Rome?

[Gav]

Or should that be Rome!

Has anyone seen this? It was supposed to debut on HBO last night. Details are sketchy, but it's supposed to be on BBC2 soon.

If you did see it - what did you think?

The makers have reputedly gone for a 'realistic' gritty feel - rather than the the more sanitised hollywood one. I admit I've been waiting for this one for a while and, as I've just finished reading several ancient history books, I am very curious about its look and feel.

[swordwench]

The wait is finally over! I loved it. Nice grittiness, Rome from both the upper and lower class angles. Good use of woad. Very nice shield wall scene - movement of soldiers on cue to keep the battle flowing, with lots of stabbing above and below the wall with short swords. Quite realistic in tactics. I found the break in the shield wall is a very TENSE moment in the episode. And Vercingetorix's kissing of the eagle standard is heart-wrenching. Bloody Romans.

Ciaran Hinds makes a wonderful Caesar. Complex, tired, strong, but with such anger and other emotion just rumbling up below the surface. You expect him to just blow one of these days. James Purefoy as Marc Antony - well, what can't that man do? Despicable senators, lead female characters that are all nastiness and intrigue, sex and violence galore.

The use of Titus Pullo and Lucius Vorenus as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern-type characters really works! Creepy little Octavian explaining the political landscape to these two is absolutely hysterical.

Oh, and Brutus looks suspiciously like a Vulcan. Et tu?

[Iwant2bafencer]

I missed it. Any idea if they'll replay it before the next one?

[LUDICROUS]

What is this? a tv show? Fill me in.


If you like that stuff, go play Rome: Total War.

You can even have a gaulic general called Vercingetorix.

You can even capture roman eagles

The actual pixels fighting aren't ultra realistic, but there's about 20 different civilasations you can be. c'est cool.

[Gav]

I've played every single offering from The Creative Assembly.

re: Rome: Total War

They've never hit a bum note. I love playing the Romans so much that I can't bring myself to play the other races. Although I did have a play at being Greek for a while.

The fact that I am still playing this game even though it was released some months ago attests to its quality and depth.

[albemarle]

[quote=Gav]

re: Rome: Total War

They've never hit a bum note. I love playing the Romans so much that I can't bring myself to play the other races. Although I did have a play at being Greek for a while.

Try the Partians, get away from all that emphasis on heavy infanty

[Mr Epee]

"We've learned that Ancient Rome was apparently a hot bed of Brittish Actors"

Courtesy of David Letterman.

[swordwench]

Originally Posted by Mr Epee

"We've learned that Ancient Rome was apparently a hot bed of Brittish Actors"

Courtesy of David Letterman.

Swordwench's highly prejudiced paraphrase: "We've learned that Ancient Rome was apparently a hot bed of HOT British Actors."

[Gav]

[quote=albemarle]

Originally Posted by Gav

Try the Partians, get away from all that emphasis on heavy infanty

Well, there are only so many hours in the day and I like to Fence. I think the Parthians are the only ones that I've not tried...

I LIKE my heavy infantry. I like watching them stop all over the place killing everybody. I like the fact that they are very good at it.

Cavalry .. pah. Only good for mopping up the natives when they run away faster than my heavy infantry can follow.

"I like the smell of dead barbarian in the morning."

[LUDICROUS]

Originally Posted by Gav

Well, there are only so many hours in the day and I like to Fence. I think the Parthians are the only ones that I've not tried...

I LIKE my heavy infantry. I like watching them stop all over the place killing everybody. I like the fact that they are very good at it.

Cavalry .. pah. Only good for mopping up the natives when they run away faster than my heavy infantry can follow.

"I like the smell of dead barbarian in the morning."

Pssh, cavalry rules.

Especially Macedonia. Wow. Light lancers are unbelievable, allowing a Macedonian player in the campaign to pretty much annihilate everyone. Phalanx and levy pikemen? Who cares if they suck, you have lancers... Oh, can't forget companion!

