Rome Rules

[Dagoril]

Tried this basic strat yesterday, and it worked very well (Noble, Continents, standard map size, no funky settings).

I ended up getting Civil Service with the Oracle, as I started building it a little later. I built Stonehenge, but missed the Parthenon by 2 turns grrrr. I ended up having to found my own religion, as none of the civs on my continent had founded one themselves, so I picked up Christianity. First civ (Inca) died to just my Praets. Second civ (FDR) needed catapults and Praets, and then macemen as he started outclassing my Praets in the middle of the war.

Stopped playing before wiping out the 2nd continent because it was late hehe.

 

[IglooDame]

So... what's the recommended strategy to survive if you've started next to Rome?

 

[Nightravn]

So... what's the recommended strategy to survive if you've started next to Rome?

Axe rush him before he gets Iron!!!

 

[ownedbyakorat]

Axe rush him before he gets Iron!!!

Absolutely. Doesn't matter if you've got Monty and Napoleon and Isabella on your borders, you want to control Rome's iron source(s) before it does. Otherwise you have to make a ridiculous amount of axemen.

 

[iamnleth]

I've been trying out Rome's rushing abilites. I just won my first noble using Praetorians- Domination on a standard map. However, I can't seem to win a Noble without rushing because the enemy expands too quickly for me and their research levels are always much higher.

I apologize for not knowing, but I'm new. What does the term idle (insert name here) imply that I am supposed to do?

 

[a4phantom]

So... what's the recommended strategy to survive if you've started next to Rome?

Hope that you're Inca or Persia and conquer before the Iron Age. If you're not, use axemen and chariots to control Rome's territory, pillage roads and improvements, etc. If you can, obviously, take cities. Never let him hook up iron. If you can't crush or contain Rome like that and the Praets start coming, then build axemen almost exclusively.

 

[a4phantom]

"I apologize for not knowing, but I'm new. What does the term idle (insert name here) imply that I am supposed to do? "

Context please!

 

[iamnleth]

"I apologize for not knowing, but I'm new. What does the term idle (insert name here) imply that I am supposed to do? "

Context please!

-CHOP 2 settlers, idle {Stonehenge} or {The Pyramids} if stone is nearby. idle on {Parthanon} if marble
-[Meditation] or [Polytheism] to found religion
-idle build on barracks'

I'm not sure what was meant by that.

 

[a4phantom]

I'm not sure what was meant by that.

Oh. I think that's his own term, not one commonly used here. I'm guessing it means to have your city working on a long term project because you have nothing urgent to build, but that could be way off. With respect, I think the consensus is that his strategy is unsuited for Rome because he focuses on founding religions and building wonders while he should be cranking out Praetorians to conquer holy cities and wonders.

 

[Marcus Claudius]

Sorry - can someone possibly quickly explain what ...."CHOP"...means as I would love to try this...many thanks

 

[a4phantom]

Sorry - can someone possibly quickly explain what ...."CHOP"...means as I would love to try this...many thanks

*note when I say shields I mean units of production, now known as hammers. I'm old.

Chop is shorthand for cutting down the forests around your cities, not principly to clear the land for farming or towns (although of course you'll do this) but as a strategy to rush production by rapidly converting several forests into shields. You get 20 shields for cutting down a forest next to your city, and then progressively less the farther away you get (carrying charges my dear boy, carrying charges). Once you have Mathematics, you get 30 shields per forest minus distance penalties. Prior to the latest patch you got those 30 shields from the start, so an overwhelmingly popular and powerful strategy was to rush to Bronze Working and then concentrate on CHOPping down your forests for the production bonuses. The fact that you now lose 1/3 for chopping before Math makes this strategy less overpowered but chopping for the production bonus is still an important part of strategy.

 

[Marcus Claudius]

Hi - I played this last night and was surprised at how effective it was - I was at Noble level but still got beaten, which is mainly due to the fact that I am new to the micfro strategy with workers - that is I usually just let AI make the decision as to what they should do - lazy - but a legacy of prior versions. Re the Praterians, I note that I consume about 3 to 4 in taking out a City - this seems high - this is after I have softened up the City with Catapult - is this a reasonable number ???

 

[a4phantom]

Hi - I played this last night and was surprised at how effective it was - I was at Noble level but still got beaten, which is mainly due to the fact that I am new to the micfro strategy with workers - that is I usually just let AI make the decision as to what they should do - lazy - but a legacy of prior versions. Re the Praterians, I note that I consume about 3 to 4 in taking out a City - this seems high - this is after I have softened up the City with Catapult - is this a reasonable number ???

That's an awfully high casualty rate for Praetorians. When you say soften up, do you mean that you reduce the defenses to 0%? Are you by any chance attacking across rivers you could cross before attacking? Are all the cities you're assaulting on hills (nothing you can do about that of course, but it would help explain your losses). Do you have barrackses, and are you giving your Praets City Raider? Try killing a barbarian with each before sending it off to war, which should earn you another promotion (city raider 2). If you continue to lose so many Praets, you might consider using suicide catapults to take the edge off the defenders, one catapult being a lot cheaper than 3 Praetorians.

 

[Marcus Claudius]

Thanks for that - I must admit I now totally need to revist this fantastic game - I mean I need to look at things far more micro - I really never take much notice where I attach from - but of course that makes so much sense - I do reduce the defences to zero and will also try to suicide my catapults - but the bowman are so so strong - they can sit there and wipe out three in a row...but I guess I could have been attacking from a disadvantaged position, which would make a lot of differance. I do have barracks and do promote as City raider. Good idea about Barberians. Thanks again for replying...

 

[a4phantom]

Thanks for that - I must admit I now totally need to revist this fantastic game - I mean I need to look at things far more micro - I really never take much notice where I attach from - but of course that makes so much sense - I do reduce the defences to zero and will also try to suicide my catapults - but the bowman are so so strong - they can sit there and wipe out three in a row...but I guess I could have been attacking from a disadvantaged position, which would make a lot of differance. I do have barracks and do promote as City raider. Good idea about Barberians. Thanks again for replying...

Hmm by bowmen do you mean "longbowmen"? If so, you are waiting too long to make your attack. Praetorians are as strong (8) against archers(3*)/longbowmen(6*) as the medieval macemen (8, +50% against melee which is not relevant here), but you get them when everyone else gets swords (6 +10% when attacking cities). So if you attack in the iron age, you have 8/3 odds not counting bonuses, but if you wait till your opponent has longbowmen it's suddenly 8/6.


*with a ton of bonuses.

 

[Marcus Claudius]

I think you are right - you cannot pause at all...I started this again last night and the archers are easy as...but gee you have to be quick - it is not long before 1600 pops up and everyone has longbowman...the strategy must be shock and orr early and get the advantage....cheers

 

[a4phantom]

Yeah, think about it this way: As Rome your city attacking unit is strength 8 for a long time (Praets then maces). Would you rather send that 8 up against a 3 or a 6? Especially when that 6 will have far more cultural defense bonuse. Even for a normal civ it's better to attack an archer (3) with a swordsman (6) than a longbow (6) with a mace (8). This is greatly magnified for Rome.