The Shadows Devour You.
Aftermath
- Carthaginian Losses: 35
- Garamantine Losses: Wiped Out Or Captured
- Carthaginians Remaining: 226/261 Men
Breakdown
Hamalcars Bodyguard
- 16 kills
- 8 lost, 1 healed, 14/21 men remain
1st Poeni Militia
- 16 kills, 10 lost, 7 healed, 37/40 men remain
2nd Poeni Militia
- 15 kills
- 25 lost, 14 healed, 29/40 men remain
3rd Poeni Militia
- 17 kills
- 9 lost, 31/40 men remain
4th Poeni Militia
- 5 kills
- 6 lost, 4 healed, 38/40 men remain
1st Libyan Spearband
- 11 kills
- 4 lost, 1 healed, 37/40 men remain
1st Liby-Phoenician Spearband
- 3 kills
- 1 injured.
- Full Complement!
Garama Occupied!
25 mnai looted.
The term "Great Man" is disturbingly interchangeable with "mass murderer" in history books.
Sleuth Diplomat
Damn, I was unaware that it wasn't as funny as it used to be. I'll have to take that into account now that I know. 
Still good, and I'm still looking forward to you doing that movie bit. Also, I'm glad to see some love for ff8's music too finally, I feel that really had a lot of the best music in the series. (Which is half the reason I still like it, that and the hilariously and entertainingly broken battle system are good enough reasons for me).
edited 8th Aug '10 7:15:08 PM by xthetenth
The Shadows Devour You.
(Summer)
THIS YEAR IN HISTORY!!!
"Come on Hannibal, its getting old now." Mago
...sorry.
First Punic war starts as Romans send an army to help Messana fight off Carthage and Syracuse...
"Wait... what?!" Mago
"Are you telling me that without our current equipment we would have stumbled into a war with ROME?!" Kanmi
That sounds about right.
"I told you the Barcids were just getting us into trouble! How do we know the Romans aren't going to do the same thing now?!" Hanno
Well, there's the fact that you haven't, you know, done anything to piss them off. Wow, dodged an arrow by avoiding that Epirus campaign.
"I'm going to be having a word with the senator who proposed that one..." Mago
Claudius enters Messana and tries to negotiate peace.
"Man, way to make us look like the bad guys." Hamalcar
"I bet there would have been more to it than that..." Mago
Failing, he defeats both Carthage and the Syracusans in detail.
"..." Hamalcar
"By dodging an arrow, did you mean a ballista bolt to the cranium?" Hanno
"These Romans are clearly more dangerous than we gave the city on the hill credit for..." Mago
Claudius, however, is repulsed at Echetta. But now he lays siege to Syracuse itself.
"We end up on the side of the Syracusans. Amazing..." Hamalcar
Romans take and pacify Vulsinii violently, Fulvius Flavus recieving a triumph. First gladiator show in Rome. 282,000 population of Rome according to census.
"I'm calling a meeting about this at the next senate. These Romans are too dangerous to be allowed to grow unchecked, allies or no." Mago
Garama is a Libyan town, so establishing a colony is a simple matter.
"It was really just a case of reestablishing the previous government and bringing in a few of our own citizens to live there. Apparently Zeuxis wasn't very popular, we're practically welcome here." Hamalcar
Simple Drainage is also started. With matters resolved, Hamalcar heads home, leaving 2nd Poeni to garrison the town.
"Is leaving the 2nd alone in a town really a good idea?!" Mago
"I'm sure nothing bad will happen..." Hamalcar
Sure, nothing wrong with leaving the most aggressive unit of an army that suffered heavy casualties at the hands of a nation in its capital all alone and unsupervised. What Could Possibly Go Wrong??
Trader started in Atiqa.
"Paying for a trader to set up permanent residence in town and follow local regulations tends to inspire more trust in his wares than him hocking things out of the back of his cart." Hanno
Mercantile Port begun in Adrumeto
"Now maybe the inhabitants will be distracted long enough by the money to be made to avoid glaring at each other for two seconds." Adherbal
Simple Farming in Karali
"I'm telling you, the fertilizer goes on the fields! Not into the animals!" Carthalo
"Eww..." Gisgo
Sewers in Bocchoris
"Beats dumping it into the sea. Now it all gets washed out down that hill instead!" Villager
"Er, mate, you do realise our water supply is there?" 2nd Villager
"What?" (looks at plans) "He's right, WHO WROTE THIS THING?!" 1st Villager
Malicious blog writers. Healer in Mastia.
"We've come down hard on quackery we have... well, except for that duck who's a herbalist. Something funny about him..." Hasdrubal
Tanit Shrine in arse.
"Wha-" Hasdrubal
No, Tanit Shrine in the city of Arse.
"Oh... wait, damn you Hannibal!" Hasdrubal
Social Objectives Complete!
"And it only took us six years to do it!" Mago
"Thats 24 seasons you idiot!" Kanmi
If this was any other game I'd have conquered half of the known world by now. I'd be besieging Damme, damn it!
"Realisms a bitch, isn't it?" Mago
Yes, and a floating camera that allows instant communication in Classical times is completely realistic. Moving on...
Simple Farming started in Garama. The colonisation of Arse continues...
"HANNIBAL!!!" Hasdrubal
If I had a tongue in Spain I'd be sticking it out. Hell, if I had an arse I'd be sticking it out t-
"HANNIBAL!!!" Mago
"Even as a transparent apparation, thats an ugly thought." Kanmi
Transparent apparation... look just say hologram ok? Communal farming in Adrumeto...
"Stand together comrades! Today is the day we overthrow the Carthaginian bourgeoisie!" Libyan Farmer
I totally did not have to use google to spell bourgeoisie.
No, no! I said Communal farming, not Communist farming! Thats not till the next mod!
"Oh, right. Eheh... don't hurt me guards!" Libyan Farmer
"What, we're Libyan too. We were about to join in. The other third of the garrison is Greek, and the next bit is Iberian." Guard
"You know, this might just possibly add credence to my theory that we should have an army that is not comprised entirely of non-Carthaginians. I mean, sure, we've got the Liby-Phoenicians, but they'd all side with their mothers over their fathers. I mean, what else would you expect?" Mago
Stop being Genre Savvy Mago!... now that that has been completely derailed... we're still on Summer?! Holy mother of walls of text! I've got another two seasons to go! Healer starts training in Alalia.
"This wind charm will cause the foul winds carrying illness to pass by this island and continue to the east..." Healer
"Er... towards the Romans?" Villager
"Yes! Exactly!" Healer
"But the wind usually blows west..." 2nd Villager
"Exactly! So winds blowing from the east are caused by the evil Romans poisoning our air!" Healer
"OUR AIR?! But we need our air to breathe..." 1st Villager
"Those Romans are meanies! They're trying to break the alliance! I smell racism!" 2nd Villager
Baths started to stave off unrest in Gader.
"Seriously, I only leave them completely exposed to attack after taking soldiers from them, and they start to wonder if they picked the right side. How ungrateful..." Hasdrubal
END OF TURN.
(Well I think I'll leave it there. That was a BIG turn.)
edited 10th Aug '10 12:59:30 PM by GameChainsaw
The term "Great Man" is disturbingly interchangeable with "mass murderer" in history books.
The Shadows Devour You.
(Got to get something done today.)
Autumn.
Diplomat Annibas sent to explore the wilderness south of Numidia known as Gaetulia.
"Must I wander the deserts alone forever?" Annibas
Don't worry Annibas, I'm programmed to keep solo adventurers company at all times!
"My money is that he loses his sanity in three months..." Mago
So a monkey, an elephant and a hippopotamus walk into a bar...
"...make that a month at most. He may tear off his own ears within the first week." Mago
The colony at Garama is fully established.
"Well, its a Libyan town. Its kind of expected that its going to be easy to set up a colony of Libyans there. All we had to do was set up some kind of governance there." Hamalcar
Simple drainage also implemented.
"I like small towns like Garama. Unlike the larger cities we can plan them as they grow and make sure we have everything built at each governmental level. Kind of avoids the growing pains the rest of the empire has been having." Mago
See guys, this is why we should've picked the Baktrians or Casse. On the other hand, those guys are kinda poor. I'll say this for Carthage, their lands are filthy rich.
"The sinews of war... infinite money." Mago
Will you stop ripping off Cicero Mago!
"Who was Cicero?" Mago
Oh yeah, he wasn't born till 106 BC was he?
"BC? What is this nonsense!" Bomilkar
...nevermind. Simple Farming started in Garama.
"Organised farming in the middle of a desert?" Hamalcar
Stop getting your reality in my liveblog! Don't make me break out the irrigation jokes! Colonisation of Arse begins. The inhabitants are known formally as Edetani, but more colloquially as...
"Hannibal, don't you dare!" Hasdrubal
What? I was going to say they are known as Arsaians. Why, what were you going to call them?
"Nothing, nothing..." Hasdrubal
Or occasionally called arseho-
"HANNIBAL!!!" Hasdrubal
Mercantile port at Mastia. The architects for the one at Syracuse were NOT rehired.
"Look, mistakes were made, buildings collapsed..." Architect
"Four times." Philosir
"It was three times! The fourth one was due to malicious vandalism!" Architect
"Yes, and what was that scene at the port? Someone swinging naked from the crane while their drunken buddies yelled encouragements?" Philosir
Healer on Bocchoris
"So, you're telling me that to be cured, I have to strip naked, run around the town four times and then come back and dance a jig in the town centre while covered in chickens?" Patient
"Yup." Healer
(Sigh)
(Later)
"I did what you said, but I don't feel any different!" Patient
"Yeah, but it was hilarious to watch." Healer
Mago gains the traits "Blatant Adulterer" and "Gourmet of Life".
"HUSBAND! I turn my back on you for one second and I find you in bed with this strumpet!" Roxanne
"I can explain!" Mago
(naked woman falls from the ceiling.)
"Uh, that too!" Mago
(two girls fall out of a closet.)
"Uhh..." Mago
"Whats next? Will I find you with a midget hiding under the floorboards?" Roxanne
(muffled) "Well actually..." Midget
"I only went to brush my teeth before going to bed!" Roxanne
Mago loses 2 from his management score and one from his influence, but this doesn't stop him from having a management score of six and an influence of TEN!
"I think if I wasn't so good at stopping incompetence and corruption, the senate would be forced to have me arrested for incompetence and corruption." Mago
Come on Mago! Its really hard to write this faction in a sympathetic light when you insist on acting like a Jerkass!
"...wait, you were portraying us sympathetically? What about the bit calling us 'Even more racist than the romans?'" Hamalcar
Well, I could have gone on about the baby sacrifice, the political backstabbing, the military incompetence...