Then again, the AI isn't too smart. Still, I'm obssessed with it. Oh, best defensive trick - Arrange 2 units with "Very long spears" (silver/bronze shield, phalanx, etc) in a V formation facing a gateway when the enemy tries to knock it down... Unbelievably cheap. SO unfair. They knock it down, walk through, and are attacked from 3 sides (and there's no unit cohesion when walking through doors). Game over, haha.

Parthians don't suck.. Cataphracts can break a spartan hoplite unit from the front in a charge. Just use the ALT attack (out come their maces!). Assuming neither has any upgrades, or they have the same upgrades, or there isn't too much difference between 'em.

[Gav]

Originally Posted by LUDICROUS

Pssh, cavalry rules.

Especially Macedonia. Wow. Light lancers are unbelievable, allowing a Macedonian player in the campaign to pretty much annihilate everyone. Phalanx and levy pikemen? Who cares if they suck, you have lancers... Oh, can't forget companion!

Then again, the AI isn't too smart. Still, I'm obssessed with it. Oh, best defensive trick - Arrange 2 units with "Very long spears" (silver/bronze shield, phalanx, etc) in a V formation facing a gateway when the enemy tries to knock it down... Unbelievably cheap. SO unfair. They knock it down, walk through, and are attacked from 3 sides (and there's no unit cohesion when walking through doors). Game over, haha.

I prefer to fight a little differently, on the defence, in sieges. As the attacker comes through the gate pelt him with missiles - you may as well soften him up and score some easy kills. Charge with your nearest heavy infantry unit - if you're romans you can chuck javelins first - timing the charge to land as they reform. The forlorn hope (first unit through) inevitably panic and runs back into the next unit. Charge with the infantry again, into the second unit, and not only do you kill just about everyone in the first unit but the next unit normally panics as well. In the ensuing confusion you can mop up the enemy army as it cascade-routs. Besides, as I like the Romans, I don't have lots of spearmen early one to do your tactic - and your tactic works, it's what I've used when playing the 'classicals'.

Parthians don't suck.. Cataphracts can break a spartan hoplite unit from the front in a charge. Just use the ALT attack (out come their maces!). Assuming neither has any upgrades, or they have the same upgrades, or there isn't too much difference between 'em.

I just haven't played as the Parthians. Maybe I'll get around to it soon - it's not like the Total War games run out of replayability. Ugh the idea of charging a phalanx from the front ... that's what mercenaries are for. While the phalanx is taking care of your rubbish mercenaries - you get stuck in with good quality infantry in the flanks, or cavalry, or both.

Great game. Great speeches. I don't know which is my favourite. One of my generals once came out with a great speech about how he couldn't be bothered to fight but his mother nagged him so he decided he should - to shut her up. Or maybe it was the one about the defenders in a siege crying like little girls. If you get a mad general with "fear of the moon people" he says this speech about wearing big hats - which is also great.

[LUDICROUS]

Originally Posted by Gav

I prefer to fight a little differently, on the defence, in sieges. As the attacker comes through the gate pelt him with missiles - you may as well soften him up and score some easy kills. Charge with your nearest heavy infantry unit - if you're romans you can chuck javelins first - timing the charge to land as they reform. The forlorn hope (first unit through) inevitably panic and runs back into the next unit. Charge with the infantry again, into the second unit, and not only do you kill just about everyone in the first unit but the next unit normally panics as well. In the ensuing confusion you can mop up the enemy army as it cascade-routs. Besides, as I like the Romans, I don't have lots of spearmen early one to do your tactic - and your tactic works, it's what I've used when playing the 'classicals'.



I just haven't played as the Parthians. Maybe I'll get around to it soon - it's not like the Total War games run out of replayability. Ugh the idea of charging a phalanx from the front ... that's what mercenaries are for. While the phalanx is taking care of your rubbish mercenaries - you get stuck in with good quality infantry in the flanks, or cavalry, or both.

