The mod makers nitpick every detail and the changes result in a stronger Rome and Seleucia and even weaker minor nations, but if you are a hardcore history nut, they add an extra layer of realism.Įgypt is a concentrated power, exerting full control over the northern Nile and east to Jerusalem, but the Seleucids keep them in check there. Thankfully, there are mods, such as one titled Vae Victis, that work tirelessly to make everything, including start positions, as accurate as possible. Speaking of changes for gameplay, 272 was about as perfect of a start as you could get, but the developers still made multiple changes for game balance, as an enjoyable game takes preference over history. Getting Gauls to invade Mesopotamia is what Total War Games are meant for Galatia is a unique Gallic region surrounded by Hellenic factions. The Seleucids are smaller than their glory days, but primed for reexpansion, especially into Mesopotamia. The Seleucid Empire was crumbling during this period, although it should be noted that regions like Persia and the beginnings of the Parthian Empire were not quite separate entities by 272 but the game does put them in a little early, one of the historical changes for start positions. In the east things seem quite unbalanced with the Egyptian (Ptolemaic Empire) and Seleucid Empires, but one can see that these factions are primed to fall. They certainly can build an empire, but it’s far from guaranteed Rome doesn’t even control all of Italy at the start of the game. Italy can be easily invaded by sea if players don’t have a solid naval defense and a push to the Alps can leave Rome undefended. Carthage is present, but the Romans can’t simply dive into the Punic Wars without building their base of power. The only problem is their looming northern neighbors, the Etruscans who present an early challenge to the Romans trying to push northward to secure the rest of the peninsula. none of the factions have an obvious advantage just looking at this map. This ingame map couldn’t even zoom out far enough to show the entire scope of the campaign. All of central and southern Italy was theirs. In 272, the Romans had finally kicked Pyrrhus of Epirus out of Italy and subjugated the Samnites of the southern and central Apennines. The most important aspect of this start date is that Rome is completely primed to become the dominant power in the western Mediterranean, but they are far from the most powerful and quite vulnerable. At the start of Rome, specifically the larger scale Rome II, there are limitless options and few outcomes would be surprising.Ģ72 BCE is the chosen date for Rome II’s main campaign that has a map that spans from Scotland to the western fringes of India. Most historical eras in Europe had at least one dominant power, From Persia in its various forms to the Roman Empire. One thing the Rome games do perfectly is to start the player in the absolute best time period for nearly any type of scenario to happen.

Rome 2 won t start