It's IRONIC!

[gozpel]

To play as Rome, we all know that iron is the substance of their gameplay.

So, yesterday I started as Rome and spread out 5 cities quickly, because there was quite a few luxes around. Good and all, Suleiman declared early on me and I killed everything he had coming for me and I get a 350g peacedeal. Nice, I will upgrade my warriors with that.

IW in, I have a 2-source in the third ring of my second city. Looking around...nothing, except a CS far away with no workers. Sully happen to have 8 in his ring, so let's go trying for it.

Sully has been fighting everyone close for a bit, but I have 2 legs and 8 warriors and I attack him. Not a fair fight I say, he had a backup staff just waiting for me with 2 generals. 4 of his warriors, which was upgraded way over my newbies and 2 archers killed my whole army, nasty placed Cap, but still! He have armies roaming the world and he left the generals at home!?

2 more irons would've closed this chapter.

Bugger it! He got me and I restart a new game.

Found a nice place in the restart, scout around and find myself on my own continent.

I ended up with 11 cities and 37 IRONS, but noone to kill!

Random should be killed, I pay for it!!

Whatever, I still won the game by Science, the point is that you choose a civ and have no sources, that random factor is stupid. Rome SHOULD have at least 4 iron close, to fight the enemies that requires nothing for their UU's.

Pretty <snip> up gameplay, but it's good in a way as you can spend hrs going in another direction. Still, it's wrong.

Anyways, a game where the AI wanted to win

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[The Pilgrim]

You can disable start bias.

I find it ironic, because I never have more than 2 iron reachable (including CS) when playing as Rome. AI, on the other hand, seems like always has tons of it. Maybe ironless start bias doesn't apply to AI.

 

[apocalypse105]

Disable start bias and you will get more random maps. Instead of giving the human playera tons of iron or non..


ANd if you don't having iron isn't that bad go straight to machinenry and civil service and start defending with crosbowman and pikeman.

you can even take cities early on with crosbowman and pikeman .. (make sure you have a great general though maybe go honor and pick the discipline )

In gods and king siege units don't require iron So the iron problem is basicly fixed( if you have iron you only have a stronger frontline unit )

 

[gozpel]

All what you said

I want legions to take what I can early and on this map it was only me, Sully and Siam in a corner. We all fear Siam in a corner, so I took a punt and lost.

If I could've won this continent, I would've cracked my best score!!!!

Emperor isn't as easy as it seems sometimes.

 

[Arilian]

select advanced options, resources: strategic balance.
it garantees you 6 iron and 6 horse. (and to all other civ)

 

[gozpel]

select advanced options, resources: strategic balance.
it garantees you 6 iron and 6 horse. (and to all other civ)

Well, I didn't this time and will make sure I do it next time.

Sometimes I go with the flow and just pick random stuff and this time the AI beat me (sortof), I could've wasted many more hours to win this game, but I chose to win another game instead.

For me, random is fun, but if time is restricted then I will certainly use strategic resources next time.

Thanks for your input!

 

[ense7en]

I started a Rome game this weekend with the same issue :<

Game has a cruel sense of humor...

 

[noncognosco]

I have had the same problem with Japan

 

[Luckystrike77]

Problem? No. Challenge? Yes.

 

[smallfish]

You can disable start bias.

I find it ironic, because I never have more than 2 iron reachable (including CS) when playing as Rome. AI, on the other hand, seems like always has tons of it. Maybe ironless start bias doesn't apply to AI.

Start Bias goes up with difficulty, it seems. Its why even when you put Strategic Balance for Deity games, you are unlikely to find a source of aluminium or uranium around your start.

 

[The Pilgrim]

Start Bias goes up with difficulty, it seems. Its why even when you put Strategic Balance for Deity games, you are unlikely to find a source of aluminium or uranium around your start.

Afaik, strategic balance refers to iron and horses, not the rest of resources. But I can be wrong. Don't use these settings, since they entirely kill the intrigue, simplify things and force pretty much the same path every game.

 

[gozpel]

Problem? No. Challenge? Yes.

When you WANT to play as Rome, it's not a problem.
When it happens in 4 out of 5 games, then it's a problem.

I DON'T want a challenge, EVERY time I play Rome. I wan't iron handily within my borders, at least 4 of them in 4 out 5 games, not the other way around.

I'm talking Emp/Imm difficulty here.

Of course I can win, but that's not the point! I wan't that frigging iron closer, even second or third city would be ok, but not 20 tiles away when you play as an iron-dependent Civ.

Luckystrike, play Rome and tell me how happy you are on Immortal! Well, with that name he won it already....

 

[headcase]

At least, a national wonder that gives a couple free iron would be nice so civs with iron UUs will always have an opportunity to get iron one way or another. Then make that NW have an interesting requirement so players without iron don't automatically go for it 100% of the time.

Or... would it be possible to give a free iron or two in an Honor SP without breaking the balance? And free horses in tradition or liberty? Just some way to get a free strat so UUs will always be possible.

 

[gozpel]

We can all play Strategic Resources, but then random is a no-factor.

Interesting idea, headcase!

 

[Luckystrike77]

Yep, strategic balance is more of an option for teamer or 1v1 games. In FFA's it's very boring. No risk involved in researching early iron working (on the cost of other usefull techs) and extremely powerfull for a Civ like Rome to have iron within it's capital no mather what. Strategic balance is actually a very unbalanced setting.

Same goes for removing start bias. The start bias is a part of balancing the civs vs oneanother.

Iron isnt so important, not even for Rome with it's very strong UA. It only means you need to do something else then very early conquest, that might even work out better for your civ in the long term..

 

[gozpel]

The worst rubbish I read today and yesterday:

"Iron isnt so important, not even for Rome with it's very strong UA. It only means you need to do something else then very early conquest, that might even work out better for your civ in the long term.."

Smoke that cigar again!

I'm looking to win an easy game as Rome, just for the kicks!

6-8 Legions walks every map, unstoppable!

 

[headcase]

"Iron isnt so important, not even for Rome with it's very strong UA. It only means you need to do something else then very early conquest, that might even work out better for your civ in the long term.."

Maybe if the player is well ahead anyway. In a struggle, less tech and less hammers for the same muscle (IIRC) is quite important indeed, conquest or not.