I am having difficulty with Rome Total War...

[diablodelmar]

The following problems keep plagueing me early game (and as a result I havent been able to get to middle or late game)! (note: I am playing as the Julii and on level Medium/medium.)

1. (this is my main problem) My economy never seems to be able to stay on its feet. After a few turns' playing I am in minus numbers and still going down. If I increase the tax rate the citizens faces start going all sorts of colours and then they riot.

2. I never have enough troops! When I take a city it seems I need to leave half my army there or it will simply get taken back! As a result after the first three senate missions (usually to take Patavium, Caralis and Segesta) My army is crippled because most of it is garrisoning those three cities. Whever I try and have a small garrison they always get taken back. Since my economy is usually bad (I don't know how to properly manage it) I can't build more units!

3. I can't build any decent anti cavalry unit yet so the enemy heavy cavalry destroys all my hastatii by itself (!!?!?!??).

Could somebody give me a good strategy to start out with as the Julii? I'm determined to win a game with them. Also, anyone got any good ideas to use the diplomats with? I usually keep one on the mainland, send one to spain/north africa and send a third to the Greek/macedon area.

EDIT: also, how do I disband units and destroy my own buildings? Like when I capture an enemy city I'm told its a good idea to remove the enemy temple and replace with your own.

 

[Kal'thzar]

What difficulty are you playing on?

1. Build Ports, Markets etc. Keep your tax as high as possible but the population in the Yellow/Green. If they're in Blue or Red look at whats causing problems and solve, otherwise put a larger garrison in, or decrease tax.

2. In the beginning, Segesta and Carlis are TINY, you shoouldn't need a large garrison, preferably keep the tax low, and build up temples etc to keep them happy. Patvium you might want to consider exterminiating. (it has the most INSANE growth, the people will be back in no-time, and you get to build up happyness buildings). If you've got the money, recruit the people from the cities decreases pop size and increases Garrison size.

3. Get your general and a small group of Roman Cavalry (light should do) charge them in the rear when they are attacking your infantry.
Optionally you start with ONE unit of Triarii, they are armed with spears. make good use of them, you need a level 3 or 4 barracks to recruit them.


Diplomats good for - getting maps, bribing (need good economy!), TRADE agreements (you want to sign these, very good for your eco).

To dispand unit: I think its right click on it, and then there will be a button on the description thing it brings up. I can't quite rem.

 

[diablodelmar]

What difficulty are you playing on?

1. Build Ports, Markets etc. Keep your tax as high as possible but the population in the Yellow/Green. If they're in Blue or Red look at whats causing problems and solve, otherwise put a larger garrison in, or decrease tax.

2. In the beginning, Segesta and Carlis are TINY, you shoouldn't need a large garrison, preferably keep the tax low, and build up temples etc to keep them happy. Patvium you might want to consider exterminiating. (it has the most INSANE growth, the people will be back in no-time, and you get to build up happyness buildings). If you've got the money, recruit the people from the cities decreases pop size and increases Garrison size.

3. Get your general and a small group of Roman Cavalry (light should do) charge them in the rear when they are attacking your infantry.
Optionally you start with ONE unit of Triarii, they are armed with spears. make good use of them, you need a level 3 or 4 barracks to recruit them.


Diplomats good for - getting maps, bribing (need good economy!), TRADE agreements (you want to sign these, very good for your eco).

To dispand unit: I think its right click on it, and then there will be a button on the description thing it brings up. I can't quite rem.

Thanks for the advice. I am trying to beat medium/medium right now.

1. Ok thats pretty much what I have been doing - just not as effieciently as I should be (I focus too much on military buildings/units).

2. Every time I leave small garrisons in Caralis the most huge Carthaginian army arrives. The same happens with Segesta. Also, I hate exterminating population.

3. Optionally? How do I set it to start with them?

 

[Kal'thzar]

1. Yes, at the beginning, I begin with maybe a barracks to build hastti and everything else to make money. Then produce military every so often. When I've got a good economy, I switch the focus to military.

2. Keep your Navy on the look out for it they arrive by boat, don't let them land! Although I usually have the Brutti's (they are the blue guys right?) help at this point as they are also at war with the Carthaginians. Generally its best to sink that army at the beginning. Alternativly if your good at the battles you can beat that army. (as i rem its a lot of Mercanaries, Elephants and Town levies and some Iberain Infantry usually.)

3. As the Julli I rem that you begin with one unit. I meant Optionally as an alternative tactic, or combine them to make mincemeat of the enemy cavalry.

 

[diablodelmar]

The Scipii are blue and the Brutii are green.

 

[Kal'thzar]

Right Scipii usually help me at this point. *ahem*

 

[Dark Ascendant]

Why the hell do you use your ARMY to garrison anything?

Okay, rule #1 in the early game: conquer a city and enslave it. Let your army sit on it that turn. Build a temple of your religion and one peasant. Next turn, leave and kill something else. It's not until the mid-game that you start having problems, in which case you need to sit that army down a little longer, or better yet, have a stack of peasants behind your army to act as immediate garrison.

 

[Kal'thzar]

that would work, i just waded through a sea of blood. (extermination was fun)

 

[Dark Ascendant]

Slavery is better in the early game. You need the extra pop to unlock more buildings and trigger Marius.

 

[diablodelmar]

Slavery is better in the early game. You need the extra pop to unlock more buildings and trigger Marius.

Trigger Marius? How? - do tell!

 

[diablodelmar]

Why the hell do you use your ARMY to garrison anything?

