Attila: Total War ( The Last Roman campaign DLC, 25 June)

Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you:

No adverts like this in the forums anymore.
Times and dates in your local timezone.
Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance.
Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely.
Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net.

If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

**Shadow Captain Edithae**

HiveFleetPlastic wrote:
They still haven't fixed Rome 2 and they're charging money for a new one..?

I almost never regret buying games, but I am still quite angry about Rome 2 because a friend bought it to play with me and the cooperative campaign was unplayable due to campaign desyncs.

Out of morbid curiousity, does this new one still have the exact same issue?

Get the Radious Total Overhaul Mod then. I got Rome 2 a year after release (shortly before the Emperor Edition) and installed the overhaul mod immediately. What few bugs remained were fixed by Radious. I've never played Vanilla Rome 2, or noticed any serious issues after installing the mod. The lack of proper family and skill trees aside, Rome 2 (modded) is my favourite entry in the series (it would be Shogun 2 if I didn't prefer the Roman period).

**Col. Dash**

Kinda off topic, I was going to buy Rome 2 last night since I figured Atilla was coming out so Rome 2 would be reduced in price as an older game. Well that didn't happen as it cost as much as a new game still, so I looked up Medievil 2 since it was relatively cheap and I heard there were interesting mods. How do you load the mods and where do you find them? I expected a Steam Workshop type of thing to pick and choose and that doesn't exist.

**Asadjud**

It's just terrible. Game crashes all the time

**nels1031**

Aside from the one Ostrogoth bug I ran into that I mentioned earlier, it runs like a champ for me.

**Trondheim**

Asadjud wrote:
It's just terrible. Game crashes all the time

Really? Has not happend to me yet, and I have sunk a "few" hours into it as of today. The only thing that irks me with the game is that the AI seems a bit passive. I would really liked it to be more offensive and react to things I do than just sit around waiting for my armies to roll up.

**Shadow Captain Edithae**

Thought the AI was a bit incompetent. (I wiped out the Visigoths and 2 of the three Hunnic hordes by turn 7 as the ERE).

Then remembered I'd set the campaign difficulty to easy.

Though I do notice that the AI has a tendency to send cavalry straight into the front of my spearmen. They do attempt to flank my line, but if I maneuver spear units on my flanks to counter, they'll just charge them in the front.

The Huns were surprisingly easy to deal with.

**Asadjud**

Read on the forum CA that apart from the usual problems they have more on russian localization. Switched to english and played for about 10 hours with almost no problems. Sanctions?

Eastern camel riders do magic with hunns )

**Trondheim**

Asadjud wrote:
Read on the forum CA that apart from the usual problems they have more on russian localization. Switched to english and played for about 10 hours with almost no problems. Sanctions?
Eastern camel riders do magic with hunns )

Would not be suprised,

**nels1031**

Ditched Western Rome and started as the Huns. Its pretty fun, although the AI on tribute states is frustrating. They should have an agent that you can deploy to keep them in check. As it stands now, I have to pay them off or come back and suppress them when they rebel, which seems counter intuitive. I guess its realistic, but it gets frustrating.

Going to try to make an entire army of Unnigarde, which are Hun horse archers that can guerrilla deploy and snipe undetected... in addition to a brevy of other abilities. Its gonna be expensive but will be tons of fun.

Has anyone gotten to Attila maturing to adulthood? It takes forever! Didn't get to it as Western Rome, as it seemed to take forever, with all the other issues that faction faces the Huns were my least worry, oddly enough. As the Huns I'm 8 years(30ish turns?) away after a few play throughs. Is it world shattering like when the Mongols and Timurids invade in Medieval 2? Or do you get just a high level general with additional abilities? Hoping for the former.

**Shadow Captain Edithae**

Currently about 40 turns into an Eastern Roman campaign.

My economy is so strong, that I felt comfortable enough to send two full strength legions (one led by my Emperor) to Italy to hunt down the various invading barbarian hordes. The Ostrogoths and Vandals got as far as Ravenna before I destroyed them.

So far I've destroyed the...

