[Traveller]

Game is buggy. And sloow to play - my loading takes ages and I'm spending many minutes looking at loading screens.

@Cause - I had trouble i navy battles, as I kept trying to control individual ships. But..If you group them at the start into the straight line formation, you can form a curve round the enemy, and concentrate your fire more. This works best when the enemy is heading into the wind towards you. If you try to turn too sharply though, some of the ships may snag, and get trapped against each other.

I've only really done this when I outnumber the enemy, but it seems to be working so far.

[Impirion]

I still haven't got a hold of the tactics for the naval battles yet, I always seem to take too many losses

[Traveller]

Always use roundshot at the start. Try to concentrate at least 2 ships to one of theirs. Using bar shot is best in raking shots, from the right distance - the shot has to hit the masts as it is at the height of it's arc. Demasted ships are still dangerous, but you can stay towards the front/rear so he can't hit you, and reduce their guns with roundshot, or their people with grapeshot from nice and close.

Sometimes a sloop or brig is good to use as cannon fodder - send it ahead to draw fire, then bring in the big guns. Broadsides are best using grape seconds before boarding, and during a board - it gives your men moral. It's only worth boarding when you outnumber them though.

Just use the wind - always stay upwind if you can, sometimes even anchoring if you have them in range.

Oh, and make sure your ships get repaired - it took me a while to notice that the fleets don't 'heal', so I started a battle with what looked like an impressive fleet, but I had hardly any guns... that was bad. It's no good having a second rate if it can only fire 3 guns per shot!

[Cause]

My new thoery on naval warfare. Use first rates against their thirds. If your playing right you will get there first and once that happens you can keep them from ever getting there

[Traveller]

I'm trying to do that now.. I need to develop a steam dock though, and then I get the 1st Rates (including Victory!)

Problem is, it's only 1721, and I don't think it will let that tech become available just yet. I've got a good few second rates to be getting on with at the moment though.

How effective are carronades once you get them? They were awesome close-range in reality.

[Skywalker]

*Steers conversation away from Total War for a moment*

Anyone here played/ have strong opinions about the "Anno" series of games? I remember playing the shareware Anno: 1602 (or 1602 A.D.) a LONG time ago and have fond memories of it. I heard today that a new game in the series is coming out in 2009 and was wondering if anyone is looking forward to it? I might buy it...

[Traveller]

Not played. What was the 1602 one like?

[Skywalker]

Traveller, on Apr 6 2009, 02:22 PM, said:

Not played. What was the 1602 one like?

You basically start out with a single colonizing ship and a whole bunch of unexplored islands. Once you set up a home island (after careful thinking and selection based on available resources) you have to keep expanding while keeping the economy balanced, defending from invasions, and meeting the whims and demands of your citizenry.

The combat absolutely sucked, but this was more about planning the economy so it flourished. A lot like Caesar III or any of those Sierra games (Pharaoh, Zeus, etc.) but with less urban (city) planning and more supply chain management

[Cause]

Traveller, on Apr 6 2009, 10:39 AM, said:

I'm trying to do that now.. I need to develop a steam dock though, and then I get the 1st Rates (including Victory!)

Problem is, it's only 1721, and I don't think it will let that tech become available just yet. I've got a good few second rates to be getting on with at the moment though.

How effective are carronades once you get them? They were awesome close-range in reality.

They have a firepower rating of 58 or something. WHich is very low compared to most rated ships. However they are cheaper and smaller. Comparabl to a brig but more firepower. That aid if you can buy and afford the bigger ships I see no reason to bother. Mobility I am finding is not so usefull unless its several mobile ships againt one big one. In large abttles its too much to micro manage 10 ships.

[cerveza_fiesta]

Rome is going well. The greek pigdogs are nearly crushed. They have one full city garrison and a nearby full-stack army. I'm mustering a few full stacks of my own and I'm going to take the bastards on the field. Computer AI will probably send reinforcements from the city, so I should be able to clear them out without much ado.

Oh yes, and you guys were right about taking Athens. The second I got that city my economy completely turned around. Too bad those bastard scripii got to Corinth before me, but I'm still sitting pretty. Sparta unfortunately is kind of a shithole at the moment. I just can't get that place to turn a profit for me. Building economic buildings obviously wasn't something the previous owners cared about at all.

