Rome: Total War Gold Edition - Page 3

Darkness · 29-03-2011, 09:16

So, I got bored with the Julii at M/M level after butchering the Gauls. I was just steamrolling Spain, Brittain and Germany simultaneously. Which was a bit too easy, IMHO...

So I quit that game and decided to start a new game at H/H. And since I was tired of fighting barbarians, I decided to pick a different Roman faction. I tried the Brutii. Interesting start, crossing to Greece. I got Thermon quickly too, but then it got more difficult. I wanted to take Athens because that seems to be a huge powerhouse city for trade, but them bastards keep destroying my battering rams. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to conquer cities with large stone walls and strong gates in the early game (255 BC or so) ? I could probably try to starve them, but that would take 8 turns. Or would this also be quicker if I block the port?

Also, does the AI always win naval battles? I had a nice fleet of triremes (5 triremes and 3 briremes) and I was attacked by a rebel fleet which I outnumbered almost 2-1, and I still lost ("average defeat")...

Shabbaman · 29-03-2011, 13:06

Can't you have a spy open the gates for you?

Darkness · 29-03-2011, 13:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shabbaman

Can't you have a spy open the gates for you?

I could, but the chance of succes is generally quite low with unexperienced spies and big cities in the beginning of the game (at least the numbers that I have seen)...

Furiey · 29-03-2011, 13:21

Naval battles are always annoying and I always seem to lose too. They didn't introduce proper naval battles that you could control until Empire.

Kingreno · 29-03-2011, 13:38

The Brutii... the powerhouse of teh Romans, if played well they are the strongest faction. Make sure to build temples of Mars in your main 2 unitsbuilding cities and Mercury for trade in teh others. I'd go for Apolonia for teh easy 5000 dinarii and the NOT take Thermon too soon, The greeks are strong early on, on high levels. The trick is: they will be attacked by 2 to 5 adversaries in the comming 10 turns. (Scipii in Syracuse, Pontus and Seleucids in Turkey, Thrace in the North, Macedonia everywhere). If Brutii attack too soon they will send all units to Brutii. Instead take over Illyria (2 cities in Croatia/Bosnia) first. These cities are small but both can support a mine (200 dinarii per turn+tradable goods!).

On Athens' walls: Attack ONLY if you have: 4+ cata's and can lose half an army. Otherwise just starve'em.

Forget Athens for now. Take Thermon after Illyria, it should be virtually undefended, then go straight to Sparta (what a prize!). You can take it by laying Siege, most of the time a small army will attack you and you can fighht them outside of the city. Or, wait out the 6-8 turns...

Keep Macedon at peace for now, try to grab Krete for trade and you MAIN GOAL: Rhodes. Thye colossus provides +40% naval trade. If you get: Southern Italy, Dalmatia, Thermon, Sparta, Krete and Rhodes you have 7 ports with a TON of trade. The game is.... over.

Darkness · 29-03-2011, 15:52

Thanks!

For clarification: Do you mean going to Sparta by ship? Won't that be terribly risky, considering the large navy that Greece seems to have?

Darkness · 30-03-2011, 09:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darkness

For clarification: Do you mean going to Sparta by ship? Won't that be terribly risky, considering the large navy that Greece seems to have?

I guess you did.

I hopped my army on the boat at Thermon and they actually arrived at Sparta the next turn. Which didn't even have walls...

I took Corinth and Athens quickly after that, using siege towers instead of battering rams (worked quite well)...

Seems like a good start to the game. I now have 8 cities (the 2 in Italy, Appolonia and Salona on the Adriatic sea, and Thermon, Corinth, Sparta and Athens) by 262 BC. Time to build up the economy and a bigger army and make a move on the Macedon cities...

Kingreno · 30-03-2011, 10:39

Don't forget Rhodes and Crete. Trade will skyrocket!!

For some fun, send a few units to Palma or Sardinia if the Julii didn't get them.

Darkness · 31-03-2011, 00:09

How can you get rid of the plague in Thessalonica? So far it's not spreading but I had intended this city to be one of my major military producers... And that's kind of hard when you're losing 700 people a turn due to the plague....

Up to 15 cities now, in 250 BC. All of Greece is mine, so I have now invaded Turkey. I also tried to get Crete and Rhodes. Crete was easy, but the Greeks had a huge horseman army on Rhodes, which butchered my 600-something army of infantry and archers/velites.... Disappointing, since this ill-fated invasion also got my second-best general killed (4-star)...

akots · 31-03-2011, 01:43

Plague is bugged in the original game even after the latest patch.

Looks like the game is in the bag. The only challenge you have now is to maintain happiness at acceptable level which requires a steady income and some surgically limited military operations. At some point, not sure really when, you have to stop and consolidate. Otherwise,growing too large too rapidly might lead to some provinces captured back either by rebels or by adversaries. No big deal, will get them back eventually later on, just make sure that all enemies are contained.

Against rebels, you can build forts for visibility to get rid of fog of war.

I remember the Greek horsemen army was running around somewhere all the time. To fight against it, you can use Greek mercenaries (phalanx or hoplites). Not sure which ones are available in unmodded game. They will soften and hold the cavalry somewhere on a higher ground in the corner and then pretorians can jump in the chop up the rest. AI never disengages the cavalry after a charge. So, once it is stuck in a close combat, it remains there completely stuck. Just need to strike at the flank or rear. Hastati can hold their own as well sometimes with a good general but they need to be positioned in the corner at least 5 or 6 ranks deep.

The only counter to Roman infantry is missile cavalry.

