Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 30 of 50

Thread: How do you solve a problem like Tanais?

  1. #1

    Default How do you solve a problem like Tanais?

    Tanais is remote. Is at least 3 turns from the nearest city. Has a permanent 15% unrest penalty. Has fairly high growth. Is a large city.

    Zero population growth is an option, but are there any alternatives that do not result in a city stuffed with peasant garrisons?

    When Tanais is first captured Scythia is a long way from destruction.

    At the point of capture I usually find the next promotion point is 24000 and so major culture penalties persist for a long time.

    Currently I enslave several times, but all that does is lengthen the time to promotion when the remaining culture penalties can be removed.

    A solution to Tanais could be applied to similar cities all over the map - and I like size 24k cities.

    Any ideas?

    p.s. I've just checked the last game I played. Just four North African cities and Rome to take - all other cities are mine (no rebel cities). Tanais has a population of 31921 with some buildings yet to construct - but here's the problem - status 80% but 20 peasants.
    Last edited by williamsiddell; 07-21-2014 at 11:28.

  2. #2
    Senior Member Senior Member ReluctantSamurai's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    2,483

    Default Re: How do you solve a problem like Tanais?

    Still think you'll take a pass on ZPG??

    From my Black Sea Serenade campaign (Armenia):

    http://i990.photobucket.com/albums/a...man/BSS_13.jpg

    Yes, I know it's Chersonesos, but I guarantee Tanais is in the same state (can fire up my save-game and get a screenie, if you'd like). That little orange population growth meter means I will never have to worry about civil unrest.....ever.

    Here's another from a Brutii campaign with my capital in Athens:

    http://i990.photobucket.com/albums/a...jpg?1293806411

    None of the four cities in the screenie has a city manager...even P.I.T.A. Tarsus

    Fat and happy peasants even at the edge of my empire...
    Last edited by ReluctantSamurai; 07-21-2014 at 20:11.
    High Plains Drifter

  3. #3

    Default Re: How do you solve a problem like Tanais?

    Luckily I can guess what P.I.T.A means :)

    I get the point and understand your logic for using ZPG but I also note 3 of those cities are losing money. That's my problem. I'm fond of the filthy lucre and the best way to get it is via large cities. Tanais above required 20 peasants to keep it happy even before 24000 and, to give you an idea, even at 30000+ with 20 peasants it is still making 700 a turn after 1300 corruption. I'm hoping somebody out there has some magic bullet I don't know about for getting rid of those annoying peasants - I'm never happy if I have to use more than 3.

    I think governors are one of the few weaknesses of the game. Leave one in a city too long and the negative attributes it gains will eventually make it worse than useless.

  4. #4
    Requin Member Vincent Butler's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Laniakea Supercluster
    Posts
    673

    Default Re: How do you solve a problem like Tanais?

    Who stocks their towns with peasants? Better to leave real military units in, if you do get kicked out they can at least fight back, one legionary cohort is worth at least three peasants for fighting. If I train peasants at all it is to drain the population from a (huge) city to reduce population size, and I move them to a town that I want to grow, and disband them. Voila, you have just killed two birds with one stone. Tanais, Corduba, Londinium will kick you out anyway. Corduba is actually the worst of the lot, in my opinion. Try to get general with lots of influence and build your best temple for making people happy (check the building browser in your city window). Tanais does get a lot of plagues, so that helps reduce population, and the riots and subsequent retraining help with that as well. Usually Tanais riots some but will not be a source of continuous civil revolts, like Corduba is.
    Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight: Psalm 144:1

    In peace there's nothing so becomes a man
    As modest stillness and humility:
    But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
    Then imitate the action of the tiger;
    -Henry V by William Shakespeare

  5. #5
    Senior Member Senior Member ReluctantSamurai's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    2,483

    Default Re: How do you solve a problem like Tanais?