"...er, we'll take being racist jerks." Mago
To be fair, the baby sacrifice, military incompetence and political backstabbing hasn't happened in this continuity.
"HA!" Hasdrubal
"Hehe... nice avatar of the Gods... please don't hurt us..." Hasdrubal
Naval vessal refitted.
"HOW MUCH?!!" Mago
"Oh, I seem to have lost the reciept. Well we'll just have to deal with the loss, won't we?" Bomilkar
"Bomilkar, would you mind explaining why you paid the sailors bonuses out of MY personal account?!" Mago
"It was for the good of the state! And to reward the brave souls who fought for our country. You're not going to question the rewarding of brave ex-soldiers are you?" Bomilkar
"At these prices I might wel-" Mago
(Is aware of the whole senate listening.)
"Ah... aha... of course I'm going to ensure our brave warriors are rewarded as heroes deserve! Out of my own purse of course!" Mago
"I think he's starting to regret spending all that money on painting the entirety of the inner walls with expensive murals telling Carthages history." Roxanne
"What is this, Roast night?" Mago
End Of Turn
Winter
Mercantile port in Lilibeo...
"Well overdue I'll note." Hamalcar
"Yes, yes, I'm not made of money you know." Mago
"After all you've spent on it Carthage seems to be made of the primary components of money." Hamalcar
Coastal Clearing in Karali.
"No people drowned. Well, except for that old wealthy lady who was living suspiciously far away from the scene and just happened to take a 25 mile walk to the coast that day..." Architect
"Er, I think there's something fishy about that." Carthalo
There is a jump in income from both towns, with Karalis income in particular rising sharply.
"For a town with under 6000 people Karali sure is bringing in a lot of cash. We're pushing 2000 mnai in balance here." Mago
Healer in Lepki and Messana, permitting very high taxes in both.
"Well seeing as I've raised your standard of living up so highly, I'm sure you won't mind investing a little bit of money into our empire in return?" Mago
"Shrewd, Shophet, shrewd... sneaky bastard." Merchant
"HEY!" Liby-Phoenician Merchant
"Er, I didn't mean you, I swear!" Merchant
Unrest in Messana soon means a drop in taxes again.
"No taxation without representation!"
"Carthaginian despots go home!"
"Mago smells of elephant dung!"
"You know, I could have forgiven them for the whole rioting and insurrection thing. But that last one? Too far!" Mago
"Possibly because it involves yourself?" Roxanne
Baths in Syracuse''
"You mean that you left building the baths in the largest city to last?!" Philosir
Games field started in Messana to try to pacify the populace a bit.
"Maybe if we spend some money on sporting activities, they'll come to see we're worth the extra money!" Philosir
"Well, either that or they'll be able to run after us a lot faster when they run us out of town." Hamalcar
Temple to Baal-Hammon underway in Syracuse.
"Maybe the favour of the Gods will help pacify the island." Philosir
"I'd place more faith in the extra guards who guard the temple" Hamalcar
To be fair, the influence of the priesthood would probably help as well. Healer in Lilibeo to raise population growth.
"Lilibeo should have got this much sooner, but military expenses to help the Aeduii put one big middle finger up to that." Mago
Building a full 20 unit army is... less than cheap. But considering the unrest levels in recent conquests, I get the impression that the extra spending is necessary just to avoid losing half my army every time I take a settlement.
"There's always the option of restoring order the old-fashioned way..." Hamalcar
Yes, if you want every single character in this thing to cross the Moral Event Horizon faster than you can write out "Oppressive Evil Overlord Kills Thousands Of People" for a headline in Carthage, Rome and Alexandria tomorrow. I wonder what Magos opponents in the Senate would think of that?
(Of course, after this faction I can always go for a bona fide Evil Overlord style character in another faction. Trust me when I say you can be epically, hilariously evil in this game.)
"Er... yes! Burning cities, absolutely out of the question! Especially during election years!" Mago
"I'll get you Hannibal..." Hamalcar
Roads at Lepki.
"About bloody time! We have to move everything by sea thanks to the terrain!" Gisgo
Healer on Karali, also to raise population growth.
"More growth means more tax as rising taxes stunts population growth. Just because a building doesn't make money directly doesn't mean it isn't a valuable investment. This healer will pay for himself ten times over." Carthalo
More refitting, as much to annoy Mago as anything else.
"BY BAAL-HAMMON! HOW MANY TIMES MUST I SPEND MONEY ON THIS BLASTED NAVY?!!!" Mago
edited 10th Aug '10 3:51:11 PM by GameChainsaw
The term "Great Man" is disturbingly interchangeable with "mass murderer" in history books.
The Shadows Devour You.
Spring.
Hamalcar sailing to Carthage.
"I'm... still getting used to this." Hamalcar
Public baths at Ippone, finally allowing a very high tax rate there.
"In Ippone, cleanliness is not only next to Godliness, it is a very common cause of bankrupcy." Citizen
Baikors new healer allows high taxes but said taxes are none too popular.
"Ungrateful bastards! Healthcare reform isn't cheap you know!" Mago
"You mean we're not making enough already from strip-mining the region?" Hasdrubal
"We're not exactly strip-mining it yet. Thats for the next session." Mago
Temple to Baal-Hammon started at Baikor.
"Maybe if we give them somewhere to pray that can fit more than six people they'll stop complaining about the new taxes." Hasdrubal
Mago begins training three of the seven extra units he requires to give Hamalcar a shot at Kirtan.
"Remember that army you sent up towards Ippone in the summer of 272BC Zeuxis? Its payback time." Mago
"Mago, this wasn't part of the deal!" Hamalcar
"Come on, is the conqueror of Syracuse going to miss out on the chance to take Numidia as well?" Mago
"But brother, the Numidians are a proud, independent people! We should respect their..." (Breaks out into laughter) "BWAHAHA!!!" Hamalcar
"Wow, you almost said that with a straight face!" Mago
Among the new recruits are a unit of the new, elite Liby-Phoenician infantry.
"Mago, are you sure its a good idea to hand the Liby-Phoenicians axes?" Kanmi
"Well, it does make repealing my policies on improving the standard of our armed forces rather more difficult." Mago
"Is that because repealing your policies would involve allowing thousands of angry Liby-Phoenicians to come chopping down our gates with said axes, forcing us to reinstate said policies?" Kanmi
"Not in so many words but... yeah, you got me." Mago
Ships finish outfitting. There is some grumbling about the fall in the size and budget of the navy, but no one can deny that the shift towards having an emphasis placed on the armed forces has been effective.
"Nine years ago Carthage had a massive, expensive navy but no one to fight it with. Our current naval size is far more appropriate to the challenges we might face from other factions. Besides, we could get a strong navy up and running within a few years if it was truly necessary. Mago
Massilia to surrender in three turns.
"Or fight us to the death..." Bomilkar
Summer
Mago turns down an application for adoption into the family.
"Thats the fourth one in the last 365 days... lets see, Theophanes... stupid, lazy, record of corruption and... wow, he's scared of blood. No thanks!" Mago
THIS YEAR IN HISTORY
"HA! We've found your volume control!" Mago
Oh, great, now they've got something on me... sigh, it was fun while it lasted... I guess I won't tell you about your war with Rome then...
"...damn it, fine, conti-" Mago
THIS YEAR IN HISTORY!!!!
"OH GODS, THE SKY IS FALLING!!!" Senator
"MAGO, FOR THE GODS SAKES, TURN HIM DOWN!!!" Kanmi
IN SIKYON KLEINTAS IS USURPED BY ABANTIDES AFTER BUILDING A GYMNASIUM. PLANS FOR GYM Nnasiums around the known world are scrapped for no apparent reason. Romans send two fresh consuls to Sicily and "persuade" 67 cities to join them.
"Treacherous bastards." Mago
Not really, just a classic example of [[Gunboat Diplomacy "catapult diplomacy". Hiero craps himself and switches sides.
"I knew it! Any descendent of that cunning rat would turn against us in a heartbeat if it suited him!" Hamalcar
"Like we would have done for him?" Mago
"Exactly! Its shocking behavior... wait a second." Hamalcar
Claudius, the last consul, celebrates triumph in Rome for beating Carthage.
"This is going to become a theme, isn't it?" Mago
Romans get a wholloping at Macella and Hadranum however. (Man, you could write an expansion to this game just to cover all this!) and Crassus gets mad at those of his troops who were wise enough to surrender and be returned after being made to pass under a yolk by Hannibal. (again, not that one! Or me!) As the Carthaginians raise troops for a stand at Agrigentum, the Romans elect a dictator to... hammer a nail into a tablet on a temple?... Apparently this is an old Etruscan appeasement thing.
"Ha, scared them!" Mago
On with the turn...
Carthage ready to grow, but Mago is still building his army.
"I've not got money to spend on expanding our perfectly serviceable Magistrates Chambers while there's a war to fight!" Mago
1st Elite Liby-Phoenician Infantry, 15th Libyan Spearband, and 6th Liby-Phoenician Cavalry trained.
Arse gets its colony implanted.
"I've resigned myself to the fact that this is going to become a recurrance for as long as we are in this city." Hasdrubal
Lepki completes roads.
"Now instead of burning our soles walking across burning sands, we get to burn them on hot paving stones instead!" Trader
Alalia gets a healer.
"Oh Gods, not more taxes!" Citizens
"I hope you ungrateful peons will be happy for it when the plague comes to town!" Carthalo
Autumn.
Army completed by the addition of the 2nd Elite Liby-Phoenician Infantry. 7th Liby-Phoenician Cavalry and 16th Libyan Spearband also completed.
"Numidia will soon be mine..." Mago
"Dear, please stop staring at the map table like that. Its creepy, especially as the lights keep dimming when you do it." Roxanne
Healer on Bocchoris boosts taxes.
"We don't even have a garrison! What happens if pirates attack us? Why should we pay taxes?" Citizen.
"Well, there's the fact we've given you trade with most of the mediterranean. Then there's the healer we just trained to clean up common diseases. The farming, the shrine, the infrastructure and law..." Mago
"...and?" Citizen
"The fact that we have a big army in Carthage that is only a years voyage from your shores." Hamalcar
"...Ah... crap." Citizen
Winter.
It is the end of the siege, and Massilia is surrendering. Bomilkar groans and summons his army together.
"I really was hoping it wouldn't come to this..." Bomilkar
"General, they're waving a white flag!" Sythiannus
"They're surrendering without a fight? First thing to make sense about this entire campaign, but I must say I'm surprised given the behaviour of Hieros army at Syracuse." Bomilkar
(The army enters the city to find it in a parlous state.)
"A Greek-style city of over 6000 people and it doesn't even have simple drainage?" Balhanno, low-ranking fertility priest of Baal.
"This city has seen better days... and not just because of our siege. I reckon it has seen decades of neglect and mismanagement." Abascantos, wealthy Carthaginian merchant and an authority on trade practices.