I got a new question. What's the best tactic for city battles? I find I take heavy losses when I'm fighting in there and can't perform nearly as well as the autoresolve can. On the field I'm way better than autoresolve but the cities I find I'm lacking a bit. Its cause the losers always hole up around the flag in the middle of the city and I have a hard time getting to them.

Oh yes, siege towers fracking rule. And I was going to pick up total war medieval II. Is it more fun that Rome total war?

This post has been edited by cerveza_fiesta: 06 April 2009 - 11:58 AM

[Tapper]

Rome has wildly different factions. ME 2 is much more about regions - the western powers have different flavours that get more pronounced as the game progresses, but share a similar roster (armoured infantry, armoured archers, armoured cavalry), the eastern part of the map is more about mobility and the more to the south(east) you go, the more important ranged cavalry becomes.

Especially in the beginning playing as a western europian country, you will think you're facing armies that are a carbon copy of your own. ME 2 is graphically insanely more beautiful and recruiting is much better organized, but the exotic feel of facing completely different armies every time you fight another nation is more or less absent in it unless you go on crusades or pick oriental/ eastern factions like the Turks, Byzantines or Russians to play (which I had tons of fun playing).

Edit: city battles:

Ranged units. Take the walls, wait till the enemy is conveniently gathered in their square, block the escape routes and gather up your (crappy) archers and slingers. Put the battle speed on max, sit and wait till they are out of ammo, then bring up the legionaries that have throwing spears left, put them at fire at will, exhaust supply, charge.

This post has been edited by Tapper: 06 April 2009 - 12:09 PM

[cerveza_fiesta]

cool, thanks.

So it pays to take the extra time and send your legions around the city to all the roads and then close in toward the center from all sides.

When you take the walls, do you need to send guys to take every single tower or just one?

I got into a stone-walled city via a gatehouse / siege towers and then started dispersing my men to go down the streets. On their way my infantry were getting shot at by something but there were no units on the wall and no ranged units nearby. My only thought was that the towers other than the ones I took right away were possibly still shooting at me.

I'm probably going to finish this brutii campaign, maybe the Alexander expansion and then try Medieval II. I guess I was wondering if I should abandon Rome early in favor of Medival II or if I'd be cheating myself of a good experience with Rome. If Medieval II is THAT much better I might consider making the switch earlier.

This post has been edited by cerveza_fiesta: 06 April 2009 - 12:29 PM

[Tapper]

cerveza_fiesta, on Apr 6 2009, 02:26 PM, said:

cool, thanks.

So it pays to take the extra time and send your legions around the city to all the roads and then close in toward the center from all sides.

When you take the walls, do you need to send guys to take every single tower or just one?

I got into a stone-walled city via a gatehouse / siege towers and then started dispersing my men to go down the streets. On their way my infantry were getting shot at by something but there were no units on the wall and no ranged units nearby. My only thought was that the towers other than the ones I took right away were possibly still shooting at me.

I'm probably going to finish this brutii campaign, maybe the Alexander expansion and then try Medieval II. I guess I was wondering if I should abandon Rome early in favor of Medival II or if I'd be cheating myself of a good experience with Rome. If Medieval II is THAT much better I might consider making the switch earlier.

If you have the time, yes, surrounding the enemy to contain him (or at the least, to come from 2 sides) is very much worth the effort imho, if only to make sure you can shoot them in an unprotected flank.

Can't remember if you can shut down the towers... in ME, they only shot for as long as friendly units were nearby, iirc. Rome, I don't know

The Alexander expansion is, imho, not really worth it. It's a bitch to get right and economic management is incredibly important.

[Traveller]

If you like Rome, you'll love Medieval 2. The castles look amazing, the trebuchets shake the camera when they launch, and the knights lower their lances just before impact in a charge...

The crusades liven things up, as once you 'sign up' for one, your units get a movement boost and you don't have to pay for upkeep! And other christian neighbours won't attack while you're away as they face excommmunication if they do.

I went on a crusade with a monster army, took Acre, and then returned slowly, pillaging every region on the way home (as once the crusade is complete, you have to pay for them again!)

By the time they got back into France, I was at war with them in the north, so my battle weary veterans marched in from the south and crushed them.

Some people say the Pope can be a bit annoying - but if you make sure one of your Bishops becomes Pope, problem solved! You can always assassinate him.