Quadians.
Vandals.
Visigoths.
Ostrogoths.
Lazgyes.
Alans.
Roxolanni.
And several other minor factions.

I came very close to destroying the Huns, when they sent two hordes of light cav very early on in a suical attack on Thracia. The last horde sued for peace, and is now headed for east Germania in the far north. Oh, and Attila has just been born.

The West Romans legions are too buys relaxing in sunny Spain to lift a finger in defense of Italy.

The Sassanids have only just now ended our non-agression pact, so I've raised two more full legions on the border in Osreone, and recalled one of the two legions in Italy back to Thracia. My Emperor is now on his own, guarding Rome and Ravenna.

**nels1031**

So Attila just becomes a recruitable general at age 16. I promptly got him killed 3 turns later. Reloaded and now he's 18 and has a few wins under his belt.

Sassanids are tough nuts to crack with my all horse archer armies. I regrouped after getting my expeditionary armies smacked around, and did a two prong attack, of 3 full stack Armies in each prong, from the Caucasus and from southern Turkey. With my Eastern Roman allies, I busted them (and their vassals) wide open and currently have their capital under siege. Everything that was on the way was Razed. Once I hit the furthest eastern reaches of the map, I'm going to send my armies back and betray my Eastern Roman allies, sweeping into Turkey and across Africa. By then I should also have enough population for two more armies to be raised. I'll send those two back up into the Steppes to wipe out whatever remains of my puppet states that betrayed me. Going to Raze the entire map!

I also scored Attila an Irish wife, of all things during a non-aggression agreement. I love this game!

**nels1031**

Longbeards Culture Pack:

Delayed until 5 March, along with the update:

About This Content
Total War™: ATTILA – Longbeards Culture Pack

About the DLC:
The Longbeards Culture Pack brings three new playable factions to Total War™: ATTILA. The Langobards, the Burgundians and the Alamans may be used in Single or Multiplayer Campaign modes and Custom and Multiplayer battles.

After centuries facing the threat of Roman dominance, these three formidable and warlike Germanic kingdoms are ready at last to sweep forth in expansionist campaigns from their tribal homelands. The Western Roman Empire lies to the South, her border territories weak and ripe for the plunder. With their unique blend of new buildings, battlefield units and faction traits, The Longbeards are poised to exploit the chaos of the age.

In history, these factions would go on to found some of the great empires of the medieval period. Will you marshal their might to forge those empires yourself?

Cultural trait (Barbarian Kingdoms)
New Kingdoms: Building conversion rate -50%

Unique narrative event-chain: The Lay Of Ybor
Playing as these factions will present you with a new series of linked narrative events. The Lay Of Ybor is delivered in the style of a Germanic Saga, in which you direct the actions of a fabled hero through a series of branching narrative choices. As the story draws to its conclusion, Ybor himself becomes available as a general for your armies, complete with traits that mirror the choices you made.

Unique Faction Traits
These factions bear unique traits which differentiate their play-style in the Total War™: ATTILA Grand Campaign.

The Burgundians: Bred For The Hunt
Icy Determination: +10% unit replenishment
Harsh Sustenance: +15 food for every region with poor fertility

The Alamans: Germanic Unity
Frontiersmen: 15% increased melee attack versus romans.
Royal Splendour: +50% to general’s radius of influence in battle.

The langobards: Godan’s Chosen
Emancipators: Number of men recruited from defeated enemy forces is doubled.
The Fury of Our Maker’s Hand: +10% unit morale when fighting armies of other religions.

Unique mission objectives
Players waging a campaign with the Langobards, Burgundians or Alamans will receive a unique series of mission objectives over the course of the campaign. Among these is a new optional objective which offers you a substantial injection of wealth to abandon your settlements and become a true migratory faction.