Okay, rule #1 in the early game: conquer a city and enslave it. Let your army sit on it that turn. Build a temple of your religion and one peasant. Next turn, leave and kill something else. It's not until the mid-game that you start having problems, in which case you need to sit that army down a little longer, or better yet, have a stack of peasants behind your army to act as immediate garrison.

Peasants???!!!?!?!?!?!?

Noooo thanks matey!

 

[shortguy]

Yes, peasants. Or town watch, perhaps. You need your garrisons to be cheap, and they aren't supposed to fight anyway.

 

[Tank_Guy#3]

Check the squalor levels on the cities you need massive garrisons in. I remember maxing out the number of defenders in a city and it still rioted and overthrew the garrison. When I checked the squalor it was ungodly (after I recaptured and executed the inhabitants, nobody defies Roman authority). Build baths, aqueducts, sewers, etc to help alleviate this problem.

 

[diablodelmar]

Yes, peasants. Or town watch, perhaps. You need your garrisons to be cheap, and they aren't supposed to fight anyway.

They cost upkeep as well and can't fight.

 

[Sashie VII]

They cost upkeep as well and can't fight.

You use them because of the bigger numbers in the unit. Population happiness depends on the garrison size too. Plus, it doesn't matter that they can't fight, since YOU should be taking the fight to others. IOW, your armies at the frontiers, and to get to your lightly defended cities enemy units must get past your armies. Which they would never be able to do in Medium/Medium (unless you autoresolve every battle or just make some serious errors)

 

[diablodelmar]

You use them because of the bigger numbers in the unit. Population happiness depends on the garrison size too. Plus, it doesn't matter that they can't fight, since YOU should be taking the fight to others. IOW, your armies at the frontiers, and to get to your lightly defended cities enemy units must get past your armies. Which they would never be able to do in Medium/Medium (unless you autoresolve every battle or just make some serious errors)

ok ill give it a try...

 

[toxicseagull]

tip, when possible always build pricipcies (sp) when possible. dont btoher with trairi, the pricps can absorb most damage by cav. and dont cost much (same possible) upkeep.
use large cheap units for garrisons.
build temples and sewers.
ports are essential.
you dont always have to do senete missions, if it takes you into a war you dont want yet (let scipii take care of carthrage), travel with your diplomat and try and gain trade rights with anyone possible.
also a nice tactic as julli is head east a bit, only one or two city's out of north rome. mines and and extra trade, helps squish bruti advance (remember your'll have to fight them adventually and they get big and rich.)
use your javalins of your troops. they are a major advantage.
to trigger marius events. build a imperial palace in italy. after a certain time (changes depending on patch)
stone walls are a great advantage. as are archers.
remember order is your friend. attempt to make gaul route, they have more men but weak morale, you dont have to match them size for size.

 

[starlifter]

1. (this is my main problem) My economy never seems to be able to stay on its feet. After a few turns' playing I am in minus numbers and still going down. If I increase the tax rate the citizens faces start going all sorts of colours and then they riot.

Take Greece within 7 turns. 8 at the most, all Greeks. Simultaneously, take all Macedonia, except Thessalonia, and all of Eastern Selucia. Then make ATHENS your "trade center." The entire Aegean should have ports, and begin trade; gold will come in.

Do not attack the Gauls immediately. Instead, simultaneously take all their provinces except their capital, while your get the Greeks. Naturally, you should look to diplomacy, as the Julii cannot move their military fast enough physically to take the Iberian penninsula while taking Sicily, the Balkans, and Anatolia. But with diplomacy, you can set the stage and weaken their military preparation before they can field a large army. If you are cunning, you can get them to be your ally and make them PAY your to take ownership of many of their provinces, though they will have second thoughts about it in a few turns and want to fight... but by then you will be ready, and the damage has been done to them.

So GET GREECE as Julii (or Scipii, or Brutii, or Carthage, or Selecuia, or Egypt, or Gauls). As Britons, and likely as Germans & Numidians, you won't accomplish a diplomatic coup, and must slog it out like Benard Montgomery used to do in World War II, more often than not.

PS, Be sure to play Patch 1.5, if you want the "easiest" time of diplo/fight. That's because of how the province transfer is done (the favorable garrison aspect, that is).

 

[FriendlyFire]

Peasants???!!!?!?!?!?!?

Noooo thanks matey!

Town watch at the start. They make barely passable troops After that peasents.
Think of it this way. Outer empire Best armies and troops
behind them Town guards forming a secondary layer while in the middle peons for garrison bonuses (Let AI automanage taxes)

As you expand your best armies do the fighting
Your secondary arrmies the suppressing
Your Rubbish garrisons.

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Yes its best to have secondary armies as AI barbarians and enemy armies can slip past and quickly lay seige. If your garrisons are too weak they Assault the city 2nd turn into the seige and its a headache to pull armies from the front to deal with them.

 

[starlifter]

Before you plow into your campaign, you must decide up front the sequence of contact and diplomacy. You cannot wing it. You must plan how to move your diplomats, who to avoid contact with, etc. And choreograph it to occur in a future year... typically turn 6 thru 8. And you absolutely must do it simultaneously... e.g., take Gaul, Iberia, Anatolia, Sicily, North Africa, and the Balkans. You can look small, like Sicily and Balkans... that's "OK", but you can take more if you're prepared. Once you begin combat in earnest, however, opportunities for Power Diplomacy are greatly reduced. Take it up front, or slog it out... .