Anyone care to share Rome Total War strategies in this thread?

Question

For example: In the Vanilla campaign (original version), I used to "block" the other factions in order to play each campaign simultaneously. I would usually use the Brutii, and immediately take Sicily. This would usually paralyze the Scipii (esp once I took Cathage, which is game over for the Scipii). Then I would have built a general and small army, and with some mercs I would attack Gaul and block in the Julii. I would have to attack Spain and Illyria too, just to make sure, because they tend to attack those places. Finally, I would take Greece, which is what the Senate wanted me to do to begin with. If you work really hard, you can do all 3 at the same time, cripple the other factions, and build a massive Pre-Marius/civil war single faction empire.

Here's a trick: In order to keep an elderly general/family member alive: Save each turn (not the autosave) before you hit the end of turn button. There is a chance they will still live. Do this every turn and you can live a LONG life.

Here's the best way to get new generals in the vanilla version:

Take your most advanced cavalry unit, without a general, and some infantry, and attack the random rebel forces which pop up. You use this cavalry unit in battle and have it take losses but still win the battle (as long as the battle isn't extremely in your favor) the odds are VERY high you will get a brand new 20 year old family member with command traits and no bad traits.

Don't forget the diplomacy strategy!

Use your diplomat to find every other faction, and then
1. ask for trade rights. This is generally an automatic yes.

2. offer alliance for map information. This info you get is valuable to sell, and your alliance is paper-thin anyway. They never honor their agreements, why should you?

3. Sell YOUR map information for thousands of denarii. This is the money maker. As long as you are not aggressive, and it's early in the game, the more maps you have acquired, the more money you can get for their sale. If the faction you wish to sell to is poor, offer to sell it to them for small amounts of regular tribute for a long time.

This strategy means you don't even need trade or good lands to raise an initial army and make your initial improvements. Tribes like Dacia, Spain, and so forth NEED to do this in order to survive, but every faction could use thousands of denarii!

I would appreciate any strategies, for either Vanilla Rome Total War, Barbarian Invasion, and also Rome Total Realism

My idea for Western Roman Empire (Barbarian Invasion). No matter what difficulty rating, some towns will revolt. Use this strategy to get them all back quickly.

1. Very first turn, identify each city which you cannot get back up to at least 75% public order, no matter how low taxes are and how many troops are in the city, with governor or no governor

2. Exit the city, taking all your troops with you.

3. DEMOLISH ALL DEFENSIVE AND OFFENSIVE STRUCTURES, and any others you care to destroy. Instant money, and when they revolt, only basic weak troops appear. Also, if the revolting city becomes a rebel roman faction, and it cannot maintain public order again, it will RE-REVOLT and declare itself a loyal part of the empire. Be ready to retake the city.

4. Surround and lay seige to all revolted cities. They will not be able to resist, except perhaps that stubborn one in Africa.

5. Exterminate each rebel city as you reconquer it. No more rebellions. Massive empire is all yours!

You can also comment or counter the above tactics. I welcome all comments which are ON TOPIC.

Answer 1

To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of the women!

That is good.