I know what you mean about the city square in Rome - sometimes a few defenders will hold out for ages. Don't throw cavalry at them - use archers from a few different directions, lots of spearmen in defense mode, and cavalry standing nearby for when they run. (leave a gap so they can bolt, then run them down)

I haven't played Rome for a while, but I do remember using lots of cheap wardog units; letting a load go into the city at the same time can break a line and let your soldiers finish up.

[cerveza_fiesta]

yeah, Medieval II sounds a lot better from the reviews I was reading. I like the pope idea and the crusades. Thanks for the city taking advice too.

The whole political thing is really background in Rome. I can tell they were trying to make it more important than it is, but unless you're attacking SPQR outright, its impossible to go out of favour with the senate, and even if I do every mission they give me I never seem to get ahead. I like games where there's a bit bigger picture than build army -> move to enemy city -> conquer -> repeat. Makes for a bit more flavour in the game when you have to satisfy somebody other than yourself.

New question (I keep remembering stuff) - Is there anybody that can govern other than generals? I am getting to the point where I have too many cities and not enough governors. Can a Diplomat substitute for a general in a city temporarily? Is there a way to induct new members to the family straight away or do you generally have to wait for that. Without a governor the approval rating goes to 5% no matter what and I don't want to lose my city.

[Cause]

Yes. Once you are on the walls run a unit through every tower. Only once a unit has entered a tower will it be inactive. It will no longer fire on you. Better it will now fire on the enemy. This is important because sometimes towers line up near roads and as you walk down them o the city centre they shoot you in the back.

[Impirion]

There's no way to govern a city without generals. My advice, either build a huge garrison, or let it revolt, crush the revolt and raze the city.

I felt I enjoyed Med II more, dunno really why, Rome was really fun as well, but a bit too easy to win if you are playing as any of the roman factions. The having to take Jerusalem if you were Christian in Med II added a bit of difficulty, as well as the f***ing Timurids... those cannon elephants are something else.... In addition, the religion really complicates thing if you are playing as Byzantines or Russia who are Orthodox, and so have huge penalties when getting new regions, and the arrival of the Mongols and Timurids makes playing as them really hard, even without mods, a fact I have bemoaned before.....

[Sir Thursday]

Of course you can govern your cities without Generals. You can't make diplomats and the like rulers, but you can just leave a city without a general. You still control the production and recruitment, you just don't get the bonuses the generals provide.


Sir Thursday

[Traveller]

I think in Rome the settlements revolt very quickly without a general, particularly if it has just been conquered. That was a main bug of mine - that you could set out to take a few settlements, but your generals and army would get 'trapped' in cities once they were conquered. Sometimes I couldn't take my general out for years without the settlement revolting as soon as he left.

This isn't such a problem in later games. In Empire, settlements run fine without a general or even a garrison, and if you can afford it, you can simply recruit a new general in the field, anytime you like.

The religion makes Medieval more tactical. If you want to take a christian city (if you are playing a christian faction) the Pope will ask you to cease hostilities towards that nation for say, 5 turns.

So, instead of taking one, it works out better if you take 4 cities all in one turn. Then, even though you have to cease hostilities, you have time to repair and regroup - and the nation whose cities you took can't retaliate!

When another nation gets excommunicated (when they try and regain their cities) it's like a free pass for all the other christian nations to attack them, and a good opportunity to expand. There's also a good emphasis on the family tree; negotiations can be resolved with a marriage; and stronger alliances formed.

Oh, and in case you hadn't exploited this already in Rome... take note of your generals staff/advisors! (the one's he picks up according to his character.)
Some generals get financial bonuses - these are the ones to put in troubled settlements. You can transfer the advisors from general to general - put two in the same settlement, and you can drag and drop them.

Once I noticed this, I put all the financially astute generals in charge of settlement that were leaking money, and the change was almost instant - way more money per settlement.

This post has been edited by Traveller: 07 April 2009 - 08:42 AM

[cerveza_fiesta]

cool. Thanks for all the advice. My DL on Medieval is almost done so I think I might give it a whirl once its done.

Probly pick it up off steam if I end up liking it too.

So I'm guessing the only way to get more family tree to govern my cities is to simply let time pass.

I have a question about razing cities though. If I do that, do the resources of that region just get rolled into nearby regions or are they lost for good?

Is there an option to repopulate the settlement with my own populace? I've never done it. I kept every city i've conquered so far.