Rome: Total Realism

[alanschu]

Who here has used it? Do I really need to use an old, outdated patch like 1.2?

[Xard]

I played it long time ago, and yes, you need ol' 1.2 if Total Realism has not been upgraded I haven't played Total War for months though, so my information is out of date

[Kaftan Barlast]

Im playing the original now but its scary because the FAQs say SPQR and the other two houses will declare war on you, resulting in the civil war once you control 25 provinces. But I nabbed 27 and they didnt do diddley squat.. so now Im fearing Ill have 40 legions of Praetorians knocking down my door when I least expect it

 

 

What do you have to do to trigger the civil war?

[Enoch]

Im playing the original now but its scary because the FAQs say SPQR and the other two houses will declare war on you, resulting in the civil war once you control 25 provinces. But I nabbed 27 and they didnt do diddley squat.. so now Im fearing Ill have 40 legions of Praetorians knocking down my door when I least expect it 

 

 

What do you have to do to trigger the civil war?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

There's no set point where the civil war begins. Watch the Senate's opinion of you. If you're "too successful," it will fall to practically nothing-- that means that you're close to the civil war. If your reputation on the streets is high enough, you can start it on your own (this is by far the best option, since it lets you get the drop on the other families). Eventually, if you don't rebel on your own, the Senate will start doing obnoxious stuff like demanding cash or that your leader commit suicide. Refusing any of these also starts the civil war.

[Calax]

Im playing the original now but its scary because the FAQs say SPQR and the other two houses will declare war on you, resulting in the civil war once you control 25 provinces. But I nabbed 27 and they didnt do diddley squat.. so now Im fearing Ill have 40 legions of Praetorians knocking down my door when I least expect it 

 

 

What do you have to do to trigger the civil war?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

....

 

attack rome...

[alanschu]

Do I have to wait for 106 BC for the Marius Reforms to kick in (which is historical)?

 

In vanilla, I'm pretty sure you just need the Imperial Palace. Is there a small wait or something? I hope I don't need to wait for 106 BC because I'm still at 210 BC

[metadigital]

*casts Summon Mus.?*

[Calax]

Generally when the senate no longer loves you and you feel you have enough power you can get the civil war started by just flat out attacking rome.

[Shryke]

stupid senate demanding my leader commit suicide....

 

Rome must die!! :D

 

anyone here tried taking on the senate at the very start of the game?

[alanschu]

For those interested, it seems as though the Total Realism mod is still being updated.

 

Check it out here.

 

I think I'm going to finally backup the original game. I have reinstalled it about 4 times now

[Tigranes]

Note that my RTW/RTR/etc knowledge is, depending on the fact, 3-6 months old:

 

The exact causes of the Marian Reforms and ways to edit it have never been revealed; even in the vanilla sometimes theres a bit of a wait after you get your Imperial Palace. I believe RTR6 or thereabouts often had Marian reforms come around the turn of the century (~200), give or take fifty years. It is highly uncommon, but possible, to have Marian reforms that actually come around 100BC.

 

As for vanilla, it's already been confirmed here - your continuing successes eventually:

-> put the people on your side (you get a message prompting you to rebel; if you refuse, you might have a chance again a few years later)

-> the senate declares war on you

-> the senate makes unreasonable demands, the most serious of which is the suicide of your leader. Know that bowing to their demands would not actually appease them, since a few years later they'll demand that the new leader chop himself off the block too.

[Enoch]

anyone here tried taking on the senate at the very start of the game?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I've done it... as Carthage. It's possible to use the army that Carthage starts with on Sicily to wipe out the Scipii and the Senate pretty early in the game. (Although it's probably not possible to hold the cities-- I let the ones in Italy rebel to slow down the other Roman families.)

 

As for the Marian reforms, I believe that one of the patches to the vanilla game instituted a minimum year before which they could not occur. After that point, the building of an Imperial Palace in Italy is still the trigger.

[alanschu]

It turns out that the "problem" was because in older versions of RTR, the Imperial Palace could not be in Rome (I believe this is because the SPQR would trigger it significantly earlier in the game).

 

With the new version I have, it got trigger the second the palace was built.

