I trust them to keep to the deal for now and march south to double-team the Alemanni. I force-march an army to my border with the Francii, and am able to make peace. Playing politicsĬalling it a warm up, and reckoning that it is not save-scamming if I restart the whole game, I restart the whole game. Within the first ten turns, the Francii take two vulnerable cities in the north while the Roman Pretenders capture valuable Massilia in the south. I have three medium-sized armies in the south of my empire with which to fend them all off. I begin at war with the Francii and the Alemanni in Europe, the Roman Pretenders in Italy, and ready-salted Rome further afield. Their whole eastern border is shared with belligerent barbarians and bitter Roman Pretenders, but their other neighbours are peaceful client states, leading me to conclude that they will offer a good balance of territory and defensibility (the Sassanid Persians are also in a strong position, but their campaign is rated ‘easy’, so they are clearly out).Īs it happens, it is pretty hard to avoid some early losses even as Gallic Rome. Each begins the game with a generous but vulnerable chunk of the former empire, and a big diplomatic penalty with their rivals.Īfter several minutes of calculation, I opt for Gallic Rome, who hold most of modern France (as you would expect). The Divided Roman Empire, for instance, includes Gallic Rome, plain-flavoured Rome, and Palmyra. It also stirs in plagues, banditry, and cults, which are notavailable in Power and Politics.įive overarching cultures are split into ten playable factions. Though owners of the base game can enjoy these new features for free in most of its campaigns, Empire Divided provides purchasers with the perfect scenario in which to do so – it’s a big, tumultuous cauldron, whose bubbling ingredients are a splintering Roman Empire, ascendant rival powers, and hungry barbarian hordes. This adds a weighty sense of consequence to Rome II’s political system. Political parties now control provinces within your empire, and their loyalty to your rule can change – disappoint them enough and they’ll secede, taking these provinces with them. If you aren’t sure whether to splurge on DLC for a four-year old game, the good news is that some of its systemic changes will be available through the free ‘Power and Politics’ patch.

Rome 2 divide et impera tips