-2007, 18:36

What is the problem Romanboy? Who has offended who?

**romanboy** · 08-22-2007, 18:51

I said his(poulps) strategy was a waste of time.After i sent that i read the " A mini guide:"How to become a member"thread by Garcilaso.It made me post a sorry to poulps

**mrdun** · 08-22-2007, 19:10

Ahh ok.
Everyone has their own methods.

**Poulp'** · 08-22-2007, 19:31

Originally Posted by romanboy

hi poulp,
sorry if i "hurt ur feelings"

i should've used some nice words.But i cant edit my reply

no offence,

I knew the trick constiting of giving a city and taking it back, but it has a flaw IMHO, diplomats.
I never rely on diplomats, rarely use them and they seldom achieve anything when I use them. On the contrary, I make an extensive use of spies and assassins.
The diplomat trick is perferctly fine, but I prefer that internal affairs remain under the juridiction of my home office.
Just a matter of personnal taste I guess...