[Darth Somethingorother]

As for the Marian reforms, I believe that one of the patches to the vanilla game instituted a minimum year before which they could not occur.  After that point, the building of an Imperial Palace in Italy is still the trigger.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I'm not so sure it sets a date, but adds the fall of Carthage to the checklist- that would make historical sense, leastways, and always seems to be the case when I play through.

[Hurlshort]

I've done it...  as Carthage.    It's possible to use the army that Carthage starts with on Sicily to wipe out the Scipii and the Senate pretty early in the game.  (Although it's probably not possible to hold the cities-- I let the ones in Italy rebel to slow down the other Roman families.)

 

As for the Marian reforms, I believe that one of the patches to the vanilla game instituted a minimum year before which they could not occur.  After that point, the building of an Imperial Palace in Italy is still the trigger.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Ah, Hannibal would weep with joy!

[alanschu]

Well, cirumstances of this game has lead me almost straight north. I'm not at war with Germania (nor do I intend to be at the moment), but I suspect they won't like me along their borders. The northern approach has allowed me to get access to the Gauls from the North and the South.

 

I actually haven't even touched Sicily or Africa yet either. I'm hoping to keep the fronts limited for now. But I have won some key battles against the Gauls, using my diciplined Legionnaires to take advantage of the inferior troops of the Gauls. Two battles have seen me get a net gain of over 1000 troops, and their military potency has dropped off significantly as a result.

 

However, Macedonia has just crushed the Greek States (along with the Ptolemic Empire), and they declared war on my by sieging a city in the Veneto region. This forced a mass militarization of Latin Rome, and I have ferried troops across the Ionian/Adriatic Sea region into Albany to take the fight to the Macedonians. I hope to cut off Greece and capture the statue of Zeus!

 

If I'm lucky, the Carthaginians won't be too aggressive as long as I stay out of Sicily, and hopefully I can sweep around to capture the Iberians, and then get Carthage from both sides. I'll also likely take Britannia Superior when I'm in the Gaulish region, as there's no sense keeping those unoccupied. Plus they have ports which means $$$$$.

 

 

I suspect a war declaration from the Germanians soon, as I have likely encroached on lands they would like to conquer. I think I expanded up north fast enough though that I have cut off a lot of their potential expansion. Many of the regions around them are still under independent control, so they won't be benefiting too much. They do seem to have lots of money however.

 

I am slowly reinforcing the region with some garrisons, as well as the odd governor. Though the governor is more there to recruit mercenaries as necessary, as the RTR mod makes it more difficult to start recruiting armies with new cities. Have to build up the Auxillaries first.

[Musopticon?]

*casts Summon Mus.?*

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

*bamf*

 

Sorry for the long delay, real life trudged on my turf and I had to clash with it.

 

 

The Marian reforms happen once there's an Imperial Palace in Italy, that city can't be Rome however and Sicily doesn't count. This was tied to dates in the previous patches(109 BC and Imperial Palace), but in the most recent patches you just need an Imperial Palace, I've seen the reforms as early as 265 BC. I almost never play as Rome though. I don't think I've even started a Rome game since Vanilla RTR Scipii campaign a year back.

 

As for attacking the Senate or civil war, once the meter for your standing amongst the populae tops your standing on the senate, the senate begin giving hard missions, on which failure usually results in either: a) your faction getting expelled or b) your faction leader having to do seppuku. The best way to get the vox populi on your side is to conquer like heck, this means that the Civil War wills tart pretty much eventually and unavoidably. I mean, the point of the game is to conquer like provinces were cherry hotcakes, right?

 

About the 1.2 version being baaad and RTR, it's now possible to install a 1.5 port for RTR, called RTR Platinum. It's a nifty mod and very well balanced, some great additional ecomonic mods and four turn per year are available for it too.

 

I'd like to ramble on, but the truth of the thing is that I'm pretty burned on RTW after

EB, Blue Lotus, Terra Expugnandae and various versions RTR Platinum.

Edited August 22, 2006 by Musopticon?

[alanschu]

Yes, I have found all that. Fortunately, your absence taught me to be more self-sufficient

 

Though I'm not sure how you played as the Scipii in RTR, unless there was an older one!

