Rome II

[Martok]

Shut up, Hannibal.  You're next! 

[Gusington]

^Look at this guy. Barely a month ago he was all "I will wait til the end of time before purchasing." One gift on Steam and he's salivating like the rest of us.

By the by Macedon looks great...I may forgo Sparta and start as Macedon. They are badasses.

[Martok]

^Look at this guy. Barely a month ago he was all "I will wait til the end of time before purchasing." One gift on Steam and he's salivating like the rest of us.

Well if you're going to be a jerk and do something nice like that, I see no point in continuing to be curmudgeonly about it.  ;)  I might as well let the history geek in me express its enthusiasm! 

By the by Macedon looks great...I may forgo Sparta and start as Macedon. They are badasses.

Also, Macedon doesn't look like it'll be so brutally difficult.  Sparta seems like it might be to Rome II what the Armenians were to MTW's XL mod. 

[Gusington]

^Let the historical geek flow from you! I do every day.

You know I don't think I ever played Armenia in MTW XL...

Also - just got notice that I have to serve in jury duty beginning...September 3. I don't know how this bodes for my embracing of Rome 2.

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

I'm sure if you show up togated or sporting a centurion's helmet and muttering about being thwarted by the Triumvirate, they might find you unsuitable and let you go.  Or even better, if you can get the game installed beforehand, you might get sequestered and be able to drag the trial out until you finish your campaign.

[Gusington]

^Genius...I may try some of that. Last time I just pretended to be a fascist anarchist.

[Martok]

^Let the historical geek flow from you! I do every day.

:o  You might want to get that checked... 


:P 

You know I don't think I ever played Armenia in MTW XL...

Then you're smarter than I was.  I don't know what inspired VikingHorde to add Armenia as a playable faction in his mod (sadism? insanity?), but holy-mother-of-God are they difficult. 

And when I say "difficult", I mean they're seriously, impossibly, ridiculously, no-shit, I'm-not-even-remotely-f***ing-kidding difficult.  (Being utterly surrounded by the Turks & Byzantines, they have no easy expansion options, yet their starting lands are too poor to sustain them for very long, so they have to expand early.)  When played by the AI, the Armenians usually disappear within 15 years (usually courtesy of the Turks); when I play as them, if I'm *really* lucky, I might last twice as long.  I've heard of a couple folks who've done well as the Armenians, but apparently I'm nowhere near being that good a player.  :-[ 

Also - just got notice that I have to serve in jury duty beginning...September 3. I don't know how this bodes for my embracing of Rome 2.

Pffft.  Just tell the court you've gotta raise your legions for a march on Veii.  They'll understand, I promise! 

[Nefaro]

You know I don't think I ever played Armenia in MTW XL...

I specifically want them to create a playable Armenia in Rome 2.  It should be a bit easier during that period.  I recall playing them in a RTW mod and it was pretty awesome what with all their heavy scale armored troops and Zoroastrian old-school religious art.  Maybe they'll have that and the Parthian empire in a DLC later on?  *fingers crossed*

[Gusington]

I'm surprised Parthia isn't available from the get go...it's always a crowd favorite in these games. I vaguely remember fighting against the Parthians in Centurion: Defender of Rome on my Amiga and thinkiing how cool they were. Weirdly I have no memory of the Parthians in the first Rome TW game...

[MengJiao]

I'm surprised Parthia isn't available from the get go...it's always a crowd favorite in these games. I vaguely remember fighting against the Parthians in Centurion: Defender of Rome on my Amiga and thinkiing how cool they were. Weirdly I have no memory of the Parthians in the first Rome TW game...

Isn't some Greek Successor-to-Alexander Empire sitting on all the Parthian and Persian and Armenian space when Rome II opens in 200 BC?

[Staggerwing]

Would that be the Seleucids you're referring to?

[Gusington]

It may be the Seleucids but in the initial release they are not playable :(

[Bison]

I'm willing to bet they are one of the first dlc available.

[MengJiao]

Would that be the Seleucids you're referring to?

   I think so.  I'm not sure how far up into Asia Minor their control extended...maybe a lot in 272 BC when the game starts I now find.

[Nefaro]

I'm surprised Parthia isn't available from the get go...it's always a crowd favorite in these games. I vaguely remember fighting against the Parthians in Centurion: Defender of Rome on my Amiga and thinkiing how cool they were. Weirdly I have no memory of the Parthians in the first Rome TW game...

Isn't some Greek Successor-to-Alexander Empire sitting on all the Parthian and Persian and Armenian space when Rome II opens in 200 BC?

Oh there may be a Seleucid empire there still, but Parthia existed in 200BC and it was taking Seleucid territory in this period.

Edit:  If the game starts in 272BC, then it may not yet have grown to anything portrayed in the game.  I wonder if it can emerge a bit later?