Mare Nostrum: Expansion into the the Mediterranean, the Beggining

[MediterraneanFox]

New campaign idea with map.

[MediterraneanFox]

This would be the ideas for this mod. If someone is interested in making it work, that would be great. It could be called Mare Nostrum ("Our Sea" or if you have a neater name). Why? Because the main story would be the Carthaginian and Roman factions fighting for dominace of the western Mediterranean and by extension the whole area of the sea. Carthage almost stopped Rome, it could have gone either way. Though the other areas are not left out either and more regions have been added to empty spots for a better campaign experience from any location. This map has a total of 139 regions.
Greece area has been uncramped (was too tight before) other parts too (segestica). Greece has been kept as a single faction representing spread of greek culture (Gauls, Illyria, Hispania and Lybia too). To my opinion having single Massalia or Sparta faction for example growing bigger wouldnt even look quite right since they didnt do anything like that in real history (taking into account the size of the regions in the game). Sparta can be rebels with 3 spartan units and supporting units. Maybe greeks grow from Pergamom, its the least isolated and has rebels next to it and they are the only ones that grew somewhat out of these greek cities.
Roman factions: SPQR, Julii, Brutii, Scipiones.
Carthaginian faction: Carthage, Barcids(in Spain), Magonids(in Africa), Giscos(islands off Carthage). Giscos get 3 regions since they have a tougher starting location (fun campaign with them I guess).

The Carthaginian territiories in Spain were pretty much a personal empire of the Barcids. So this is not completely ahistorical. Also the way Carthage is shaped is too outstreched, it should play alot more interestingly like this. The capitals for these factions would be: Malaka(Barcids), Lilybaem(Giscos), and Thapsus(Magonids).
Where Romes troops are mostly the same Carthages would be more varied. After the town watch level of troops: Barcids can have Iberian infantry and then Scutary; Magonids Lybian spearmen and then African Infantry (apparently these were some of the better troops Carthage had, ie Hannibal in Rome); Giscos can have the actual punic troops that Cathage used in Sicily before losing too many of them, ie Poeni spearmen and then Poeni phalanx.
The game mechanics should make it so Carthaginian factions are wealthier to some degree but Romes troops would be stronger to some degree (these would be the balancing counter characteristics).
As a Carthaginian faction the Senate in Carthage can award you troops from the other family factions and mercenaries not in your regions and elephants once in a while of course.

After Carthage or Rome defeat each other either can develop into a civil war later on. This is actually one of the reaons Carthage didnt fully support Hannibal in Rome unitl later when they endorsed sending his brother to Rome aswell. They feared he could become too poular and strong and declare himself emperor. Before the lead up to the civil war rome can demand the otehr 5 cities in Italy and declare them senatorial provinces and your troops would no longer be allowed on that territory. Just like Caesar wasnt when he crossed the Rubicon. In the civil war the SPQR would be stronger with several regions. Carthage likewise can demand territories to turn them senatorial. For Carthage it would take Byzacium Tripolitania Sardinia and Cosrsica and Hispania and Baliares and turn them senatorial, likewise at this point the other Carthaginian family factions would not be allowed to enter these territories with any of their military forces. If these regions or not available for any reason Carthage would take an alternate region instead, Rome likewise. In the standard course of events Scipiones would not lose Mesana and Giscos would not lose Lilybaem to the senates. They get a little luckier but also they have the tougher starting position with Giscos in front of Rome but Scipiones facing the Carthage capital and Magonids alone if he advances then large distances in Africa and mighty Egypt at the end.
Factions of the Campaign: Nabataea--Parthia--Seleucid Empire--Armenia--Pontus--Scythia--Sarmatia--Dacia--Thrace--Macedonia--Greek Cities--Illyria--Gothic Germans--Suebi Germans--Gaul--Belgica--Brigantia--Hispania--Lusitania--Julii--SPQR--Scipiones--Brutii--Carthage--Barcids--Giscos--Magonids--Numidia--Lybia--Egypt--Slaves.
Map expanded enough north to give a better shape to British isle juteland and Baltic coast. Thebais has been made longer by extension the rest of Africa too. And map has been expanded some east to include the whole Caspian Sea and some of the PersianGulf. This should be good enough thats where the population density in Iran ends and thats where Parthia is after that its wide desert areas and they are not really necessary and India Gupta Empire is overthere too(so lets not even mess with that in the game haha). These dimensions also place Greeks squarely in the middle so thats great also. Some name changes to some regions; note on Judea, it was actually called Palestine, not trying to be political there though. Inside Palestine there was smaller subdivison regions of which Judea was one of them. But the whole area was called palestine on the map.