"Great... so much for a quick campaign. Its going to take at least a year just to deal with local problems. All while my army is eating and drinking the empire out of house and home." Bomilkar
Lepki and Messana now also need governors villas as they grow into large towns.
"Great, that forces me to postpone expanding the magistrates chambers again. Kanmi's been on my back for months about that." Mago
"Mago, when are you going to get on with thos-" Kanmi
"KANMI! DO YOU HAVE 12000 MNAI ON YOU RIGHT NOW?!" Mago
Atiqa reaches city size.
"You do realise that eventually we are going to have two massive cities sitting side by side to one another?" Hanno
"I know. Its brilliant. Completely unrealistic, but brilliant." Mago
Seriously, having two trade heavy cities right next to each other, both with the potential to produce Carthages best troops? Yes please!
"Essentially it allows us to train armies in half the time of other factions." Mago
I'm loving this faction the more I play it. Carthage has mines, trade, lots of good troops, a wide variety of provinces where troops are trainable, and being based around the mediterranean makes opening up new fronts really quick and easy... and makes it much harder for the AI to strike back. If you play them right they are essentially invulnerable.
Healer in Lilibeo finally allows taxes to increase above low.
"Low growth continues to plague Sicily, but hopefully thats Lilibeo out of the doldrums." Mago
(From palace balcony to street below)
"BREED DAMN YOU!!!" Philosir
"SCREW YOU!" Woman from street below
"Thats the spirit! Unfortunately I'm married however!" Philosir
"Why let that stop you?" Mago
Adrumeto organises communal farming, increasing farm income and allowing a higher tax rate.
"Adrumetos standard of living is improving. The populace still glare at each other, but at least they tend to look fabulous while doing so." Adherbal
Karali gets a healer, continuing its long march towards Carthages Best Town. Gader complete public baths, shutting the dissenters up for five seconds. Messana gets its game field as Syracuse builds a small temple to Baal-Hammon... and now also needs a magistrates chambers.
"Bread! Also Circuses!" Philosir
"For crying out loud, can't this empire grow one city at a time? Rather than all at once?" Mago
Hamalcar assembles his army, and sets out for Numidia at last.
"Hi ho, hi ho, its off to war we go!"
"We'll split their heads and burn their dead"
"Hi ho, hi ho hi ho..."
The term "Great Man" is disturbingly interchangeable with "mass murderer" in history books.
I'm loving this faction the more I play it. Carthage has mines, trade, lots of good troops, a wide variety of provinces where troops are trainable, and being based around the mediterranean makes opening up new fronts really quick and easy... and makes it much harder for the AI to strike back. If you play them right they are essentially invulnerable. Carthage, jewel of the Mediterranean. Got to love them. For your next course of action, may I recommend a (short) period of inactivity on the war front (disregarding your current excursion into Numidia, of course). Improving your infrastructure even further for the next few years would surely aid your war machine tremendously in the long run.
"I forgot to recreate the glasses" ... And the fandom wept
The Shadows Devour You.
Well, there's still the war in Gaul to handle of course... thats going about as fast as a gallon of treacle through a fibre-glass tube.
The term "Great Man" is disturbingly interchangeable with "mass murderer" in history books.
The Shadows Devour You.
262 BC
Spring
Provisional Military Government started in Massilia now that simple drainage is established.
"City smelling better already, but the locals still hate our guts... and each others. The Gallic and Greek communities here used to be on civil terms, but pressures in this city have caused cracks to appear. Its going to take one hell of an effort to get this place into some kind of order without us having to leave half our army behind." Bomilkar
Mastia completes its Mercantile port.
"When I was a boy, I spent my time, sitting on the banks of the river Tyne... watching all the ships, going down the line... and they were leaving... leaving leaving leaving leaving LEAVING!!!" Hasdrubal
"Hasdrubal, stop singing songs that haven't come out yet!" Iqbal
Baikor gets its temple to Baal-Hammon. Roads near Garama.
"I've been through the desert on a horse with no name, it feels good to be out on the range..." Gisgo
Sewers to be built in Atiqa.
"Big city means big stench. Big problem." Hanno
Granary started in Karali and Alalia.
"The islands have the potential to become hugely prosperous, practically autonomous bastions of Carthaginian power if we get the population expanding fast enough. But we need more people, and granaries will help that." Carthalo
Games field started in Bocchoris, where public order has been suffering.
"Leaving Bocchoris ungarrisoned was fine when it was just a tiny trading port, but its grown now and we may need to look at re-garrisonning the island." Hasdrubal
"Garrisons cost money..." Mago
Sewers under construction at Arse
"... there's an obvious punchline coming up when this is complete." Hasdrubal
New Colony started at Baikor.
"Bow before your Libyan overlords... who in turn bow before their Carthaginian overlords!" Hasdrubal
Communal Farming started in Gader.
"Now that we've finally cleared up the devastation caused by the Turdetani raid." Hasdrubal
The term "Great Man" is disturbingly interchangeable with "mass murderer" in history books.
The Shadows Devour You.
Summer.
I'm officially out of world map tunes.
Income soars through the roof.
"11000 mnai per turn?!" Kanmi
"Told you, you get the money first, then you can do whatever you want." Mago
...
"Huh, I was expecti-" Mago
THIS YEAR IN HISTORY!!!
"Yep, getting predictable." Kanmi
"I thought those earmuffs were a sound investment." Mago
...
Damn, I'm becoming predictable. Aaaanyway.
Antiochos, in the Seleucid corner, fights Eumenes, in the Pergamum corner, near Sardis, after Eumenes declares independence. Things get even better as Ptolemaios II takes Ephesos.
Valenus celebrates triumph over Carthage again.
"This is getting depressing." Mago
Segesta (N. Italy) and Halicyae join Romans...
"Probably so they don't get burned down." Hamalcar
and Carthage has to reinforce Sardinia.
"NO! Not Sardinia!" Carthalo
"But what will we call our Sardines if the Romans get Sardinia? Traitor fish?" Hamalcar
Agrigentum placed under siege but after beating back a sally, the Romans lose to... Hanno?!
"Ok, I was not expecting that." Mago
"Yahoo! My unsuccessful military career was not inevitable!... wait, thats even more depressing." Hanno
Hanno saves the city and captures Harbesus.
"..." Hamalcar
"Ok, I definitely wasn't expecting that!" Mago
Now on with the turn!
Construction Progress.
Massilia pacified.
"Well, they now throw garbage at us as we pass, which is certainly a step up from javelins and rocks." Bomilkar
Governors palace started as it is required.
"The population is way over 12,000, and we don't have anywhere near the resources needed to manage the construction of a stable colony here. We need the palace first." Bomilkar
"But... how exactly does a palace help manage a settlement?" Sythiannus
"Well, there's the extra space for dignitaries and administrative staff, the beautiful symbolism of the state, the ability to accomodate survivors in a disaster... and then there's the massive physical reminder that if we can afford to build this, we can afford to build an army to retake the place should the locals get any ideas. I think its a mixture of factors, but that last one really seems to factor in in citys like this one." Bomilkar
Baths at Mastia.
"Yay! Hot running water!" Citizen
"...which costs money." Taxman
"...awww." Citizen
Healer in Adrumeto
"You know, free universal health care isn't really free if the government taxes you out of house and home to pay for it." Citizen
"Would you rather keep the horrible diseases? Or will you take the taxes?" Adherbal
(grumble grumble) "Can't cure half of them anyway..." Citizen
Roads started in Lilibeo.
"I'm on my way to Lilibeo... I've been weeping like a willow... dreaming dreams of Lilibeo... where sweet Alcippe waits for me!" Philosir
Hamalcar reaches besieges Kirtan, but the army inside is a mystery... spy hired in Ippone to try to find out.
"I'd like to have some idea of who or what is going to try to kill us over this African dirtball." Hamalcar
"Hamalcar, this isn't some "dirtball". Its the capital of Numidia and our last remaining real opponent in Africa. I mean, there's Mauretania to the west, but its a lot further away and shouldn't be anywhere near as formidable." Mago
"Well there's also the Gaetulians to the far south." Hamalcar
Speaking of Gaetulia...
"Mago, I have made contact with the capital of Gaetulia, the town of Tuat." Annibas
"Excellent! What are the defenses like?" Mago
"Uh... why do you ask of defenses? Shouldn't we try to make peace and live together in harmony?" Annibas
(Moment of silence, followed by riotious laughter from senate.)
"BWAHAHA... ha... oooooooh... thats a good one. Seriously now, what are the defences like?" Mago
(With surprising stoicism) "Well, I would tell you, but your initial response was so strong that it went and pushed the figures out of my head..." Annibas
"...so basically you think we're a bunch of jerks and you're not telling?" Mago
"Thats about the gist of it. Can I come home now?" Annibas
"Nah, you've got to explore Eremos next." Mago
(Looks at map.)
"This massive expanse of land stretching from the Atlantic to Ethiopia?" Annibas
"Yep. I suggest you start from the west and work east. You should stumble upon the capital at some point... hopefully within your lifetime." Mago
"Damn it..." Annibas
For those wondering, Eremos is the equivalent of the Sahara in Medieval 1, only parts of it are accessible. I swear to God I bet there isn't even a town there.
Actually there is a town there, but its made deliberately inaccessible. Of course, I only just learned that...
Autumn
Mary Tzu Seleucia gets Most Advanced faction again...
"See, this wouldn't be happening if we'd gone to war with them!" Mago
Magistrates court in Carthage begins upgrading to Grand Magistrates Court.
"Its like a Magistrates Court, only GRANDER!!!" Architect
"And more expensive." Mago
It also completes its cistern network.
"You know, I only built this so I could continue to tax the city without dragging the population down." Mago
Karali needs a governors villa.
"First island to get a large town! In your face Alalia and Bocchoris! Go Sardinia!" Carthalo
"...well I must admit, he's a very enthusiastic governor." Mago
Winter
Carthage immediately takes back the title of Most Advanced faction. Mago over the moon. Seleucid ambassador most insulted.
"Well, the best faction wo-" Seleucid Ambassador
"IN YOUR FACE! WE'RE NUMBER ONE! WE'RE NUMBER ONE!! WHOOHOO!!! YOU SUCK, WE ROCK, CARTHAGE CARTHAGE CARTHAGE!!!" Mago
"A most mature response Shophet Mago." Kanmi
The recent spate of building helps.
"Thats roads complete in Lilibeo, a healer in Ippone, a new colony at Baikor and two new shiny large towns in the form of Messana and Lepki. The empire is swiftly growing to rival the Seleucids massive population." Mago
Governors Villa in Karali paid for. Trading Dock at Lepki started.
