Rome II

[Nefaro]

DEI adds & changes some stuff.

I'd recommend just playing the vanilla game, to start with.  It's in good condition nowadays. 

Hell, I've still been playing vanilla Rome 2 campaigns in recent months and enjoying it.  With only a handful of superficial mods enabled, such is the special faction-specific UI Art (from DEI) and one of the Unit Card Art mod packs (two good ones available).


Out of all the Total War games, vanilla Rome 2 has the widest variety of combat units.  Quite a few available player factions to use, too, but not sure if this is also the highest number. 

While it doesn't have some of the extra UI bells & whistles added in Attila, it still plays fine.  I'd even give it a Pro over Attila because it has fewer unwanted side effects from poorly implemented campaign mechanics.

[Sir Slash]

I got problems with the way the AI hangs-out in cities all the time. I almost never get a real Field Battle to fight, just sieges. 

[Tanaka]

I got problems with the way the AI hangs-out in cities all the time. I almost never get a real Field Battle to fight, just sieges. 

THIS. After playing WH Total War I never want to go back to Rome and Attilla. I am finally fighting lots of field battles and siege battles that work. Love it.

[tgb]

After starting a game with DEI, I realized I was too rusty to deal with it.  Plus I never actually played the original very much, so Vanilla it is.

[Rayfer]

I got problems with the way the AI hangs-out in cities all the time. I almost never get a real Field Battle to fight, just sieges. 

I had the exact same experience....not sure if it was something I was doing wrong or just the way the game is?

[Gusington]

I never played the Seleucid campaign in Rome 2...I will go back to it eventually just for that.

[Nefaro]

I got problems with the way the AI hangs-out in cities all the time. I almost never get a real Field Battle to fight, just sieges. 

I recall that being my experience in all the TW games since the original Rome. 


If I get sick of assaulting, I'll just leave an army besieging.  The AI always sallies out & attacks when it reaches 1 turn left before falling.

[Nefaro]

Just loaded up the Divide Et Impera mod again.


Amongst many other changes, it makes open field battles a likely prospect.  Get so sick of the constant siege battles in all the Total Wars, but this should help. 

The big thing?  It makes posting an army inside a city give Public Order penalties.  So you do not want to leave sizable armies inside a city for long or your people get pissed.  Have to post them out in the open and, iirc, the AI tends to do this more in the DEI mod. 

Lots of other stuff in the mod, but that's a biggie.  Need to delve further into a campaign with it now.

[Gusington]

As which faction? Armenia!!

[Nefaro]

As which faction? Armenia!!

Actually, yes, I just started a DEI campaign as Armenia.  Or whatever it's real name is in the mod.  Took awhile to decide, especially since there are a few extra factions in it.


Although I may well end up starting a new TWarhammer campaign after the Welf DLC comes out in a couple days.   :nerd:

[Gusington]

Excellent! Armenia in R2TW is one of the best campaigns I've had in the whole series.

[Nefaro]

Excellent! Armenia in R2TW is one of the best campaigns I've had in the whole series.

I've also enjoyed Pontus.  Although it was before all the 17 or 18 patches were done; back when their faction symbol was colored yellow instead of it's current blue. 

Egypt/Ptolemaic faction also has a similarly interesting mix.  I've started it twice, in the past, but hadn't gotten very far before some other  OH LOOK, SHINY!

Still want to get a good run in with Carthage too.  Seems like everyone and their wicked stepmother declares war on me in the first dozen turns or so.


I've never finished a campaign in Rome 2, despite the huge amount of time I've put into it.  I often get sidetracked with other games and dislike loading up a Total War campaign that I started 9 months ago and don't recall a thing about.  Plus the "Mod Soup" sometimes takes hold and I have to start new campaigns when adding a mod pack.  Ahh well.. it's always fun starting out anyway!


Confession:  I broke down and pre-ordered the Welf DLC in TWarhammer.  Can't resist the pull of stomping enemies into paste with the huge Treemen.  Tomorrow.   

[Gusington]

I played Carthage in both the Grand Campaign and the Hannibal at the Gates campaign. Enjoyed both.

Do you mean the Seleucids? I've wanted to play them forever as well. I forget how many great factions there are in Rome 2. Pontus is another one.

[Sir Slash]

I also have not finished a Rome 2 campaign despite getting very far as the Germans and Rome. This would be the first TW game I've not finished a campaign in since my first TW-- Rome 1. The game just doesn't have the appeal the earlier titles did for me and while it's still fun, it just feels like a bit of a grind to complete.

[Nefaro]

I also have not finished a Rome 2 campaign despite getting very far as the Germans and Rome. This would be the first TW game I've not finished a campaign in since my first TW-- Rome 1. The game just doesn't have the appeal the earlier titles did for me and while it's still fun, it just feels like a bit of a grind to complete.

I'm fairly certain it has the most unit variety of any vanilla TW in the grand campaign. 

The reason it always ends up feeling like a grind after awhile, for me, is the repetitive siege battles & sieges in general.  All TWs end up feeling like a grind, after awhile, but the map is huge in Rome 2 so there ends up being a lot more siege fights to grind out.  I often end up just auto-resolving most of them because I get so sick of doing them.  The screwy pathfinding alone, in city fights, makes me tear hair.  :pullhair:

If the TW series reduced it's rate of sieges down to about 20% of battles or less I'd be happy.  The ratio often ends up being the opposite for me.  The big difficult battles from these periods were fought in the field.  They should place unit size limits on armies stationed inside cities or something similar IMO.  For instance, not allowing an army with over 10 units to actually move into a city at all.   Hrmm.. I wonder if that's moddable in any Total War game?

I'm not sure the DEI mod makes AI factions keep their armies out of cities due to the Public Order penalties.  At least.. the larger armies.  Although my initial impression was that they may keep smaller ones inside and just create another army outside in support range.  At least that makes for field battles, though, so mission accomplished if that tendency persists.