Rome II

[GDS_Starfury]

my behavior?

[MengJiao]

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?

  I guess it is sort of a problem with the game, but the Athenians would be wise early on to focus on holding on to a few crucial spots and avoiding any naval adventures.  This sort of reflects Perikles basic strategy of simply holding on -- but, don't bet on doing much with the Athenian navy right away.

  The naval battles that have happened (I think the Athenians have lost 1 and won two or three) have been coherent, but not that different from those in the old regular game.  This may be because I usually don't do all that much with fleets anyway -- I tend to use them as garrisons in fact.  I haven't seen the transports in action and I think this problem has been exaggerated.  For one thing, there were lots of different kinds of transports and the ones in the game now seem to be based on grain ships rather than the transports that armies used -- which would in fact have been slower and/or older warships with fewer oarsmen.  Moreover, a grain ship might well have had a stronger hull than a trireme so the whole "improved naval" thing is purely some gamey adjustments to a system that actually was probably more realistic when transports were dangerous.   But as I've said -- I never have done all that much with fleets and transports anyway.

[MengJiao]

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

  I've hung on as Athens, as I've mentioned mostly by concentrating as much as possible (ie around Athens, in Euboea and up North).  I've been outnumbered in every battle with a major land power.  Thebes has been by far the most dangerous foe.  I've had three horrendous battles with them and they were all epic and not easy to win at all.  I've pretty much fought in a hoplite manner:  one base alignment, as close-ordered as possible.  The default for hoplites is "formation attack" and I mostly stay in that mode.  I haven't found "shield wall" all that helpful since I think the only way I'm winning is by almost constant small adjustments to the attacks I'm making.  On the other hand hoplite warfare definitely plays to some of the strengths of the BAI: aggressive mass attacks and careful alignments on the approach and plenty of alignment adjustments on defense.  I always end up scrambling for every little advantage and at one point in the most recent monster battle with the Thebans, I had the whole Athenian army (by accident) in a perfect oblique order.  I took pictures.  What I did on my trip to Euboea.  I went to Euboea and all I got was this gorgon shield.

[Martok]

Thanks for the tips, MengJiao.  I'll definitely keep them in mind. 

[Rayfer]

New to the game, playing as the Greeks in my first campaign.  It plays different than Rome I and is more challenging...in a good way.  Right now food is giving me fits....nothing worse than seeing your army melt away from starvation.

[Martok]

Welcome to Rome II Rayfer!  O0 

Which Greek faction are you playing as?  Sparta?  Epirus?  Athens? 

[undercovergeek]

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

what were your stacks made up of Gus?

[Nefaro]

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

what were your stacks made up of Gus?

Little dead grandmothers with knives in their teeth, crawling up your leg.

[Wolfe1759]

One major gripe so far:  Augh!  Sparta has walls??

Really, in a game about Sparta, what would King Agesilaus say  ::)

Probably "What splendid women's quarters" in agreement with Panthoidas.

[GDS_Starfury]

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

what were your stacks made up of Gus?

while I wasnt asked the question Im going through an Armenian campaign right now.  Im going with 3/5 pikes and 2/5 slingers at the moment with some cavalry units here and there.  Ive been spending most of my research time on economic and construction development and in the cities Ive been building money makers and things that give me happy citizens.

[mikeck]

Rayfer,
Don't forget to issue your edict if you own all of the cities in a province one of them is Brad and games and gives you a lot of additional food. Starting out as a Greek nation is difficult because they simply don't have a lot of provinces to generate soldiers food and income

[GDS_Starfury]

Bread and Games.

though it is Greece so Brad might not actually be a typo. 

[Rayfer]

Welcome to Rome II Rayfer!  O0 

Which Greek faction are you playing as?  Sparta?  Epirus?  Athens?

Hmm....none of those were options. I only have the Vanilla Emperors Edition.  In the Grand Campaign there are 9 main choices, some have sub-choices. The 9th is 'Greek States' and you start in Massalia (there are no sub-choices) in southern Gaul along the Mediterranean. So that's what I'm playing.

[GDS_Starfury]

pick up the culture packs as the go on sale. 
just dont pick up Gus's culture pack.  ::)

[mikeck]

Yeah, it's the stupid Siri audio thing. Doesn't understand my gibberish. Anyway, Rayfer, if you can't get the culture packs, check out some mods in the steam workshop that open up different factions