V97 Rome

[manio curio]

Hello, I just finished my game with Rome. I played a rather bad game, nonetheless I was able to get 1002 points at my last possible turn, just before the Arabs spawned and flipped Syria and Babylon. My expansion stability was about -250 and unsure how I made it through while being on collapsing most of the game. Besides things already said when I was testing v96 I wanted to spend a few words on the new government system. It is definitively a step back:

1- Culture points cannot be spent in really useful things, I could only purchase city state patronage and aesthetics related policies.
2- Honor seems to be gone at least partially, which hurts Rome a lot since the military loses handy bonuses.
3- Keeping a decent happiness: The previous system while historically inaccurate (you could be simultaneously in a monarchy and a republic) allowed to purchase policies which came with happiness bonuses. These are now mostly gone. As Rome I chose tyranny at the beginning because it gives notifications about barbarian encampments which is fundamental to get the necessary settlers. I switched to theocracy to get some bonuses but it didn't work.

While I have already said it while testing v96, this part gets to be repeated: awesome work by @Rhye in making this mod.

Attached pics and the save game just before winning, somehow the screen shows 839 victory points but upon pressing next turn the calculations go back to the right number.

 

[Rhye]

thank you.
it would be helpful if you could suggest which are the bonuses that need to be readded and where (in which specific government)

 

[manio curio]

Just by looking at the policy I chose in v96 I would suggest monarchy and meritocracy, as well as oligarchy. The latter was helpful in earning a little extra cash by not paying garrison maintenance thus helping to purchase amphitheaters. I would break the government down as oligarchy, democracy and monarchy. Monarchy would grant the notification about barbarians and the v96 'monarchy' bonus. It would give a little bit of breathing room happiness wise, maybe it can be changed as -1 unhappiness per citizen rather than per 2 citizens. I will try to give you a more elaborated suggestion on this, maybe in a week or two I will be able to send you a spreadsheet with a sketch for the policies.