Unique units
Complementing the Germanic barbarian unit roster, The Burgundians, Langobards and Alamans each have access to a number of unique units in battle:

Burgundians
• Barbed Skirmishers
• Barbed Javelinmen
• Scattershot Hurlers
• Elite Scattershot Slingers
• Burgundian Mounted Axemen
• Barbed Lancers
• Royal Lancers
• Burgundian Axemen
• War Hounds

Alamans
• Bejewelled Nobles
• Scavenger
• Alamannic Scavengers
• Elite Alamannic Scavengers
• Chnodomar's Raiders
• Protectores Defectors
• Captured Cheiroballistra

Langobards
• Young Wolves
• Godansmen
• Godan's Chosen
• Horse Hewers
• Horse Slayers
• Langobard Clubmen
• Scaled Clubmen

Unique buildings

Burgundians
• New ‘Curing’ building chain: Curing Shack -> Smokeshed -> Salt Warehouse

Alamans
• Court of Countless Kings: level 5 upgrade to Hall of Elders
• New ‘Gem’ building chain: Gem Deposit -> Gem Cutter -> Gem Setter -> Gem Connoisseur

Langobards
• New ‘Freedman’ building chain: Emancipation Ground -> Freedman Commune
• Beheading Copse
• Court of Godan’s Dance

New Ancillaries
The Longbeards Culture pack features several new ancillaries with which to bolster the skills and abilities of your campaign’s key characters:

• Pforzen Buckle: Siege defence bonus.
• Sacrificial Dagger: Cheaper religious buildings and stronger religious influence
• Godan’s Inspirer: Increases damage and melee skill at the expense of armour
• Benevolent Swindler: Increases money gained from embezzlement.

Faction history

Burgundians
Although occupying the eastern part of central Europe in AD98 and surrounded by other tribal societies, archaeological and linguistic evidence suggests that the Burgundii originated on the Baltic Sea island of Bornholm. By the first century AD however, the Burgundii were active in mainland Europe. As the centuries progressed, they solidified their position as a power in the north and east of the continent. Although defeated by the Romans and surrounded by enemies, as the 4th century begins and the authority of the Western Roman Empire wanes, many tribes have pushed further into former imperial territory. As such the Burgundii now have the chance to move across The Rhine and take their rightful place there – in a world free from the shackles of Imperial Rome!

Alamans
As the spirited successors of the Suebi the Alemanni intend to forge a new life for their people away from the nomadic terror of the Huns and their ilk. Regarding themselves as Rome’s nemesis despite several defeats – notably at the battle of Lake Benacus – they have nevertheless stripped the empire of much of its western territory and have the collective will to carry on the fight. Led by a tribal confederation of greater and lesser kings, princes and chiefs who claim royal blood, the Alemanni levy a diverse range of Germanic troops to fight for them. Their destiny, however troubled, lies in greatness beyond The Rhine; their tenacity and sheer bloody-minded determination will see their ambition realised!

Langobards
When the small yet noble Winili tribe faced the vandals, their god Godan declared he would give victory to the tribe he saw first on the day of battle. Seeing the Winili with their women warriors, he asked “who are these long beards?” and awarded them victory. The tribe were from then on known as the Langobardi. Now they live along the river Elbe, far from their roots. Led by their king, who shares power with his people wherever possible, they are a determined tribe who have weathered many storms to achieve greatness. Langobardi history is marked by struggle and bloody conflict, and their future doubtless holds more of the same. Yet the Longobardi will emerge victorious, with renewed strength, to face anything the gods can throw at them!

**Asadjud**

Just finished playing Western Roman Empire with returning to Roman paganism.
WOW! That was the hardest campaign that i have played for whole Total War series!

**Shadow Captain Edithae**

I'm about 115 turns in (probably halfway) through an Eastern Roman campaign. Damn I love this faction. They have their gak together from the very beginning with a strong economy, unlike the West Romans. Very early on I built up several legions to drive out the various Gothic hordes. I was so successful, that I felt secure enough to dispatch my Emperor to Italy. He spent 10 years defending northern Italy against invading hordes (the West Romans were preoccupied with defending Africa and Hispania).

Very early on in the campaign I was able to destroy the Ostrogoths, Visigoths, Vandals, Alan's etc. I sent legions north into Dacia on punitive raids against hostile tribes, razing their cities and wiping them out. Dacia is now a huge wasteland acting as a buffer zone on my northern border (Thracia).

