Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
HELP!?!?! Before I snap and break something...
#1
I dont' have the manual for this game, and I think there is a lot I am missing. I am finding it to be vastly different than Shogun Total War, and unless I can't find certain screens or fine controls, there are aspects of this game that are worse than it's predecessor.

For example...I can't keep up with the demands of the senate, for 2 reasons...

1. I don't have the money. My 2 or 3 cities can't seem to generate the funds required to field the armies or navies needed to comply with their demands.

2. My armies f'n suck. I lack the funds so I can't build the right buildings to diversify my armies, thus I can't meet any of the senate's demands.

What do I need to do to increase my income? What buildings should I make first...or what order should I build in?

I also don't see how the diplomacy is helping me at all. I tried the Scipii, and had a bugger of a time taking all of Sicily. In the end, I had Syracuse revolt against me, and I couldn't take it back.

That's another thing...I don't know how to keep my people happy or in line. I also don't know what any of the bloody icons mean that are listed under the city's name.

I started the game on Medium...should I do it on easy first? I hate the easy setting...but maybe I should do it as a newbie?

I'm at the point where I'm just going to get the cheats for the game, and give myself unlimited money...then we'll see who gets the last laugh, but before I do that, I thought I'd give it another shot legitimately.
____________________________________________________________
Magnus/Matt
Du Courage Viens La Verité

Legion: TBD
Reply
#2
Try to quickly conquer and sack a city. Kill all the people, then leave it and withdraw quick as you can. That will get you some fund to build & equip.
Robert Vermaat
MODERATOR
FECTIO Late Romans
THE CAUSE OF WAR MUST BE JUST
(Maurikios-Strategikon, book VIII.2: Maxim 12)
Reply
#3
It's not a "Civilization" style game. Plunder, and then rebuild the city in your own design.

It can be frustrating at first, but use spies, find out where the enemy cities are weakly defended (try to post the end of your moving armies in "ambush" mode, like in the tree-covered areas you find. Then marauding enemy armies won't see you as often.

Pillaging is a good thing. The helper screens should help you find out all you want to know and more...ad nauseum, sometimes. Beware sending a large army out in only a few ships, too.

Build more slowly than you'd like...and if you decide you have too much money tied up in the building queue, just click on a building and it will return the invested funds. Also, when an enemy city is conquered, you can right click on a building, and it will show you how much you can earn by razing that building. Sometimes, I just go into a town, kill everyone, tear everything down, raise the taxes to max, and leave town. Some other civ will then move in, rebuild, and I come back later. Ghengis Khan had it right, you know?

I'm presupposing you're not trying to extend the Tutorial game. That's a losing proposition, since there's nowhere to expand. Try a short "Imperial Campaign" game instead, and turn all the helps on. There's information there that isn't in the manual, and pretty much everything in the manual is in there, too.
M. Demetrius Abicio
(David Wills)

Saepe veritas est dura.
Reply
#4
Ahhhh....ok...I wasn't sure I could raid a town and use that as a succesful tactic. I guess i'm too used to occupying what I ransack...I'll also look into the ambush thing.

Also, one thing I noticed in Shogun TW, is that before a battle, you could manually position each unit in your army, as well as control their formation (extended file, arrowhead, etc.). Is this possible in RTW?
____________________________________________________________
Magnus/Matt
Du Courage Viens La Verité

Legion: TBD
Reply
#5
Hi Matt,
Yes, you can do that. You can do that after 'Start Deployment' and before 'Start Battle'.
A more structural way to make money, is to promote trade in any way you can. Build markets, ports and roads. Naval trade is especially profitable, so aiming for coastal and island cities is a good idea. Besides, if you own islands, chances are the other nations will leave you alone there.
Greets!

Jasper Oorthuys
Webmaster & Editor, Ancient Warfare magazine
Reply
#6
Ok...well here's where i'm at guys.

I started a new game as teh Scipii again, but on easy. I'm finding it a lot easier, and I'm now killing the entire populations when I take a town.

Thanks for the tip Jasper, I'll do that my next battle. I also am in complete control of Sicily, and am looking at the Greek islands/mainland thingy next. It has enough of a bottle neck to make invasion tougher.

So basically, I should send out my diplomats and make trade treaties with all the factions who are neutral with me (or ones I am at war with too?), and make sure I have ports on all my coastal towns, and build anything that aids in trade...

