Rome: Total War questions

[RogueIce]

Ok, so I'm behind the times. Sue me. I like the game and my computer can't handle M2:TW.

EDIT: Also, so it's clear, I'm playing vanilla R:TW on the latest version. So no mods or BI for me (at the moment...I might play BI later when I get used to Rome some more).

So first off, what is this "forced march" ability of which the game speaks? Is it anything special you do or just an in-game way of saying you get to move more on the campaign map?

Marius Reforms: I remember reading in all the old threads they happen when you get the first Huge City, but supposedly a patch changes that. Given I have the Gold Edition and whatever the latest version is (1.5? 1.6?), what is the trigger now?

Speaking of triggers, the Civil War. Is it something I can kick off whenever I feel like (well, once I have the popularity for it) or can the Senate or whoever force me into it? I ask because I read on GameFAQs (dunno if it's true) that if you have 25 provinces, the Senate demands your faction leader commit suicide or they go to war. Truth? Lie? What?

If the above is true, what if you did kill off the leader? In my current game I'm about to where it'll be an issue soon, but my current leader is in his 60s and about to meet up with the Heir (so I can transfer retinue if I want). Since he's bound to die soon anyway, what if I get the "suicide you leader or else" message while he's still kicking, and I choose to do so? Will it delay the war? For how long?

That's all I got for now. I'll probably be by later to throw in more questions and stuff, and maybe ask if my current strategy/method of play is any good, or if I'm setting up for the fall later (FYI: I'm playing the Julii faction).

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

Ok, so I'm behind the times. Sue me. I like the game and my computer can't handle M2:TW.

EDIT: Also, so it's clear, I'm playing vanilla R:TW on the latest version. So no mods or BI for me (at the moment...I might play BI later when I get used to Rome some more).

So first off, what is this "forced march" ability of which the game speaks? Is it anything special you do or just an in-game way of saying you get to move more on the campaign map?

Are you referring to a trait of a character? Probably just adds additional movement points.

Marius Reforms: I remember reading in all the old threads they happen when you get the first Huge City, but supposedly a patch changes that. Given I have the Gold Edition and whatever the latest version is (1.5? 1.6?), what is the trigger now?

It's pretty random, though some say it might be more likely when you take Rome.

Speaking of triggers, the Civil War. Is it something I can kick off whenever I feel like (well, once I have the popularity for it) or can the Senate or whoever force me into it? I ask because I read on GameFAQs (dunno if it's true) that if you have 25 provinces, the Senate demands your faction leader commit suicide or they go to war. Truth? Lie? What?

Depends. If you went on a killing spree and reaped lots of money, your popularity rises. Helps if your leader is popular.

If the Senate demands your leader commits suicide, you have two options.

1. Fight, if you have the support of the people.

2. Kill the bugger.

If the above is true, what if you did kill off the leader? In my current game I'm about to where it'll be an issue soon, but my current leader is in his 60s and about to meet up with the Heir (so I can transfer retinue if I want). Since he's bound to die soon anyway, what if I get the "suicide you leader or else" message while he's still kicking, and I choose to do so? Will it delay the war? For how long?

Delay yes, but it might cost you the support of the people if the leader is popular with the people.

That's all I got for now. I'll probably be by later to throw in more questions and stuff, and maybe ask if my current strategy/method of play is any good, or if I'm setting up for the fall later (FYI: I'm playing the Julii faction).

Personally I fancy the Brutii faction better. The Eastern provinces are far more profitable, though hard fighting guaranteed.

[RogueIce]

Are you referring to a trait of a character? Probably just adds additional movement points.

Yep. Comes from retinue.

Depends. If you went on a killing spree and reaped lots of money, your popularity rises. Helps if your leader is popular.

At the moment my popularity with the Senate is one bar higher than with the people. I think the Senate meter is about two from the top. So which counts? If you're max popular with the Senate they won't demand it of you? Only if it falls? Or is it one of those things that'll come crashing down when you get "too powerful"?

Delay yes, but it might cost you the support of the people if the leader is popular with the people.

Bummer. Ah well, guess that's more time to get territory and prepare eh? The other factions won't start it, just you, right?

Personally I fancy the Brutii faction better. The Eastern provinces are far more profitable, though hard fighting guaranteed.