    I also note 3 of those cities are losing money
    No, they are not. The number you see on the screen has nothing to do with the income of a settlement. It reflects how the overall operating costs are distributed amongst all your settlements. If you open the settlement page, go to the first button in the lower left and open it. You will see a balance sheet stating the income from taxes, farming, trade, corruption, etc. This is the true income a settlement is making. A quote from a discussion here long ago by Guyus Germanicus.........................

    the game distributes your carrying costs (the cost of your army, faction members, diplomats, spies, etc) according to its own internal formula. Your only coherent figure for your bottomline is in your faction icon's folder for your treasury. Of course, if you add all the money figures for all of your cities' icons from the mapboard, you can get your bottomline figure. But that's not very practical. M2TW works completely different. There your cities reflect on their city icon on the mapbaord the amount of money they're producing so you can more easily see what they're doing for your treasury. That's the downside of RTW's city icons. Unless you open up (double click) the city's icon and check the left-hand side detail window and look closely at where your profits are coming from, you don't know how the city is actually doing
    I'm fond of the filthy lucre and the best way to get it is via large cities
    If you looked at my treasury in the Brutii campaign (close to 4 million denarii), I'd say I'm doing pretty well

    I'm hoping somebody out there has some magic bullet I don't know about for getting rid of those annoying peasants
    I've already pointed you in the direction you need to go...take it or ignore it as you wish. The point you overlooked is that all of those cities in the screenies are at ZPG and will give you no trouble....EVER.

    Same Brutii campaign as above:

    http://i990.photobucket.com/albums/a...jpg?1293806361

    Every single city in Greece, Macedonia, and beyond is at ZPG. The only city in that screenie with a governor is Athens, my current capital. He's just there because he isn't suited for the battlefield due to trait problems, but he isn't really necessary.

    Same view, different factions:

    http://s990.photobucket.com/user/aus...tml?1300833722

    http://s990.photobucket.com/user/aus...tml?1300833722

    Iberia as Carthage, capital in Carthage:

    http://s990.photobucket.com/user/aus...tml?1300833722

    Former Roman territory, same campaign:

    http://s990.photobucket.com/user/aus...tml?1300833722

    Tanais, Corduba, Londinium will kick you out anyway
    If properly managed...they will not. Guys....do I have to post a screenie from every one of my recent campaigns to prove my point? ZPG is attainable even with barbarian factions. My last Germania campaign includes both Londinium and Corduba as part of my empire. Both are ZPG'ed, and neither will give me any problems for the rest of the campaign.

    Try to get general with lots of influence and build your best temple for making people happy
    Useful only so long as your family member is alive. My method will eventually require no governor, and you can then keep your family members out leading armies.
    Last edited by ReluctantSamurai; 07-22-2014 at 04:19.
    High Plains Drifter

  6. #6

    Default Re: How do you solve a problem like Tanais?

    Quote Originally Posted by Vincent Butler View Post
    Who stocks their towns with peasants?
    Ha Ha - I do. My cities have only as many peasants as needed. Most have 1, some 2, some 3 and the irritating ones as many as necessary. Why? Cos they're cheap and the AI is eminently predictable. Think of that faction that has been at peace with you for decades (even allies) then suddenly a large army tiptoes over your border - they're gonna attack! Then you take steps to counter it and even if they besiege with only peasants inside they won't attack for many turns - especially if you've stopped their spies from entering.

    If you've taken Antioch you don't need to be told the Egyptians will throw countless armies and spies at it - peasants are not a priority! But once you've moved on, a couple of peasants is enough.

    Of course, if you add all the money figures for all of your cities' icons from the mapboard, you can get your bottomline figure.
    I understand the way it works (my Tanais example contributes 200 to the pot) - my point is that those cities are not profitably paying their way cos you've limited growth. That's the way you like to play and it clearly works.

    (close to 4 million denarii)
    You tight git :) The most I make is 200k per turn and I spend it - not like some.

    Both are ZPG'ed, and neither will give me any problems for the rest of the campaign.
    My cities don't give me trouble - In the example above I control all the cites in the world except a few and no revolters. My guess is that it is an insurmountable problem, but I'd just like to cut the number of peasants needed in some cities.

    Athens is a great city - way back, when I used a lot of generals in cities, I got 10000+ per turn with the right general, attributes and ancillaries.
    Last edited by williamsiddell; 07-22-2014 at 10:38.

  7. #7
    Senior Member Senior Member ReluctantSamurai's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    2,483

    Default Re: How do you solve a problem like Tanais?

    my point is that those cities are not profitably paying their way cos you've limited growth
    Does it really matter? How much money do you need? 4 million denarii is far more than enough to do whatever I want. I can recruit troops to my hearts desire...bribe armies or entire cities...dole out huge sums of money to my allies...

    my point is that those cities are not profitably paying their way cos you've limited growth.
    And my point is that after 24k for many factions (12k for the others) there's no point to further growth other than management headaches. You can't build any further improvements and you are making so much money that a somewhat bigger tax base is insignificant. Besides, you make more money from port trading than all other forms of income.....combined.

