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Total War: Rome 2 – Historical Battles in Patch 15

Leave a Comment / Total War: Rome 2 / February 5, 2015 February 5, 2015 / Rome 2 Total War

One of the highlights of a Total War game are the historical battles. Rome 2’s Historical Battles contain such scenarios as the Battle of Cannae, Battle of Alexia, and Battle of Zama. Having played a few of the historical battles so far, some issues have come up. First of, let me say that I am not the best tactical player. While I can complete a game on legendary difficulty, that is mostly because of my skill in campaign management, and not because I’m a tactical genius. If anything, my tactical and micromanagement are at best, very average. However, I understand the principles of how the Total War games work, so at the least I have that going for me.

I feel that the historical battles are a good way to practice and measure tactical skill in Total War, as they often place players in a battle with a difficult problem to overcome, mostly being outnumbered. However, due to the many patches over the course of the game, many of the battles have become much more complicated, and CA has not done anything to re-balance or fix the historical battles.

The culprit, I believe, are the incremental changes made through 15 patches, which slowly changed the game to the point where the original historical battles are much more difficult that before.

Before I begin, let me say that I am not asking for nerfs or the like. I enjoy a challenge, it’s why I play only on legendary, and also why I play the historical battles. However, I think it’s important to understand how the changes to the game have partially broken the delicate balance that historical battles had.

Here are the Patch 15 notes for reference.

So what went wrong exactly with Rome 2’s Historical Battles?

Bonus vs. Infantry Removed – A lot of the battles involve the Romans, and many of the Legionary units previously had “Bonus vs. Infantry” as a stat. This allowed for sword units to defeat equal-tier spear units easier, and speed is an important factor in winning many historical battles.

CA removed the stat to balance spear-heavy factions with sword-heavy ones. For example playing as a Hellenistic faction doesn’t feel as odious as before due to the change. However, historical battles are balanced around the sword unit’s previous superiority against spear units.

Unit Moral Changes – From the notes:

The pace of battles and combat has been reduced, and morale values adjusted so battles last longer and are more dynamic.

For example, in the Battle of Alesia, you command six Veteran Legionaries and one Eagle Cohort. These are excellent units, but even the Eagle Cohort gets bogged down trying to kill a tier 1 melee unit such as Celtic Warriors due to the nature of the morale changes.

My challenge to you is to watch any of the legendary play-throughs of the Battle of Alesia, and see how quickly units are shattered. The key to the battle is to quickly rout as many of the units as possible before the next wave comes. It is still possible to rout enemies, but it’s not as quick as before, and certainly not fast enough for the non-stop waves of barbarians.

Active Abilities Removed – Many people will argue whether activated abilities should be a part of a historical battle game, and I lean towards the side of not having them. However, the historical battles were designed back when they had the abilities, so once they were removed, that balance was lost. “Use the Whip” in particular was an effective ability that increases combat effectiveness, which allows for a burst of killing power.

So what is the fix?

I’m not asking for the battles to be nerfed, and I’m certainly not advocating undoing the changes I mentioned above. The battles are winnable; albeit with extreme difficulty. I found myself trying out the Battle of Pydna, and after a few attempts, managed to win by the skin of my teeth. I used my ammo-depleted velites to melee charge one of the few remaining pike units to seal a victory.

One suggestion I read elsewhere was to turn off formation attack for your units to improve combat effectiveness. I did not notice a huge change in unit performance but it’s usually enough win the day if you’re playing at 100%. There are a few videos on Youtube showing tests done with units with and without formation attack enabled, and there is a noticeable difference in performance.

However, I believe the changes to re-balance the historical battles can be made by adding more experience to your units, or adding a few more units to accommodate the loss of balance. Overall, I think they’re still a good challenge and possible to beat; I may try to write a guide if I get the time.

Thoughts? Have many of you found success post-Patch 15 in Rome 2 Historical Battles?

Wrath of Sparta DLC and Rally Point Episode 23

CA has just announced Wrath of Sparta, a new Rome 2 DLC campaign focusing on the Peloponnesian War. The four playable factions are: Ahtenai(Athens), The Boiotian League, Korinthos(Corinth), and Sparta. Features include new generals, new research trees, new wonders, new buildings, and new units. A new campaign map will be featured with 78 regions, focusing on the Peloponnese area.