Very VERY early on in the campaign (turn 20 or so), the Huns made a suicidal attack on Thracia. They're surprisingly weak in the early game, just hordes of fragile light cavalry. Easy to deal with as Romans using defensive testudo and massed archery. They sued for peace, and left me alone for a LONG time (100 turns).

I was able to use diplomacy and politics to maintain with the Sassanids for a long time, (~80 turns). We even traded, to my great benefit. But I saw the bring signs, and was able to recruit two legions on their border before they declared war. When war broke out, my Emperor had to abandon Italy and he marched east with another 3 legions. I overwhelmed the Sassanids and destroyed in 20 turns or so, razing huge swathes of territory (I wasn't sure I could defend it and didn't to overextended the borders of my empire). I cowed the puppet states/satrapies into submission (by razing cities) until I was able to obtain non aggression pacts and trade agreements. Now I just have one full legion, and a couple small garrison armies which I occasionally use to beat into submission any eastern factions that become hostile (Parthia, which I destroyed, and now Makran is getting hostile).

I sent my Emperor and the rest of my legions west, to reconquer parts of the western empire which fell around 400AD (it's now 424AD). I now hold most of Italy, pannonia, dalmatia and the islands west of Italy. I now have my eye on Africa, which is very fertile. (Fertility is now becoming a problem with climate change).

One thing that I really like regarding the Romans in Atilla as opposed to Barbarian Invasion expansion for Rome 1, is that when western Roman Empire falls, the west Romans don't just vanish completely. The western fragments into series of rival roman empires. Septimania holds the south coast of Gaul. Hispania holds northern Spain. Gaul holds a small territory in central Gaul. Western separatist s held the islands (which I've just taken). Britain holds cornwall.

It gives you the opportunity to fight other romans even after the west empire is long dead, which is something which happened a lot historically, with east and west. The Septimanians tried to invade Neaoplis but I slaughtered them, used a navy to mop up the survivors (artillery ships are OP) and they sued for peace.

Attila has just taken control of the Huns about 20 turns ago, and appears to be invading Germania. The rest of the Huns are raiding Illyria, which is worrying as its right on my north west border. And they appear to be much dangerous now, lots of high tier medium and heavy infantry and cavalry.

**nels1031**

New campaign!

Creative Assembly have announced a new campaign DLC pack for Total War: Attila today, dubbed ‘The Last Roman’.

It’s all about the campaigns and conquests of the Roman general Belisarius, based 150 years after the start of the main Total War: Attila campaign. The Western Roman Empire has fallen, but the Eastern Empire is just about holding on; and Emperor Justinian has sent his man Belisarius to sort out the Vandals in North Africa.

Ultimately, Belisarius re-captured vast amounts of former Roman territory and came close to re-forming the old empire.

The campaign map for The Last Roman is said to be “almost as big” as the main Attila one, but focused purely on Africa, Italy, Spain and France.

The title itself, ‘The Last Roman’ was given to both Belisarius and his Emperor, Justinian, as a retrospective admission that this is really the last great Roman era in history. From this point onwards, the Eastern Roman Empire begins to be talked of as the Byzantine Empire instead, ushering in what is popularly known as the medieval period.

In the expansion, Belisarius’ group will act as an ‘expedition,’ which is described as being a bit like the ‘horde’ in the main Attila campaign. However, there are substantial differences too. Occupying a region will allow it to be re-claimed and re-taken for the Roman Empire. You also have the option to break off from the Roman Empire (and history,) settle down and declare yourself to be a kingdom.

There will also be an option to use diplomacy to re-form the Western Roman Empire (if certain unspecified conditions are met.)

Belisarius’ chaps will obviously be one playable faction in this campaign. Four others are mentioned in passing (not by name, just by number) in the video below. Skip to around 1:40 if you want to get straight to the Last Roman section.

The expansion is due for release on 25 June. I didn’t catch a price being mentioned in the video, but similar campaign efforts for Rome 2 were in the $15.00 USD range.