Need Tips for Rome Total War (PC)

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Okay I want to give it another chance since the CDs are taking dust on my room. I really like the idea of this game. However I just plain sucks at RTS. I like better the micro management aspect of Rome. So I wondered if experienced player could offer me tips for my next Imperial campaing. Which Faction is the easiest to play with? Could I have general tips about battle? Thanks in advance

 

Julli is easy to play if you build your navy up quickly, as you will be constantly blockading Sparta's port. Get lots of diplomats and ask for trading rights (and tribute )

I always find that the early battles are best resolved automatically, but after you get a few settlements, its better to do it yourself to minimise casualties.

 

If I were you I'd never resolve battles automatically.
Build your economy early, get trade rights and then start to expand. Choose your enemies wisely to begin with. To be honest, it's pretty plain sailing providing you've got ports/traders and other income buildings everywhere.

 

Just started playing this and it's awesome. I just repelled an attack with 100+ equites (equitines?) against 600+ gaul invaders. w00t! so far I only have 6 settlements and they're all small. also, only 2 of them produce units.

are diplomats really useful? thus far all i've been building are the light infantry and light cavalry units. ive also been able to do all the seante missions so far. death to the gauls!

 

I think diplomats are very useful for boosting trade, bribing powerful generals and they are decent scouts.

I hated assassins in Shogun and Medieval, but they are excellent in this game.

 

What about general strategy, how many units do you usually leave in a town with no governor (or even with one) because I have 28 settlements so far and most of them already have a low damn tax rate and some still get the blue/red face that tells they are about to rebel I can't manage my army properly if I have to keep splitting them up and sending them to quiet these peasants down. especially now that my lands are so wide that it takes ****loads of turns just to get units from one area to another and usually by that time they've already rioted.

Also, when do you fight the other 2 factions? I recieved a message already saying I was popular enough to march on Rome but dont want to yet. The whole westen area of Gaul and Germania Superior and Spain is under my control. Britannia only still exists because the Senate wont allow me to take them as they are allies. I also hold Africa and Numidia, but majority of this Southern area is controlled by the Scipii but I have fair forces in this area so I'm not that worried about them.

Here's my problem; the Brutii are just as strong/stronger than me now. They also happen to be my neighbours. All my troops are in the Germanic lands right now as that was my most recent conquest. If I march on Rome and they attack my starting areas (Arretium, etc.) which they can get to in 1 or 2 turns, I'll be defenseless..

What should I do? and if I keep holding off on marching on Rome, will there come a point when they declare war on me for being too strong?

Bear in mind, I control the west, share the south with the Scipii. The Brutii control the center and I am just starting to explore in the North (formerly-Dacia, Scythia) and have gone nowhere in the East. However, the only other faction that poses a threat is Egypt and I have yet to enter their lands. We 3 are the biggest contenders left with the Scipii a pretty far 4th. Everyone else is irrelevant. I'm just waiting for the time to take Britannia.

 

Usually 3 or 4 units of peasants is plenty, provided you've got plenty of buildings that improve public order. Click on the details tab of your settlements and see what is causing the discontent, then correct it. I'm willing to bet you money that the main culprit is squalor. You need sewers, baths, aqueducts, temples etc.

How's your money? By now your should have plenty of settlements everywhere that can recruit top quality troops. If I were you, I'd go around each settlement and buy whatever the best troops are available. After 5 or 6 turns, gather all the troops together an protect your borders against the Brutii. Once you're strong enough, attack them and take Rome whilst you're there. Take Greece and all other Brutii lands, then you'll be well set to go and march on the Scipii. Brutii first though. Forget about Britannia, they're too remote. Your Roman 'allies' are your biggest problem now.

 

Right, thanks Barmy.

Er, actually I may be in control of the map right now but I think I spread myself a bit too thin. Instead of making certain settlements "specialized" so I could cut costs on troops, I built everything everywhere and am now kinda broke. That's not too hard to fix though, I'll just wait a few turns til I have money again. In the meantime, I'll leave Scythia and Egypt alone I guess, in order to concentrate on "fixing" my current settlement problems.

