I have a promise to keep, so here we go!
Chapter XXI: The Fall of Rome?
Year: 379 AD
I now gain the 375 AD tech. It makes the Vallum Hadriani, Renovatio Diocletiani, Opus Imperator-Soldati and Crisis of the third century obsolete.
For the barbarians this tech is very important, allowing several new units, especially for the Scythians, who from now on represent the Huns...
The Incursio Vandalorum equals the Incursio Barbarorum, but for the Numidians, who now represent the Vandals. Their Equites Numidici are now upgraded to Equites Praedabundi, who will launch hidden nationality attacks at my african holdings. Until now, an Eques Praedabundus could only be spawned.
By the way, the loss of the Renovatio was quite a hit:
Year: 383 AD
The Moenia Theodosii increase the defence of Constantinopolis by 200 % and spawn a Comitatenses Legio every five turns.
Year: 387 AD
The Goths will stand no chance in the long run, but i'm kind of happy that i'm not the first who is on the germanic's list. They are moving their army through Dacia and i can tell you, it wouldn't take much more to make me cry...
Year: 389 AD
This tech does... urm... nothing.
Year: 401 AD
The last years haven't seen much change. The germanics are still killing every goth that is leaving behind his super-defenders and I'm still preventing the Persians from reaching armenian cities. But you might have noticed that I entered the fifth century, the last of the western roman empire. Hopefully my unified empire will prevail, which probably is more a question of "if" not "how" an attack from the Huns and Germanics will happen.
Year: 403 AD
Just a picture where you can see how much my borders mean to the germans:
Year: 413 AD
This tech does the same as the last, which is nothing but costing research time. A good prospect, though, and kind of a ne experience in these times: The next techs will actually improve things!
The background of this development is of course, that the troublesome western empire is no more, while the eastern empire retains a degree of stability and power.
By the way, you see I'm ahead with techs some decades now, as the end of the western empire in reality happened in 476.
Year: 427 AD
A day of mourning has come for every true roman: The Barbari have stopped to fight each other!
Year: 429 AD
I have received the 425 AD tech, which renders a number of improvements obsolete, namely Census, Triumphus, Amphitheatrum and Catasta. This is a hit against my economy and production. Especially frustrating is the low production potential of Constantinopolis, where I have to build some Wonders in the near future.
Additionally the germanics are now able to build Castra Saxonis, which spawns a Praedator Saxonus regularly. To represent the saxon raiding parties this unit has paradrop ability and can show up all over Britannia and in a considerable part of Gallia.
Year: 437 AD
This tech makes the Castra Foederatum obsolete, but it enables me to build Imperium Belisarii, which spawns a powerful army, the Hagia Sophia and the Codex Iuris Civilis.
These wonders will take ages due to the low production rate of the city. Anyway, I use a prebuild for Imperium Belisarii to make sure I'll get one without delaying research.
A note on possible research paths: The arrows in the science advisor are outdated: Intelligence is now a later research and I have only one option here.
Now that the Triumphus and the Castra Foederatum are obsolete I can train Veterans or upgrade only in Constantinopolis and Roma.
Year: 455 AD
A plague has broken out in some cities.
Year: 457 AD
The plague spreads. A Legio Belisarii has been spawned, an army that can consist of four units. Four cataphracts are probably the most efficient choice.
Year: 461 AD
Now I can produce the mighty cataphracts, which until now only received through the Hippodromus in Constantinople. The Cataphractus can take on even the Clibanarius, sadly he is considerably more expensive.
The Cataphracti replace the Comitatenses cavalry, but these can't be upgraded.
I think I have detected a bug, because while the Comitatenses and the germanic cavalry can't be upgraded, the Miles Alarius Germanicus can, which means I now have a rescue team consisting of 90 units that are upgradable to cataphracts. This is probably not intended.
The Hagia Sophia decreases the number of unhappy citizens in the empire by two and spawns an Auxilia Palatina every 8 turns.
Year: 465 AD
Now I've really been caught by surprise: The Brits declared war on the germanics, which caused the Huns to declare war on Britannia... Didn't see that coming.
Year: 477 AD
In reality one year ago the last western roman emperor had to resign, but in my game Roma still is united in all her glory. I know many of you are disappointed for the storm has not come yet, but I have to admit I'm glad.
Year: 479 AD
This timer tech makes several roman wonders obsolete, like the Colosseum, Circus Maximus, Opus Ovidii and Constitutio Antoniana.
At this point the chapter shall end with the histograph:
You can clearly see the impact of the war between Germanics & Scythians against Goths.
In the recent past the plague probably has killed some Animi Barbarorum, which could have slowed down their power growth.