Sega PC GAMES ROME: TOTAL WAR (3 OF 3) User Manual
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IGNITED MINDS
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CLIENT PROJECT TITLE
DATE % OF SIZE SHOWN
FILE NAME JOB CODE
SIZE CONCEPT NUMBER
Activision
08.09.04 100%
RTW_PC ACT-ROME-MN1
4.5” x 6.875” R7 section 3 FINAL
Rome Total War
PC Manual
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• Select one or more units within a group and click on the group button on
the control panel. The selected units will be removed from the current group
and create their own group. At least two units must remain in the group,
otherwise it will be completely broken up.
Groups can be put into
group formations:
Click on this button to show the group formations buttons.
• Eight group formations can be selected. Each one
has its own strengths and weaknesses. If you move
the cursor over the buttons, tool tips appear
describing the formations.
• Click on the relevant button to select the formation you want the selected
group to use.
• Alternatively, hold down the
Shift key and press numbers 1 through 8 on
the main keyboard—not the numeric keypad—to select a group formation.
• You can select more than one group before deciding on a formation. Your
selected groups will collectively adopt the group formation you choose.
Groups can be placed under
AI assistance:
With a group selected, click on this button to toggle
AI assistance of
the group on and off. A group under
AI assistance has a red outline
on the control panel.
• Units within an
AI assisted group will ignore your combat orders in favor
of those of their commanding officer.
• However, you can order the group to move to a location, and the computer
will handle the detailed movement orders for units.
• Units in an
AI assisted group will stay in formation.
• You can cancel
AI assistance at any time by clicking on the Control Panel
button to toggle it off.
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Right-click and drag on a destination to make the selected units form
a line. As you drag the cursor sideways, a set of yellow chevrons appears
showing the frontage and depth of the selected units. Release the mouse
button when you’re happy with the line’s position.
•
Right-click on a target unit for an attack order.
•
Double right-click on a target unit for a charge order.
• Use the < and > (comma and period) keys to form a line of units and
change its facing. Yellow chevrons appear to show the units’ final
destinations. The line forms at a point that’s the shortest march for the
selected units.
Use the
stop button on the control panel or press the backspace key
to cancel the units’ collective orders.
Once multiple units have been selected, they can be
grouped together, as well as
put under
AI assistance.
Grouping Units
Groups can be a very useful way of managing a large force.
With a collection of units selected, click on this button to
group them
together. You can also press the
G key. The relevant unit cards in the
control panel will be collected together into one numbered group.
Grouped units don’t have to be of the same type. When grouped like this,
the new group has the lowest group number that’s currently available.
• Alternatively, with a collection of units selected, hold down the Ctrl
key and press one of the number keys on the main keyboard—not
the numeric keypad—to create a numbered group.
• A grouped unit is displayed like this in the Control Panel.
•
Left-click on the numbered group tab to select all the units
instantly or press the number key that corresponds to the group
number (shown in Roman numerals in the tab).
Groups can be split or modified at any time:
• Select two or more groups of units and then
group them again using one
of the above methods to create a new, larger group that includes all the
units of the old selected groups.
• Select a single group and click on the
group button in the Control Panel (or
use a keyboard shortcut) to
break up the group. The units become single
units once again, though they remain selected.
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■ Unit Morale
Morale is the willingness of a unit to fight on while taking casualties. As long as a
unit’s morale remains good, it will fight. But sooner or later, even the bravest of
men will realize that their lives are in more danger if they stay than run. Morale,
therefore, is more noticeable when it’s lacking: a unit with no morale will run away.
Not all units are equally blessed with good morale. For example, peasants aren’t
keen on going to war. Professional Legionaries, on the other hand, are likely to stay
and fight against great odds.
Some units in the game have morale effects in addition to their combat value:
• Generals (usually) and captains boost the morale of nearby troops.
• There are some traits, such as personal cowardice, that reduce the morale of
warriors under a general’s command.
• The death of a general or captain is usually a severe blow to the morale of his
whole army.
• Some units
frighten nearby enemy units, either because of their terrible
appearance and fearsome reputation or because they’re armed with cruel
and unusual weaponry. Enemies are more likely to run when faced with
frightening units.
•
Routing units can cause other friendly units to rout: if lots of other people
are running from the enemy, soldiers tend to think it might be a good idea to
run, too!
■ Routing Units and Pursuit
As has been noted, generals can rally routing units. This won’t work if enemy
forces are too close to the routing unit. They will ignore the general and
concentrate on escaping death!
Therefore, it can be a good idea to keep some speedy forces available to pursue
fleeing foes to prevent them from rallying. There’s also a good chance of killing
some enemies as they run, saving you the trouble of having to fight against them
on another battlefield. Traditionally, light cavalry were used for this task. Units in
guard mode will not pursue enemies.