Great game. Great speeches. I don't know which is my favourite. One of my generals once came out with a great speech about how he couldn't be bothered to fight but his mother nagged him so he decided he should - to shut her up. Or maybe it was the one about the defenders in a siege crying like little girls. If you get a mad general with "fear of the moon people" he says this speech about wearing big hats - which is also great.

Agree about the speeches, they are awesome. I especially love my general saying "COME BACK, COWARDS!" as his rallying call when playing as Macedonia - because they always need those helping words. Isn't that just awesome?

Whats an inspirational rallying call compared to a scary, Cruelly Scarred, Uncontrollably Raging Bloody minded general getting ANGRY at you?

Aye, charging hoplites head on is a pointless idea, but knowing your cataphracts can take the toughest hoplite bastards(nay, toughest unit in the game!) in the game head on and win is just cool. Esp when human players play you, and form the "Square of death" with hoplites...(if you don't have onagers, ballistas, etc to slaughter them)

[swordwench]

Helllloooo... I thought you guys were going to discuss the masterful new HBO series called "Rome"!

But about this game of yours here - you say you can be anybody. Can I be a druid? I know it won't end well for me, but it would make me happy.

[LUDICROUS]

Originally Posted by swordwench

Helllloooo... I thought you guys were going to discuss the masterful new HBO series called "Rome"!

But about this game of yours here - you say you can be anybody. Can I be a druid? I know it won't end well for me, but it would make me happy.

Technically no, but you can command an army entirely of druids if you want.

[Gav]

Although you would lose if you came up against serious opposition...

And don't forget that 'druids' are not a State; they were priets of the Druidic faith - not to be confused with the idiots in the white dresses of modern times. So you can be the commander of one of the Celtic tribes have druids and big burly men (with unfeasible moutaches) at your beck and call. And yes, they would die for you. A red-blooded woman's fantasy wouldn't you say?

You can also have screeching woman... one of the more bizarre unit types.

[swordwench]

Originally Posted by Gav

So you can be the commander of one of the Celtic tribes have druids and big burly men (with unfeasible moutaches) at your beck and call. And yes, they would die for you. A red-blooded woman's fantasy wouldn't you say?

Works for me - I like to be in charge! But the unfeasible moustaches need to go.

You can also have screeching woman... one of the more bizarre unit types.

Those would be the sabreuses.

[Aestro]

I saw the show and really liked it. I like how it hops from person to person instead of locking in on one character - it gives you a better idea of what's going on and who's doing what. So far the cast looks great and there is a nice balance of all the aspects of Roman life, although the sacrifice was a bit creepy. This could easily become a Sunday night tradition for me.

[Gav]

Well the reports seem to be quite good so far. I can't wait for this to make it to our shores. The fact that the beeb had a hand makes it annoying that I have to wait longer than yuo guys to see it. I may just download a torrent of it all and be done with it ... not that I condone piracy of any sort you understand.

[Aestro]

Episode number 2 was on earlier tonight - Lucius and Titus seem to be the focal point of the show. Does anyone know if the focus stays on them? Just the same, I still like it very much, even if Cicero does look a good bit like Rowen Atkinson.

[swordwench]

Originally Posted by Aestro

Episode number 2 was on earlier tonight - Lucius and Titus seem to be the focal point of the show. Does anyone know if the focus stays on them? Just the same, I still like it very much, even if Cicero does look a good bit like Rowen Atkinson.

It seems to me that much of the story line will unfold through their eyes and their interactions with the other characters at the different levels in society. According to this take on the history, an event like Pullo drawing first blood in the assault outside the senate building sets things in motion at much higher levels.

David Bamber, who plays Cicero, crops up in various movies. You may have seen him as the slimy toad-like cousin Mr. Collins in the BBC/A&E version of "Pride and Prejudice", or as the vicar in "I Capture the Castle." He plays a sleazy creep very effectively. Makes my skin crawl.

If you saw the second episode, was the final scene with the baby a surprise or not? Should get mighty interesting.