One cool feature is that if your faction becomes too strong, instead of a civil war mechanic, it causes the Achaemenid Empire to intervene in the war. Unfortunately, the Achaemenid Empire is not-playable, but that’s nothing a mod can’t solve. Rally Point Episode 23 goes into detail below:

The Rally Point episode also goes into detail on the city of Constantinople and the finer features of the map. I liked the attention detail regarding the Theodosian Walls, including the moat and outer walls. From the look of the defenses, anyone attacking Constantinople in the game would need to employ excellent strategy and planning beforehand, as the city would need to be held under siege for a period of time to make a battle there winnable.

Thoughts on Wrath of Sparta:

While I find the Peloponnesian War an interesting conflict, I can’t help but wonder how a campaign based mostly around hoplites will play out. Unit variety may be pretty weak, as most factions will use hoplites, and variations of hoplite units. If you have played the Grand Campaign as a Greek faction, you know what it’s like to have battles of hoplites versus hoplites: It is a very slow slugfest. They are very strong defensive units with high armor, but low weapon damage and melee attack skill. Hoplites are used as the anvil to the cavalry hammer, but this doesn’t work so well in city sieges and assaults. Sword units excel in taking walls, much better than spear units.

The concern may be minimal, however. CA has added quite a few interesting features into the campaign, which should help make the overall campaign enjoyable. For example, there will be specialist and legendary troops, which I assume will be similar to the hero units of Shogun 2. I don’t really mind them, as I do like units with a more unique feel, and it should help mix up a hoplite-heavy campaign to feel fresh.

Overall, I am very excited for the DLC. Wrath of Sparta will release December 16th, 2014.

Link to the Wrath of Sparta wiki page

Total War: Attila faction reveal, Massilia, and the Black Sea Colonies Culture Pack

Leave a Comment / DLC, Total War: Rome 2 / November 15, 2014 November 15, 2014 / Rome 2 Total War, Total War DLC, Total War: Attila

The Creative Assembly has put out some more information about a new Rome 2 DLC, the Black Sea Colonies Culture Pack, and Total War Attila factions.

Three Factions Revealed for Attila

The Eastern Roman Empire, the Vandals, and the Visigoths now have wiki entries on the Total War website. I usually find myself playing as the Byzantine Empire in other games, so the precursor civilization of the Eastern Roman Empire is appealing to me. However, the barbarian tribes have no starting territory, similar to Barbarian Invasion, so that is very appealing as well. I have enjoyed playing barbarian factions in the Rome 2 Grand Campaign, so I’m looking forward to seeing more information come out before I decide who to play as first.

New DLC: Black Sea Colonies Culture Pack

The new DLC announced today, the Black Sea Colonies Culture Pack, unlocks Pergamon, Colchis, and Cimmeria as playable factions in the Grand Campaign. The free faction is Massilia, a favorite of Total War fans. I’ll admit, I too would like to play Massilia, mostly due to it’s interesting, but precarious, start position. This DLC and Free-LC will release November 20th, so a week or so from now. Below is the information taken from the page:

Black Sea Colonies Cultural traits:

Greek Knowledge: +5% to research rate
Far from Home: +2 cultural conversion

Cimmeria

Background:

The Cimmerian Bosporus has been fought over for its resources and strategic importance for millennia. The adventurous Greeks of Miletus, in Asia Minor, formed several colonies around the Black Sea coast during the 6th and 7th centuries BC in order to exploit its resources for trade with the wider Greek world. By the beginning of the 5th century BC their government had gravitated from classical Greek democracy to control by a single family. The current ruler, Satyrus, conquered nearby Greek cities, heralding the birth of the Cimmerian Kingdom, and a dynasty of rulers that endures to this day. Despite this strength, Cimmeria remains under threat from the surrounding nomadic tribes, and from the avaricious gaze of nearby Pontus, whose military strength may yet prove its undoing.