    My cities don't give me trouble
    Obviously they do or you wouldn't have started this thread. You stated it right in the header....Tanais is a "problem"

    My guess is that it is an insurmountable problem
    I've already shown you that it is not and so I will say no more. The old adage of you can lead a horse to water comes to mind....
    Last edited by ReluctantSamurai; 07-22-2014 at 15:23.
    High Plains Drifter

  8. #8

    Default Re: How do you solve a problem like Tanais?

    The problem with Tanais starts the minute you take it. As with others. I'm looking for a solution better than stuffing with units (and other than ZPG). Aye, landlocked cities can be a disappointment. Money makes the world go round - except in RTW that is.

  9. #9
    Requin Member Vincent Butler's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Laniakea Supercluster
    Posts
    673

    Default Re: How do you solve a problem like Tanais?

    As ReluctantSamurai has stated, whatever works for you. Usually it is the same cities that cause problems. The only one that regularly kicks me out is Corduba. I will keep in mind what Samurai said, I never really tried to achieve ZPG, just assumed there was no real way to stop population growth without increasing unrest, ie, raising taxes.
    Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight: Psalm 144:1

    In peace there's nothing so becomes a man
    As modest stillness and humility:
    But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
    Then imitate the action of the tiger;
    -Henry V by William Shakespeare

  10. #10
    Senior Member Senior Member ReluctantSamurai's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    2,483

    Default Re: How do you solve a problem like Tanais?

    I'm looking for a solution better than stuffing with units (and other than ZPG)
    There are only several ways to control unrest, AFAICS:

    Manipulate the tax rate. This hits a dead end eventually when even at the lowest rate, loyalty continues to drop.

    Have a family member with very high influence. This works until that member dies, and there are no guarantees you'll get another like him. Most of my field generals accumulate a pile of influence laurels...but I'd rather have them out expanding my empire than stuck in a city.

    Increase your native cultural influence through the building queue. This works well if you can capture a city that has lots of building projects to do. But by mid to late game, many cities already have the maximum governors building (which is the building that has the greatest impact on loyalty). Upgrading other structures if possible helps, but it is the governing building that makes the biggest impact.

    Allow revolt>exterminate...rinse and repeat as needed. This is counterproductive to your stated aim of achieving maximum income. Less people=less taxes. If you're getting revolts before the desired end-point in population numbers, then extermination is a very bad method to adopt. There are also inherent risks, as has already been mentioned. If the previous owners faction is still alive (and its not always possible to eliminate them before you start having loyalty problems) then you could see your entire garrison wiped out or at the least, badly mauled by the super units created by allowing the city to revolt.

    Zero Population Growth. This is nearly foolproof, and can be done with just about every faction on the board...certainly by any of the "major" factions like Rome, the Greek factions, Egypt, Carthage, and just about every barbarian faction or eastern factions. When a city has reached its maximum potential (24k for major factions, 12k for all the others), there is no point to allowing further population growth. The few tax monies you gain from super-huge cities is not worth the aggravation of keeping those populations under control. Tax money pales in comparison to port trading anyways, so why bother squeezing for a few thousand extra denarii when your treasury contains hundreds of thousands or even millions of denarii??

    Me....I'd rather do without the headaches, concentrate on expanding my empire through conquest, rake in the many thousands of denarii I'm already making, with the supreme confidence that I don't ever have to worry about one single revolt anywhere in the territories I've already conquered.

    Now if you can figure out another system other than those I've mentioned for controlling population loyalty, then I'm all ears because noone I've ever been involved with in discussions about this, has figured out another way either. And I'm speaking of not resorting to modding to create a "loyalty" structure to get the job done. I've already proved that isn't necessary.
    Last edited by ReluctantSamurai; 07-22-2014 at 22:02.
    High Plains Drifter

  11. #11

    Default Re: How do you solve a problem like Tanais?

    Very much appreciated RS - I think more or less says it all. And I don't want to go about changing the system files.

    Manipulate the tax rate - and low tax rate increases growth.

    Have a family member with very high influence - and my experience is if you leave a good general in a city it picks up negative attributes.

    Let me put it this way - I'm not hopeful of finding an alternative :)

  12. #12
    Requin Member Vincent Butler's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Laniakea Supercluster
    Posts
    673

    Default Re: How do you solve a problem like Tanais?

