RTW Newbie Questions

[Fistleaf]

Hi, some questions:

1. When having multiple generals in the same stack, is it that only the general with the best command affects the troops? Does it mean there is no point using 2 generals in the same stack with good command skills since only 1 general's ability will be used? What about both generals having different combat traits, are all the traits affecting the troops?

2. What about 2 generals in the same city? If the governor has, say, trade bonus and the other has farming bonus, do they both apply?

3. Are all the settlements' main gates facing north? Do I have to always invade from the north if I want to strike the main gate?

4. Does the Warcry effect last for the entire battle? How do I know whether it has worn off? Same question for general's Rally.

5. Does failure to get an agreement always increase the chances of the diplomat getting bad traits? If I purposely haggle a lot but eventually got a diplomatic agreement, does the haggling improve the chances of getting a good diplomatic trait?

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

I can answer some of these:

1) The highest ranking general in each army is the one that matters

2) Similar to number 1, the one who has the scroll next to his name (as opposed to a sword or whatever it is) is the governor, and only his governing bonuses count. Now, if the city is attacked, whichever general has the highest command starts becomes the general, and we go back to question 1 again.

3)I don't know if there is a main gate direction rule, but what's to stop you from marching around the city to get to the main gate (or from just tearing down the wall in front of you)?

4) Don't know, never used it.

5) Yes to the former, and no to the latter.

 

[Fistleaf]

Thanks.

In the battlefield, after the victory screen comes up asking whether to continue or end battle, is there any advantage in fighting to the end to eliminate all enemies or does it make no difference?

 

[Aramazd]

Thanks.

In the battlefield, after the victory screen comes up asking whether to continue or end battle, is there any advantage in fighting to the end to eliminate all enemies or does it make no difference?

Well, continueing the battle lets you kill more troops with very little potential for you to lose any.

 

[Kal'thzar]

Thanks.

In the battlefield, after the victory screen comes up asking whether to continue or end battle, is there any advantage in fighting to the end to eliminate all enemies or does it make no difference?

Put it this way, you siege a city, the enemy attacks with a stack from outside the city, thus they receive a city garrison reinforcement, if you can COMPLETLY kill off both stacks you win the city. Thus you continue battle to run down all the routing elements.

Basically running down routing troops is always beneficial, the city example above is an extreme benefit, but you will tend to fight less battles if you kill off ALL the enemy troops (as they won't get retrained etc etc).

On the warcry thing, I'm pretty sure that it lasts a short time, if you watch the AI they will always use it prior to attacking your troops. But its been a long time since i've used a faction with warcry, its quite possible that it inflicts negative modifiers on the enemy. (think screaming women unit thingy).

 

[Fistleaf]

Regarding popularity with the Senate and people, is it only the Faction leader's traits that have an impact? If other generals have good popularity, is it taken into account?
On a related note, are Senate positions given based on good command/mgmt/influence stats or based on popularity?

 

[Kal'thzar]

I have no idea, because in the end, I just ignored the Senate.

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

I have no idea, because in the end, I just ignored the Senate.

As any model Roman citizen does.


I don't know if the reputation of your generals contributes to your standing with the Senate/People; it would be cool if it did. I think their reputations, combined with your standing, is what makes them eligible for government positions, such as Praetor or Tribune of the Plebs.

 

[Dark Ascendant]

3. Are all the settlements' main gates facing north? Do I have to always invade from the north if I want to strike the main gate?

There are gates on all four sides of the wall. The battle prep screen lets you place troops on three of the four sides of a settlement so you can assault a town from three sides if you wished. I've done it and it forces the enemy to split their defenses. Coordination is a big ***** though, since you can't see what everybody is doing all the time.

 

[Takhisis]

You can place all the battering rams on one side and the rest of the army (with scales) on the opposite. It´s lovely to watch the Ai rush about in its own forstress when the best way would be to fortify both gates and let your men rest...

 

[Tank_Guy#3]

You can place all the battering rams on one side and the rest of the army (with scales) on the opposite. It´s lovely to watch the Ai rush about in its own forstress when the best way would be to fortify both gates and let your men rest...

I know, it's soooo fun watching him beat himself up trying to halt your advance.

It's also a lot of fun when you besiege a city first and your ally besieges it later. By which time you have the rams, ladders, etc, and the battle map placement puts you on one side of the map and your ally on the other. You smash open the gates and your ally runs all the way across the map to enter that hole in the defenses and doesn't rest his troops at all, he just charges. In fact, on Rome Total Realism (playing as Rome), that's how I got rid of Pyrrhus of Epirus, otherwise his command skill will almost constantly stomp your army, pretty much regardless of what your skill or troop number is.

After Pyrrhus is dead, however, it's inhumanly easy to push the Greeks off the Italian penninsula.

 

[Takhisis]

I once attacked Syracuse with the Brutti but then withdrew. The Scipii came along with only a couple of Hastatii and invested the city to take it by hunger, so I came along to help, we fought together, the Scipii were routed and about 20 men survived; I only lost one company and captured the city center, but still the Scipii obtained control of the city.

 

[Dark Ascendant]

Reminds me of the time when I (Seluicids) was at war with the greeks with my good Roman allies, the Brutii. They were beseiging Larissa and Thermon while I took Athens, Corinth and Sparta. I had a spy in Larissa and he opened all the gates for me. I attacked with the Brutti, and even though he did 80% of the work while I marched my general through a peltast and into the city square, I got the town.

Brutti immediately beseiged me next turn. Romans are great allies to have.

 

[Takhisis]

The Senate issues orders as to which city the other Roman AIs should take, or rebellions to put down, even in non-Roman territory . So make sure you just either keep out of the way of the Senate´s orders (i.e. Armenia) or you make your cities nearer to Rome your strongest and block bridges and such with armies. If you have phalanxes, a bridge is negotiable only with a mass charge with heavy casualties or a combination of artillery/missile troops.

 

[Dark Ascendant]

If you have phalanxes, a bridge is negotiable only with a mass charge with heavy casualties or a combination of artillery/missile troops.

And that is repelled by the defender with a war elephant charge into the massed Julii infantry!

 

[Vietcong]

warcry last only a few min. then u will have to warcry agin, but if your unit is already in battle, thay cant warcry unil thay are disingaged.

 

[Takhisis]

You can war-cry until you get into the fray. It´s a first-strike bonus only.

And that is repelled by the defender with a war elephant charge into the massed Julii infantry!

If the enemy is too stacked, your elephants will be moving at a snail´s pace. And they can still be thrown into a fury by artillery, archers, or even your own troops, or go mad by themselves.