How fast have you won RTW?

[starlifter]

Assuming you play at least the H/H levels, what is the fastest time you've won a standard RTW imperial campaign (e.g., 50 provinces including Rome)?

In your post after you vote, please state what civ you played, what level, and your general approach.

 

[starlifter]

The Brutii are the fastest faction I've played, but not by much. They wipe the map (well, 50 provinces anyway) in less than 7 years. The Germans were the slowest of the ones I've played (but in many ways the most fun, with uber-fast development of early units and experience), owning to their isolated position and long time to make diplomatic contact with civilization I consider key to early victory, like the Greeks, Selucids, Egyptions, Carthagenians. The Gauls and Brits were no problem, and both the Germans and Gauls trounced all Roman factions before 260 B.C. (H/H). I've had the substantially the same results with patch 1.2, 1.3, and 1.5. Has anyone ever gotten to the Marian reforms? Even with the weakened Equites of patch 1.5, the game is over with so fast, if one applies arrogant full-court diplomacy.

 

[Gr3yL3gion]

I can took any of those Roman factions, played on H\H and win it in before Marian Reform.

 

[Dell19]

Infinity.

I've never actually completed a game as I get bored after taking over three or four countries

 

[RickFGS]

5 min, the time i get to load up the campaign, access the control panel and type in the cheat to win the game.

 

[salty mud]

How can you finish a Imperial Campaign in 14 turns?

 

[starlifter]

and contact, and .... patience ... are the key. Patch 1.5 made it somewhat easier, due to the way city transfers are handled. You still must take Rome itself by "brute" force ("brute" can be cunning, however, to avoid a big wall battle), though.

 

[salty mud]

and contact, and .... patience ... are the key. Patch 1.5 made it somewhat easier, due to the way city transfers are handled. You still must take Rome itself by "brute" force ("brute" can be cunning, however, to avoid a big wall battle), though.

14 turns though!!!

 

[starlifter]

14 turns though!!!

Yes, and not just one civ, and not just one level of play, and not just one patch... but all.

If you have bad luck, it can take 8 or 9 years at worst. Certain errors, particularly in diplomacy, can collapse the possibility... one need not have perfect play, but one need conduct careful, proper (e.g., think before you play) diplomacy and understand how and when to initiate war.

The following civs can be won without any cheating in less than 10 years, assuming a player has "prior map knowledge" (knows Spain is in Spain, e.g.) and "knowledge of diplomacy":

- Brutii
- Julii
- Scipii
- Carthaginians
- Greeks
- Gauls
- Seleucids (can be tough though)
- Egyptians (can be tough though)
- Macedonians (can be tough though)

The following cannot, IMO:
- Britain
- Numidians
- Armenians

The following can... with difficulty and almost perfect play:
- Germans (difficulty is not taking Rome, but getting 50 provinces)

I have not played the other factions to a full Imp campaign.


In 7 years, the Greeks and all 3 Roman factions can win a 50 province Imperial campaign reliably. The Brutii and the Julii are the easiest of all in this groups; the Greeks the hardest.

 

[salty mud]

But I still can't understand how its possible in 14 turns. In 14 turns I'm lucky if I have 4 provinces as the Julii!

 

[starlifter]

You negotiate. You convince them to give you some of their provinces. That part is what takes the time and planning, moreso than battle.

After you obtain as much as you can... I've obtained over 30 provinces in some games with diplomacy, then you drop the hammer and that closes the door on that sort of diplomacy for the rest of the game, and its time for conquest to get the remaining, plus Rome. Senate will never negotiate Rome away, even if you give Rome other provinces first. You must take it by force, and they have strong units and family, behind good walls... so taking Rome as Gauls in '64 for instance can require cunning and division of Purple forces.

Note that this diplomatic process is not trivial. It takes me several hours, and keeping track of who/what and replies and money with pen and paper. If you just knock on the door and say "Gimme your provinces" then you will be slapped and thrown out, and possibly ruin diplomatic contact with other factions.

Also... just getting your diplomats in position, and making contact in the "correct" order (not magic, just in a sequence of cause-effect-result, like what happens when faction A gives you a province, and that causes you to meet a Civ that you have not prepared for, and ruins your upcoming negotiations with faction B.

All this has strong strong implications for the actual battle sequence, and obtaining generals to control the rapidly expanding empire. You can choose where and exactly when you get a new general, when you get new provinces and are "short" of family members, relative to your empire state.

 

[starlifter]

I'm lucky if I have 4 provinces as the Julii!