"Finally, no more marching over hot sands to get things to and from the town. Thats the third report of an on-fire caravan this week." Gisgo
Messana, which is now much more stable, also begins a trading dock.
"That makes a set. We'll soon have a major dock or port in all three towns on Sicily." Philosir
(Sound of port building collapsing in Syracuse.)
"...make that two out of three. I'm going to murder those architects if I ever get hold of them." Philosir
Monuments in Baikor to help deal with the persistent unrest.
"For crying out loud, Western Spain never seems to be content with our rule! If its not Gader that is making trouble, its Bocchoris. If its not the Balaeric capital, its Baikor. When we get Baikor under control, Mastia starts making noises! And we can't even leave Arse!" Hasdrubal
Ippone starts Communal Farms.
"Meet the new reeve! Now, I know he's got a bit of a record..." Hamalcar
"Is he carrying a mace?" Peasant
"And I know you may have heard some crazy rumours about brutality and the like..." Hamalcar
"Why is he dressed in leather?" 2nd Peasant
"But I assure you, he's most happy to work here, and..." Hamalcar
"GET TO WORK YA LAZY SLOBS!!! IF I DON'T SEE BLOOD BEING SWEATED OUT OF THOSE PORES, IT'LL BE DRAWN FROM ANOTHER SOURCE!!!" Reeve
"...I'm sure he'll fit in nicely." Hamalcar
End of Year.
(There's a fight next year, I promise. Trouble with EB is the action doesn't happen as often.)
The term "Great Man" is disturbingly interchangeable with "mass murderer" in history books.
The Shadows Devour You.
Spring.
Arse completes its sewer system and starts on a palace.
"I'll modernise this town if I have to knock down each wooden shack one at a time and rebuild the town in stone." Hasdrubal
"Er... is there a slightly less expensive method of going about this Hasdrubal?" Mago
Karali and Alalia complete their granaries.
"Free food for all!" Carthalo
"YAY!!!" Citizens
"... during emergencies. At the moment, new food tax! All farmers must supply a portion of their produce to fill the granaries in case of starvation!" Carthalo
"Damn it, not even MORE taxes!" Citizens
"Also, higher taxes!" Carthalo
Bocchoris completes a games field, though population growth means it is still in disquiet.
"Bah, give them some monuments to some great figure in the islands past or something!" Mago
"Hmm... we have the choice of Astargo the Fisherman, Rhephon the Mildly Heroic, and the guy we killed to nick the islands in the first place." Kanmi
...
"Mago, just put up a statue to your predecessor." Roxanne
"That jerk who tried to bribe half of the electorate with bread and circuses, who spent lots of unnecessary money in the capital, and who was a blatant adulterer who bedded half the women in the capital?... I like him already! Done!" Mago
Atiqa also completes sewers.
"It says something that a recently conquered, underdeveloped city on the other side of the empire has gained sewers at the same time as the city right outside our capital." Hanno
"That I'm the most even-handed leader we've ever had?" Mago
"No, that your predecessor was seriously far behind on his development schemes." Hanno
The new spy, Bisaltes, doesn't manage to find out much.
"So... we've established that they have some skirmirshers. That a Numidian army has some skirmirshers." Hamalcar
"Yup." Bisaltes
"Anything else?" Hamalcar
"Its a big secret but... I think the leader might be, you know, gay!" Bisaltes
(Exasperated sigh)"Bisaltes, be honest with me here. Did you actually take a look at their army?" Hamalcar
"Er... to be honest I kind of just hung around collecting gossip in the bar of a nearby town." Bisaltes
(sigh) "What am I going to do with you..." Hamalcar
"Hey, we can totally use this to our advantage! Here's my plan, we lure their leader out of town with a woman... disguised as a man! Then we ambush him with our army!" Bisaltes
"Aside from the fact that we have an entire army of men to use as the bait, I think I'll have to let that plan slide... and by the way, I'm cutting your pay." Hamalcar
"Again? Shucks. What did I do wrong this time?" Bisaltes
"That list could go on for days, so I'll shorten it by telling you what you did right." Hamalcar
...
"Thats me done. Now get going!" Hamalcar
Healer starts training in Garama.
"Free healthcare! Note: May not actually be free. Or good for your health. Coming soon!" Sign Outside Palace
Baths at Lilibeo.
"Maybe if we give them a place to bathe they'll breed faster." Philosir
A temple to Astarte is started in Atiqa
"A temple? How will that help us raise money from Atiqa?" Zeumenes
"Simple, it'll stop the Atiqans from killing us and taking the money back to Atiqa." Hanno
Summer.
Another duffer turned down.
"Another day, another duffer." Mago
Healer in Adrumeto, which even with the sky-high tax rate is one of the most desirable towns in the empire.
"Well the Libyans and Carthaginians no longer glare at each other. Now they just try to one-up each other with status symbols... speaking of which, I bet this new yacht will make Gisgo really jealous!... oh no, I'm falling for my own scheme!" Adherbal
Monument started there.
"What do you get a town that has everything?" Adherbal
"Well, a new military complex would've been nice. We could do with more Liby-Phoenicians." Mago
One of the reasons I've been able to churn out armies so fast is the fact that I've got four towns capable of creating quite powerful troops all next to each other. Carthage, Atiqa, Lilibeo and Adrumeto are powerhouses of unit production.
Game Field started in Alalia.
"If the success of a leader is measured by the shortage of productive options for spending money, then Mago is certainly doing a good job." Kanmi
this year in history.
(Removing earmuffs) "Huh? What was tha-" Mago
THIS YEAR IN HISTORY!!!
"EEEAAAARGH!!! DAMN YOU HANNIBAL!" Mago
Athens surrenders to Antigonus! End of the Chremonidean War. Chremonides, the Athenian leader, is exiled to Egypt. Either Antigonus was in a good mood that day, or Chremonidus saw which way the wind was blowing and bolted. Ptolemaioi suffer another blow as their fleet gets defeated at Miletos, which is attacked by Macedon as well. Game set and match to Antigonus! Epirus invades but their leader, Alexandros Aiakides is defeated by Demetrios, Antigonos's son. Alexandros also forced into exile. Antigonus very happy.
Ptolemaioi and Makedonians make peace, probably realising that with the Greek city states humbled, there's not a whole lot to fight over any more. Antiochos I dies. Antiochos II takes the throne of Seleukia, hopefully to have more luck than his predecessor.
A plot to turn over the city of Agrigentum over to the Romans by Syracusan and Gallic mercs leads to the cities downfall.
"Betrayed, I am betrayed!" Hanno
"Calm down, thats not what happened, only what could've happened. Wouldn't have expected anything else from the Syracusans." Hamalcar
Not a fan of Syracuse, are you, Hamalcar? Romans besiege Myttistratum as Hamalcar replaces Hanno as commander in Sicilia.
"Well, you had your day, Hanno, but this is when the real hero steps onto the stage!" Hamalcar
The Romans build their first navy.
"Bah, what hope do they have against our grand fleet?" Mago
You mean the two battered, oft-repaired scout ships we have that somehow manage to transfer hundreds of men at a time? Hamalcar destroys a band of disaffected mercenaries and forces Rome to abandon the siege.
"Damn it, I get one redeeming moment in the spotlight and then Hamalcar comes and steals it! No fair!" Hanno
Thats all the history for now! Back to Total War!
Hasdrubal orders the recruitment of two units of Iberian Spearmen (the 6th and 7th) for an attack on the Lacetani town of Emporion.
"I'm getting tired of this place... and Hannibals wise-cracks... which caused three riots and a diplomatic crisis by the way. Time to move on..." Hasdrubal
I like to know I'm making a difference.
"This is important. Emporion is our last obstacle before we open up a passage linking Spain with soon-to-be Carthaginian Gaul. (The Arverni lands we are about to deprive them of.) Only a small patch of land belonging to a powerless independent city will remain after that, and that can be bypassed." Hasdrubal
Eshmunamash, leader of the Numidians, leads his badly outclassed men out of Kiya to make a last stand.
Objectives.
Hamalcar must destroy the Numidian force or take the town centre. Simply driving the enemy off and containing them within the walls is not an option this time, as the town is not defended in such a manner.
Parameters.
Hamalcar must survive the fight to secure the region, along with 75% of his army to prevent any Maure invasion from across the border.
- Carthaginian Forces: 490 men.
- Numidian Forces: 474 men.
Hamalcars 1st Army
Generals bonus: 1 star, -1 morale.
- Hamalcars Guard: 21 men, 3 EXP
- 4th Libyan Spearband: 37 men, 1 EXP
- 14th Libyan Spearband: 40 men
- 15th Libyan Spearband: 40 men
- 4th Iberian Light Spearband: 61 men, 2 EXP
- 1st Elite Liby-Phoenician Infantry: 31 men, 1 EXP
- 2nd Elite Liby-Phoenician Infantry: 31 men, 1 EXP
- 1st Poeni Militia: 40 men, 1 EXP
- 3rd Poeni Militia: 40 men, 1 EXP
- 4th Poeni Militia: 40 men, 1 EXP
- 8th Poeni Militia: 15 men, 1 EXP
- 1st Liby-Phoenician Spearband: 40 men, 1 EXP
- 6th Liby-Phoenician Cavalry: 26 men.
- 7th Liby-Phoenician Cavalry: 26 men.
Eshmunamash's Numidian Army.
Generals Bonus: 5 stars.
- Eshmunamash's Numidian Nobles: 30 men, 1 EXP
- 2nd Numidian Nobles: 22 men, 1 EXP
- 1st Numidian Cavalry: 22 men, 1 EXP
- 2nd Numidian Cavalry: 22 men, 1 EXP
- 1st Hellenic Native Spearband: 50 men, 3 EXP
- 2nd Hellenic Native Spearband: 50 men, 3 EXP
- 3rd Hellenic Native Spearband: 50 men, 1 EXP
- 1st Numidian Archers: 34 men, 1 EXP
- 2nd Numidian Archers: 34 men, 1 EXP
- 3rd Numidian Archers: 34 men, 1 EXP
- 1st Numidian Skirmirshers: 42 men, 1 EXP
- 2nd Numidian Skirmirshers: 42 men, 1 EXP
- 3rd Numidian Skirmirshers: 42 men, 1 EXP
End of Pre-battle Analysis.
edited 18th Aug '10 11:12:52 AM by GameChainsaw
The term "Great Man" is disturbingly interchangeable with "mass murderer" in history books.
The Shadows Devour You.
Hmalcar hears of the Numidian sally late on, and his troops are still rushing up the hill in a mild panic by the time the Numidians clear the town borders.