What about upgrading things like stables, barracks and archery ranges?
____________________________________________________________
Magnus/Matt
Du Courage Viens La Verité

Legion: TBD
Reply
#7
Have a look at this:
http://uk.guides.ign.com/guides/498739/page_2.html
It's a really good guide also If you're the Romans definatly build barracks over archery ranges and stables. Trade rights are important aswell and yes make sure you have ports in as many cities as possible.
By the way If you want to play as the other factions I can tell you how to mod the files to make them all playable if you dont already know how.
Dave Bell/Secvndvs

Comitatus
[Image: comitatus.jpg]

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.comitatus.net">www.comitatus.net
Reply
#8
Don't bother. Make your own battles and just do the fighting Big Grin wink:
TARBICvS/Jim Bowers
A A A DESEDO DESEDO!
Reply
#9
Matt,

some tips from me:
- when you have a town, build the harbour as quickly as possible.
- build many ships, it will make the final war against your fellow Romans far easier
- also with ship you can blockade enemy ports cutting them off from money
- early Roman cavalry is not very good, use them to attack the enemy from behind/ pursue. Not for shock attacks
- check the mercenaries to compensate your own downsides (cavalry for example)
- demolish enemy shirne's quickly and build your own.
- Greece is a very rich place if you have conquered it!
- focus on some towns to produce your troops
- on a personal note, i rarely sack enemy towns
- a town with is has a negative saldo is not losing money! the pay for troops is equaled over all your towns: a town with a large population will contribute much money.
gr,
Jeroen Pelgrom
Rules for Posting

I would rather have fire storms of atmospheres than this cruel descent from a thousand years of dreams.
Reply
#10
Using diplomats to sell maps is pretty good coins, too. Send them far away, especially, because the remote peoples are much more interested in the far side of the world...and they're not so likely to use the map info against you as your neighbors are. Sell them for regular tribute when you can.
M. Demetrius Abicio
(David Wills)

Saepe veritas est dura.
Reply
#11
Ohhhhhh...thanks a lot guys. A laudes point for each of you for helping me past my frustrations!
____________________________________________________________
Magnus/Matt
Du Courage Viens La Verité

Legion: TBD
Reply
#12
Quote:Matt,
- check the mercenaries to compensate your own downsides (cavalry for example)

Thats a good point but remember after you've used the (capture a town, fight a large battle etc.) disband them as their upkeep Is very high.
Dave Bell/Secvndvs

Comitatus
[Image: comitatus.jpg]

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.comitatus.net">www.comitatus.net
Reply
#13
Sigh...well, I lost my first battle last night. I was instructed to take Athens by the senate...and those damn hoplites in their phalanx!!! I even hit them from behind with my cavalry, but I didn't have enough to break them...now I'm just ignoring the Senate since they keep asking me to take the other Greek cities. Any advice when fighting all hoplite armies? Mine was a mix..hastati, velites, 3 light cavalry units, 2 war dog units, 1 archer unit, a couple town watches, and of course my general's heavy cavalry.

So now instead, i'm going to crush the Greek Navy and take Carthage (which is in Numidian hands right now anyway). Then I'll worry about the Greeks.
____________________________________________________________
Magnus/Matt
Du Courage Viens La Verité

Legion: TBD
Reply
#14
Without knowing more than you say here, it's hard to give advice. But unless you have overwhelming force, say 3:1, let a city stay under siege for a couple of turns anyway. This will lower the morale of the defenders, and if you wait long enough, they may stage either a desperation attack, or simply die off.

Phalanxes. Your hastati will throw pila first. Try this: Set two or three groups of hastati to attack a certain unit of hoplites on one end or the other of the line. When they throw, they'll charge. Stop them. Then set them to attack again. They seem to generally have three pila each. Let them expend all of them before you close with the enemy, because it WILL be costly.

Manage to move at least one unit of hastati to the outside flank. When your troops close, order them to attack. They'll throw their pila into the side of the phalanx, and wound them severely. Meanwhile, move your cavalry to the rear, and attack them from the rear while they are engaged with the other units. Obviously, this is harder to do when there are ten hoplite units, but you can generally bait them to move off the line if you attack the sword side.

Don't just run straight in. Maneuver is your most advantageous strategy. Hoplites are slow, lumbering hedgehogs with spines that point only one way at a time. Hit the side with cavalry and kill a few, then withdraw, and under NO circumstances attack hoplites from the front with cavalry. They will disappear before you can order them out. Likewise, you can use a cavalry unit to draw a group of hoplites to follow. Move to just within range, then walk away at an angle, and they will usually follow you. Your cavalry can run around most of the time and hit and run.

But don't ignore all the Senate instructions. If you get low enough in their esteem, your economy will suffer, and ultimately they'll start ordering suicide of your faction leader. If you refuse to do this, you will be outlawed, the other two Romans will immediately attack you and your cities, your fleets, etc, and you will probably become extinct pretty darned fast! Keep the Senate happy if you can.
M. Demetrius Abicio
(David Wills)

Saepe veritas est dura.
Reply
#15
Thanks Dave. One of my biggest problems is when I lay siege to a city, the next turn or so they either A) counter-attack me, or B) I have to assault them because I'm running out of time with the Senate's demands.

Sometimes i have to build up my armies and don't get to the city in time to lay on a siege for more than a couple turns.
____________________________________________________________
Magnus/Matt
Du Courage Viens La Verité

Legion: TBD
Reply


Forum Jump: