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Since you already gave it away with the statement that this was the 'easy' part, I believe a more accurate description of the 'optimists' would be the 'criminally deluded'. :)

While the Barbarian horde mechanic certainly feels realistic, it also is one of the things I don't really like about Rome: it just feels like you end up in endless cycles of barbarian-swatting, especially if your border provinces are surrounded by barren wastelands (AKA barbarian breeder reactors). Thankfully, for AAR's sake, you're made of stronger stuff than me.

Actually writing it up, it doesn't seem as awful as it felt at the time. I had one legion on the verge of utter defeat but it seems I actually won most of the critical battles. The main cost was it really delayed me from properly recovering my manpower after the disaster in N Africa.

I really like how you can turn such simple thing as killing barbarian spawns into a good history-book AAR!
By the way did the colonies in Histri and Liburni allow you to now have a land connected empire all the way to Thracia?

Yes, at this stage Thrace is still barbarian but by the end of this section that too is a Roman colony, so I end up holding continuous land from Gades into Asia Minor

Nice going with the expansions, although I'm surprised to see the Barbarians not only pose a real and actual threat to the Empire, but to also create such good source material!

I hope Rome can expand as far as possible and defeat all her enemies, but considering the AAR's name, I'm expecting something to go horribly wrong at some point!

There's an old quote (it may actually be from Startrek) - 'we have met the enemy ... and he is us' which rather sums this AAR up, the biggest threat to Rome is Rome. I seem to be always on the edge of civil war, every time I sack someone its a case of expecting a full scale revolt, and I give jobs to total idiots on the grounds they are too stupid to actually be rebellious. Damn the rest of the world, they are no threat - though I am about 20 years ahead in gameplay and the Seleucids are staging an impressive recovery so I may yet end up facing a very dangerous external foe.

That went rather easy indeed, looking forward to the difficult part now!

your wish is, as ever, my command ... though I fear having actually written it up, it wasn't that bad, just long drawn out and costly in terms of manpower

Waiting for the hard part and good luck. :laugh:
Do you have any useless generals?

lots of them - the Republic prizes loyalty well beyond any merit or competence, in the next post, my only competent general, Mandonid, was, ironically a Gaul

Got some generals and governors who may be getting too big for their britches it would seem. I enjoyed Rome, had to put it aside however when I kept having everyone get murdered. I was too quickly left with nothing but disloyal old men :(

Great stuff seeing the Empire expand, certainly those pesky Numidians will have to be dealt with again.

since I am going for an amount of role playing, I will tend to take account of the Senate's demands and carry out missions (or at least try to), so at some stage there will be more war in North Africa.

At this stage revolt was mostly low key, and I could handle it often by a bribe/job/title or addressing one of their other needs, but every now and then I had to gamble on simply sacking someone
 
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The Illyrian Campaign: Part II: 656-658 AUC

The battle of Marcomanni in late 658 marks the conventional end to the second Illyrian war (perhaps misnamed as most of the fighting took place in modern day Croatia and Slovenia). Two legions (the 9th and 12th) finally brought the barbarians under Donnus Sintad to battle on Rome's terms.

Here, finally, the Roman commanders had manouvered the barbarians to battle trapped between 2 legions and on open ground. Finally the discipline, training and equipment of the legions told. The resultant victory wasn't decisive as many of the tribesmen escaped but at the end of the day they had lost many men and commanders and, critically, the will to carry on a war that had seen steady encroachment into their lands and the destruction of their local economy [1].



By this stage, the 11th Legion, that had borne the brunt of the fighting was but a shell of its former self with an effective strength of less than 3000 compared to a notional force of 18,000. Rome had paid a high price to gain control over the eastern Adriatic.

The war had restarted in 656 and in response, fresh forces were sent to the region, including the fresh 12th Legion which arrived in time to assist the 11th Legion as it was threatened by a huge invasion of NE Italy at Paleoveneti.



In turn the legions followed up their advantage striking into Raetia in the bitter cold of early winter.



But here, on their own terrain, the barbarians extorted a stiff price for a temporary Roman victory. The war continued through 657 and 658 with sieges, fresh uprisings, victories but no sign of an end to the conflict. In an attempt to pacify the region, new colonies were founded in Raetia and Vindelicia, but if this had the effect of protecting the settled provinces of Northern Italy, it merely shifted the focus of the fighting. Barbarian manpower seemed to be endless.



To the south, the provinces were gradually brought under control with the addition of the new colony at Agrianes. This allowed the building of forts to secure the south bank of the Danube and provided some protection for the new settlements along the Illyrian coast.



However, even here, the idea of making any real progress was to prove illusory as by late 658 a full scale revolt had broken out.



Even though this was swifly overcome, it was yet another drain on Rome's manpower as it sought to return the Danube frontier to peace. Having 4 legions permanently committed was a major cost.
The victory at Marcomanni, however, marked the end of major operations in this region, but it also reduced any enthusiasm in the Senate for expansion to secure Rome's borders on the West bank of the Danube.

[1] - I'm not sure why, it maybe that I slipped a fresh Legion into the province before they retreated, but at the end of the battle the entire barbarian army just evaporated. So I've treated it as a defeat that ended their capacity to wage war.
 
Well, the campaign did take a high price in lives indeed. You had some Pyrrhic victories but managed to beat the barbarians decisively in the end.
 
Just can't catch a break with those barbarians, you'd think they'd show a little bit civility and leave you alone.
 
A Gual how ironic. :rofl:
Now for something completely different!:huh:
The Barbarian comander Donnus Sinatid. Doesn"t seem to be a very good leader.:unsure:
Or is that more a result of Force Composition?
 
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I say, you're something like 500 years ahead of schedule if your troops are commanded by 'barbarian' generals. And in this case, being ahead of the curve is not exactly a good thing: I'm thinking Ricimer, Orestes, Odoacer... They bear watching, I tell you. :)

Well, the barbarians have been slaughtered for the time being, but it looks like a large part of your army will be occupied with keeping them squashed for quite a while to come. Still, that's the price of Empire. Good luck marshaling enough forces to return to North Africa.
 
Well, the campaign did take a high price in lives indeed. You had some Pyrrhic victories but managed to beat the barbarians decisively in the end.

I think my problem in recollection is I ran a test game that was very different, similar wars in some respects, so I must have been recalling that one where I'm sure I lost a legion. Still, given my goal of recouping my manpower, that was quite a price to pay - for some very useful gains

Just can't catch a break with those barbarians, you'd think they'd show a little bit civility and leave you alone.

well I suppose if this was a fairminded history book then the interpretation may go - bunch of barbarians doing their own thing on the Danube, big Roman legion clumps around drinking the wine etc, locals get uppity in self-defense ... but I'm not aiming for the unbiased approach ... as in the next update :cool:

A Gual how ironic. :rofl:
Now for something completely different!:huh:
The Barbarian comander Donnus Sinatid. Doesn"t seem to be a very good leader.:unsure:
Or is that more a result of Force Composition?

I had two big advantages a level #10 wargod leader (who happens to be a Gaul), archers are very effective against militia (the top line of the force make up) as are heavy infantry. So the bulk of their army played into the hands of the bulk of mine. I also think Rome has EU's frontage thing, so its not always easy to bring the full force of a large army to bear

I say, you're something like 500 years ahead of schedule if your troops are commanded by 'barbarian' generals. And in this case, being ahead of the curve is not exactly a good thing: I'm thinking Ricimer, Orestes, Odoacer... They bear watching, I tell you. :)

Well, the barbarians have been slaughtered for the time being, but it looks like a large part of your army will be occupied with keeping them squashed for quite a while to come. Still, that's the price of Empire. Good luck marshaling enough forces to return to North Africa.

I know, oddly in the civil war he was very loyal ... so maybe its not such a bad precedent after all?

I need to get to the situation where the slow drain on my manpower stops ... this goal is not going to be helped by the fast approaching civil war
 
Exapansion in Asia Minor 647-653

Almost none of Rome's expansion to the East can be said to have been planned. Every step happened more or less as a reaction to other events. This trend continued in this period but the end result was Rome ended as master of the Aegean.

The sequence started with Pontus asking for Rome's assistance with their war with Bithynia in early 647.



The only Roman legion then in the East quickly marched into Bithynia and routed the citizen levy that had been raised



Pontus had also allied itself with the Galatian barbarians and these had seized Paphlagonia. In consequence Rome took over protection of Bithynia so as to secure the Bospheros.



However, the Galatians were clearly not satisfied by their loot and struck at neighbouring, peaceful, Cappadocia in early 649.



The result was Rome occupied Paphlagonia to protect the interests of the local citizens and by November, the Galatians abandoned their recent gains on the coast.



However, governing the fractious and complex province proved much harder than conquest. During the Galatian occupation, various factions and trading guilds had been favoured and it fell to the Roman administration to return a semblance of the rule of law. By November 651, this had all become too much for Publius Rufus who apparently committed suicide.



The only reason to doubt this official conclusion (apart from the placement of the sword wounds) was that his rival, Lucius Saturnius, was quick to ensure Senatorial approval for his own appointment.



However, the new governor was soon to encounter the nature of the problems in this rich but turbulent region. Servius Galba felt he had not been recognised for his efficient victories in the Galatian war.



In this case, a promise of future promotion, and some titles, were enough to resolve the matter.

The troubles were not confined to the Roman provinces. To the east, Armenia steadily expanded



As did Parthia and Egypt



At this stage, the rise and fall of these small kingdoms was of little importance to Rome, with her focus clearly on the West. However, over time, Rome was to be dragged more and more into the affairs of the region.
 
Nice twist you gave to that suicide. In a few weeks we can watch the first attrition war Rome-Parthia I guess?
 
"The placement of wounds."
It is hard to stab yourself in the back!!:ninja:
Looks like their trying to make you take over everything?
 
"The placement of wounds."
It is hard to stab yourself in the back!!:ninja:
Looks like their trying to make you take over everything?

Just paying a few ducats to the local crime investigating offica will assure that the official report says the sword piercing the whole body (but from which direction...?) :D

Funny how religious faction gain seats when civic guy becomes a governor who will soon after it join the mercantile faction due the conviction bonus.. Stoopid game.

As a more serious note, what happened to Tylis? Or is Thracia colony in the beginning of this bookmark?
 
Rome's done good work keeping the Barbarians down, but where one horde rises, more are just around the corner. Rome will have to show caution as she continues to grow, or else there's a risk that everything good be lost. With what you've said about barely keeping the Empire together, you never know when everything will go south and you'll suddenly face a civil war on one hand while a resurgent Seleucids attack from the east and then the Barbarians rise up just to frustrate you!
 
Rome is going strong. I look forward to the day when some of these Generals who have been racking up popularity from your wars start to get power hungry fast.
 
So, Rome's attention is being pulled in both directions, I suppose the inevitable clash with the Eastern Powers is only so far away.
 
Nice twist you gave to that suicide. In a few weeks we can watch the first attrition war Rome-Parthia I guess?

well the best bit was they really had been rivals and when he died I had the pop up that Lucius Saturninus is happy his rival is dead

Be a while before then, I'm still bogged down in the West, but to fulfill Rome's destiny, I have to take over the east med at some stage

"The placement of wounds."
It is hard to stab yourself in the back!!:ninja:
Looks like their trying to make you take over everything?

I was thinking more its hard to cut your throat with your hands tied at the time? A case for an early version of CSI?

I'm keeping to the missions, oddly it produces a more interesting game than just trying to exploit Rome's relative dominance at the start

Just paying a few ducats to the local crime investigating offica will assure that the official report says the sword piercing the whole body (but from which direction...?) :D

Funny how religious faction gain seats when civic guy becomes a governor who will soon after it join the mercantile faction due the conviction bonus.. Stoopid game.

As a more serious note, what happened to Tylis? Or is Thracia colony in the beginning of this bookmark?

Thrace becomes a Roman colony fairly soon, it happens in the Civil War as I had so many legions wandering through the province the locals got very upset ... and then got massacred.

I'm not really trying to play the faction system other than to keep the Populists down, but I'd like a few civic consuls as they are so good for the speed of building if I could manage it

Rome's done good work keeping the Barbarians down, but where one horde rises, more are just around the corner. Rome will have to show caution as she continues to grow, or else there's a risk that everything good be lost. With what you've said about barely keeping the Empire together, you never know when everything will go south and you'll suddenly face a civil war on one hand while a resurgent Seleucids attack from the east and then the Barbarians rise up just to frustrate you!

I find Rome a bit like CK1, there is always something likely to happen and trip you up when you think you are in control. I daren't start a war with someone really scary till I have a lot more troops so I can both defend my current Empire and deal with a large foe, it was hard enough fighting with the Numidians (who had about 60 regiments). It makes for a good game, some of the best are repeated civil wars but you end up utterly exhausted as a result.

Rome is going strong. I look forward to the day when some of these Generals who have been racking up popularity from your wars start to get power hungry fast.

well I am already at the stage where incompetent + loyal are seen as desirable traits, its not too bad now, but at the end of the civil war I have a real problem that some 60% of the cohorts are loyal to a particular general and some of them are very popular in turn. Its another reason to go slow on the external wars so as to delay the stage when the Republic becomes dominated by the military.

So, Rome's attention is being pulled in both directions, I suppose the inevitable clash with the Eastern Powers is only so far away.

At the moment Seleucid-Parthia-Egypt are in a rough balance but slowly the Seleucids re-establish themselves, so I want a war sooner rather than after they have become very powerful again. But as above, its not so easy to get myself into the position where I can sustain such a war - never mind start one
 
Domestic Politics: 647-659 AUC

Across this period, despite the growing pressures on the social and political system, Rome kept to its traditional model of governance. Consuls were appointed for two years and the Senate ratified all major decisions.

Indeed, a period as Consul was still the high point of a noble born Roman's life. At this stage, even if the role increasingly became the gift of the growing factional nature of Roman politics, for the most part the individual Consuls were men of ability and experience.

The first consul of the period was Gaius Marius, famed for his reforms of the legions and victories over the German tribes.



At the start of his consulship his own faction was the largest in the Senate, however, practically, the other 4 groupings acted together to keep the Populist faction isolated.

An administrator of considerable ability, unfortunately his ambition and feelings of self-importance were to lead him to his death after a show trail, after Catulus' revolt, rather than live out his years as venerated former leader of the Republic.




He was followed by Quintus Metellus, from the Religious faction, possibly one of the most able consuls of the period in 649. He also marked the first of a line of consuls from this faction, this dominance in turn was to place stress on the anti-populist alliance, until the consulship was passed to members of the Mercantile grouping



Lucius Cornelius Cinna, who become consul in early 651 continued the dominance of the Religious faction over Roman politics.



To his credit he did much to repair the state's finances after the disastrous North African Campaign





Lucius Caecilius Metellus followed him in 653.



However, he lacked the subtlety and finesse of his predecessors. In consequence he has often been criticised for a willingness to tolerate corruption in return for stability.



Despite his lack of diplomatic skills, he did try to repair breaches between the Senatorial factions



Quintus Metellus, the consul for 655-7 saw a break in the dominance of the Religious faction



By 656, the Senate was divided with an alliance of the Mercantile and Religious factions holding 66% of the seats. The danger in this dominance was of the other factions making an alliance with the Populists

The main problem in his period of office was a continuation of Lucius Metellus' policy of bribery and ignoring corruption in a search for domestic calm



Another of the extended Metellus family was the next Consul in 657. Widely admired for his abilities he too came from the dominant Mercantile-Religious grouping.



He was almost immediately forced to deal with a group of governers who were planning revolts.



To control the situation, he had to give in to the demands of the Religious Faction, and, in doing so, upset the relative balance of power across the main offices of state.



Equally Rome's jails were full of the prisoners from the Gallic wars. Those accused of the cruel murders of the envoys had long since been executed.



In an attempt to shore up the loyalty of the smaller factions, a number were released, but Viridorix Duratid was executed, throwing the Populist faction into disarray as Marius was placated by the release of Rhetogenes, even as his faction lost more power. However, as the Republic slid into civil war, it was clear that even the justice system was little but a tool in the factional struggles within the Senate.



So far the Religious Faction had been content to see their coalition allies hold the consulship. However, in 659, Lucius Crassus, perhaps the best known orator in the Senate, took the role.



He immediately started to favour his own faction in key decisions, which was soon to have fateful consequences.



However, the main fault of his rule was his overconfidence. It seemed he believed that when he demanded, others would yield. In Quintus Catulus he found a man equally certain of his own importance and suspicious of the motives of others. Equally, having been marginalised for 12 years, the Populist grouping was keen to support one of their own.



{and so, the next post will see a civil war break out}
 
Ouch! A civil war with that large nation is guaranteed to hurt. And to hurt badly...

That was very good update to show how the senate lives and changes, how the amount of senators change and how it affects who becomes a ruler after things happen one way or another. There were very different rulers during that decade and it will be interesting to see who will join the rebels and who will remain loyal to the original government.
 
Very informative post. Have been playing Suebi in basic rome.
Think I need to read the manuel.:huh:
 
Civil War, woof. Hopefully you can keep the other factions in line, the Mercantile faction would be a bad one to lose.
 
I usually prefer the Civics or the Mercantile faction, except when I need the Military one. You made an interesting post out of a peaceful time. Now on to civil war!