By: Samantha White
Submitted: 2010-04-13 17:19:18 | Word Count: 741
The second game of the exhilirating total war series, Rome Total War, took its place on stores, well yes quite long time ago. But i recently realised that it isn t that old fashioned. And the way it is, makes a perfect duo with what it is about, which is old fashioned warfare, oldest time period of the whole total war games. It is, as the name indicates, in times of roman empire, with initial date taken right after death of Alexander The Great, consequently seperation of soveinrighty of his kingdoms, partially. Quite various selection of factions it offers us in this game, such as Carthage, Greeks, Germania, Brittania, Gaul, Parthia, Egypt, Seleucid Empire, Macedon etc. As it looks, we are able to play either with mediterennean culture factions, desert, or barbarian culture.
What i mentioned about old fashioned graphics and style suits well with old fashioned warfare is something most probably not intended but incidently occured so. There is huge balance issues between units on the field. As thousands of men of a certain unit can actually run away from sight of one unit, and i don t mean elephants. Especially, in early periods of the game, the general s units are the ultimate power over the battlefield. Wherever the general fights, he and his comrades win the day, while all other lines collapse before enemy. However, this gives us just the atmosphere of those old fashioned battles, where men are actually get the morales off their generals in great deal, and turn themselves into enraged red bull horde, from sacrifical sheeps. So it is in fact, a great idea in this game, unlike others, to throw your general in the middle of the battle, to the heart of danger or right on the line that looks as if going to fail. However, there is something else apart from unit strenght that causes your army to rout. This is a proper flanked charge of equal, or any better class unit. The rout banner spreads like wildfire so be careful not to get flanked. Using this is also an effective tactic, on which you need to form a light long line and put cavalry to the sides, and with contagion, start routing them from either sides, keep your general at center to be sure your main line does not rout. Keep rally special ability on all the time, otherwise thin lines can t hold against anything else than light breeze. Sometimes, they do make strange formations front of you, such as chariots at sides, cavalry behind phalanx in the middle and skirmishers behind the chariots. Well against these, you of course need to spread around because there is no way you can kill a phalanx unit without flanking it. And with chariots guarding sides, your soldiers can in fact get harvested. Send your heavy cavalry on the chariots, and put light infantry against phalanx, and kite them. But they need to hold the aggro until your cavalry are done with the chariots and come to flank them.
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As for economic guide, it is quite different than most total war games, well in fact all total war games. Here, letting the settlements grow faster than they should cause intense problems of squalor and public order. So tax them as heavily as they can bear. It pays to be downright cruel to get things done here. Also, spread recruitment to all cities so some of them wont thrive while some other strive. Army upkeep isn t much of a thing, keep your armies close to th borders and use them in any sort of fight to get rid of them soon enough, because you need to get rid of your extra population, which means some soldiers do need to die. You can still make a army of glory if you need, when you are able to recruit the best units avalible for your faction. Also keep in mind that for romans, after you build an imperial place, a new drill of infantry become established and instead of using Hastati, Tiiarii, Principies, you start using Legionary Cohorts. So do not ever try to make that army of glory out of Hastati and stuff.
These are the basic tips to be sucsessful in an Imperial campaign of Rome Total war. Other quick tip articles are for sure on their way, there are many other awesome total war games out there that players need guidance with!