29-03-2011, 09:16	#21
Darkness Moderator Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Netherlands. Posts: 4,169	So, I got bored with the Julii at M/M level after butchering the Gauls. I was just steamrolling Spain, Brittain and Germany simultaneously. Which was a bit too easy, IMHO... So I quit that game and decided to start a new game at H/H. And since I was tired of fighting barbarians, I decided to pick a different Roman faction. I tried the Brutii. Interesting start, crossing to Greece. I got Thermon quickly too, but then it got more difficult. I wanted to take Athens because that seems to be a huge powerhouse city for trade, but them bastards keep destroying my battering rams. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to conquer cities with large stone walls and strong gates in the early game (255 BC or so) ? I could probably try to starve them, but that would take 8 turns. Or would this also be quicker if I block the port? Also, does the AI always win naval battles? I had a nice fleet of triremes (5 triremes and 3 briremes) and I was attacked by a rebel fleet which I outnumbered almost 2-1, and I still lost ("average defeat")... __________________ "Death is lighter than a feather, but duty is heavier than a mountain..." - The Eye of the World

29-03-2011, 13:06	#22
Shabbaman Administrator Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Costa La Haya Posts: 8,493	Can't you have a spy open the gates for you? __________________ "Our spam is backed with COMETS!"

29-03-2011, 13:38	#25
Kingreno Moderator Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Netherlands. Posts: 3,270	The Brutii... the powerhouse of teh Romans, if played well they are the strongest faction. Make sure to build temples of Mars in your main 2 unitsbuilding cities and Mercury for trade in teh others. I'd go for Apolonia for teh easy 5000 dinarii and the NOT take Thermon too soon, The greeks are strong early on, on high levels. The trick is: they will be attacked by 2 to 5 adversaries in the comming 10 turns. (Scipii in Syracuse, Pontus and Seleucids in Turkey, Thrace in the North, Macedonia everywhere). If Brutii attack too soon they will send all units to Brutii. Instead take over Illyria (2 cities in Croatia/Bosnia) first. These cities are small but both can support a mine (200 dinarii per turn+tradable goods!). On Athens' walls: Attack ONLY if you have: 4+ cata's and can lose half an army. Otherwise just starve'em. Forget Athens for now. Take Thermon after Illyria, it should be virtually undefended, then go straight to Sparta (what a prize!). You can take it by laying Siege, most of the time a small army will attack you and you can fighht them outside of the city. Or, wait out the 6-8 turns... Keep Macedon at peace for now, try to grab Krete for trade and you MAIN GOAL: Rhodes. Thye colossus provides +40% naval trade. If you get: Southern Italy, Dalmatia, Thermon, Sparta, Krete and Rhodes you have 7 ports with a TON of trade. The game is.... over. __________________ Go ahead punk. Make my day.

29-03-2011, 15:52	#26
Darkness Moderator Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Netherlands. Posts: 4,169	Thanks! For clarification: Do you mean going to Sparta by ship? Won't that be terribly risky, considering the large navy that Greece seems to have? __________________ "Death is lighter than a feather, but duty is heavier than a mountain..." - The Eye of the World

30-03-2011, 10:39	#28
Kingreno Moderator Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Netherlands. Posts: 3,270	Don't forget Rhodes and Crete. Trade will skyrocket!! For some fun, send a few units to Palma or Sardinia if the Julii didn't get them. __________________ Go ahead punk. Make my day.

29-03-2011, 13:21	#24
Furiey King Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Bedfordshire UK. Posts: 1,031	Naval battles are always annoying and I always seem to lose too. They didn't introduce proper naval battles that you could control until Empire.

31-03-2011, 00:09	#29
Darkness Moderator Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Netherlands. Posts: 4,169	How can you get rid of the plague in Thessalonica? So far it's not spreading but I had intended this city to be one of my major military producers... And that's kind of hard when you're losing 700 people a turn due to the plague.... Up to 15 cities now, in 250 BC. All of Greece is mine, so I have now invaded Turkey. I also tried to get Crete and Rhodes. Crete was easy, but the Greeks had a huge horseman army on Rhodes, which butchered my 600-something army of infantry and archers/velites.... Disappointing, since this ill-fated invasion also got my second-best general killed (4-star)... __________________ "Death is lighter than a feather, but duty is heavier than a mountain..." - The Eye of the World Last edited by Darkness; 31-03-2011 at 00:12.

31-03-2011, 01:43	#30
akots Nebuchadnezzar II Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Glover Park Posts: 4,459	Plague is bugged in the original game even after the latest patch. Looks like the game is in the bag. The only challenge you have now is to maintain happiness at acceptable level which requires a steady income and some surgically limited military operations. At some point, not sure really when, you have to stop and consolidate. Otherwise,growing too large too rapidly might lead to some provinces captured back either by rebels or by adversaries. No big deal, will get them back eventually later on, just make sure that all enemies are contained. Against rebels, you can build forts for visibility to get rid of fog of war. I remember the Greek horsemen army was running around somewhere all the time. To fight against it, you can use Greek mercenaries (phalanx or hoplites). Not sure which ones are available in unmodded game. They will soften and hold the cavalry somewhere on a higher ground in the corner and then pretorians can jump in the chop up the rest. AI never disengages the cavalry after a charge. So, once it is stuck in a close combat, it remains there completely stuck. Just need to strike at the flank or rear. Hastati can hold their own as well sometimes with a good general but they need to be positioned in the corner at least 5 or 6 ranks deep. The only counter to Roman infantry is missile cavalry. __________________ Cujusvis hominis est errare; nullius, nisi insipientis in errore perseverare Ciceron (Marcus Tullius)