The Glorious Battle of the Bridge!

Arrow · Post by **Arrow** » 2004-10-17 08:42am

Right now the Brutii and Scipii are kicking major ass. When the Civil War starts, I'm going to have a long fight on my hands. Also, the Brutii are in danger of being outlawed.

Post by **Vympel** » 2004-10-17 11:38am

Well, the Senate is really, REALLY starting to dislike me. I've crushed the Egyptians, taking all their territories along the Nile, while their holdings in the Middle East are too minor to pose any threat. I've been informed by the game that I have the opportunity to take Rome, as I'm incredibly popular with the People of Rome- the Senate, whenever they give me missions, is now threatening me with the consequences of failure rather than offering rewards- shit like investigating financial 'irregularities' and other such nonsense. When I arrive in Rome I'm going to have those fuckers heads on PIKES.

Only problem is, the damn Marian-reforms came in and now I have to take a time out to replace all my old units, since the game doesn't allow for re-training when the reforms come in, and if I don't replace them all, then if they take casualties I won't be able to re-train after sucessful battles.

A plague broke out in Alexandria, luckily the family member there wasn't infected, so I need to pull him out of there before the plague infects him- only problem is that if I pull him out, unrest is going to start. There's also a city under siege that I just found out has the plague, if I take it (it's only defended by three bowmen, the last survivors of a slaughter outside the walls) then there's a good chance Marcellus the Mighty (the other "the Mighty" aside from my faction leader) will come down with plague too, so fuck that.

My faction leader's fleet didn't get to arrive in Egypt in time for the battle, so I'm sending him back to Italy in preparation for the march on Rome- he's about 50 now so I assume he's still got plenty of turns left in him that he can be the one to take Rome, rather than all the young sons and grandsons that are only now getting an Army.

Oh, and I now own 6 of the 7 Wonders of the World. Fun.

For my part, when the Civil War starts, the Scipii will be easily crushed and the Julii will be too far away in Spain to be able to stop me taking all of Italy and cutting out their collective hearts. None of their cities in Gaul are developed enough to support a campagin against the combined resources I will command in Italy, Greece, Asia Minor, and Egypt.

I'm getting impatient. My cities just aren't building enough units in time to replace all my pre-Marian units fast enough. I don't want my latest crop of family members to be getting armies when they're thirty, dammit. I think some of the 'second-tier' family members will just have to fight the coming Civil War with some pre-Marian units. It shouldn't matter- the amount of troops I can land on Italy with my fleet (which is currently scattered) will overwhelm any defenders, and they nearly all have onagers.

StarshipTitanic · Post by **StarshipTitanic** » 2004-10-17 02:39pm

Why don't you simply take all your premarian stuff and send those in first without a general? In one of my games, I used some equites as a forward raiding force to overwhelm solitary units of infantry.

Post by **Vympel** » 2004-10-18 06:20am

StarshipTitanic wrote:Why don't you simply take all your premarian stuff and send those in first without a general? In one of my games, I used some equites as a forward raiding force to overwhelm solitary units of infantry.

I'm a rabid perfectionist.

wautd · Post by **wautd** » 2004-10-18 07:37am

HemlockGrey wrote:Can you construct fortifications around a besieged city, ala Alesia?

You can build forts but not when you siege a city

For me, I'm playing Scipii and I'm supposed to be the strongest faction of the 3. Bruttii seems do to well also in eastern europe but Jullii pretty much failed in conquering the north and only has a handfull of provinces. It seems Germania has almost all of north and west europe and I think they will cause problems in the future.

I went south and I have half Afrika (the west side). On the east side is Egypt which I think is the strongest empire. The got east africa, the middle east and Turkey. The fuckers declared war against me and the war is going on for a loooong time. Because it takes a while for reinforcements to get there, its mainly became defencive war. They attack a city with 1000+ men, they loose a couple of 100 and retreat. After that I send my cavalry to clean them up. Kill ratio about 1/5. Even more fun: one of my big cities has a big hole in its stone wall (didnt noticed the first time i got attacked). Every time the city gets attacked, they drop their siege equipment and start running (!) to the flank of the city. When they enter the crack they find themselves surrounded by legionary cohorts. They get slaughtered its not even funny anymore. Hell, my losses where higher when they used their siege towers.

