Rise of rome help

[Splify60]

I have just gopt the new expansion and I am very excited about The Rise of Rome, I loved it in conquests, and I am enjoying it so far in the new one, although not as much I think.
But I was wondering if anyone could point me to a stratagy article about it, or give me any pointers, as I feel I could be doing a lot better. I have looked but haven't found much, maybe I just didn't look well enough.
Things like, best early improvements (I have started with Lib, and Courthouse)
Best person to attack first (I tried Alex, but now I am thinking Hanibal)
Basically any tips you guys can offer would be helpful.
But if I have to I will just play it through like 20 times like I did with the last one...
Thanks in Advance.

 

[Splify60]

It looks like most people don't like this scenario, but I am going to give it a chance anyway, any help would be appreciated.

 

[hvevo]

I've played this a couple of times as Rome.

My first priority is to get my cities' infrastucture done. I build only some basic buildings helping with production and growth, as maintenance is not a big issue for me since I'm capturing and razing lots of enemy cities to support my economy. After my infrastructure is completed, I start building praets and more praets. Once I have enough, I declare war on Gaul and raze every city in the main continent except one next to the Britain. There I build a couple of galleys and land my troops in England and raze all the cities but the one with the victory resource. After this I build a couple of galleys and triremes in my Mediterranean coastal cities and invade to North Africa. I capture the capitol and a couple of other cities to secure the victory resource (can't recall the city names) and then make peace. Then I declare war on Alex to cripple his military while transporting most of my troops to the eastern side of Mediterranean.

Once I have enough troops there, I make peace with Alex and declare war on Egypt and halt their score by capturing and securing the city with the victory resouce (I suppose it's the capitol, not sure though...). Alternatively I finish Alex before Egypt if my final score will definitely be at the top (i.e. I have acquired two victory resources early). Anyway, at some point before the end it is time for Alex to feel the wrath of my stacks of doom while I destroy his empire by razing all his cities. If I have time left after the invasion to Greece, I usually destroy the Egyptians by attacking from the south and the north simultaneously.

All in all, DON'T spend too much time playing peacefully. The key to victory is to be an aggressive warmonger, so declare war asap when you have some extra praets. Do not keep all captured cities but only those vital to your victory.

 

[Splify60]

How do you get to egypt?
The boats are not upgradable, and they cannot enter the ocean, I haven't even been able to make contact with egypt, no one will give me open borders.

 

[hvevo]

Via North Africa. I capture/raze cities having their cultural borders in my way or make sure that I will get Open borders to allow my galleys a passage to Egypt. Alternatively (not as effective I think) you could destroy Greece in your way (remember to keep the victory resource!) and then reach to north of Egypt with your galleys. Then you would need to raze a lot of Egyptian cities before reaching the Egyptian capitol. Usually they have a quite formidable military power at this stage so you would lose plenty of troops. Whether successful or not, you would still have to return to west to get Hannibal's victory resource if you don't invade to North Africa before. Thus, I prefer the first route.

 

[Splify60]

Of course, that makes sense, I think your right about going through north africa soon. I never even though about going through the celts to get thiers. Thier empire is just so large it would take a long time to cross it, but if I do it early, it should be not bad, because they start with very little. Does it take a long time to cross the celts empire? I was thinking of going at north africa first, what do you think of that, If i capture and keep the carth city on sicily and then use that to move more troop through, that should work well to open a shipping line to north africa.

 

[hvevo]

I prefer crushing the Celts first. The main reason is that after that I don't need to move my troops north anymore, and the surviving and unnecessary forces can be brougth back to south to participate in the invasion to North Africa. Furthermore, their empire is not that large nor powerful in the early stages so it's easy pray. Just pay attention that you don't lose your galleys to Celtic navy during the invasion to Britain (build a couple of triremes for protection if you feel threatened). And no, it does not take that long to kill the Celts; around 120 turns in total from the beginning of the scenario to the destruction of their empire and transferring my troops back to Italy to participate in the North African campaign.

Yes, I usually capture the city on Sicily first and then move my fleet to Tunisia/Algeria. I never bother with Spain because Hannibal's victory resource is in North Africa and his garrison in Spain is mostly for defensive purposes (from time to time a couple of units might appear but they can be countered by a few praets fortified in the west).

 

[Splify60]

Cool, I tried last night going at Hanible first, it seems to be going well. And I didn't need many because it is quick, couldn't continue, my girlfriend got home.
But if this doesn't go well for me, I will try the celts first, that would save me building a large navy right off.
I see your in Finland, I am in sweden.