Troops-wise I have no problem I think. If I can pull all my men out and just leave governors and town watchmen without fear or rioting, I have (since cavalry is insane in this game) craploads of equites, a good number of legionary cavalry, some roman cavalry and even some praetorian(?, not sure what they're called, the most powerful cavalry) units. I have a good number of hastati for cannon fodder and also a number of praetorian cohorts. Only a few archers as I'm not really into missile weapons tactics.

One of my problems is also the fact that the damn settlements start getting rebellious when I pull the soldiers out, even if I have a governor (albeit, no or few management and influence points) and 2-4 town watch troops in town What do I do? Leave the troops in there until the new buildings are done them pull them out?

Also, your post implies that I alone will initiate the breaking of alliances with the other roman factions, yes? So there's no point wherein the Brutii, the senate or Scipii can suddenly declare war on me without my starting anything?

 

There will come a point when the senate demand that your faction leader hand himself over to them for some made up charge. You can decide to let them kill him or refuse and let the fun start.

 

Oh cool, I'll have to give it another try as a Roman faction (probably Julii again). Right now, my economy is REALLY screwed and I have no money and multiple rebellions so I've decided to scrap it as of now because I've unlocked Germania and Carthage. Going to try and unlock some other nations with Germania now. It looks like it may be fairly easy with them as they have a pretty strong position with all their settlements close together. crappy naval location though.

 

Enag, fyi, the only--only--thing you need to do to get rich in Rome is to build ports and make trade treaties. Roads are nice, but ports are where the real income comes from.

The Italy/Greece/Crete area is especially lucrative, in terms of trade routes. If you play as the Brutii, you essentially can't go broke; not after the early game, anyway.

 

Ok, cool. I'll try playing as the Brutii instead. I'll have to start buildingup my navy I guess.

 

You don't even need to build up your navy, to be honest; the AI pretty much doesn't blockade ports, and when it does, it gives up after a turn or two. And considering how many ships the AI spams (assuming this wasn't changed in the more recent patches), battling for control of the high seas is a losing proposition.

 

I find is a good idea to have a couple of big stacks of ships scattered about though. Just in case the AI starts to be a real pain in the arse and chokes your trade routes.

 

Oh? Does the AI actually ever do that? When I was on my Rome kick, I was playing the release version and maybe 1.1/1.2; at that time, the AI build hordes of ships, but never really did anything with them (on both hard and very hard strategic difficulty, mind). Did that change?

 

Right now I have around 30 settlements. I now control the areas that used to belong to Gaul, Spain and Brittania and have a few settlements in the South (which is controlled by the Scipii). I've also just expanded onto the Eastern coastline and am on the verge of wiping out the Greeks (damn, those guys are tough!).

Here's my question: The computer has already prompted me to march on Rome. What significant change will there be if I do so now before getting the 50 settlements? Apart from having to fight the Scipii and Brutii I mean.

I can protect my center and western area but my new greek conquests are right next to the Brutii and the Scipii could crush me in the south. Should I just stay allied with them until I get all 50 settlements before attacking or take Rome now? Aside from we 3 Roman powers, the only formidable areas left are Germania, though it only has the areas it started with, Dacia, who have just gone to war with Rome and the Rebels which wiped out Scythia and now hold their lands, the whole Northern portion of the map. Egypt is heavily under seige by the Scipii and into minor skirmishes with its other neighbours so it isnt that powerful anymore. The other remaining factions don't hold enough territory to be a serious threat.

Any inupt would be appreciated, thanks guys.

 

Just do what you please, there is no one who can stand against you. Wipe out the sissy senate and the treacherous Brutii and Scipii.

 

haha okay. thanx joac

 

If you lose the south, you lose the south. The income gained from controling all of Italy and Greece will more than counterbalance the losses, and give you the resources to significantly expand your military.

Just be sure to grab Crete and Sicily while you're at it, and maybe (if doing so won't spark a major war you can't afford) grab the western coast of Turkey.

 

Anyone got any tips as playing as the Gauls? I am getting my ass kicked, even on the easy setting. I was doing fine as the Italians and Carthage on 'hard'.