In this scenario I will go with Warlord difficulty - I don't want Seleucids to steamroll me in 50BC with bombers
Update 1: The Rise of Rome CARTHAGE!We will make sure that the last lines of this briefings will be entirely untrue! Also as you can see, there is time limit of 250 turns.
These are our possessions. The wealthy ports are Carthage and Lilybaeum. We also have Hippo Regius, Caralis and Leptis, but those are small settlements.
By the way, constructing Wonders is disabled in this game - however, Carthage and Alexandria start with Lighthouse wonder slotted for construction; while Seleucia in the east has slotted Copernicus' Observatory. You change the slot, you lose the chance to construct the wonder permamently.
We also have the settlement of Gades in the Iberia, far to the west. Gades is a sad place at the moment but has a chance to grow into truly splendid city. The only thing about it will be it's sucky, remote location.
Also, of note is the Greece&Asia Minor which I like to dub 'total clusterfuck'. Independent Greeks, Macedonians, Seleucids AND Celts tangled all between each other, with only Macedons have any semblance of continuity there.
Our disputes with Greek city-states (Orange) over Sicily is truly legendary. Syracuse is also a true monstrosity of a fortress, and I don't remember a game where it easily fell into enemy hands.
Our target - Italian peninsula. Romans have Great Wall which makes fighting against them hard.
However, some might remember what I mentioned in earlier playthrough about my modded units:
These guys, coupled with Lighthouse, give us early edge to just toss our Triremes all across the Mediterranean and grab coastal cities. Heraclea, Tarracina, Taras, Delphi, Rhodes and all other ports are vulnerable. Veteran Privateer strikes with 6 Attack; as hard as a Catapult.
We need only to research Astronomy and Navigation, then Privateering. 3 techs. I will try to nab Astronomy from Seleucids, who already have it.
PS: Seleucids weren't interested. Aw.Besides Macedons, there are two other post-Alexander kingdoms; these are Seleucids. See that Mesopotamia? It's gonna be filled with Seleucid cities in about 50 turns. Seleucids in this scenario grow into a very, very powerful faction.
These are Ptolemaic Egyptians. They are not really expansive, but they tend to be buddies with neighbours.
Except Seleucids. They murder each other at trigger value.
Several first turns aren't really intense.
We do get a prompt from Celts. As we aim to plunder Roman ports anyways, I accepted.
After scuttling pair of Triremes and using a Caravan to boost the construction and throwing some cash at the project, we finish the Lighthouse in 275BC. Ptolemaics promptly drop the plans.
Aww ye, the Gades horseman finds scrolls of Republic in an Iberian village. We switch at once.
Also, remember that wealthy Greek Masillia in north Italy? Our allies the Celts murderized its entire garrison
and razed the city to nothingness.
They gonna switch to the Republic.
We have a Consul!
PS: And so do the Romans in the same year.In 269BC, we assasinate a Roman Diplomat that was making his way through Lilybaeum's forest.
266BC and our horseman has a village join our Carthaginian Empire. It's far inside Iberia, and we name it Atium.
In 256BC our diplomatic alliance with Celts is unbearable - they ask for more and more and give nothing! I broke the alliance and signed Cease-fire with Greek city-states, Romans and Macedons; our erstwhile allies promptly declared war on us.
255BC; our Horsemen discover the knowledge of Banking and Feudalism in Iberian villages.
For now let's stop, I need to get to sleep before work tomorrow.