■ Romans and Legionary Eagles
Some types of Roman units carry Legionary Eagles. These appear in the
campaign game after the reforms of Gaius Marius have occurred, but they’re always
available in custom battles.
A First Cohort unit carries a Legionary Eagle. This battle standard is regarded as the
soul of a Roman Legion, and is an inspiration for any Roman units nearby. Its
presence raises the morale of friendly Roman units. Losing a Roman Legionary Eagle
is the height of disgrace, and a terrible blow to the battlefield morale of an army
that loses one.
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How to Get the Most from Unit Abilities
Many units have a special ability that makes them more useful in battle. Select the
unit, then click on the special ability button (or press the F key). Most special abilities
can be toggled, but a few are “one use”:
The
Cantabrian Circle formation is used by light, missile-armed cavalry
to keep up a barrage on an enemy unit. Rather than firing a mass volley
against an opponent and then retreating to reload, a unit executing a
Cantabrian Circle gallops around with each soldier firing before dropping
back to prepare a new missile. The effect is a steady—and demoralizing—
rain of missiles on a target unit, rather than a single volley.
Many archer and artillery units can fire
flaming projectiles instead of their
normal missiles. These can set men and buildings on fire.
Many spearmen, hoplites and pikemen, particularly those schooled in Greek
ways of warfare, can form a
phalanx. This is a solid mass of infantry who
rely on mass and discipline to punch into an enemy line.
A general can
rally nearby routing units, recalling them to the fight by
sheer force of personality. If this works, the unit re-forms, ready to fight on
(for a while, at least).
The later types of Roman Legionaries can form a
testudo or tortoise
formation by closing up and interlocking their shields. Snug inside an
armored shell, the Legionaries can then advance through missile fire
and survive.
A
warcry gives a temporary boost to the combat power of the unit as it
enters combat.
Some cavalry units can form a
wedge, a formation that aids them when
charging into other units by increasing their shock value on attack. The
mass of cavalry is concentrated against a small portion of the enemy’s line,
and then the enemy unit is split apart (if the wedge charge works).
Some barbarian units can
chant or let forth fearsome keens and
screeches. This increases the morale of nearby friendly units and
decreases the morale of nearby enemy units.
Should an elephant unit panic and run amok, the drivers can be ordered to
kill their beasts. This is very useful if the elephants are running amok
through your own troops!
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■ Unit Characteristics
There are a couple of other unit abilities that are worth remembering:
• Some units are rated as
hardy or very hardy. They don’t tire quickly
when running or charging—they’re not supermen, just fitter and tougher
than average soldiers.
•
Impetuous or berserker units may charge into combat without orders.
■ Hiding
Many units can hide in forests. Hiding is automatic when a unit moves into terrain
where its men can hide. A few highly specialized units can hide in less promising
terrain, or even in relatively open terrain. On the battlefield, hidden units are
shown with their soldiers crouching down.
• Enemy forces cannot see hidden units until they’re very close. This makes it
possible to stage tactical ambushes with hidden units.
• The same holds true for enemy forces, of course. It’s possible for an enemy
unit to hide and not be visible to you on the battlefield!
• Generals cannot hide, nor can captains.
■ Using a General in Combat
A general is the most important unit in an army:
• In a campaign battle, the general’s abilities and personality traits can have
effects on army morale, unit performance and the combat power of his
bodyguard unit. An army lead by a 7-star general, for example, will perform
with greater effectiveness than one under the command of a 1-star general.
• Man for man, a general and his bodyguard are among the most powerful
forces at your disposal. As a reserve to be thrown into battle at the critical
point, they can make the difference between victory and defeat!
• A general is the only unit that can
rally routing troops.
• The death of a general can have catastrophic effects on the morale of every
unit in his army.
• In the campaign game, the death of a general is also the death of a family
member. When the ruling family is dead, the faction is destroyed!
How to Assault a Settlement or Fort
Sieges can occur when an army assaults a settlement or attempts to break into a
fort. They have much in common with field battles, but with the important
qualification that one side is “safely” behind a set of defenses. All the normal rules
of the battlefield apply to sieges; orders for attacks and movement are issued in
the normal fashion.
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There are, however, extra conditions that apply during sieges, and new weapons
and tactics for both the attacker and defender.
■ Sieges and Victory
Victory in a siege is very simple: the side that controls the center of the
settlement wins! You can also win by killing or routing the entire enemy army off
the field.
■ Siege Equipment
Siege equipment is constructed in the campaign game when an army is besieging a
settlement. In Custom Battles, siege equipment can be obtained during setup.
• In either case, suitable siege equipment is automatically assigned to units
when battle deployment begins.
• Without siege equipment or suitable artillery, it’s almost impossible for
attackers to break into a settlement.
Rams, ladders and siege towers are assigned to individual
units. The unit cards of relevant units are marked with one of
these symbols to show they have siege gear. Units with
ladders, towers and rams cannot charge.