I also invaded Spain and i whished I did so sooner (because of their gold mines). I must admit underestimated the Spanjards. They got quite a fierce fighting force. + they had a big fleet which always blocked travelling forces/governers. But now they are pretty much dead. It seemed like their armies just frooze and half of their provinces rebelled. My armie stands before their last city (unfortunatly I'm outnumbered, it will be hard but not impossible).

I also started a bit of conquering in east Turkey. First 2 provinces are a succes: 2 big, easely defendable cities. Happy civilians and 2 wonders. They also can produce capable soldiers so I dont have to send reinforcements. Egypt will regret the day they declared war on me

Oh and is it just me or does every 10 ticks a plague or gladiator uprising happen in Cartage?

Post by **Vympel** » 2004-10-18 11:39am

I really don't think the Scipii are meant to be the strongest, the list goes

1. Brutii
2. Scipii
3. Julii

I think. Anyway-

Rome is mine. I crushed the pre-Marian senatorial army with my faction leader (still Oppius the Mighty), fully equipped with a post-Marian army, whoose standard form I have decided is:

- 4x Legionary Cohort
- 2x Legionary Cavalry
- 2x Praetorian Cohort/ Urban Cohort (depends on the Army, don't have that many cities capable of building Urban Cohorts just yet)
- 2x Auxilia
- 2x Light Auxilia
- 2x Cavalry Auxilia
- 2x Archer Auxilia
- 1x Roman General
- 2x Onager

The Onagers fucking *owned* the enemy. It was the first time I had used them in open battle (since it had been ages since I'd had a non-siege assault), I just bombarded them for minutes and minutes before casually crushing them with legionary cohorts and cavalry- the Praetorians didn't even need to engage! End result was a routed Senatorial army with me only taking about 30 casualties (mostly light auxilia).

In the same turn, I took Capua (Scipii capital) with a pre-Marian army led by a recent adoptee

I have three armies present in Italy currently- two post-Marians (one led by my faction leader and another by a capable son, Sextus Brutus of the age of 21) and the one pre-Marian that took Capua. There are three more armies in Egypt in the process of refitting from pre to post Marian (decided I don't need them to move) for future conquests, one pre to post Marian in Thapsus (below Carthage) refitting, preparing to take the Scipii North African holdings (including Carthage itself) and two more fully post-Marian armies in Greece about to load onto ship for the very short journey to Italy to carry the war to the Julii home regions.

I also started a bit of conquering in east Turkey.

It's Asia Minor. Turkey doesn't exist for about a thousand years give or take.

wautd · Post by **wautd** » 2004-10-18 11:52am

Vympel wrote:It's Asia Minor. Turkey doesn't exist for about a thousand years give or take.

Yeah well, you got the point, thats what mattered

Post by **Beowulf** » 2004-10-18 06:07pm

I killed Hannibal.

He probably shouldn't have been hanging around outside the city, given the fact that I then proceeded to conquer, pillage and burn that city.

Post by **The Yosemite Bear** » 2004-10-18 11:39pm

DLed the demo, I am addicted now...

Post by **fgalkin** » 2004-10-19 12:04am

Puny Egyptians. You will be crushed soon.

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

Pablo Sanchez · Post by **Pablo Sanchez** » 2004-10-19 12:27am

fgalkin wrote:Puny Egyptians. You will be crushed soon.

I played a game as the Greeks wherein I crushed the Scipii Faction leader outside the walls of Messana with my Hoplite steamroller and judicious deployment of my cavalry. I also rode down routers. I think he lost about 600 men with only 10 escaping, and I lost about 50 men, mainly to javelin tossers. It was ugly.

Rogue 9 · Post by **Rogue 9** » 2004-10-19 12:55am

Rogue 9 · Post by **Rogue 9** » 2004-10-19 12:57am

Also, even though it's damned near impossible to lose the tutorial, since the Senate army can easily win by itself without your help...

HemlockGrey · Post by **HemlockGrey** » 2004-10-19 01:26am

So how hard is the game on normal? It seems like none of you guys ever lose a battle; how intellligent is the AI, especially on the higher settings?

The Cleric · Post by **The Cleric** » 2004-10-19 01:29am

HemlockGrey wrote:So how hard is the game on normal? It seems like none of you guys ever lose a battle; how intellligent is the AI, especially on the higher settings?

Two things. One, you're not going to post pictures of battles you lose. Two, superior human planning can win a whole lot of times.

Post by **fgalkin** » 2004-10-19 01:39am

That, and the fact that you can replay the battle over and over until you win it.