"For the Gods sakes, can't you run faster?!!" Hamalcar
A brief scramble for the summit later, the Carthaginians reach the top. They are ordered to form a block of three lines, with the elites at the front, but the rush causes disorganisation in the Carthaginian army and the Carthaginian army is only saved from being put at a disadvantage by equal disorganisation from the Numidian army, which has bunched together into a mass outside of the city.
"Quick, quick! Into formation!" Hamalcar
With both armies formed into a disorganised (and tired) mass, the Iberians manage to get themselves drawn into a fight with the front line of the enemy army.
"Come on men! We've got a proper scrap here!" 4th Iberian Sargeant
"For crying out loud, will the 4th Iberian stop behaving like orks from Warhammer 40,000 BC? I knew I shouldn't have given them that starter set." Hamalcar
The Iberians try to disengage but are pressed.
"Yikes! Uh, little help?" Iberian Sargeant
"Oh for crying out loud... forward men!" 1st Elite Liby-Phoenician Sargeant
The Carthaginians, finally organised, charge. The Liby-Phoenicians, in the front line, are sent to engage and hold down the native spears and relieve the impetuous Iberians. It falls to the Libyans to stop the enemy cavalry coming from the right.
"Stop those cavalry no matter what!" 4th Libyan Sargeant
The militia are sent to deal with the Libyan Skirmirshers.
"We'll soon see how young lads with javelins deal with grumpy, under paid militiamen who I ensured missed their coffee break this morning." Hamalcar
...coffee wasn't drunk then, but nevermind! The cavalry move to the left flank with Hamalcar.
"If all else fails we'll finish this the way we usually do: a direct cavalry charge into the enemy rear." Hamalcar
The 14th Libyan is foolishly charged by a group of glory-hunting Numidian nobles who admittedly manage to slow the spears down.
"These guys haven't heard about the battle at Syracuse have they?" 14th Sargeant
The Liby-Phoenician Elite Axemen rescue the Iberians by outflanking two unit of native spears, while the Liby-Phoenician Spearband engages the third. Soon axes and heavy spears are slicing, hacking and stabbing their way through the lightly armoured Numidian drafters. A unit of Numidian cavalry and some skirmirshers try to attack the elites as their axes merrily tear through the spearbands opposing them, but the attackers run into the main body of Libyans and militia who were coming in from the right towards the rest of the cavalry and skirmirshers.
"Great, thats just great. Thats tied up our main force of infantry fighting a couple of skirmirshers and light cavalry! The only thing stopping Eshmunamash from sweeping us up is 1st Militia!" Hamalcar
"The enemy generall... and we're the only guys on hand... you've got to be kidding!" 1st Militia Sargeant
Both sides infantry armies are now almost entirely engaged, with no army having the real advantage in position. It is down to Hamalcar, a few brave citizens and the few remaining unengaged Numidian cavalry and skirmirshers to decide the course of the battle.
"Get ready men... we charge!" Hamalcar
1st Militia amazingly pushes off the Numidian king, pushing through a wave of javelins from the elite skirmirshers.
"Grr, that the best you've got you royal sot?" Militia Sargeant
Two units of skirmirshers assail the already engaged regular Liby-Phoenicians, who begin to struggle.
"Ack... there's too many of them!" 1st Liby-Phoenician Sargeant
With the Liby-Phoenicians under pressure and the 1st pulling back under fire, it is down to Hamalcars charging cavalry to save the day.
Hamalcars bodyguard charges first, hitting the attacking skirmirshers, but the sheer bulk of the infantry mass means his charge does little more than relieve some of the pressure on the sorely pressed Liby-Phoenicians.
"Damn it, we'll have to pull back and try again. Hold on!" Hamalcar
(grimly) "We'll give them hell sir!" Liby-Phoenician Sargeant
The 7th manage to crash into the archers and unengaged skirmirshers, sending a number of them flying, but the true heroes of the day are the 6th, who go charging right into the backs of the skirmirshers and hellenic spearbands engaging the elite Liby-Phoenicians. In one devastating charge, they break most of the Numidian line and send the spearmen and skirmirshers streaming back towards the town centre.
The militia and spears on the right flank put paid to the Numidian cavalry as the Carthaginians start to split up into killing teams.
"Kill them all! Let none escape to the centre!" Hamalcar
King Eshmunamash makes a death or glory charge against the 15th Libyans.
"I'll kill you all for this!" Eshmunamash
"Many have tried, all have faile-urk! This is harder than usual!" 15th Sargeant
The 15th lose a surprising number of men to the ferocious charge, but hold. They are aided when the 4th militia charges in against the cavalry units flank. A last charge from Hamalcar shatters the remaining native spearmen who are still trying to press 1st Liby-Phoenician.
"Good show from Eshmunamesh, but this is over now." Hamalcar
Mop up is protracted and bloody. Hamalcar and the cavalry hack down most of the infantry and cavalry but a handful make it back to the town centre and start a bitter last stand. The 6th and 7th, along with 1st militia, annihilate them there to light casualties. Hamlcar hacks down some archers who rallied as his opponent is hacked down along with his entire guard. The final result is a clear victory for Carthage.
Numidia is finished, its power broken. A shadow will exist down in Gaetulia, haunting Carthages memory until the day they too are conquered, but never again will this nuisance threaten Carthage in a meaningful way. A mixture of superior infantry and cavalry and superior local tactics has resulted in a textbook, if otherwise unremarkable, campaign for Hamalcar, notable for its historic significance rather than its interest from a study of strategy.
"Thats it people! Game and Set to us in Africa, lets sort out any local resistance and get home!" Hamalcar
edited 18th Aug '10 12:33:52 PM by GameChainsaw
The term "Great Man" is disturbingly interchangeable with "mass murderer" in history books.
The Shadows Devour You.
I forgot to put up the aftermath!
- Carthaginian Losses: 54 men. (20%)
- Numidian Losses: Wiped out!
- Carthaginians Remaining: 436/490 men.
Breakdown.
Hamalcars Guard
- 64 kills.
- 3 lost, 18/21 men remain.
4th Libyan Spearband
- 33 kills
- 3 lost, 1 healed, 35/37 men remain.
14th Libyan Spearband
- 39 kills
- 16 lost, 25/41 men remain.
15th Libyan Spearband
- 29 kills
- 4 lost, 1 healed, 38/41 men remain.
4th Iberian Light Spearband
- 21 kills
- 25 lost, 21 healed, 57/61 lucky bastards remain.
1st Elite Liby-Phoenician Infantry
- 45 kills
- 7 lost, 4 healed, 28/31 men remain
2nd Elite Liby-Phoenician Infantry
- 34 kills
- 3 injuries.
1st Poeni Militia
- 1 kill
- 7 lost, 3 healed, 32/40 men remain.
3rd Poeni Militia
- 12 kills
- 3 lost, 2 healed, 39/40 men remain
4th Poeni Militia
- 20 kills
- 11 lost, 3 healed, 32/40 men remain.
8th Poeni Militia
- 1 kill
- 2 injured, 15/15 men remain.
1st Liby-Phoenician Spearband
- 31 kills
- 12 lost, 5 healed, 33/40 men remain.
6th Liby-Phoenician Cavalry
- 64 kills.
- No Casualties!
7th Liby-Phoenician Cavalry
- 64 kills.
- 3 lost, 23/26 men remain.
Kirtan Occupied! 43 mnai looted.
The term "Great Man" is disturbingly interchangeable with "mass murderer" in history books.
Sleuth Diplomat
Awesome, well done, and where is that version of Force Your Way from? Dissidia? I was pretty sure I had all the FF 8 soundtrack stuff, and that's new and awesome.
The Shadows Devour You.
I think its an independent orchestral remix. Its amazing how good the songs sound when you take the original synthesised jingles and play them in an orchestral style. There's one there for Man With The Machine Gun as well.
The term "Great Man" is disturbingly interchangeable with "mass murderer" in history books.
Sleuth Diplomat
It's amazing how good the originals sound for being synthesized jingles! I still love FF 8's soundtrack. That'd totally awesome if there's more though, I'll have to go spelunking now. The version of The Man With The Machine Gun sounds exactly like my copy from Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec down to the instrumentation for the first bit, so I'm not 100% sure it isn't just an extended version. However some of these aren't on that, so they may be new. Still, in my opinion, the awesome for that song is the Black Mages remix.
edited 20th Aug '10 2:07:20 PM by xthetenth
The Shadows Devour You.
I'll do the next bit ASAP but for now, I also forgot the Tacticians Notes for the last battle.
GC's Tacticians Notes for Kiya.
This battle wasn't the best demonstration of my tactical ability for one reason: the game glitched.
How did it glitch? For some reason, instead of stopping where I order the troops to move, at the start of the battle my soldiers kept running past where I ordered them and off a way before turning back and returning to the desired position. Thats fine if I've got plenty of time, but... well, that was how my Iberian Spears ended up being the first into battle. I Handwaved it as disorganisation during the battle.
Other than that, really easy. The AI continues to be as thick as two short planks. Carthage is quickly turning into the Boring Invincible Hero faction. Failing to mop the enemy up before they got to the centre was annoying, and I lost a lot of 1st Liby-Phoenician, but other than that... piece of cake.
The term "Great Man" is disturbingly interchangeable with "mass murderer" in history books.
The Shadows Devour You.
261 BC Continued.
Autumn
Empires wealth reaches unheard of levels.
"We've had to extend the treasury. We can't physically take any more in the current one. Funds are temporarily being stored in the temples." Mago
Communal Farming in Gader
(Continuing to gradually raise the population growth... and tax rate... of my empire.)
"Sow the fields with salt!" Hasdrubal
"Wait, what?" Verrix, Merchant advisor of Hasdrubal.
"Yeah, with Potassium, it helps the plants grow. Didn't you learn anything at school Verrix?" Hasdrubal
"I was brought up in the poorest part of the Aedui capital and spent most of my life struggling to survive, I wasn't exactly a prime candidate for learning to read and write." Verrix
(Contrary to popular belief, the Celts did have written language. They just didn't use it for history and the likes, they only wrote for administrative and communicative purposes. History and religion was handed down from druid to druid via memorisation, which is why the druids took twenty years to train in real life.)
Monument started in Gader.
(Of course, I then have to convince my citizens to actually be willing to part with said taxes.)
"Typically we've had more trouble out of Gader and Mastia than we've had out of Baikor, and we've been in the former two longer." Hasdrubal
"Punishment for you being a filthy follower of Tanit, perhaps." Germelqart, High-priest of Baal who has decided to accompany the Tanit following Hasdrubal for some reason.