I have a game with them too, but I haven't done much. I dunno, I guess to me red just symbolized Roman better than green or blue.

On another topic, since I've wiped out the Britons and Gauls I can play as them now. I started a Gaul came just to look at it. I like their opening cutscene. Starting is a bitch though: I get the Julii come out fighting me (despite exchanging map info and trade rights...guess there's no hope of avoid hositilities), but the weird thing is I had the Spanish come out of nowhere and attack me, along with some diplomatic message accusing me of a transgression? I hadn't even done anything near their provinces (in fact I totally missed the fact I had one over there until it got laid siege to), so that was pretty random. Sucks though.

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

At the moment my popularity with the Senate is one bar higher than with the people. I think the Senate meter is about two from the top. So which counts? If you're max popular with the Senate they won't demand it of you? Only if it falls? Or is it one of those things that'll come crashing down when you get "too powerful"?

If you get too popular with the plebs, i.e. the people, the Senate feels threatened and might order your leader to the death. Otherwise, if you are on very good terms with the Senate (this is actually quite random and happens despite you being on good books with them. Helps if you complete all their missions), nothing happens to you.

Bummer. Ah well, guess that's more time to get territory and prepare eh? The other factions won't start it, just you, right?

If the other factions start first and are more popular than you are, you are quite screwed I think if they take Rome first. Holding Rome and having low popularity is bad if I recall. But to keep yourself in their good graces, go killing and killing and killing. The cities in the East have more money so you get more plunder.

I have a game with them too, but I haven't done much. I dunno, I guess to me red just symbolized Roman better than green or blue.

When I played Brutii, I always make a dash for up to Thermon and also take over 2/3 of Sicily and then strike at Carthage. All in VH/VH by the way. Then I move on to the East while consolidating at N. Africa and Sicily. Effectively by the time I start the Civil War, I have 2 cities on Sicily and Carthage, plus Larrissa and Sparta and Thessalonika churning me full stacks within 10 turns. The nice thing about Brutii is that their Temple of Mars grants up to 3 bronze chevrons of exp.

On another topic, since I've wiped out the Britons and Gauls I can play as them now. I started a Gaul came just to look at it. I like their opening cutscene. Starting is a bitch though: I get the Julii come out fighting me (despite exchanging map info and trade rights...guess there's no hope of avoid hositilities), but the weird thing is I had the Spanish come out of nowhere and attack me, along with some diplomatic message accusing me of a transgression? I hadn't even done anything near their provinces (in fact I totally missed the fact I had one over there until it got laid siege to), so that was pretty random. Sucks though.

Never got a round playing those, but they are hard because their economy is quite pathetic. BUt the game is quite bugged though.

[RogueIce]

If you get too popular with the plebs, i.e. the people, the Senate feels threatened and might order your leader to the death. Otherwise, if you are on very good terms with the Senate (this is actually quite random and happens despite you being on good books with them. Helps if you complete all their missions), nothing happens to you.

Well their current order to blockade Corinth ain't gonna happen, though whatever they send me next may be doable. At the moment I hope to maintain popularity. I ain't ready to take on Rome just yet. Forces are way out of position and understrength for that.

If the other factions start first and are more popular than you are, you are quite screwed I think if they take Rome first. Holding Rome and having low popularity is bad if I recall. But to keep yourself in their good graces, go killing and killing and killing. The cities in the East have more money so you get more plunder.

Oh. Didn't know that. Well at the moment they don't seem ready, as my popularity with the people outstrips theirs by a wide margin.

Right now, my current faction leader is in his 60s so I hope to take at least one province with him (one of the two remaining Carthaginian ones I can see) and I'll transfer his good retinue to my aspiring faction heir. Maybe he'll live long enough for the Senate to demand his death. If he doesn't, I'm toying with making my heir another general in his late 50s who never amounted to much, and had only one son who, among his other failings, has the flaccid trait (poor guy), so I'm not expecting much from that line. So I'm hoping that the Senate will demand the death of that guy which will buy me some time, get rid of him, and let my Chosen One ascend the throne, as it were.

Never got a round playing those, but they are hard because their economy is quite pathetic. BUt the game is quite bugged though.

Yeah, having to deal with Roman aggression right off the bat can't be a good thing. Oh well...