    It seems that for a while after I eliminate a faction, the settlements I took from them get really upset. Are their spies still active, or is this just coincidence. Also, has anyone else ever had a rebel diplomat come to them and offer a ceasefire? It is not rare with me, and the rebel armies, including the brigands, leave your trade alone, and the rebels will not blockade your ports.
    Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight: Psalm 144:1

    In peace there's nothing so becomes a man
    As modest stillness and humility:
    But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
    Then imitate the action of the tiger;
    -Henry V by William Shakespeare

  13. #13
    Senior Member Senior Member ReluctantSamurai's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    2,483

    Default Re: How do you solve a problem like Tanais?

    Are their spies still active, or is this just coincidence.
    When a faction is eliminated, all of their agents go with them into obscurity. There may be some ground units, including generals, that remain and become rebel, as do any naval fleets.

    Also, has anyone else ever had a rebel diplomat come to them and offer a ceasefire?
    Are you kidding? On VH, for the campaign map, rebels will lay siege to your cities if you let wayward stacks consolidate into a full army, especially if there is a commanding general present. They almost always spawn right on roads between settlements, and if you let smaller fleets gather into a much larger one, they will blockade the nearest port.

    So no, I've never had peaceful dealings with brigands
    High Plains Drifter

  14. #14
    Requin Member Vincent Butler's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Laniakea Supercluster
    Posts
    673

    Default Re: How do you solve a problem like Tanais?

    Oh, they blockade my ports and will spawn on the roads ordinarily. I have had a rebel diplomats come up and offer ceasefires multiple times, and when they do, I take it. That way, they do not interfere with my trade and they leave my ports and my armies alone. Usually the ceasefire is broken when I get kicked out of a town and it reverts to rebel. Or I decide I need one of their settlements. If at war with them, I prefer to deal with them when they pop up, sometimes I will have a cav-heavy (including worthless generals) army specifically to deal with them.
    Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight: Psalm 144:1

    In peace there's nothing so becomes a man
    As modest stillness and humility:
    But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
    Then imitate the action of the tiger;
    -Henry V by William Shakespeare

  15. #15
    Senior Member Senior Member ReluctantSamurai's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    2,483

    Default Re: How do you solve a problem like Tanais?

    I've never, ever gotten an offer from a rebel diplomat, and even if I did, I would send his head back to his master on a plate
    High Plains Drifter

  16. #16

    Default Re: How do you solve a problem like Tanais?

    This is a revelation for me. I play hard mainly because I suspected VH would be a variation of iron man in other games - you play the same game only battles take longer to resolve. But if it means rebels take a bigger part I'm up for it - I'll try it soon.

    after I eliminate a faction, the settlements I took from them get really upset
    I haven't noticed an increase in unrest elsewhere when I take a faction's last city - but I don't know if it increases the length of time unrest persists. The Germans seem to have more than their fair share of cities with permanent unrest - there's list of cities of that type I've found in my Greek Cities post. Never seen a rebel diplomat or spy, but I have seen a faction's spies exiting a city I've just taken.

    On hard I don't maintain a standing navy because rebel navies seem to spend most of the game just wandering about, only now and again blockading and then for only one turn.

    I think this is an issue with the game. If a rebel army is on a road then it's supposed to block trade yet when you check the trade screen there is no indication of any effect.
    Last edited by williamsiddell; 07-24-2014 at 10:50.

  17. #17
    Senior Member Senior Member ReluctantSamurai's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    2,483

    Default Re: How do you solve a problem like Tanais?

    I play hard mainly because I suspected VH would be a variation of iron man in other games - you play the same game only battles take longer to resolve.
    I believe the reverse is true...on VH battle difficulty, battles become shorter because the higher morale means more casualties before a unit routs, and the higher attack values means faster kills. Also be aware that VH on the campaign difficulty means that autocalc battles will be tougher to win because it's the campaign difficulty rating that used and not the battle difficulty. Battle difficulty values are used only when you actually fight on a battle map. Starting units for the AI are also affected. A perfect example is the SPQR garrison. On Easy or Normal the garrison is mostly Hastati and Velite with a few units of Principes and Triarii. On Hard the garrison is mainly Principes and Triarii, and on VH the garrison has units of Praetorian and Urban Cohorts in it.