"What, did Tanit fall off the pantheon recently or something? Or did the heavens decide to divorce? Maybe the Roman Gods made an offer!" Hasdrubal
"Your snark will be dampened when the great Baal smites you for your lack of respect, Barca." Germelqart
"Remind me why you let him follow us?" Thyria
(sigh) "He has his uses. Mostly when it comes to aweing the local tribes over to our religion with sockpuppets. Plus, I don't particularly want someone as powerful as Baals high priest out for my blood. My brother could protect me, but I somehow think he has more important things to do than protect me from the machinations of some bothersome fanatic." Hasdrubal
"He tried the sockpuppet thing with the Romans once. He finds it harder now that he only has one hand to work with, but he gets by somehow. You should watch some time Thyria, its quite amazing to watch." Iqbal
"Those were not sock-puppets! They were the holy manifestations of Baals will! The loss of one of them is a bad omen, one which you all should mark!" Germelqart
"Considering that my brothers actions have already seemingly averted that particular crisis, I think you can stop making it your business to dash to the town centre and cry "THE ROMANS ARE COMING TO KILL US ALL!" every time we enter a new town. It does create quite a stir you know." Hasdrubal
Income reaches 12000 mnai a season, or 48000 mnai a year.
"And thats on top of supporting what must now be one of the largest, if not THE largest armies in the known world." Mago
"That still leaves the Seleucids in the east to reckon with Mago." Himilco
"Bah... they're in decline anyway. The Seleucid Diadochi may be the most powerful of the successors, but he is still a successor king and must contend with his many foes, all of whom are making inroads. I do not fear from that direction, though I do see future opportunities to work with our Ptolemaioi allies." Mago
Simple Drainage started in Kirtan.
(Simple drainage is awesome. Only costs 1000 mnai, takes a single turn, and that gives you a permanent +0.5 free population growth bonus. Its worth noting that hygiene structures are always worth getting and are always better buys than the farm structures in terms of pure population growth, as the extra growth doesn't contribute any more squalor.)
"For a capital city, this place is awfully... small. I don't think there are even 1000 people here." Hamalcar
I'm surprised the Numidians didn't make it in to be honest. I mean, they were major rivals to the Carthaginians and having them on the map would have certainly made Carthage less of a Game-Breaker.
Bomilkar is stewing in Massilia, while his allies fight for their lives to the north.
"I'm stuck in this god-forsaken city while Carthages allies fight and die while sought for aid fails to arrive. If only the people of this town would just give up and realise we are not going to leave! I will pacify this town and prevent an uprising, and I will still have enough soldiers left to complete a full campaign! Without having to instigate brutal measures!" Bomilkar
Massilia really annoyed me. The problem with large rebel cities is that by the time you conquer some of them, they've been growing unchecked, with no development. This means that not only do you have the unpopularity of being a new master, but you also have to contend with significant social and economic issues as well. This makes life for players unwilling to go down the Complete Monster route very frustrating.
"There's a town to take just two seasons march away, and I'm stuck here babysitting. This colony is making us a lot of money, but not as much as my army is eating up per turn!" Bomilkar
One thing this game got right was the expense of war. At least initially, you will get back less than you put in. You save up for war and go for it when you can afford it, you don't go to war in order to make up for a lack of economic strength.
Bisaltes notes the presence of a large army under a Masaesyli (Maure) general approaching Ippone. He tries to get details, but Hamalcar never hears of him again.
"Its been a month, general. He's bought it." Chryseis, Hamalcars grizzled lieutenant, and the man he grew up beside. Less patient than his commander.
"You're... probably right. We'd better leave now, no point in giving our new foe a chance to get to Ippone." Hamalcar
Hamalcar leaves to engage the Maure threat.
Winter.
7th Iberian trained at Mastia. 8th starts training.
(Its amazing how good the baseline units are in this game. This is what I like about the hastati in Rome and the spear militia in Medieval 2: they're basic, cheap units but if you use them right you can still conquer the world with them.)
Trading dock at Lepki completed as its income soars to 1250 mnai.
"Well, thats hopefully the last time I'll see a cart on fire!" Gisgo
"Sir, I wanted to report a ship that has gone on fire from the fierce sun..." Messenger
"DAMN IT!!!" Gisgo
(One of the first things you'll learn in this game: you can never have enough trading ports.)
Messana also gains a port, completing the set.
"At this point, Sicily is generating the trade of a small empire all by itself." Philosir
Syracuse also gets its Magistrates Chambers, which finally quells most of the unrest. Taxes are another matter.
"Its amazing what sixty feet of imposing marble, stone and glass does for public order." Philosir
Mastia completes its baths.
"There were no casualties during the construction of the building, Hasdrubal. However..." Iqbal
"However?" Hasdrubal
"There were 24 people left dead when the slaves heating the building "accidentally" put too much heat into the pipes leading to the pools, causing it to boil the patrons. The slaves themselves died when the mob set upon them." Iqbal
"I see... well, there's a lesson to be learned from this." Hasdrubal
"That slavery is evil, dehumanising and unfair, and can only lead to social inequalities and unrest that brings out the worst on both sides?" Iqbal
"No... when going to your local baths, make sure you go to one run by freemen. If one is not available, you may want to promise the slave his freedom before you bathe. Actually giving him his freedom is optional as long as you don't intend to use that particular bath house again... and in the case of a revenge attack, you can run away really really fast and have a horse handy somewhere." Hasdrubal
''"Yes sir, I'm certain there is that moral in there somewhere... though probably not the aesop the storytellers of the future would normally desire you to take from that particular incident.
Gisgo orders communal farming be organised in Lepki
"Gisgo, replacing all the farmers draft horses with elephants is not a viable economic strategy." Mago
"But... but they can irrigate the land with their trunks! Think of what we'll save! We can skip irrigation completely!" Gisgo
"Gisgo, have you any idea what training an elephant actually costs?!" Mago
Mastia starts training a doctor in the town.
"Is there a doctor in the..." (gunshot)
I'm sorry, but that joke was way too obvious.
"Where did he get that metal thing that fires bullets at people?" Kanmi
"What I'd like to know is, how the hell can a hologram shoot the metal thing which fires bullets?!" Mago
(Doctors are just a carry on from healers. Both, by the way, are the best buys in the game for pop growth, pushing sanitation out the window. Healers give a +1% bonus, and a doctor gives a +2% one. Compare this to a +0.5% bonus for each sanitation upgrade.)
Messana recieves funds to expand the new dock into a full port.
"Nevermind the rest of the empire, at this rate Sicily will have cornered the world economy by itself!" Mago
Sewers are started in Baikor.
"If the Spanish ever ask 'what have the Carthaginians ever done for us?' we can always point to the sewer system. People tend to appreciate a way to get rid of the waste quickly and cleanly." Hasdrubal
Progress on a Bazaar is made in Syracuse, as orders for a new colony reach Massilia and Kirtan.
"Maybe bringing in a third local faction from outside will help calm the explosive situation!" Carthalo
"Well, it may at least unite the Greeks and Gauls into an unceasing hatred of Libyans and Carthaginians... why did I approve this again?" Mago
"Finally... time to put down this Arverni revolt once and for all, and grab some land for ourselves to boot!" Bomilkar
Bomilkar crosses the border into the province of Arvernotog, aiming not for the capital, but for the province of Lugdunensis, which would otherwise require a march through the Alps to get to.
"We'll break their main army here and rampage through their lands while the Aedui mop up any stragglers who made it into our allies provinces." Bomilkar
"Sir, scouts report sighting of the enemy army!" Scout
"Excellent! We can't reach them this season, but we'll sure as hell get them next year!" Bomilkar
This is almost it. Two factions are now on an irreversible collision course. The Arverni faction, a split off from the Aedui who used to have indisputed control over Gaul, must now face a new, alien foe: the overwhelming might of the empire of Carthage.
"It is time to find out if our new 2nd Army has been worth the expense..." Mago
Hamalcar meanwhile, engages Briareus, the Maure commander, near the river separating Carthaginian Africa from Mauretania.
"Look alive men! We'll finish these interlopers and be back home in time to enjoy Summer in Carthage!" Hamalcar
"A war with Mauretania... I didn't plan for this!" Mago
(The Mauretanian provinces are rebel, but I'm treating them as a united country.)
Battle on the Mauretanian Border.
- Objectives: Drive the Maure invaders off!
- Parameters: Hamalcar and 70% of his army must survive the day!
- Carthaginian Forces: 321 men.
- Mauretanian Forces: 272 men.
Hamalcars 3rd Army. (3 stars)
- Hamalcars Guard: 19 men, 3 EXP
- 4th Libyan Spearband: 41 men, 1 EXP
- 14th Libyan Spearband: 41 men
- 1st Elite Liby-Phoenician Infantry: 28 men, 1 EXP
- 2nd Elite Liby-Phoenician Infantry: 30 men, 1 EXP
- 1st Poeni Militia: 40 men, 1 EXP
- 2nd Poeni Militia: 40 men, 1 EXP
- 1st Liby-Phoenician Spearband, 33 men, 1 EXP
- 6th Liby-Phoenician Cavalry, 26 men.
- 7th Liby-Phoenician Cavalry, 23 men.
Briareus' Raiders (6 Stars)
- Briareus' Numidian Exiled Noble Guards: 32 men, 3 EXP (!)
- 1st Numidian Exile Cavalry: 25 men, 2 EXP
- 2nd Numidian Exile Cavalry: 25 men, 3 EXP
- 1st Maure Infantry: 50 men, 2 EXP
- 2nd Maure Infantry: 50 men, 2 EXP
- Numidian Archers: 40 men, 1 EXP
- Numidian Skirmirshers: 50 men, 1 EXP
(!) I'm presuming these are Numidians who escaped over the border and threw their lot in with the Mauretanians in the hope of regaining their independence.
End Of Pre-battle Analysis.
edited 22nd Aug '10 9:01:59 AM by GameChainsaw
The term "Great Man" is disturbingly interchangeable with "mass murderer" in history books.
The Shadows Devour You.
I need to go work on Fable 2, which has gone neglected. So the battle may have to wait until tomorrow now.
EDIT: Yeah, definitely not going to be doing the battle tonight. I'll try tomorrow.
edited 22nd Aug '10 1:35:24 PM by GameChainsaw
The term "Great Man" is disturbingly interchangeable with "mass murderer" in history books.
The Shadows Devour You.
Hamalcar groans as his men enter the forest.
(Darkly) "This looks like fun, pursuing highly agile Maure forces through dense woodland. I can't get a decent view from the air with the Gods eye, and our soldiers can barely see five feet in front of them for the forest." Hamalcar
"Hmm... in that case, perhaps we should head for the hill to the south-west. We can get a better view of the whole situation there." Chryses
"Good idea. If I'm going to blunder into an ambush, I'd like to at least be able to make a few educated guesses as to where it might lie." Hasrubal
(Nervously) "Is... is that likely? An ambush I mean." Andrubal, senior chirurgeon to Hamalcar, and the chief reason that so many of his men have recovered from their wounds.
