Rome II

[Sir Slash]

Hey Ming, what are the different factions rated as difficulity wise at the start. Pretty sure Sparta is "Hard".

[GDS_Starfury]

it is.  I got the cultures DLC and started my first campaign as Sparta and quit it 60 turns in.  Im now in my 2nd campaign as Armenia and am kicking the shit out of everything.  thats why I want to know what the screenshot button is.

[Gusington]

F12 Nancy.

[BanzaiCat]

I don't know what kind of liberal Commie keyboard you have, son, but mine don't have no "F12 Nancy" key nowheres.

[LongBlade]

it is.  I got the cultures DLC and started my first campaign as Sparta and quit it 60 turns in.  Im now in my 2nd campaign as Armenia and am kicking the shit out of everything.  thats why I want to know what the screenshot button is.

Ahem: http://grogheads.com/forums/index.php?topic=7868.msg314771#msg314771

[GDS_Starfury]

Ive tried F12 Nancy and Ive found no screenshots.

[jomni]

Ive tried F12 Nancy and Ive found no screenshots.

A common Steam bug. Go to Steam settings and rebind your F 12 key.

[LongBlade]

Ive tried F12 Nancy and Ive found no screenshots.

There is no F12 Nancy key. Nancy.

[GDS_Starfury]

Im sorry you dont have a customizable gaming keyboard Harriet.

[MengJiao]

Hey Ming, what are the different factions rated as difficulity wise at the start. Pretty sure Sparta is "Hard".

  Sparta is hard in the Emperor's campaign?  I would imagine so since by the 1st century BC Sparta had not been a serious power in 200 years or more.

  In the Wrathful DLC, nobody seems to know quite what to make of Sparta.  It crushes Athens in a few dozen turns, but seems underpowered, apparently.

  I figured Athens would be the more interesting position to play since it was a kind of paradoxical vanilla option: the Small Empire of the Vanilla Greeks.  Easy Athens has been a pretty difficult faction to play.  I think I've only survived by concentrating as much as I could in Perikles army near Athens.  After beating the Spartans and Korinthians, he was jumped by the Theban Army under Pagondas -- this time Perikles was even more heavily outnumbered and the Thebans were arriving all in a bunch -- around 3000 to 2000.  I had filled out the wrecked Athenian army with some mercenary light cavalry and ax-men.  It looked like the end for the rag-tag Athenian army.  There was nothing to do but get on a hill in the corner and hope for the best.
  Pagondas attacked pretty much right up the middle (thank you AI) and I was able to roll up both flanks eventually using Ax-men on the right and cavalry on the left.  In the center it was all pretty classic hoplite fighting.  Since I had seen the wiley Pagondas beaten by the Athenians in the hoplite board game, I did have some hope and in the end the Athenians prevailed -- though not by much.
   So, so far, Easy Athens has been reasonably entertaining.

[Martok]

Since I know I won't get around to playing WoS til after after I've gotten a good day's sleep, can anyone comment on naval battles yet? 

[Martok]

All right.  I've finally fired up Wrath of Sparta, and have started a campaign as Athens.  My very early impressions thus far... 


While I wish they could have at least included Sicily, I have to admit CA seems to have done a nice job of rendering Greece, western Turkey, and the Aegean on a more intimate scale.  It's very cool to see cities like Samos and Mantinea (which are mostly unknown to the general public, but played major roles during the Peloponnesian Wars) at last take their rightful places on the campaign map. 

Speaking of cities:  The first time you click on one (even those you don't own), you get a brief description of it, including a little history.  A nice touch, that. 

Another nice touch:  Most of the more well-known cities get older and/or more Greek-like spellings instead of the more modern/English ones we're used to.  Athens is now Athenai, Corinth Korinthos, Byzantium Byazantion, etc.  A minor detail only, perhaps, but it definitely adds to the historical flavor. 

One major gripe so far:  Augh!  Sparta has walls??  And Argos is a "minor settlement"?!  WTF??!  (I know, I know.  It's for gameplay/balance purposes, but it still greatly bothers the history geek in me.)   




Also:  Holy hell, MengJiao wasn't kidding when he said Athens isn't easy.  :o  Not that I doubted him, but actually seeing the reality of her strategic situation...damn. 

Just preventing all my far-flung territories from rebelling and keeping them out of the clutches of Sparta, Corinth, Thebes, and everyone else I've pissed off (you pretty much start the campaign at war with half of Helles) is going to be extremely difficult, if not outright impossible. In addition, there's the need to protect Athens herself from invading armies, especially as she's just a stone's throw from both Corinth and Thebes. 

This is definitely going to be a challenge... 

[Gusington]

I was almost slaughtered as Armenia but now I'm an onrushing Armenian armored tide...proving that even the difficult campaigns can be managed and beat :)

[Martok]

That's true.  Appreciate the reminder, Gus.  You give me hope.  O:-) 

[Gusington]

That's why I'm here. And to observe Star's behavior and report back.