    If a rebel army is on a road then it's supposed to block trade yet when you check the trade screen there is no indication of any effect.
    Any enemy army, rebel or one from a faction whom you are at war with reduce trade by standing on a road. On the first turn you will notice in the trade income (land) that there is now a higher amount in the greyed out or blinking portion of the listed land trade (some of that value is also the amount of corruption being deducted, so you have to check immediately before and after). This is subtracted from your total income. By turn two, if you haven't destroyed or driven off the stack, it begins to cause devastation, which is also subtracted from your income and starts to add to unrest.
    Last edited by ReluctantSamurai; 07-24-2014 at 13:04.
    High Plains Drifter

  18. #18

    Default Re: How do you solve a problem like Tanais?

    Ta.

    Tougher to win I'm all for - and shorter battles is a bonus.

    So the road blockage is a one-off effect (apart from devastation). I also considered whether the AI was smart enough to find another path - I'll check that first chance. It seems a siege cuts off all income, but from memory I don't remember the trade screen showing zeros (maybe didn't check enough).

  19. #19
    Senior Member Senior Member ReluctantSamurai's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    2,483

    Default Re: How do you solve a problem like Tanais?

    Blockage of a road trade route halves the income from that route, IIRC, and lasts for as long as the army stands on the road. Other land routes aren't affected unless the offending army stands on an intersection. One other note about VH campaign difficulty is that it reduces your income (don't remember the exact %). I've forgotten if that is across the board (taxes, farming, port trade), or only taxes and farming.
    High Plains Drifter

  20. #20

    Default Re: How do you solve a problem like Tanais?

    Reduced income was a taken. That's why I thought battles would take longer (not able to afford the best units/buildings etc.).

    So sending some units to chase the rebels off the path would be beneficial. Plus the new devastation they cause takes several turns to happen, while the existing devastation reduces.

  21. #21
    Senior Member Senior Member ReluctantSamurai's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    2,483

    Default Re: How do you solve a problem like Tanais?

    The only real effect of a VH campaign setting is felt at the start. Less income and tougher battles makes early expansion more difficult. But once you get rolling, the effect falls away...the Brutii campaign that I posted, with 4 million denarii in the bank, was VH/H so you can see, in the end, it really doesn't matter.

    So sending some units to chase the rebels off the path would be beneficial.
    Yep. Getting them off the road restores the trade, but you have to eliminate them or push them into another province to get rid of the devastation. What really sucks is when a rebel stack spawns in a spot you can't reach. There's one spot in the mountains to the east of Mazaka that's unreachable (unless you have a levitation spell handy) and inevitably, in the course of an Armenian campaign, the AI always seems to spawn a rebel stack there....
    High Plains Drifter

  22. #22

    Default Re: How do you solve a problem like Tanais?

    Quote Originally Posted by ReluctantSamurai View Post
    push them into another province
    That would be very satisfying :) It's a shame two nudges in one turn results in a battle.

    What really sucks is when a rebel stack spawns in a spot you can't reach
    That's definitely a situation where I'd reload, use up a dice throw, and end turn. Hey presto - it's gone!

  23. #23

    Default Re: How do you solve a problem like Tanais?

    I doubt if there are many surprises here:

    Siege of a landlocked city : farming and taxes unaffected, land trade eliminated. Devastation increases after one turn. Corruption increases greatly.

    Siege of port city: as above but sea trade survives.

    Rebels on the road: as was said above 50% cut on that route. I've had an example of two rebel armies on the same route (adjacent provinces) and I'm pleased to say the second one appears to have no effect.

    AI choosing alternative routes: The cities I checked all had a maximum of three roads out. I had one city with a road out that went to a 'T' junction, but I was unable to force a set of circumstances to prove or disprove. Will keep an eye out.

  24. #24
    Senior Member Senior Member ReluctantSamurai's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    2,483

    Default Re: How do you solve a problem like Tanais?

    Siege of port city: as above but sea trade survives.
    Which raises an issue I've had with RTW since the get-go...if sea trade still survives, why should a garrison in a port city take losses each turn of a siege? Logically (and historically, btw) if the port is not blockaded as part of a siege, then the city can hold out indefinitely and will have to be taken by direct assault. And while I'm at it, as a corollary, there should be a minimum size army required to siege a certain sized city. The dumbest thing to watch is a large/huge city with tens of thousands of residents, get put under siege by three skirmisher units.....
    High Plains Drifter

  25. #25
    Requin Member Vincent Butler's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Laniakea Supercluster
    Posts
    673

    Default Re: How do you solve a problem like Tanais?