 

 

As a small update, sure enough, the very next turn I played the Germans declared war on me, so I counter attacked with a small stack and took one of their towns. They have a very large army nearby, so I'm a bit worried of an impending offensive from them, but so far nothing. But I now have access to the English Channel. But I see a ton of huge Rebel Brigand stacks nearby. Should be "interesting" to say the least.

 

The war against the Gauls is going pretty well, took two more towns near the Iberian border.

 

The Macedonians took heavy casualties in two fights, but still seem to be growing faster than me from a military perspective (thank god I did those two fights....what would be the case otherwise! ). Though I have taken the rest of the settlements surrounding the Adriatic Sea (which has resulted in a nice increase in trade income to boot!.

[Musopticon?]

Oops, I meant to write RTW, not RTR.

 

If you want my view of the situation(post a campaign map pic, plz), well here goes:

 

It's not really worth conquering Britain, it's a huge army grinder and since it's on border of the map, the garrison costs and such can be horrid thanks to distance to capital amounting to public order. If you are playing normal RTR, there's going to be hell to pay every time you meet the bugged chariots there(54 damage, armor piercing, troop piercing and splash damage ON BOWS). The Islands were more than likely intended as a bonus, a challenge. Maybe get there later.

 

Gauls are a pushover, since their morale is so low and they hardly ever tech up to Chosen Swords and naked fanatics/gaesatae. You just face endl ess warbands and slingers. It could be a good idea to beat them to a pulp and make them a protectorate(kill all standing armies, siege their existing towns and then offer some towns back for protectorate relations=works almost always). Mainland Gallic towns are pretty worthless, thanks to the tradecentricity of RTW economy. Farming hardly gives any income, which is seriously unhistorical(there's a mod called Metropolis that changes this). And most of the gallic towns don't have gold mines. This is why it's best to stick to coastal provinces there. Unless you are creating a historical Roman empire. Or just like conquering a whole lot. Next RTR release is going to feature the Arverni, so Gaul will be much more interesting.

 

About the Macs, those buggers are still unbalanced, but they will be nerfed a bit in the next release(have to win their motherland from Galates, etc historical hindrances). Luckily there is a great way to kill them off or at least severely hinder them. Load up an army or two in ships and sail to Peloponnesus or whatever place in Macedonian territory that doesn't have much troops at all. Then conquer or raze all towns(exterminate+destroy all buildings for serious cash=) there before the Black Hordes can avenge. Macedonian economy will be done pretty soon. You can just sail to a new place every time the situation starts to look grim. Viking we shall go! :D

[alanschu]

I'm conquering Gaul (and now Germania) for fun's sake. The only other war I have is with Macedonia (I have heard they are unbalanced, but in my first RTR game, they got waxed by Thrace and the Greek Cities).

 

As for public support in Gaul, it's not too bad actually. They have such low populations that squalor is a non-issue, and I just keep the tax rate at low. They help fund my army and are relatively easy to conquer. Besides, I'm planning on total conquest anyways. Plus, I need to conquer Central Gaul (Aleria) as part of the Roman winning condition anyways.

 

Since Carthage hasn't declared war on me, I'm going to leave them until I finish conquering Western Europe, and sweep down and crush them and the Numidians along a large front.

 

 

I don't know how to take a screenshot from the campaign screen though. I have just been using print screen for the battle shots, but that's not working from the campaign screen.

[Calax]

I always laugh at the fact that I've got THE MOST men under arms out of anyone no matter who I play because I'm such a defensive freak. (if I need a quick offensive stack I just yank from four or five garrisons around the point of nessessity and get a full stack to mop the floor with the invaders.

[Musopticon?]

I just uninstalled everything relating to RTW. It feels like a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders.

[alanschu]

You are referring to the game as a burden?

[Musopticon?]

Yeah, nine gigs of awesomeness.

 

One has to move on eventually, so I thought it was time after 1,5 years of almost nothing but Successor warfare. Plus I want to try BI before I lose my dvd-drive.

[alanschu]

Wait a minute...if you're playing BI, you're still essentially playing Rome: Total War then.