User:Clyde Miller/Sandbox

This is my Sandbox. I use this as more of a quick access place for stuff I need or a place to rewrite parts of articles. Feel free to look around, just don't put nonsense or vandlize it (or do, I really don't care). If you are here on accident or clicked on the wrong button while using one of my links, the back button is usually in the top left corner. Otherwise you're probably here because I asked you to read something, so have fun.

Factions
There are three playable Roman factions: the Julii, the Brutii, the Scipii, along with the unplayable Senate, although it can be played in the Battle of Asculum, one of the game's historical battles, and in custom battles. The three factions start out allied to each other and the Senate, and may not attack each other. Each Roman faction can also view the others' map information without fog of war, a benefit not accorded to any other alliance. Even after the inevitable civil war, all Roman units are visible to a Roman player.

All three factions receive missions from the Senate, which are non-compulsory. However, the completion of Senate missions will increase the player's standing with the Senate, and possibly reward the player with rare and exotic units such as elephants, or standard units like triarii. Players in good standing with the Senate will receive progressively greater rewards for completing missions. Failure to complete missions reduces the player's standing with the Senate, and the Senate may demand that future missions are completed or else a penalty will be incurred. In extreme situations, the army of the Senate may declare war on the faction that isn't following its orders, a move the other Roman factions will soon copy.The senate can also ask you to leave an allied territory,usually within a few turns.

In addition to Senate standing, Roman factions must keep an eye on their popular standing within the Roman world. In general, popular standing tends to increase as a faction gains more territory; the public likes a conqueror. However, the Senate will get worried when a faction accumulates too much power. At a certain point, the Senate will request that the player's faction leader commit suicide. As with any Senate demand, the faction may accept or ignore—if it accepts, the faction leader dies and the heir becomes the new faction leader, giving the faction a few more years of Senate toleration before the demand is repeated. If the demand is ignored, the Roman factions are plunged into civil war. The player may also initiate a civil war once his popular standing is high enough by simply attacking another Roman faction. When playing as a non-Roman faction, the Roman civil war does not occur, unless the game files are altered.

The game simulates the reforms of Gaius Marius, which take place when the players capital city becomes a huge city. (rather than the historical time of 107 B.C.). Prior to the reforms, the army is made in the traditional hastati-principes-triarii model. After the reforms the army is made up of the famous legions, and better cavalry and ranged units are unlocked, and can do formations such as the testudo

Barbarian factions have both distinct advantages and disadvantages. Unlike "civilized" factions, they cannot build stone walls, nor roads better than basic ruts, which inhibits their strategic movement. More importantly, their technology is limited to only three city levels, as opposed to five for civilized factions. Thus they tend to research their most advanced units quicker than other factions. There are a total of six Barbarian factions: Gaul, Britannia, Germania, Spain, Dacia, and Scythia

ImageHellenicphalanx.JPG|thumb|Phalanx Formation

The Greek factions are located in or near the eastern Mediterranean Sea, mainly on the Balkan peninsula and around Anatolia and also in modern Turkey. Greek armies tend to focus on extremely strong infantry which utilize the superior phalanx formation at the expense of other forms of infantry, cavalry, and archers. The Greek factions are the Greek Cities, Macedon, the Seleucid Empire, and the Greco-Barbariac Thrace.

Egypt troops tend to be lightly armored due to the climate of the area. While historically the armies of Egypt should be quite similar to those of the Macedonian factions (consisting mainly of phalanx troops along with light cavalry), the Egyptian army consists of large units of axemen, bowmen, phalanx spearmen and various types of chariots. In the game Egypt's location begins in today's Egypt, Israel, Lebanon and Cyprus. To the west are Carthage and Numidia. Carthage has a variety of units which include a good mixture of infantry, high-quality cavalry and powerful elephants, and Numidia has fast mounted and dismounted skirmisher units, as well as some light spear-armed infantry.

ImageElephantsrometotalwar.jpg|thumb|200px||Carthaginian war elephants attack

The Eastern factions represent the major states of the Middle East not ruled by the Diadochi (Alexander the Great's successors). Their armies tend to heavily rely on high-quality cavalry, and sometimes evidence some Greek influence due to Alexander the Great's recent conquest of the area (which occurred some 50 years prior to the start of the game).