    Most of the time, though, the port was really a part of the city, right, not a distance away? If the port really was the distance away that it is in the game (look at Numantia in Spain), you could cut off the city from supplies (providing you have the forces to surround the city), intercepting the supplies or forcing them to remain at the port. So as far as game mechanics vs appearance, it is possible for a port city to be totally cut off, and so lose men from the garrison.
    Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight: Psalm 144:1

    In peace there's nothing so becomes a man
    As modest stillness and humility:
    But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
    Then imitate the action of the tiger;
    -Henry V by William Shakespeare

  26. #26
    Senior Member Senior Member ReluctantSamurai's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    2,483

    Default Re: How do you solve a problem like Tanais?

    If the port is some distance away, then yes, no supplies. I found some detailed maps of how some of the ancient cities we see in the game were built, and most cities had a wall that ran from port to city, protecting the port. Athens is a prime example of this. But most of the ports in the game are not accurately placed. Rome is a prime example here, as supplies form its port needed to be transported upriver before reaching the city....

    I still disagree with being able to completely cut off a port city without blockading the port, as well.
    High Plains Drifter

  27. #27
    Requin Member Vincent Butler's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Laniakea Supercluster
    Posts
    673

    Default Re: How do you solve a problem like Tanais?

    Quote Originally Posted by ReluctantSamurai View Post
    I still disagree with being able to completely cut off a port city without blockading the port, as well.
    Right, it would take a sizable army to totally surround a city, especially one the size of Rome, which hit a population of 1,000,000 in 5 BC. Although really, all you would need to do is control the roads leading in. Ancient Babylon actually would have been really hard, the Euphrates River ran through the city, and the city had farms inside the walls, enough to support the city for a while. The walls were thick enough to drive two chariots abreast on top of them. The Medes diverted the Euphrates, and the guards at the river gate were apparently negligent or drunk not to notice the river level dropping, at least that is my understanding of what happened. Feel free to correct me if somebody knows better.
    Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight: Psalm 144:1

    In peace there's nothing so becomes a man
    As modest stillness and humility:
    But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
    Then imitate the action of the tiger;
    -Henry V by William Shakespeare

  28. #28

    Default Re: How do you solve a problem like Tanais?

    Quote Originally Posted by ReluctantSamurai View Post
    a large/huge city with tens of thousands of residents, get put under siege by three skirmisher units
    Usually an AI army. Though I've taken advantage in a situation we've discussed elsewhere. I took my peasants out of Tanais to allow revolt and when it did it returned to Scythia. I had an army a couple of turns away and used a peasant to siege and disrupt production while I waited for it to arrive. Naturally Tanais assaulted the peasant at turn end and I withdrew only to resiege cos the AI didn't follow up.

    Feel free to correct me if somebody knows better.
    I certainly don't know better :)

  29. #29
    Senior Member Senior Member ReluctantSamurai's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    2,483

    Default Re: How do you solve a problem like Tanais?

    Usually an AI army.
    Always an AI army in my case...I don't siege unless I'm there to assault.

    cos the AI didn't follow up.
    The AI in RTW is so pathetically timid. That's why, if you set up a game where the AI controlled all of the factions, the Romans would win every time, because 'nobody attacks the Romans'. Well, I have seen the Gauls do it on occasion, but even when a garrison could overwhelm the several Velites that were laying siege, they just sit there until a bigger Roman army shows up. In Shogun, if you tried that, you'd get your head handed to you
    High Plains Drifter

  30. #30
    Requin Member Vincent Butler's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Laniakea Supercluster
    Posts
    673

    Default Re: How do you solve a problem like Tanais?

    Quote Originally Posted by ReluctantSamurai View Post
    That's why, if you set up a game where the AI controlled all of the factions, the Romans would win every time, because 'nobody attacks the Romans'. Well, I have seen the Gauls do it on occasion
    Right, overall, Rome kicks tail with the AI, especially after Marius. I have seen Gaul successfully fend off Rome for a time, and I have seen Spain take Mediolanium from the Julii, but overall, AI Rome would beat AI everything else. Too bad, Macedon should be more powerful, they and Seleucia are usually gone pretty quickly, when really, they could do very well. Really, among the Greek factions, power is a toss-up.
    Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight: Psalm 144:1

    In peace there's nothing so becomes a man
    As modest stillness and humility:
    But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
    Then imitate the action of the tiger;
    -Henry V by William Shakespeare

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Single Sign On provided by vBSSO