This is a good thread. Very good. What an amazing thing to learn! I read this, and figured out what starlifter was talking about, and he is right.
I have tried it using ver 1.5 (Imp/H/H), and after changing theway I think, and doing much taking of notes and planning, I have taken 51 provinces (39 by diplomacy), then Rome... in 14 turns (7 game years), as Brutii. He is right that if you plan it, you can take most of Spain for instance, by taking most gaul provinces first, then making a diplomat, and talking to Spain. If you have any war, any at all,,, if you fight any human,,, if you are attacked by any civ,,, then many, and usually all, others will not trust you. Naturally as in all war, deciet and lies are key. You must lie to the enemy, and promise to pay them huge money. And of course, you have no intent to, and when you fail, it will be war and they will try to take the provinces you bought back. The battle for Rome was full stack and massive, but fought outside the walls of Rome. Massed cavalry + generals rolling up their open field right flank from the rear turned it for me
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Now I want to try it with other civs, including nono-Roman civs. Now that I have a better idea how to conduct diplomacy, and how to extract money from I am wondering how fast it can be done with Britain, and with Scythia; I think maybe 10 to 12 years (20 to 24 turns) for those, due to the long distances, and difficulty in preventing way war or attack by an aggressor for that entire time.
Oh, and I see what you mean about the Generals, that is amazing how powerful it is to be able to choose the location you want your generals to be constructed! That was a key to being able to fight the crucial Rome battle in so short a time, with less experienced troops against those well trained SPQR troops. It was the huge number of controlled provinces versus the generals that I now understand guarantees those promotions; I have never though of that, and had never grown so fast to even observe that effect before.
It is true, the pen is mightier than the sword, though as in real life, the world must ultimately be won with the sword. As foretold in Revelations, the final battle,,, on the plains of Megiddo,,, literal Armageddon.
Who would have thought I would learn about RTW after joining a Civ site! Thank you starlifter.