History vs. Simulation

[Tarkus]

Howdy all,

I was in the early phases of a Romani campaign in 0.81aV2 as 1.0 came out...I was trying to stay at least partly true to the historical progression of the Republic: first southern Italy, then Sicily, then Sardinia / Corsica, then the Qarthadastai proper.

Of course this is only a simulation (and don't get me wrong...an amazing one at that!!!), but I found myself getting a little frustrated by problems I began to encounter with my strategy...for example:

1. Despite negotiating an early alliance with the Lusotannans as I eliminated the Qarthadastai from Iberia, I found myself tying up significant resources trying to fend off repeated attacks from those that used to be my allies.

2. The Sweboz went on a mad tear to the south and east, ultimately setting up repeated attacks on my garrison at Patavium -- again forcing me to tie up large resources to defend my northern border.

Because of these "nuisances" I was forced to largely abandon my attempted historical strategy -- finish off the Qarthadastai as I raised armies for a campaign in Greece -- and deal with such threats as they came up. Still an incredible amount of fun, but not the same historical feel.

I'd like to see if I can adopt the same strategy in my fledgling 1.0 Romani campaign, but it's likely I'll run into the same issues. Specifically, I'd like to see if I can succeed the same way the Romans succeeded, and not find myself dealing with too many ahistorical threats. Any of you "realists" out there with similar experiences and responses...or am I just uniquely neurotic ? Perhaps I should just mellow out and play the game...!! Just curious how y'all thought...

Thanks!

[PigLatin]

This help at all?

https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=80763

[Tarkus]

Good idea, PigLatin...I have known about this mini-mod but obviously haven't used it...

Any words of wisdom from you or anyone else on how to use it best for historical role-playing purposes!

Thanks again!

[Long lost Caesar]

i dont bother role playing or doing things historically most of the time. for me, RTW is a chance to change history, as I lead my faction on a campaign of my choosing.

[Spoofa]

Historical is the way I go, enless of course im a faction besides the romani in which case I try to stay near historical armies, but expansion is a different story.

[V.T. Marvin]

Of course this is only a simulation (and don't get me wrong...an amazing one at that!!!), but I found myself getting a little frustrated by problems I began to encounter with my strategy...for example:

1. Despite negotiating an early alliance with the Lusotannans as I eliminated the Qarthadastai from Iberia, I found myself tying up significant resources trying to fend off repeated attacks from those that used to be my allies.

BTW, having to fend off repeated attacks from Lusotannans is not ahistorical at all. In fact, Hispania took a huge effort and time - over 200 years of constant rebellions and slaughter (almost a genocide perpetrated by Romans of the local population) - to be finally subdued under Roman rule.

[Tarkus]

I hear ya, V.T. -- but I was hoping this would begin happening a little later than what actually transpired in the game. When did the first hostilities begin between the Romani and the Lusotannans?

[Treverer]

Why not trying to pick a third way:

"Playing the simulation in an historical way"? Meaning: even if the game and history say goodbye at one point, why not continueing this "a-historical" path and trying to play it in a manner how it "could" have happened? (puh, awful sentence, anyone understood it this far?)

Alright, "what if" is always a bit tricky, but IMHO this is an excellent way to roleplay EB.

[kemozz]

given that the early roman republic is stretched out you'll probably have to be constantly in war however there are two tricks that should make the roleplying a bit more enjoyable and realistic

first secure an allicance with one of the gallic tribes (preferrable arverni). take all settlements north to your border and destroy every building in them and hand them out to your allies the arverni. that should keep them from coming at you and at the same time make sure that both you and the arverni are at war with the aedui. if the aedui manages to take any of the bordering settlements have a consul retake and give it back to the arverni never cease fire with the aedui, cuz once u do they might ceasedire with the arverni and it might happen that both would attach you.

now in spain take out carthage and have an allicance with the spanish tribe there. once the carthagians are out of spain keep the costal settlements as well as biakor and scum(somthing). eventually you'll have to deal with the spanish tribe so here is wht i do. blitz them take all town in spain destroy and keep the spanish conrnered at the north west. once u're done blitzing offer a huge sum of money plus all the settlements that you've conquered in spain to this tribe. that should keep them in check for sometime.

[Anarzius]

...

[Tarkus]

Anarzius...I just bumped the "Win conditions" thread to see if we can get some more people to weigh in on that discussion...I hadn't seen that one before, so thanks for bringing that to our attention!

Wow...continuously abandoning and restarting your Romain campaign because of ahistorical faction expansion? Hardcore, dude...but admirable, I guess...!

I've only got one campaign each from 0.81 and 1.0 under my belt, but so far I see faction expansion in 1.0 working a little more realistically. And if we can get some more testing of the Win conditions mod pushed along, we may be in business...I'd love to give it a shot myself, but I'm just too far along in my current Romani campaign to abandon my fledgling empire...now if I could just play frequently enough to finish...but kids, wife and job always get in the way...OK, I guess this is becoming a topic over a beer at the Tavern...!

[Anarzius]

...