Faction Traits:

Tyrants: +5% corruption Bosporian
Fertile Lands: +5% wealth from agricultural buildings
Multiculturalism: -25% unhappiness from all foreign cultures in own territories

New units:

Scythian Hoplites: Armed in the Greek style with spear and shield, these medium infantry are solid defenders.
Cimmerian Heavy Archers: A truly multirole unit, these heavily-armoured archers trade their bows for spears when the enemy draws close.
Cimmerian Noble Infantry: Noble Infantry are drilled to a peerless standard in the classic hoplite style.
Picked Peltasts: Accurate and determined, these javelin-armed skirmishers can pack a devastating punch.

Unit roster:

Greek/Scythian hybrid

Unique Buildings:

Prytaneion Rose Marl Building
Sanctuary of Demeter

Pergamon

Background:

Although a minor player up to that point, Pergamon came to prominence during the struggle of Alexander the Great’s Successors for control of his fragmented empire. An ambitious lieutenant named Philetaerus acquired control over the fortress city and led Pergamon into a new golden age of culture and learning, building an impressive acropolis and a temple to Pergamon’s patron goddess, Athena. Not yet a kingdom in the truest sense, the time is right for expansion beyond its current borders. There are also new threats to be faced from Galatia, the duplicitous Pontus and Cappadocia. Pergamon must be strong if it is to meet these challenges and fulfil its destiny as a mighty Successor state.

Faction Traits:

Great Builders: -10% to all building costs
Military Underdogs: +10% non-mercenary recruitment cost
Town Growth: +4 growth in all provinces

New units:

Agema Spears: The cream of Pergamon’s infantry, these elite defenders will hold the line against the odds.
Pergamon Noble Cavalry: Hardy and proud, the lance-wielding Noble Cavalry of Pergamon can execute a devastating charge.
Picked Peltasts: These elite, javelin-armed skirmishers are trained to a superior standard.

Unit roster:

Greek/Hellenic/Galatian hybrid

Unique buildings:

Great Altar of Pergamon
Library of Pergamon
Spring of Asclepius
Baths of Asclepius
Sanctuary of Asclepius

Unique technology:

Pergaminus

Colchis

Background:

Far to the east of the Black Sea, at the very edge of the Greek world, lies Colchis. A place of legend, it is said to have been the final destination on Jason’s quest for the Golden Fleece. Around the 6th century BC, Greek traders from Militus arrived to construct a thriving mercantile economy from this former Persian satrapy. Its current ruler controls a powerful Greek trading state with strong Scythian influences and a nobility who extol the finest qualities of both cultures. His warriors fight in the Greek fashion, yet the ferocity of their nomadic past is very much alive. As such, Colchis has set out to conquer much of the land around it – to absorb further Scythian tribes, and as many former-Persian lands as possible, into his burgeoning empire.

Faction traits:

Trade Crossroads: +15% trade income
Golden Legacy: Major diplomatic penalty with Greek factions
Assimilation: +4 happiness from presence of other cultures

New units:

Colchian Nobles: Heavily armoured and drilled to blunt the mightiest charge, Colchian Nobles are a force to be reckoned with.

Unit roster:

Greek/Eastern hybrid

Unique Buildings:

Temple of the Golden Fleece
Trade Centre

I think the Black Sea Colonies Culture Pack will be good. It adds three Greek factions that people have expressed interest in playing, as well as the perennial favorite Massilia as a Free-LC.

Cimmeria looks the most interesting of the three, and I will give it a shot after Massilia. The Cimmerian Heavy Archers sound like the Dacian Heavy Skirmishers, which do alright in melee combat. But archers with spears? That sounds great against cavalry on paper, but we’ll have to see if that is the case.

One annoying thing I am already expecting is that since the surrounding peoples are steppe factions, you’ll be facing a lot of horse archers and melee cavalry. Greek factions typically have excellent spear units to counter melee cavalry, but usually poor ranged units with which to counter horse skirmishers/archers.

While playing as Baktria, I had to mass recruit slingers in order to survive the early game against Parthia and other horse archer-heavy steppe factions nearby. It’s not terribly fun, but it really does push you to improve your playing skill. The Black Seas Greek factions have Picked Peltasts and the Cimmerians have Heavy Archers, so maybe it won’t be too awful.