This would basically be like the Vanilla Rome game but with a few more factions regions and little differences here and there. Maybe somehting like this should have been Rome 2. Rome 2 actually felt like it was a mod for something else. Probably the main game should always be of a vanilla type and leave the tools and complexity to the modding as an extra (if the main game is a mod, not everyone might like it). This way the main game can focus on the fun and playabilty and likeability of the game to a wider audience.
More cultures in the game: Roman, Punic(Carthaginians), Celtic(Gauls, Lusitania, Belgica, Brigantia), Greek, Illyrian, Thracian(Thrace, Dacia), Scythian(Scythia, Sarmatia), German, Iberian (Hispania), Berber(Numidia, Lybia), Eastern, Arab(Nubataea), Egyptian.
2 factions have been added to very empty areas. Nubataea and Illyria. Carthage and 5 other factions have been split. Scythia and Sarmatia. Germans in Suebi and Gothics. Spain in Hispania and Lusitania. Numidia and Lybia. And Britons in Belgica and Brigantia. Brigantia would add more balace to that side of the map. Belgica was actually the stronger power in that region. And Brittons were not invading Europe 2000 years ago, peole were landing on the Brtitish island instead. The Belgics would be considered celtic but with lots of german looking units, so it could be a faction half way between german and celtic.
The variance in culture can make for more unique styles of settlement. For example the scythians can have tent towns and then a big tent city when they reach minor city level instead of it looking the same as barbarian from the old game. I know they were unsettled nomads but for simplicities sake, since the game is based on regions with a central settlement. Egyptian would still be egyptian, they look interesting like that, or they could look like an egyptian-greek mix but still look unique.
Perhaps the capital of the factions can have "capital funds" or "capital taxes". A sort of additional money like the kings purse but not as drastic. Since capitals always attract more money and make more money somehow. $1200 for civilized factions, $800 for barbarian and berber arab factions, $400 for poor scythian nomad factions. This can help pay general wages when down to a single region for example. And since barbarian and nomad lands would make less money their wages and troops upkeep could be a little lower also. To represent rich nations with high wages and poorer nations with lower wages. For example a civilized generals wage could be $200, a barbarian generals wage could be $150, and a nomad generals wage could be $100. Or even $200, $100, and $50 respectively, cutting by half each time.

Maybe nomads income can be only trade and herding. herding would be the combined income of what "taxes and farming is". Since they are nomads and the animals would count as if it was the money for them. The animals are their wealth, since they invest their time in rearing their animals and almost all their food and materials come from the animals. Dont know how doable this is in a mod and how well it would work out, but its an idea.
Also bringing back the round and square cities would be great. It was Romes unique style of differentiating between those 2 types of settlement. Perhaps a third shape could be added. A square settlement but with rounded edges. For civilizations getting contruction influence from more advanced factions. Like Numidians and Iberians for example, Probaly Nabateans and Thracians would be like this too. Their maximum city would be a minor city still, but square chaped with rounded edges and the minor city stone wall. Like hitorically Numidia had cities but they were small in size, and the Iberians were constructed houses made with stone in the square shape due to greek and phoenician influence. Some factions like Gauls could be added the round stone wall with mud surface, this will be added to the minor city level.
User frienly features could be added to the game. Features that dont add complicated management but work automatically. For example the green moving zone when moving armies and agents. In deserts it could show you are entering a red moving zone and movement points is cut down to half(or 66%) and maybe lose 1-2% of troops every turn. Civilized ai would avoid desert. Moving zone can show yellow for crossing swamps and rocky mountain paths, movement points can be half(or 66%) awell but no troop losses like the desert. Desert factions would have 75-90% movement points in the desert or maybe unaffected. Also if the 4 seasons were in the game it would be interesting. In the winter a general snowfrost can appear in the north and many areas would have white areas with snow storms. You can lose a certain percentage of troops if they are not in a fort or in a settlement during a snow storm, and lose a higher percentage still in a snow storm in a rocky mountain path. Winter and snowstorms can sometimes come early in the fall season to certain areas ie Northeastern Europe and Mountains. And summer time would make you lose even more troops in the desert and increase exhaustion time in general for battles.

The building of forts could include new features. Depending on cultures you can upgrade their walls and then to stone walled fortreses perhaps after a certain number of turns that the fort exists in the field you can upgrade it. If you vacate it a countdown starts from 4 or so turns for it to disappear unless you occupy it again, otherwise the locals take the materials away, also enemy factions can ocupy you abandoned fort. The first level simple wooden fort does still disappear after 1 turn tho. Romans can upgrade fort to colony only in their own territory, they would require a peasant unit and the unit dissapears after the upgrade is made. This would increase the roman cultural conversion of the region. greeks and Phonecians can build colony ports on coasts by upgrading a fort on it(a unit of peasants is required). But a trading colony would only be like a "type" of fort you cannot build more multiple buildings on it. It increases your cultural conversion in the region but adds a little to the trade income of the owner of that region and to you but you always need 1 unit there atleast. So those occupied nations might allow your colonyports to stay but it could be risky to you aswell if your nations become hostile. Colony ports would not increase trangression, it would be neutral since it adds to trade and trade benefits both sides.
This map ceratainly does not add alot more regions(only 32 more), to keep the vanilla feel. But the open space and upgrading of forts could make it more interesting.
Am not a modder myself tho. Just somewhat artistic and creative. Hope others like this idea and take it and make it work. Its yours to improve. Though I really would like to see the same map. Apparently faction limit is getting raised to 31 so the number of factions should be no problem soon.
What do you think? Would this be a great game? Do you like the map idea and factions?

[MediterraneanFox]

small change made on map.