(I don't have a mouse and am using a mousepad, which means I have no means of adjusting the vertical camera as I lack a mouse wheel. So woods present a troublesome, if rather realistic problem.)
"Yes. And even if we have the advantage of strength, I think your surgeons will appreciate it if I try to lengthen that advantage as far as possible. Now, move out!" Hamalcar
The 3rd army climbs the hill and forms up, gaining a better view of the battlefield. The elites are to the fore, with the Libyans and regular Liby-Phoenicians behind and the two remaining militia units to the very rear.
"Get into the Reverse Roman, men. Strongest guys in the first line, bread and butter in the centre, puny militia bellboys to the rear, and try to look small." Chryses
The Reverse Roman is a formation that was theorised by Mago after reports came in from diplomats who had the chance to observe Roman warfare patterns. The normal Roman formation is three lines deep with heavy infantry; hastati at the fore, principes at the centre and triarii heavy spears bringing up the rear. The Reverse Roman, as its name would indicate, is simply a reverse of this. The strongest infantry are in front, and the weakest to the back, a more medieval approach to battle where the strongest men are expected to be the first into battle. The idea is for the strongest units to hold the enemy front line up and try to tie up as many foes as possible, while the central line guards against any enemy flank attacks, while the last, weakest line moves around the enemy to try to complete a flanking maneuver and win the battle. When combined with the devastating Carthaginian cavalry, it puts the Carthaginians flank-happy tendencies to best use, but it is vulnerable if the flank attacks are halted as the weakest soldiers in the army are left exposed to an enemy counter-attack.
"You know, thats probably not very good for the militias morale." Hamalcar
"Its also not very good for morale to compare our Libyan and Liby-Phoenician professionals to a bunch of over-priveliged Carthaginian tweenagers armed with borrowed weapons and cheap armour. If Mago wants Carthaginians to fight beside the Libyans on campaign, we should be as hard on them as we would be on a Libyan unit of this level of "competence"." Chryses
"You're being a bit hard on them. The militia have fought hard in battles past, and you can't blame them for not having armour. The number of wounds I've patched up that could have been so easily avoided..." Andrubal
"Regardless, even after that they aren't as good at fighting as the Libyans... yet. They're brave though, there were fears that Carthaginians simply wouldn't fight without a direct threat to Carthage itself, but the morale problems haven't materialised... by the Gods... is that the enemy?!" Hamalcar
Hamalcar, Andrubal and Chryses watch as, in the distance, Mauretanian war banners are raised on a hill on the southern edge of the battlefield, far away from Hamalcars own forces. No war drums can be heard, indicating that the army is stationary.
"Waiting for us then. Thats... quite a position." Hamalcar
"Are they seriously planning to fight a straight defensive battle against us when fighting with a primarily skirmirsher army? Our axes and heavy spears will cut them to pieces!" Chryses
"Hmm... the rest of their cavalry are positioned on their right flank... while their general is isolated on their left. If our right can overpower the general, we'll have one less problem to deal with. There's a bluff on their left flank which would allow us to get above them. We should go for that first." Hamalcar
"What if they move up onto it in response?" Chryses
"That would mean that the centre of their army would lie between two horns, the one on our right, or their left, higher than the other. These two positions will be held by their cavalry, which means it will be temporarily denied to us... but also not as useful as it should be for them if they had infantry to guard them. We should aim, in that case, to focus on defeating the enemy cavalry, and then moving our infantry up onto the higher of the horns, while our cavalry take the lower horn. We'll catch them in the gully, and annihilate the infantry there. Are there any questions?" Hamalcar
"Hamalcar, we're on Mauretanian territory here. This could trigger a full-scale war." Andrubal
"He's got a point, general. Mago only sent us to take and secure Numidia, objectives that we have completed. Mauretania is far larger than that; its size rivals our own lands in Africa, and they have three times the number of men as our 3rd army, even when it is at full strength." Chryses
"I know, friends, but I do not have a choice. This army is a direct threat to both Kirtan and Ippone. If I do not act now, both Numidia and our western colonies could be lost. If the Maure are stupid enough to send a full army within half a years march of our towns, then they invite war. I must defend our territory while I have an army with which to do it!" Hamalcar
"Sound enough logic... I just hope Mago has left himself enough rope to carry through after war with the Arverni." Chryses
"Thats enough chatter. Move out!" Hamalcar
"Yes sir!" Chryses and Andrubal
Maneuvers: Phase 1
A cheer goes up from the Carthaginian army as orders circulate and the word to march goes out. The Carthaginian army moves off the hill, and begins to travel into the forest, as Hamalcar uses the camera to keep an eye on the Mauretanian position.
"If I was leading this campaign without the heavens gift, I'd probably end up walking straight into a Maure trap. As it is, I can attempt this without penalty." Hamalcar
"Almost without penalty. We still have to clamber back up out of the forest if the Maure decide to reposition on the upper horn." Chryses
"We'll still have time to rest outside of the range of their bowmen. It will not be a problem." Hamalcar
Sure enough, Hamalcar is frustrated when the Maure simply shift their army so that it covers the left hand, steeper bluff.
"May the flames of Baal-Hammon devour it! Right, move back out of the forest, to the base of the hill, and prepare to assault the hill! We'll drive their cavalry off the horns, take the upper horn with our infantry and then annihilate what remains. Move up to the bottom of the hill, and rest!" Hamalcar
The army complies, moving up from the forest back up to where the higher ground starts to rise towards the Maure position.
The Carthaginian army stops at the base of the hill. The cavalry, previously to the back, now begin to move into an obvious flank screen, Hamalcar and the 6th holding the right flank while the 7th take the left.
"Isn't it dangerous to put only the 7th on our left flank? The Maure right has two units of Numidian cavalry on it." Andrubal
"Two units of skirmirsher cavalry aren't going to do anything in the face of a unit of Liby-Phoenician heavy cavalry. The enemy choices are essentially fight or die." Chryses
(The infantry rest, giving the elites in the front line plenty of time to size up the enemy facing them. Excited, nervous chatter mixed in with bravado soon starts.)
"Is that the enemy?"
"Don't look like much. I don't think the militia lads at the back will be seeing too much action today... assuming we even need the Libyans." 1st Elite Sargeant
"Look at those archers! We'll be sitting ducks for those arrows!"
"Take some faith in your armour. Besides, we've got the hero of Syracuse as our commander. Have some faith son." 2nd Elite Sargeant
"He sent us straight into the thick of it last time!"
"Thats our job. Its what all this heavy armour and our training is for. Not to mention our axes." 1st Elite Sargeant
"I'm not usually much of a fan of tradition, but after Kirtan, I'm glad to have these back." 2nd Elite Sargeant
(Chatter likewise continues amongst the cavalry.)
"The 7th are looking skittish." 6th Soldier
"I don't blame them. They're outnumbered and half the battle rests on them. If they can't break the Numidian cavalry it'll be up to us and the general to protect the infantry from being harassed by javelins. And our Libyans aren't equipped with missile-resistant shields, they'll be shot to pieces." 6th Sargeant
"Then ensure that doesn't happen..." Hamalcar
(Gulp) "Uh... yes, general." 6th Sargeant
"Always remember that as the star of Carthages cavalry, you will always be called upon to fulfill the vital roles. This is why we cannot fail. The burden of victory will always fall to us." Chryses
"Aye, Lieutenant, I'll bear that in mind!" 6th Sargeant
"Thats enough time spent resting. Give the order for the infantry to move out. Climb to the first bluff!" Hamalcar
The Carthaginians move up to a small bluff that lies just out of range of the Maure archers. Hamalcar hopes to lure the archers out so that the 6th can demolish them, but he is out of luck. After a brief rest, the army continues, moving down into a gulley before the land rises again up towards the Maure army. The infantry aim for the taller of the two horns, prompting the Maure cavalry to start to move down. The 7th are having none of it.
"This is it men! Put your faith in the heavens, and charge!" 7th Sargeant
Phase 1: The Cavalry Charge!
Before the light cavalry can so much as get a volley off, they are pushed back by the advancing 7th.
"Back, back! We won't stand a chance in melee!" 1st Numidian Exile Sargeant
"GRRAAAH!!" 7th Sargeant
Hamalcar, meanwhile, goes straight after Briareus with the 6th.
"Target their leader! He must not leave melee alive!" Hamalcar
"Oh Gods! Back, back!" Briareus
The Carthaginian cavalry on both flanks thunder after their opposites. Seeing this, a cheer goes up from the Carthaginian infantry.
"Follow our general up the hill, and I swear to you, we will win this day!" 1st Elite Sargeant
To his delight, Hamalcar catches up with Briareus quickly, and a cavalry battle on the right takes place.
"Send them to the Gods!" Hamalcar
"The general is embattled!" Briareus' Lieutenant
"BRING THEM DOWN!!!" 6th Sargeant
"More of them?!" Briareus
The 7th shrugs off the javelins of the light cavalry. They catch up with the 1st Numidian Exiles, forcing the 2nd down the hill.
"Send 'em to Baals side men!" 7th Sargeant
"We're not used to fighting like this!" 1st Numidian Sargeant
The Maure infantry break into a sprint to try to beat the advancing Carthaginian infantry to the top of the taller horn. The Carthaginians are too close however, and although they have to break into a run to do so, they make it there first.
(Huff) "We... we made it!" 2nd Sargeant
"Damn it, they've done a number on us!" 1st Maure Sargeant
Taunts soon ring out down the hill as the Carthaginians mock the isolated Maure infantry. Meanwhile, Briareus meets his end.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!" Briareus
"The enemy general is no more! Now we will see the measure of his soldiers courage!" Chryses
"Stay focussed. Those archers and skirmirshers are still at large. 6th Cavalry, take the skirmirshers. We'll tackle the archers." Hamalcar
"Yes sir!" 6th Sargeant
The cavalry charge after the archers and skirmirshers, who were kept uselessly to the rear. They are quickly cut down.
"These poor saps aren't worth the time..." Hamalcar
"Somebody help the archers!" Maure Corporal
"Cut them down to size cavalry!" 6th Sargeant
"Skirmirshers in melee! Stay calm!" Skirmirsher Sargeant
The archers quickly crumble, routing and fleeing for the border, but the 6th find their charge runs out of energy, and have to flee to avoid casualties from the stubborn skirmirshers.
"Out, out! We'll make another try!" 6th Sargeant
The plan unravels however as the Maure infantry begin to fling javelins up at the Carthaginian forces. This is something that the elites are unwilling to tolerate.
"Charge down the hill and chase off these Maure rats!" 1st Elite Sargeant
"But we were given orders to hold the hill until the cavalry were ready!" 2nd Elite Sargeant
"I'm not waiting around for my men to get cut down by these javelins! Stay up here if you want, I'm going!" 1st Elite Sargeant
"Damn you! Fine, soldiers, advance!" 2nd Elite Sargeant
The Maure fall back, drawing the elites off the hill. Hamalcar sees the trap.
"Those idiots are going to force themselves into a long, drawn out foot chase! Get after the infantry!" Hamalcar
The 7th also observe the opportunity, but unfortunately, rather than go after 1st Maure while Hamalcar goes after the 2nd Maure, the 7th also go after the 2nd. Hamalcar slams into the side of the 2nd Maure, followed by 1st Elite.
"Got them! Glad you could make it sir!" 1st Elite Sargeant
"Moron! I gave you express orders NOT to leave the hill!" Hamalcar
"We'll hold them off!" 2nd Maure Sargeant
"No javelin support, general." 1st Elite Sargeant
"No javelin support? You've got all that heavy armour, and you're scared of a few javelins?" Hamalcar
"I can fight back against a spear general, I can't do anything about a javelin." 1st Elite Sargeant
(The 7th charge into the rear of 2nd Maure)
"Got them in the rear!" 7th Sargeant
"Curses! Stand, stand!" 2nd Maure Sargeant
(The 2nd Maure infantry flee.)
"Thats seen them off." 1st Elite Sargeant
"Well then stop wasting time and get after the other half of the enemy infantry! I'm docking your pay Sargeant." Hamalcar
(Stricken) "General, I was jus-" 1st Elite Sargeant
"Defending your men or not, the general gives orders for a reason. Keep disobeying orders and next time something much worse could happen than a lengthy foot chase across the plains!" 7th Sargeant
(Moving out) "Just be glad you weren't demoted or beaten. Worse things have happened to men who didn't mark their orders!" Hamalcar
"We got off lightly sarge. Lets cut our losses and get moving." 1st Elite Corporal
Meanwhile, the 6th deliver another charge after the skirmirshers, who are retreating west down the hill. They are being followed by the 4th, who have noted the breakdown of Hamalcars original strategy.
"Go after the skirmirshers!" 4th Sargeant
"But we were ordered not to leave the-" 4th Corporal
"That strategy isn't valid any more. Hamalcars strategy has broken down, and its the sargeants job to get things back on track for his unit. Now move!" 4th Sargeant
Not a Final Fantasy song, but made by the same guy I think.
The 6th ride through the skirmirshers, but find themselves embattled by the 2nd Numidian Exiles they drove off earlier. Pinned by faster cavalry and surrounded by infantry, the elite Carthaginian cavalry find themselves surrounded.
"Defend yourselves!" 6th Sargeant
"We're being surrounded!" 6th Corporal
The Liby-Phoenicians are known as melee cavalry first and foremost for a reason however. Only four of them go down despite being surrounded by foes, and soon the 4th arrives with their precious javelins.
"Shower those skirmirshers with javelins!" 4th Sargeant
"We're under fire!" Skirmirsher Sargeant
The resulting casualties break the skirmirshers.
"We... we can't stand! Retreat!" Skirmirsher Sargeant
"Scratch one for the 4th!" 4th Corporal
The Numidian cavalry fight on grimly, but they haven't reckoned on the 7th, who have come to aid the beleaguered 6th.
"Keep fighting! We can still-" 2nd Numidian Sargeant
"CHHAAAAAARGE!!!" 7th Sargeant
"What?... no..." 2nd Numidian Sargeant
The 7th and 6th between them drive their outnumbered foes off the field. Despite the hopeless situation, the Numidians fight until just nine remain.
"Get back! We'll all be killed!" 2nd Numidian Sargeant
"The cavalry are victorious!" 6th Sargeant
Hamalcar catches up with 1st Maure, but he is quickly driven off.
"Send them to the-" Hamalcar
"GIVE NO QUARTER!!" 1st Maure Sargeant
"Oh screw this, where are the infantry when you need them?!" Chryses
"Probably staying well away from these nutcases! Retreat back, we'll get them later, and at a more opportune time!" Hamalcar
The elites rush after the Maure, but it takes several charges and the deaths of three guards to even slow the 1st down enough for the Elites to get into battle.
"Finally, got y-" 1st Elite Sargeant
"TAKE THEIR BLOOD!" 1st Maure Sargeant
"WHOA!!! These guys aren't messing around!" 1st Elite Sargeant
"..." 1st Elite Corporal
"Adherbal?!! Damn it!" 1st Elite Sargeant
Three elites fall before Hamalcar finally manages to line up a fatal charge.
"Pray to Baal, you'll be meeting him soon enough!" Hamalcar
"RETREAT!!!" 1st Maure Sargeant
The Maure break, ending the battle.
"Gods... the mop up at the end of the battle was harder than the actual battle!" Hamalcar
End Of Battle.
That took forever...
edited 24th Aug '10 4:32:36 PM by GameChainsaw
The term "Great Man" is disturbingly interchangeable with "mass murderer" in history books.
The Shadows Devour You.
Aftermath.
- Carthaginian Losses: 12 men (7%)
- Mauretanian Losses: 217/272 men
- Carthaginians Remaining: 309/321 men
Breakdown (Involved Units)
Hamalcars Guard.
- 69 kills
- 5 lost, 1 healed, 15/19 men remain.
4th Libyan Spearband
- 7 kills.
- No Casualties
1st Elite Libyan Infantry
- 14 kills
- 3 lost, 25/28 men remain
2nd Elite Libyan Infantry
- 4 kills
- 1 lost, 29/30 men remain
6th Liby-Phoenician Cavalry
- 63 kills
- 7 lost, 3 healed, 22/26 men remain
7th Liby-Phoenician Cavalry
- 60 kills
- 3 injured.
- +1 EXP
Awards.
- Khorne Award: Hamalcars Guard
- Most Decisive Unit: 6th Liby-Phoenician Cavalry
- Purple Heart Donatee: 6th Liby-Phoenician Cavalry
- Marathon Runner: 1st Elite Liby-Phoenician Infantry
End of Aftermath
Thats all for the moment folks! Any thoughts?
There's still a bit to go before the senate convenes.
edited 24th Aug '10 4:26:39 PM by GameChainsaw
The term "Great Man" is disturbingly interchangeable with "mass murderer" in history books.
I'm Only Sleeping
Pretty awesome.
Would you mind posting a territorial map?
INT is knowing a tomato is a fruit. WIS is knowing it doesn't belong in a fruit salad. CHA is convincing people that it does.
The Shadows Devour You.
Hmm...
Does anyone know how I can take a screenshot of the screen? Obviously I've got a video maker now but that would involve making a five second Youtube video that only contains the battlemap.
Essentially... you know Tunisia and Algeria in Medieval 1 Total War? I've basically taken Tunisia and half of Algeria. Massilia is in the same place as Rome Total War, and I've also taken the Spanish eastern coast and part of the south.
I might just draw up a map in paint. Not the easiest thing to do but what I can do is download a geographic map of Europe and color the bits I control in white, adding dots for the cities.
The term "Great Man" is disturbingly interchangeable with "mass murderer" in history books.
The Shadows Devour You.
Update:
As usual, the simplest solutions are the best. Here's the official site and the map.
Provinces owned by Carthage at present:
Africa
- Zeugitana
- Atiqa
- Syrthim
- Phasania
- Mashiltem
- Numidia
Sicily
- All Provinces.
Islands
- Corsim
- Sardin
- Balaeres
Spain
- Turdetania
- Carpetania
- Bastetania
- Edetania
Gaul
- Greseollra
You can see the positions of the other factions as well.
EDIT: So... yeah, still a long way to go.
edited 25th Aug '10 4:34:51 AM by GameChainsaw
The term "Great Man" is disturbingly interchangeable with "mass murderer" in history books.
I'm Only Sleeping
You could also use Print Screen, I think.
Still, nice progress.
INT is knowing a tomato is a fruit. WIS is knowing it doesn't belong in a fruit salad. CHA is convincing people that it does.
The Battle
Hamalcar reverses the usual Carthaginian strategy of putting his strongest units in the front line, choosing instead to protect his veterans from the worst of the Garamantine attack by putting his militiamen in the front line instead.
"I'll be damned if I'm placing the men I've campaigned with for years and overcome countless difficulties with in the front line of this madness. Let the cowards who ran from the last battle soak up the casualties." Hamalcar
Nice... To disrupt the Garamantine advance, Hamalcar hurls himself towards Zeuxis himself, hoping to kill some of the Numidians and waste the Garamantine javelins.
Zeuxis, meanwhile, is in the centre of his infantry, dividing them down the middle. Unfortunately the infantry close up immediately.
"Damn it! My sword will taste your flesh before this day is out, Zeuxis!" Hamalcar
(Hamalcar withdraws under a hail of Garamantine javelins.)
"So be it... infantry, advance!" Zeuxis
"Time to redeem ourselves men! FOR THE FALLEN!" 2nd Militia Sargeant''
The militia charge out at the Garamantines, giving them no time to properly aim their javelins.
"YEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!!!" Carthaginian Army
"By the Gods, forget the javelins, get up your shields and spears!" Garamantine 1st Sargeant
(The two lines meet, the clashing of shields and screaming of men soon filling the sky.)
Despite their determination the militia begin to struggle, despite some early success.
"Damn it... why won't you just fall back already!" 1st Militia Sargeant
"The Garamantine warriors are far fitter than our men... the longer the fight goes on, the more extreme their advantage gets. Come on, we must reverse the tide!" Hamalcar
Hamalcar spots Zeuxis, who is hovering around the left flank.
"Prepare to die, king of Garama!" Hamalcar
"Curses... prepare yourselves!" Zeuxis
(The light cavalry suffer from a heavy cavalry charge which sends them reeling)
"Your Numidian light cavalry... you scorn us for wearing armour, yet you are pathetically unprepared for the realities of war..." Hamalcar
(ack) "Damn you..." Zeuxis
The Liby-Phoenicians outflank the right Garamantine flank as Zeuxis is cut down in seconds, reversing the events of Hannos battle.
"Pathetic, couldn't even last a minute in melee... did you really think you could oppose the will of our people for long?" Hamalcar
The battle ends before it has truly begun. Despite heavy casualties among the 2nd Penal Militia, many are healed after the battle and only their unit falls below 30 men. As Hamalcar dismembers the skirmirshers and the Liby-Phoenicians break the right flank, the rest of the Garamantine army follows. Half of Zeuxis' army surrenders rather than dying, in what is a complete reversal of Hannos fortunes in the first battle. Only three veterans die in the battle, and two more are injured, but recover.
"Truly, this was a farce of a battle... Hanno clearly did most of the work for me." Hamalcar
edited 8th Aug '10 3:35:56 PM by GameChainsaw
The term "Great Man" is disturbingly interchangeable with "mass murderer" in history books.