Total War: Rome is a strategy game that originally came out in 2004. Many players believe the game was innovative for its time, and that it helped propel the franchise to greater heights. Both fans of the original games and those who haven't played now have the chance to play the game in higher fidelity with the release of the game's remaster in April 2021.
Those who have played the original games and have since become veterans of the Total War games already know what to expect. However, newcomers may need to adjust themselves and become familiar with the game's mechanics in order to finish the game's main campaign. To that end, here are a couple of pro-tips newcomers need to know about how to dominate the world of Total War: Rome.
10 Avoid Auto-Resolving Battles
One of the basest aspects of Total War: Rome's gameplay is the actual battle between the player's faction and another. Mastering the battles will allow the player to win as many as they can, while losing as few army cavalries as possible.
The auto-resolve system in the game can be very unpredictable. Oftentimes, especially when playing in lower difficulties, the player will win battles even though they are outnumbered. In some instances, however, they can be completely obliterated by enemies that have smaller armies. If not, they'll lose more battalions than necessary.
9 Do Not Toggle On Automanage
As the player progresses through the game, they'll find themselves managing more and more settlements. Managing every single one can seem like a daunting task, and turning on the automanage option may seem like the best way to move forward. However, the player shouldn't do this.
The game's AI will absolutely botch the player's resources by spending them on needless upgrades. Towards the end of the playthrough, the player's money will drop and drop even more until the player is left with negative resources. They should just take their time and manage each city manually.
8 Learn Taxes
Learning taxes in a video game might not sound very appealing. However, those who have played Total War titles know how important this mechanic is in winning a game's campaign, and Total War: Rome is no different.
Each city in Total War: Rome needs a tax option that the player can manage. A city can either have a low, normal, high, or very high tax rate. The efficacy of these will vary based on a settlement's population and public order. For those who want to set a very high tax rate effectively, their settlement needs to be garrisoned with town watches and peasants.
7 Keep An Eye On Public Order
One micromanagement the player will need to always keep an eye on is the public order of each of their settlements. The public order can be maintained by keeping units of town watch soldiers in each settlement.
Players should also keep their citizens happy by building and upgrading temples. Once the public order rating drops to anything less than 70%, the citizens of the settlement will start to riot — never a good sign.
6 Diplomats Are Very Valuable
The Diplomats are vital for the player's faction. These agents should be used as liberally as possible, and they should travel the world as much as any in the game.
The player should send their diplomats to other factions very early on to sign trade agreements, sell map information, and gain alliances. Later in the game, they can also use these diplomats to bribe out enemies, if they have enough resources to do so.
5 Always Send Spies Before Attacking A Settlement
Like Diplomats, Spies are also very valuable agents the players should make use of as much as they can. Ideally, these agents should be sent to a settlement before it is invaded.
Sending a spy to a settlement will allow a player to gauge the upcoming battle. Spies will let the player know what types of enemy units and what kind of general they will be up against. Additionally, spies also have a small chance of opening the gates for the player's army, which negates the need for lengthy sieges.
4 Increase Population Growth
Increasing each settlement's population growth, thus increasing the player's faction's size, is vital to the player's success for the game's main campaign. Before they reach the late game section of Total War: Rome, players need to make sure to increase their overall population.
Players can accomplish this by taking over other settlements, disbanding units, and constructing buildings in each settlement. The player should always make sure to keep the public order in check as they're increasing their population growth.
3 Don't Fret The Senate Missions
Every once in a while, the senate will give the player missions. Completing these missions will allow the player's faction to have good relations with the senate. They will also receive monetary rewards.
However, if the senate mission is too far-fetched and inconvenient, the player shouldn't sweat it. They don't need to complete every single senate mission. On the other hand, they shouldn't completely brush them off either, especially early in the game. Ignoring the senate will lead to a game-altering repercussion.
2 Build Ports
Ports are essential in Total War: Rome. Not only do these establishments allow the player to build ships for transport, but they also generate income, allowing the player to have more resources.
Not every settlement needs a port, but players should at least build them for larger cities. Every player should take the time to build and upgrade more ships. Naval battles can occur constantly, and are automatically resolved by the game's AI, so more ships can never hurt.
1 Take Your Time
To really get the hang of Total War: Rome's mechanics, the player needs to take their time while playing this game. It can be tempting to spam the game's End Turn button, but the player should take note that there can always be something to be done in a single turn.
Players can check every single one of their establishments to see how their income is generating. They can monitor their agents, and can recruit soldiers and prepare for upcoming battles. Don't rush — after all, Rome wasn't built in a day.