Green Man Gaming is selling the Black Sea Colonies Culture Pack currently with the -10% due to Pre-Order, but if you use the code NOVEMB-ERGMGX-20XOFF, you’ll get an additional 20% discount if used before November 21st. I paid $5.76 for mine, which isn’t bad at all. The link is here.

Rome 2 DLC Plans and New Attila Trailer

Leave a Comment / Total War: Rome 2 / November 8, 2014 November 8, 2014 / Rome 2 Total War, Total War: Attila

Rome 2 DLC Plans Revealed

A new entry has revealed CA’s Rome 2 DLC Plans on steamdb. According to the list, Cimmeria, Colchis, Massilia, and Pergamon will be added to the Grand Campaign

There are entries also for the Boiotian League and Korinthos, and as they are not in the Grand Campaign as minor/unplayable factions, gives evidence that they exist as unplayable factions in a separate campaign DLC like Hannibal at the Gates or Caesar in Gaul.

The evidence suggests that the new campaign is the Peloponnesian War. While CA gave no hint of their future Rome 2 DLC plans with Total War Attila on the horizon, it is a welcome addition to the vanilla game. The Peloponnesian War was a campaign that was often requested by the fans, as it covers an interesting time period of Ancient Greece.

CA has been tight-lipped so far with Rome 2 DLC plans, and I hope they will add more campaigns after this Peloponnesian War one.

New Total War Attila Trailer: The White Horse

The trailer sets the tone for the new Total War Attila game, and its also interesting to see the different civilizations in that time period begin to make their moves.

Constantinople looks interesting, and I hope that the developers take care to design it well. The other major cities in Rome 2 have looked good, but at the same time, the cities look sort of like a battle playground. They don’t look “lived in”. Total War Attila is trending towards a grittier look that the original Rome 2 appeared to be in early screenshots, and I hope it stays on that path.

The Huns look interesting, but my hope is that they’re actually fun to play. The issue I have with steppe factions in Rome 2 is that they’re not very fun due to the extreme emphasis on cavalry coupled with the extreme emphasis on siege battles. Quite simply, horse units suck in siege battles. The unit’s advantages are lost while on foot, so the only way to negate it is to use siege engines to break down walls so your cavalry units can ride in.

The idea seems to be that to successfully play a steppe faction, you basically have to invest in siege technology that reduces your attrition while besieging a city. Since you can’t effectively attack a city with most of your units being cavalry, you have to wait for them to come out and give battle. This strategy seems to work extremely well as steppe factions excel in field battles, I don’t consider it fun because it requires you not engaging in city assaults.

However, I will definitely give the Huns a try because of how important they were during this time period. Combined with the new gameplay mechanics, it could add more depth to steppe faction gameplay that the vanilla Rome 2 game sorely needed.

Total War Attila Announced!

Leave a Comment / Creative Assembly, Total War: Rome 2 / September 25, 2014 September 25, 2014 / Rome 2 Total War, Total War: Attila

So today The Creative Assembly has announced their new standalone expansion to Rome 2, Total War Attila. I speculated in a previous post that a game involving Attila the Hun would be the most likely expansion, as there is already a book out about Attila, and it would have been strange to have a book but no game tying into it.

So it appears to be a “Fall of the Samurai”-esque DLC with a new campaign map, new factions, and a later time period.

The Good

I like the focus on the later periods as I don’t think any Total War games touches upon Late Antiquity. The scorched earth component is fun, as being able to destroy cities was an important strategy that worked in real world campaigns.

The small touches like civilians running away as a city is attacked make sense. It was always weird to attack a city and it be totally empty of non-combatants. It looks like they re-designed the technology trees, and the new campaign map looks much better.

The Bad

My biggest gripe is that I dislike playing horse archer factions. I just don’t enjoy the gameplay style myself, although it poses an interesting challenge to go up against. I’ve tried playing Parthia and some of the nomad tribes in Rome 2; while field battles are great fun, city sieges were not.

I am glad they brought back the family tree, that way everyone will shut up about it. In the previous games, it provided ZERO gameplay value. Ignoring it would have no consequences whatsoever. I get it, people want it and they want it to matter, but this game isn’t Crusader Kings 2. If you want a family tree to matter, CK2 would be a much better fit.