Rome II

[Sir Slash]

I played a Seleucid Campaign to about mid-game. Very tough start as I recall with most of your eastern provinces rebelling and not much you can do about it. You got Egypt to the south and Pontus to the north to watch like a hawk but to the west, some decent allies to help out. You're kind of the 'monkey-in-the-middle', think the Ottomans in ETW. And your phalanx troops aren't any better than anybody else cause they all got phalanxes. You've got a large empire but it's not united and there's a lot of ground to protect. Very tough. But fun. As far as reading goes, I was inspired to play the Seleucids after reading, "Ghost on the Throne" about the Successor Wars. Looking forward to a, 'Gus Plays'.

[Nefaro]

I played a Seleucid Campaign to about mid-game. Very tough start as I recall with most of your eastern provinces rebelling and not much you can do about it. You got Egypt to the south and Pontus to the north to watch like a hawk but to the west, some decent allies to help out. You're kind of the 'monkey-in-the-middle', think the Ottomans in ETW. And your phalanx troops aren't any better than anybody else cause they all got phalanxes. You've got a large empire but it's not united and there's a lot of ground to protect. Very tough. But fun. As far as reading goes, I was inspired to play the Seleucids after reading, "Ghost on the Throne" about the Successor Wars. Looking forward to a, 'Gus Plays'.

I enjoyed Ghost on the Throne but it ended before getting very far into the Succession Wars.  Good at explaining some of the beginning though.  O0

[Gusington]

Anyone who can win as Epirus is a true master.

[Martok]

Caved and bought rome 2

Im so SICK of being a barbarian faction!

Sweet!  Allow me to recommend Pontus as your first faction.  8) 

Well my Carthage campaign has already been shot to hell. 

Less than four years in, the world suddenly went mad, with most of the known factions (and a few I hadn't even encountered yet) declaring war on each other.  Thanks to my client-states and an admittedly ill-advised defensive alliance with Epirus, I suddenly found myself at war with a half-dozen antagonists...including Rome.  They wasted no time in going after me, and immediately took Palermo (or whatever my settlement on western Sicily is called); I tried to rush reinforcements there, but the Romans intercepted & sank them.  Uff-da! 

Epirus?!  Are you mad!?

They're the worst start in the game.  Everyone dogpiles on Epirus early on.  Anyone nearby, early on, and it just keeps getting worse.  For some reason it's the most AI-loathed faction in the game, at the start.

Needless to say, don't play Epirus unless you're a Total War campaign masochist.

Hell no, I didn't play as Epirus!  I'm dumb, but I'm not *that* dumb.  :P 

I was, however, stupid enough to sign a defensive pact with them.  Don't ask me why (I blame fatigue -- it was around 2 a.m. when I received their diplomatic proposal).  I won't make that mistake again...  ::) 

[Nefaro]

Hell no, I didn't play as Epirus!  I'm dumb, but I'm not *that* dumb.  :P 

I was, however, stupid enough to sign a defensive pact with them.  Don't ask me why (I blame fatigue -- it was around 2 a.m. when I received their diplomatic proposal).  I won't make that mistake again...  ::)

Same goes for allying with them.

Would be a nightmare!

[Gusington]

whoopsie daisy

[Martok]

When you lose a battle because your general's unit wanders outside of your fortified camp by himself and gets surrounded & cut off...  Argh!   

[Gusington]

^You're having a bad day!

[Sir Slash]

Epirus: The Washington Generals of Rome 2.  :pullhair:

[Martok]

^You're having a bad day!

Actually, my day was going pretty well until then.  Losing my general (and the battle) seemed to be the turning point -- the beginning of my ride down the fecal waterslide.   

Epirus: The Washington Generals of Rome 2.  :pullhair:

Heh.  You're not wrong! 

[Jarhead0331]

New Desert Kingdoms DLC!

The Desert Kingdoms Culture Pack introduces four new playable factions to Total War: ROME II. The Kingdoms of Kush, Saba and Nabatea fall under the African/Arabian subculture, while the Masaesyli are of Numidian origin.

These factions are native to the deserts of Africa and Arabia. Surviving these harsh environmental conditions has forged them into hardy warriors who use the shifting desert sands to their advantage in battle.

While culturally similar, each faction boasts unique new unit rosters which offer different military strengths. Each faction also has new building chains and technology trees, playing to their strengths and further differentiating their playstyles.

Alongside their individual Faction Traits, the Desert Kingdoms all share the following Cultural Traits:

Desert Warriors: Bonus to morale in desert battles and bonus income from agriculture
Deep-rooted Traditions: Penalty to research rate

http://store.steampowered.com/app/792520/Total_War_ROME_II__Desert_Kingdoms_Culture_Pack/

[Gusington]

Weird that this is out now. I have been wanting to go  back to Rome 2 to play as the Iceni, but Warhammer has kept me from doing that. This looks good, for the right price.

[mikeck]

Wow...I can't think of factions or an historical location I less interested in. But, to each their own and this is the type of stuff for which DLC is great

[Jarhead0331]

Wow...I can't think of factions or an historical location I less interested in. But, to each their own and this is the type of stuff for which DLC is great

I would be very interested in gaming Rome against the North Africans, no? I look at them as new civilizations to conquer!

[mikeck]

Wow...I can't think of factions or an historical location I less interested in. But, to each their own and this is the type of stuff for which DLC is great

I would be very interested in gaming Rome against the North Africans, no? I look at them as new civilizations to conquer!

Sure. I'd play Rome against anyone. Just have no interest in playing THEM. Just me though. I know guys here like Gus have a particular interest in non-western history. I'm just whining