If you attack the Gauls, then you must fight the hard way. Diplomacy over... kaput... no workie. Ever (in that game)! Think about taking the bulk of Greece, Macedonia, Carthaginia, Gauls, Spanish, and Selucids on the 6th or 7th turn, and you will be on the right track. You need to plan your navy, as Julii... and don't go blasting north/northwest!!! You must also take a "risk" with your forces... for you will likely want many of them in other places than Italy, as not everyone is going to give you everything... you will not negotiate Sparta away from the Greeks, for instance... nor Thessalonia away from the Macedonians, for instance.

 

[salty mud]

If you attack the Gauls, then you must fight the hard way. Diplomacy over... kaput... no workie. Ever (in that game)! Think about taking the bulk of Greece, Macedonia, Carthaginia, Gauls, Spanish, and Selucids on the 6th or 7th turn, and you will be on the right track. You need to plan your navy, as Julii... and don't go blasting north/northwest!!! You must also take a "risk" with your forces... for you will likely want many of them in other places than Italy, as not everyone is going to give you everything... you will not negotiate Sparta away from the Greeks, for instance... nor Thessalonia away from the Macedonians, for instance.

I'm not thinking of trying it!

Still unbelievable. Carving an Empire through war and death is the best. Talk is for wimps!

Have you actually done this? Can I see a screenshot or save?

 

[starlifter]

Have you actually done this? Can I see a screenshot or save?

Yes, its doable and repeatable, and I've done it in 1.2 & 1.5 patches, at M/M and up.

If diplomacy is alien to many, then I will do better than that. I will sit down and write a specific diplomacy guide, and play each civ step-by-step with saves & notes, to illustrate it.

However, I don't have RTW on my machine at the moment, so it will be something which I can start probably a week from this weekend, at the soonest. Besides RL, I have a Civ 2 GOTM which will come first. RTW is a lot of fun, and I think Power Diplomacy is too -- RTW play is influenced by my Civilization 2 play; the concepts are similar about resource and trade generation, in an abstract gaming sense. Those that know how we play GOTMs (a premium is placed on speed and strategy to obtain a 'good' score, quick finish, etc.) will recognize the cross-game similarities in Civ 2 Power Democracy and RTW Power Diplomacy.

 

[Dong2Long]

The German Machine can roll through Italy before 255 B.C. It takes a mere cirka 15 years, they are a fast early civ. I use only basic diplomacy to grab most of Gaul, and usually the British skum occupying good Germanic continental territory. My spears usually must hack down those chariots sooner or later, but at least I can rape them with diplomacy before we Germans drive the enemy before us, and hear the lamentation of their women. With our screechers. Now you know why we don't get married, imagine screeching like that for a lifetime.

Rome factions are central in the map, and can choose their strategy, including diplomacy methods. Most humans have no clue about diplomacy, but then its probably not as much fun as running your opponent through with the tip of a Germanic cavalry spear.

If diplomacy is alien to many,

Well rounded players use it. Nothing like raping the enemy, and having his gratitiude for your haveing done it. Assassins are fun, too. They work wonders on those babbling diplomats, hehe.

 

[Dong2Long]

Still unbelievable.

An interesting reply. Sounds like someone might be having a little difficulty with diplomacy. Hmmm... maybe that is why Germans own the Britons, who are indeed proud; proud to be my protectorate within 5 years. The unbelievers should step aside for those of us routinely accomplishing the impossible.

 

[Dell19]

Power diplomacy sounds like playing Chess against a computer where the opening moves are exactly the same and thus the human player always has a piece advantage early on. Sure the rest of the game differs however the victory is guarenteed from the start.

 

[Dong2Long]

... but if you have diplomats and can (like: you foresight in battle planning and have the diplomatic skill) use them to fight, only a fool would not. You play to win, to crush your enemy, to see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of their women (not the lamentation of the men and generals!).

Do you avoid using Flameing Arrows on Elephants, because it scares the beasts? Why not fight them head on & be a man... with cavalry, hehehe. It canbe done. Do you walk your barbarian up to the enemy then attack, because the horse charge is so powerful it might outsmart the enemy by causing a short-term high loss rate and his units to rout? Bah. Do you raise your pikes when defending a town? Hogwash. RTW is chess. And more. And you play to win, or at least I do.

 

[Dell19]

In my Numidia game I purposely left Sicily to the Romans so that in the midgame I could have a nice epic war against them.

 

[Drakan]

(Edited due to my blunder) And I don't believe anyone can finish it in 7 turns. In 7 turns you can not even move a unit from turn one in Rome to Babylon. Nevermind conquering and battling etc....

Anyway, I play RT Realism mod in VH/VH and by 250 B.C. I can take out 50 provinces at ease playing casually (that's like 30 turns more or less). But in RTRealism turn one starts at 280 B.C. which is 10 turns earlier than RTW vanilla which starts at 270 B.C. IRRC.