Is EB 1.2 the most sophisticated turn based computer strategy wargame to this date?

[SlickNicaG69]

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Greater depth of unit rosters, greatly improved and more evocative unit graphics, greater FM character development, in many ways improved cavalry behavior-- I always hated vanilla cavalry doing hairpin turns in mid charge. As for imbalance in favor of barbarians, maybe you see it from a Rome centered view, granted barbs have some advantages like lethality, more ogrish elites like gaesatae and rhompaiaphoroi, better cavalry stamina, the Sweboz chevron factory et al. But I always play Eurobarbs and from my side of the Po, the advantages of the civilized factions are very clear- better armor, heavier shields, greater missile resistance which conduces to cohort survival and chevroning up during long campaigns. And the Roman cavalry weakness is mitigated by options like Campanian cavalry which in reality make Rome IMO cavalry strong, and then the bombproof Polybian principes factory once Polybian reforms, which are much easier to reach than Gaul's time of soldiers, or the Sweboz reforms. Myself I am a Roman military historian, which in part explains my interest in EB, yet the advantages of the Roman roster are to me so obvious that I have never been able to bring myself to play the Romans. Conquer Italy and Sicily, get Polybian reforms, spam Polybian hastati/principes, supplement with Campanian cav/Equites ex., chevron way up, win win win. It is so obvious. In addition the campaign mode overrates the economic value of trade and underrates agriculture, where is the famous agricultural and livestock wealth of the Po valley Celts? But overrated as trade is, it makes Mediterranean coastal territories the most desireable. I can conquer all inner Gaul or inner Germany and it amounts to very little, playing as Gauls the real way to boost the economy is to sack Rome, Gallicize Italy, and take Britain, coastal trade in EB is the real key to economic strength, and the Mediterranean coastlands are the ultimate prize. This situation in my view makes the Romans, Karthaginians and Ptolemaioi the real uberfactions in the game, not to mention Karthadasts superversatile troop roster, with PedEx clones, Celtiberian Swordsmen clones, elite phalanxes, quality bodyguards, elite Iberian cavalry etc. again playing Kart-Hadast just strikes me as an obvious win. And then there is the Ptolemaioi with superior Neitos (!), Cretans, phalanxes, and decent cavalry again a very versatile roster. If, playing as Gauls, my neitos had level 4 shields, they would be unstoppable. But that said, I think campaign mode is weighed in favor of whoever gets Mediterannean thalassokracy, and I think Roma and Kart-hadast have the best combo of starting position and troop roster. But I think that multiplayer, with the customary equal money system, tends to favor the eastern barbarian factions like the Sarmatians and Getai and Saka, whose armored horse archer/lancers are IMO the single most dominant troop in the game. So if everyone dismissed the aesthetic appeal of the infantry battle in line, I think MP would resemble medieval Asiatic steppe warfare: armored horse archers in crescent formations, strafing the flanks and rear, shooting all unarmored troops, and foot archers, then concentrated lance charges for the win.

I always hated vanilla cavalry doing hairpin turns in mid charge. As for imbalance in favor of barbarians, maybe you see it from a Rome centered view, granted barbs have some advantages like lethality, more ogrish elites like gaesatae and rhompaiaphoroi, better cavalry stamina, the Sweboz chevron factory et al. But I always play Eurobarbs and from my side of the Po, the advantages of the civilized factions are very clear- better armor, heavier shields, greater missile resistance which conduces to cohort survival and chevroning up during long campaigns. And the Roman cavalry weakness is mitigated by options like Campanian cavalry which in reality make Rome IMO cavalry strong, and then the bombproof Polybian principes factory once Polybian reforms, which are much easier to reach than Gaul's time of soldiers, or the Sweboz reforms. Myself I am a Roman military historian, which in part explains my interest in EB, yet the advantages of the Roman roster are to me so obvious that I have never been able to bring myself to play the Romans. Conquer Italy and Sicily, get Polybian reforms, spam Polybian hastati/principes, supplement with Campanian cav/Equites ex., chevron way up, win win win. It is so obvious. In addition the campaign mode overrates the economic value of trade and underrates agriculture, where is the famous agricultural and livestock wealth of the Po valley Celts? But overrated as trade is, it makes Mediterranean coastal territories the most desireable. I can conquer all inner Gaul or inner Germany and it amounts to very little, playing as
Gauls the real way to boost the economy is to sack Rome, Gallicize Italy, and take Britain, coastal trade in EB is the real key to economic strength, and the Mediterranean coastlands are the ultimate prize. This situation in my view makes the Romans, Karthaginians and Ptolemaioi the real uberfactions in the game, not to mention Karthadasts superversatile troop roster, with PedEx clones, Celtiberian Swordsmen clones, elite phalanxes, quality bodyguards, elite Iberian cavalry etc. again playing Kart-Hadast just strikes me as an obvious win. And then there is the Ptolemaioi with superior Neitos (!), Cretans, phalanxes, and decent cavalry again a very versatile roster. If, playing as Gauls, my neitos had level 4 shields, they would be unstoppable. But that said, I think campaign mode is weighed in favor of whoever gets Mediterannean thalassokracy, and I think Roma and Kart-hadast have the best combo of starting position and troop roster. But I think that multiplayer, with the customary equal money system, tends to favor the eastern barbarian factions like the Sarmatians and Getai and Saka, whose armored horse archer/lancers are IMO the single most dominant troop in the game. So if everyone dismissed the aesthetic appeal of the infantry battle in line, I think MP would resemble medieval Asiatic steppe warfare: armored horse archers in crescent formations, strafing the flanks and rear, shooting all unarmored troops, and foot archers, then concentrated lance charges for the win.

What you failed to realize in my previous post was that the balance referred to is, literally, historical balance...

Vanilla portrayed them very fictionally and, hence, very unbalanced historically... Why were numidians so un-unique?... Why were Gaulish infantry so fragile?...

These are things that are a result of the fact that the unit rosters were totally not made to be historically balanced, but rather for entertainment balance: Carthage with Elephants, Romans with Everything, Greeks with Pikes, Easterns with Cataphracts, Barbarians withh Druids/Berserkers, etc., etc...

So, it is natural for you to feel that your faction has certain disadvantages and, hence it is unbalanced. But this can only be felt if you take, as you said, a very subjective approach. Why not try and play other factions to the same degree as you do as Gauls or Germans? If others also have relative disadvantages, why would that not be considered balanced? What would be unhistorical about trade not being good above the Po under the Gauls and Germans... trade has never, ever been good without the seed of civilization!... Isn't that the mark of the barbarians?... profiting from plunder??...