 * Parthia's (unlockable) specialty lies with mounted units, such as Persian cavalry, and the horse archer. While its cavalry is extremely powerful, it has virtually no infantry of value, which can make sieges difficult. Historically, the Parthians inhabited central Asia east of the Caspian Sea. In the game, they still do, but also start with territory north of the sea in Asia. However, their borders rarely expand and are under constant attack by Egypt, Armenia, the Seulucid empire and Pontus. Ironically, while the introductory cutscene for Parthia emphasizes their potential for wealth, the first few turns prove very difficult financially for them.


 * Armenia (non-playable), like Parthia, focuses mainly on cavalry. Armenia is the only faction with cataphract archers and Eastern heavy infantry, the latter being comparable to the Macedonian phalanx. They also have their own copies of Roman legionaries. The Armenian territory is located in the mountains of what is today Armenia, Georgia and eastern Turkey.


 * Pontus (non-playable) is a Greco-Eastern faction, with Greek names and the Greek gods. Troops include fast-moving, javelin-armed cavalry as well as phalanx troops and chariots. In the game, Pontus starts in the north and east Asia Minor, with historical Greek colonies.

Rebels
The Rebels are a unique faction. Rebels can be informally divided into three groups based on how they operate on the campaign map: Brigands and Pirates, Deserters and Freed Slaves, or Independent Kingdoms and Rebel Cities.


 * Brigands and Pirates will attack and rob factions for money in one or more ways. Brigands will sit on roads, blocking trade and ambushing armies that walk by. Pirates will attempt to cut sea-trade routes and blockade ports. Brigands and Pirates will grow in strength if they are allowed to roam freely, and may threaten important armies or generals if not destroyed quickly.


 * Deserters and Freed Slaves are any troops or slaves previously belonging to a faction who abandon their homes. They tend to hide out in the countryside and do not usually rob factions for money, although this is not a rule. Freed slaves usually consist of large numbers of peasant units, along with some basic paramilitary or quasi-military fighting units such as gladiators or town-watchmen. Deserters tend to be more dangerous and well-organized, with many professional military units; they move in formation and are not quick to flee or back down when threatened. Sometimes, Deserters may be led by a Rebel General, a non-faction member military leader. When one is present, Deserter armies can be larger and more dangerous than those lacking such leaders, and may sometimes attempt to capture cities.


 * Independent Kingdoms and Rebel Cities are Rebel-faction cities, and the only differences between them are their origin and their military capabilities. Independent kingdoms are independent, non-faction cities which have existed independently since the beginning of the game and have never been conquered. They usually have some very basic military units like Militia Hoplites or Town Watch, although if left unconquered, they may grow and develop a stronger military presence. Examples of Independent Kingdoms are Athens in Greece, Byzantium (later renamed Constantinople after becoming the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire) and Tara, a town in Hibernia (Ireland). Rebel cities, on the other hand, are cities which once were run by a faction, but which have revolted and come under their own management. The numbers and quality of the troops spawned through a revolt depends on the size of the settlement and the level of buildings present. For example, a Huge City will spawn more rebel troops of a better quality than Towns or Large Towns.


 * Amazon Rebels are exclusively situated in the province of Hyperboria, located somewhere in modern Russia near Scandinavia which, in the game, is located far to the north and is difficult to reach due to surrounding trees and a small, "secret" gap bordering the northern edge of the map. They have their own very powerful unique units, including Amazon chariots and gigantic war elephants called "Yubtseb" ("bestbuy" backwards).


 * The Gladiator Uprising are units independent of region/location and may appear in revolting settlements that have an Arena building or above. Gladiator Uprising armies are composed mainly of gladiator units and are noticeably more difficult to defeat in comparison with standard Rebel armies. An example of a historical gladiator uprising would be that of Spartacus.


 * Judean Zealots are units that are created whenever Jerusalem revolts against the faction that rules it. They are good all-around infantry with high morale. This, combined with the fact that Jerusalem is often a large city with good defences and that they are spawned in quite considerable numbers, can make suppressing the uprising very difficult if there are no powerful armies nearby.


 * Helot Uprising is a group of rebel slaves that overthrow Sparta, generally having high morale.