Rome: Total War is Out

[SpencerH]

The total war AI has been known for some time for improved capabilities in the tactical map as the difficulty increases. It didnt always work against a human but the AI will try flanking attacks, ambushes, choosing better defensive ground etc. The decision is still out whether this version is better than the MTW AI.

[The diplomat]

Originally posted by SpencerH
The total war AI has been known for some time for improved capabilities in the tactical map as the difficulty increases. It didnt always work against a human but the AI will try flanking attacks, ambushes, choosing better defensive ground etc. The decision is still out whether this version is better than the MTW AI.

I think the AI is better in RTW than in Medieval Total War. It does seem to use cavalry flanking attacks better, and ambushed better.

I did notice some weird behavior. In one battle, the Gauls had a unit that had been reduced to just 1 man. For some reason, at the start of the battle, the 1 man unit just slowly walked right into my entire army. I don't know if the AI was sacrificing the unit on purpose or if the unit was trying to withdraw and just moved in the wrong direction.

[Stuie]

Anybody else think the tech tree goes way too fast? I managed to build an Imperial Palace or whatever it's called before 210 B.C., thus triggering the Marian Reforms over 100 years prior to their historic date. It was also so soon after getting Triarii that I only built about half a dozen Triarii and then they were obsolete.

Now I don't want to mirror history, but it would be nice if the game's tech tree was paced so that things would come close to approximate historic dates. I was thinking about doubling the build times for all buildings, but I'm not sure how the AI would handle that.

[Kassiopeia]

Are the Marian Reforms what give you auxilias and Roman Cavalry instead of hastati?Interesting, I got those way before 210 BC as well, by conquering Carthage and building a palace there. Not a good trigger IMHO. It makes for interesting strategy though, I'm phasing out my older troops by using them on the frontiers as random cannon fodder. I have an army of ten hastati units with less than 100 soldiers each sitting near the Germanic border in case they declare war on me.

[SpencerH]

Originally posted by Stuie
Anybody else think the tech tree goes way too fast? I managed to build an Imperial Palace or whatever it's called before 210 B.C., thus triggering the Marian Reforms over 100 years prior to their historic date. It was also so soon after getting Triarii that I only built about half a dozen Triarii and then they were obsolete.

Now I don't want to mirror history, but it would be nice if the game's tech tree was paced so that things would come close to approximate historic dates. I was thinking about doubling the build times for all buildings, but I'm not sure how the AI would handle that.

I've only played one short campaign so far (on easy) but I found that I had often built all the buildings for that city size long before reaching the next size city. I conquered gaul before triggering the Marian reforms so I didnt get to build the legions (or many hastati for that matter).

[SpencerH]

Originally posted by Kassiopeia
Are the Marian Reforms what give you auxilias and Roman Cavalry instead of hastati?Interesting, I got those way before 210 BC as well, by conquering Carthage and building a palace there. Not a good trigger IMHO. It makes for interesting strategy though, I'm phasing out my older troops by using them on the frontiers as random cannon fodder. I have an army of ten hastati units with less than 100 soldiers each sitting near the Germanic border in case they declare war on me.

You get auxillas and roman cav without the marian reforms. IIRC its one of the stable upgrades that comes after a 12,000 size city.

[Kassiopeia]

I did get Legionary Cavalry, Early Cohorts, Legionary Cohorts, and Praetorian Cohorts at the same time too. I'd wager that those are Marian units, since they are more professionally oriented troops?

[Jamski]

Well... if you're playing on easy... hmmm?

-Jam

[Jagdtiger]

Senate mission: The Senate requests the suicide of your faction leader.

If you fail: Your faction will be outlawed.

Yes/No?

Well I always liked civil wars

[Gamecube64]

Sounds like you have a republic to monarchitize (Senate must be pretty pompous to request THAT).

[Kassiopeia]

Originally posted by Jamski
Well... if you're playing on easy... hmmm?

-Jam

NEVER! Medium Why would difficulty affect that?

[Kassiopeia]

Wrong thread.

[SpencerH]

Originally posted by Jamski
Well... if you're playing on easy... hmmm?

-Jam

Sure, I always play my first game on easy. I'm old. It takes me a while to come to terms with rule changes and the culture shock of infantry that run as fast as modern marathon runners. Now I'm playing as the Selucids on hard. They have elephants and chariots with scythes.

[SpencerH]

Originally posted by Kassiopeia
I did get Legionary Cavalry, Early Cohorts, Legionary Cohorts, and Praetorian Cohorts at the same time too. I'd wager that those are Marian units, since they are more professionally oriented troops?

Yeah, the cohorts are the Marian troops.

[Flip McWho]

This game simply rules