Saps (or sapping points) are placed on the battlefield in front of suitable
sections of wall. They cannot be moved during deployment.
Once the battle starts, units with siege equipment can be ordered to advance
against city walls:
A unit equipped with a
ram can be sent against a gateway or wooden
wall. The cursor changes to show a suitable target gate or wall section for
the ram. The unit will push the ram toward the gate or wooden defense and
then attempt to smash a way through. If it’s successful, it will haul the ram
out of the broken gateway so a clear path is available into the settlement.
• Elephants can be ordered to attack gateways or wooden walls without siege
equipment. They just batter a hole!
• A unit equipped with
ladders can be sent to scale a suitable stretch of
wall (not a tower). The cursor changes to show a suitable wall to assault.
The unit will march toward the walls, raise their ladders and climb up.
They’ll have to fight any defenders on the walls!
• A unit equipped with a
siege tower can be sent to assault a suitable wall
(not a tower in the defenses). The cursor changes to show a suitable wall to
attack. The unit will push the siege tower toward the wall, then clamber up
before launching an assault directly over the battlements. Units in siege
towers can fire arrows, and they’ll have to fight any defenders on the wall.
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Most types of units can be ordered into a sap in front of a stone wall.
Progress in digging a tunnel toward the defenses is shown by a line of
disturbed earth between the sap and the wall. When the diggers reach the
wall, there will be a pause while they undermine the walls and set fire to
the sap; this brings the walls crashing to the ground, opening a hole in the
defenses. The sapping unit(s) will then emerge from the tunnel.
• While any or all of these attacks are happening, the defenders will not be
idle. As an attacker, you should expect missile fire from defenders within a
settlement and on top of the larger walls. Towers will also fire missiles at
your troops.
When a
breach in the defenses is caused (either a gateway is broken or
walls are knocked down), the camera view switches to show the breach.
Units can be ordered to drop siege equipment by clicking on this button
in the Control Panel.
A unit that’s not currently equipped with siege gear can be ordered to
pick some up. The siege equipment has to have been abandoned by its
previous users.
■ Sieges and Artillery
Artillery units can fire at walls and buildings in settlements, as well as other units
on the battlefield:
This cursor appears whenever it’s possible to target walls or defenses with a
selected artillery unit. The artillery unit will continue to fire until its target
is destroyed or it runs out of ammunition. Note that it can take a very long
time for artillery to batter a hole in a stone wall.
This cursor appears whenever it’s possible to target a building with an
artillery unit. The artillery will fire as long as the target is standing or until
there’s no more ammunition.
Click on this button in the Control Panel to toggle flaming missiles on
and off. Flaming missiles can set buildings on fire, and the fires can
spread through a settlement.
• Artillery fire can be a little inaccurate. Large stones, for example, are rarely
very aerodynamic and it’s possible for shots to scatter instead of landing
exactly on target. Flaming missiles are also inaccurate. Experienced artillery
crews are better at consistent targeting, but don’t be surprised if there’s an
occasional missile that goes astray!
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■ Capturing Walls
Wooden walls serve only as a barrier to keep out attackers. Stone walls, on the
other hand, can be actively fought over by the attackers and defenders:
• Any infantry (i.e. non-mounted) unit can be ordered to move to the top of a
wall, or ordered to attack defenders on a wall.
• If an attacking unit is in sole possession of a wall, gatehouse or tower, it will
capture the structure.
• The defenders can recapture walls.
■ Within the Walls
Once inside a settlement or fort, the attackers need to capture the central plaza
area to take the settlement. Naturally, the defenders need to keep control of this
area. This may involve fighting through every street if the defenders are feeling
particularly bloody-minded and obstinate.
• The longer street fighting takes, the more damage done to the settlement.
This damage needs to be repaired, as explained in the Campaigns section of
this manual.
• If the fighting takes a long time, it’s possible that fires will break out in the
settlement. The fires will spread unchecked until the battle is resolved.
■ Sally Battles
Sally battles occur when a settlement garrison emerges from behind their walls to
drive off their besiegers. The
garrison is always treated as the battle attackers
and the besiegers as the battle defenders even though, in strategic terms, the
situation is the other way around.
The besiegers appear on the battlefield outside the settlement with any siege
equipment they have constructed. Attacking the unit to which it is attached can
destroy siege equipment. This can be a good way of thwarting the progress of a
besieging army that might be about to assault the town.
It’s also possible to time sallies out of a besieged settlement so reinforcements
from a relief force are also present on the battlefield. See
How to Use
Reinforcements and Allies
on page 68 for more information.
One point to remember: it’s possible for sally battles to go horribly wrong if the
besiegers get into the settlement during the battle. The settlement defenders can
all be committed to taking the fight to the enemy, leaving their town or city
vulnerable to a sneaky incursion!
For the attackers (sallying out) to win, they must kill or drive off all the defenders
(the besieging army).
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