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

Captain Cyran · Post by **Captain Cyran** » 2004-10-19 01:39am

HemlockGrey wrote:So how hard is the game on normal? It seems like none of you guys ever lose a battle; how intellligent is the AI, especially on the higher settings?

I have a lot of trouble with hard on the demo. Tried twice, both times I got routed, I inflicted a few more casualties though.

The Cleric · Post by **The Cleric** » 2004-10-19 01:40am

Captain_Cyran wrote:
HemlockGrey wrote:So how hard is the game on normal? It seems like none of you guys ever lose a battle; how intellligent is the AI, especially on the higher settings?
I have a lot of trouble with hard on the demo. Tried twice, both times I got routed, I inflicted a few more casualties though.

Hehe. CC forgot his end tag.

Captain Cyran · Post by **Captain Cyran** » 2004-10-19 01:46am

StormtrooperOfDeath wrote:
Captain_Cyran wrote:
HemlockGrey wrote:So how hard is the game on normal? It seems like none of you guys ever lose a battle; how intellligent is the AI, especially on the higher settings?
I have a lot of trouble with hard on the demo. Tried twice, both times I got routed, I inflicted a few more casualties though.
Hehe. CC forgot his end tag.

Or did I? Don't answer that or I'll kill your Brujah...

I should have this game soon. I'm selling a majority of my Magic: The Gathering cards so I'll have plenty of money. Soon, yes very soon, Rome will be MINE. Bwahaha, BWAHAHAH! BWAHAHAHAHA!!

Post by **Vympel** » 2004-10-19 01:53am

If I lose a battle- I do a horrible thing- LOAD THE GAME

Seriously, the pleasure in every total war game (and I own all three includign their expansion packs) is the joy of routing and slaughtering the enemy army, no matter how superior (numerically or qualitatively) to yours- or not, for that matter. I play nearly every battle- even against pathetic bands of brigands (unless there's just one unit of them, I mean).

Chardok · Post by **Chardok** » 2004-10-19 09:49am

An example of one of my general's pep talks before the battle (This general was promptly killed- I sent his cavalry unit against an army solo just so he would be slaughtered, and withdrew my army to a nearby city to defend and wait for a replacement)

THE EGYPTIANS ARE FAR STRONGER AND BETTER MEN THAN WE, BUT DO NOT LET THAT DETER YOU!!! TOMORROW- OUR SWORD ARMS WILL ACHE FROM OVERUSE!!!!

*Cheering*

Post by **The Yosemite Bear** » 2004-10-19 10:04am

of course rogue is showing the only two missions that come with the demo version...

infact I really want to have more fun, and crush more things besides getting to play hannibal and some Julii upstart in the demo...

Captain Cyran · Post by **Captain Cyran** » 2004-10-19 12:03pm

The Yosemite Bear wrote:of course rogue is showing the only two missions that come with the demo version...

infact I really want to have more fun, and crush more things besides getting to play hannibal and some Julii upstart in the demo...

What's your best so far Yosemite? So far I've managed them having 117 kills on me, with healing that went down to 90 some. I meanwhile managed to kill all but 40 of their men. I am curious though. Can someone explain to me how 40 some can POSSIBLY grow to 240 some?! Even with healing that's ridiculous!

Post by **The Yosemite Bear** » 2004-10-19 04:09pm

Well since I don't know how to use healing....

actually I had fun with them, harrassed them with my merc cav, and my skirmishers, thowing javelins, and then running like nancy boys, straight between a nice wide opening I left between my infantry's lines.watching the tired roman force come down ready for some slaughter as the mercs and javelineers run, the elephants move forward distupting the intial infantry force. now this is when all my cav starts slamming into their rear while their infantry is dealing with elephants.... combine this with the clamp shutting on them...

ok, so I knew the fucked up reverse wedge trick.

Post by **fgalkin** » 2004-10-20 03:17am

Damn those Parthians. They have declared war on me before the conquest of Egypt is complete! Now I have to fight a war on two fronts.

Not to mention that my cavalry still sucks. It is too damn early in the game.

In other news, there was this hilarious battle with the Egyptians where I was attacked by an 700+ man army consisting entirely of chariots, plus one unit of desert cavalry and one unit of archers.

I've arranged my troops on a hill at the very edge of the battlefield in a semicircle formation. 15 minutes later, the chariots have finally reached me and charged my phalanxes head on. The outcome was quite predictable.

I've lost 22 men. The enemy had most of the army gone. After the chariots and the cavlary were decimated, my own scythed chariots took care of the archers.

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin