Given the way the AI approaches inter-faction dialogue, few options aside from “open warfare” and “brief armistice” exist. Diplomacy is a minor concern at best, thanks to trade income being much less important and the constant need to expand. Unfortunately, the metagame that propelled Total War: Shogun 2 to such great heights is severely dumbed down in Rome II. The overall effect is a big win on every level. In practice, the combination of easier mustering (all troop buildings are active across the entire province they’re in, so no more going all the way back to your capital for reinforcements) and much larger garrison forces results in more huge, awesome battles and fewer tiny armies being shuffled around the map. Making armies only exist under the leadership of a general and sharply limiting your number of leaders sound like problematic changes for Total War on paper. Despite the enormous land area, Creative Assembly has done an excellent job creating chokepoints and other terrain configurations that encourage interesting maneuvering on the strategic map as well. Unifying unrest and economic development at the province level dramatically reduces the number of individual decisions you need to make, while allowing the map to retain its epic scale. This has the dual bonus of simplifying empire management and decreasing the proportion of battles fought across city walls. Each province has one walled capital and one to three non-fortified settlements that can be captured independently. The map is constructed differently in Rome II than in previous titles. This diversity is Rome II’s greatest strength every faction is unique not only because of its starting position but thanks to how it develops, builds, and fights differently. Howling Hunnic hordes descend upon mobile Celtic skirmishers, while Roman legions clash with armored Greeks in deadly melees. Each culture of the era is empowered with its own tech trees, military units, and buildings, giving every group a distinct flavor on and off the battlefield. Greek city-states war constantly with one another over the ruins of Alexander’s empire, Celtic and Iberian tribesmen squabble over the western marches, and nomadic tribesmen build their own kingdoms in the windswept reaches of northern Africa. Both sides of the game are impressive in scale and presentation. When armies clash on the map, the action zooms into a real-time tactical simulation that puts the combatants in a geographically appropriate setting. Total War’s core mission remains the same in Rome II: Conquer your way across a huge map one turn at a time, growing your economy and keeping public unrest low so your people don’t rebel against your rule.
As strong as Rome II’s bid for strategy greatness is, its lack of focus and tendency toward monotony stain its gleaming banners. The spectacle of Roman legions clashing with barbarian hordes in real-time tactical battles is a sight to behold, but unchanging tactics and the occasional dramatic AI or pathfinding bug keep the combat layer from achieving its potential.
For the sheer size that Rome II boasts, managing any empire larger than a medium-sized European country is a Herculean task.
This grand strategy title’s scope is a historic achievement, asking players to lead ancient Rome or another of the era’s powerful factions to hegemony through military force, diplomatic alliances, and the almighty power of money.
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