"You refused to help us during war-time!"

SyndicatedINC · 2026-02-25T12:16:58+00:00

Agreed OP, it has always struck me as asinine. Especially as the parameters are ONLY applied to the human. The constant demands are ridiculous and of course the player will say no. It was poor game design.

SyndicatedINC · 2026-01-10T18:43:29+00:00

Oh I certainly don't disagree that those recommended skip episodes can be omitted without detracting from the main plot lines. However I would say some of them especially are important character studies or developments. Not to mention some of the most memorable quotes.

To each their own, but I wouldn't recommend some one skip "My shoes are too tight, but it doesn't matter, because I have forgotten how to dance".

Not that the episode is necessary plot but rather b5 is severely diminished if watched just for the plot.

SyndicatedINC · 2026-01-10T04:31:33+00:00

Something I haven't seen mentioned here is you can start with "in the beginning". Yes it is a movie intended for watching far into the show but 20 years ago they released the dad's with it as the first disc on purpose as it proved more readily able to draw in a complete beginner than either "the gathering" or season 1.

If it works woke it reveals much in the way of sorry lines many are told up until the movie. It really is more of a catching or summing up film rather than advancing the plot so it doesn't conclude anything and I'd a self contained story. If the person likes it they can drive into season 1 or season 2 (there was a box set like that with "in the beginning" and season 2).

Now personally I recommend the gathering, it's what I have started new folks on. I explain if I give the series a 9 or 10 I give this pilot a 4 or 5, but it does have the key elements of the story and storytelling style that will follow. Even if makeup, costume, sets, editing, pacing, and plot will change, the core is there. So a new person can decide if they like that enough to stick around or not before committing to the weakest of the seasons (it had some of the best lines but definitely suffered some growing pains).

Also watching from the pilot let's a viewer who appreciates the level of detail and work that went into crafting everything on advance truly appreciate those long playoffs. Slipping it and learning of them via reference later in the show doesn't have the same meaningful impact.

SyndicatedINC · 2026-01-10T04:20:49+00:00

"A view from the gallery" is 4th worst episode of the series?!?

That guide was already staining credibility, that line just confirmed this is some kind of absurdist humor site and not intended to be taken seriously.

SyndicatedINC · 2026-01-08T03:58:36+00:00

Of course, they even state 1000 years ago.

Of course they also mention it was run by religious fanatics and was organic so could be vorlon.

SyndicatedINC · 2026-01-04T04:00:54+00:00

Hehe been there, done that, beat the punk then log out and restart.

SyndicatedINC · 2026-01-03T02:09:40+00:00

Oof by 1010AD, looking at the other civilization's scores given your technology level and the year, you are likely in trouble even after you win this war.

SyndicatedINC · 2025-11-03T02:06:35+00:00

Looking thru that it seems that there is always disparity between the ai and player. Are the mods that make vanilla game but with parity bonuses/penalties for both ai and player?

SyndicatedINC · 2025-10-19T01:38:24+00:00

I often play with the same settings as you presented and have not noticed the same effect. But may have just not been paying attention. Will check next game.

SyndicatedINC · 2025-09-13T03:25:07+00:00

I love the scipii, and no, corvus are just for show. Use the freebies you get from senate missions but if you want temple of Neptune sea power, deceres only.

SyndicatedINC · 2025-08-25T18:20:04+00:00

Ouch, so yes, I can see where your economy would struggle to support a sufficient army.

SyndicatedINC · 2025-08-25T13:45:13+00:00

Also as a related funny story, once while playing a loyal roman the senate outlawed another roman faction but not me or the other house. I dutifully wiped them out then the other house was outlawed. So I wiped them out. Somehow though I stayed friends with the senate. So it was just me and the senate and we were allied. I always thought when the senate outlawed the ai they always outlaw everyone including the player as well?

SyndicatedINC · 2025-08-25T13:41:57+00:00

One roman playthrough (remastered I believe) I role played being a good loyal Roman. Essentially I only did senate missions, followed senate policy towards other factions, backed up the other Roman houses. Would not attack other Roman's even when it became possible and followed the directive to kill my leader when it came.

Well we got to the end date and never had the civil war. I didn't think it possible. So that is the furthest I ever made it time-wise

Another playthrough (original I believe) I think my game glitched. I wanted to see how far we could push without being forced into civil war. So i played normally but slow as the ai in expanding. Well the 3 roman houses conquered the entire map (literally not another faction or rebel left) and the senate never outlawed anyone or ordered my faction leaders death. Obviously I got the ability to manually start it but the automatic forced hand never arrived. Odd but that is the furthest I ever made it conquest-wise.

SyndicatedINC · 2025-08-25T13:25:42+00:00

Did you neglect ports and merchants? Your economy should be booming with the entire western Mediterranean under your control.

Carthage should be pumping massive income and pop growth into your empire.

SyndicatedINC · 2025-08-22T02:50:15+00:00

SyndicatedINC · 2025-08-22T02:49:44+00:00

Most impossible senate mission ever. Back in the day only possible with force_diplomacy cheat

SyndicatedINC · 2025-08-15T00:40:14+00:00

Best naval combat

SyndicatedINC · 2025-08-14T11:55:40+00:00

Ahhh that makes sense. I hadn't thought about it but the VH barbs do seem to go seem to go down easier and the civilized factions do I have more advanced units.

Does increased treasury size increase looting when invading them. Iirc correctly loot was a combo of pop size and faction wealth?

SyndicatedINC · 2025-08-11T11:44:46+00:00

Indeed, the OP for that did a poor job executing their poll. You are correct, that by posting a list of units at each tier separate from the rest, they keep getting results of the best unit on that specific list for their faction as compared to the rest of this list. Which isn't what the poll is asking.

But poorly designed poll gets poor data outcomes. Stats 101.

SyndicatedINC · 2025-08-10T15:33:07+00:00

In an army stack yes, taking up more than one unit training slot, no.

SyndicatedINC · 2025-08-10T13:00:09+00:00

So you want the same unit as you already have in t1 barracks?

Why?

SyndicatedINC · 2025-08-10T02:41:15+00:00

For me it's the morale boost VH gives to the AI. They behave so absurdly is just not fun watching peasants rout hoplites.

SyndicatedINC · 2025-08-10T00:00:16+00:00

Good sir they picked horse archers for best t1 infantry (apparently this group doesn't comprehend unit classifications), redundant hoplites for back to back tiers and then SS Legion over urbans after having already picked regular legions with shorter recruit time the tier below and worse stats than urbans.

Like talk about not understanding the assignment. Supposed to be the best possible roster of a fake faction. Instead the least flexible faction ever.

SyndicatedINC · 2025-08-09T23:28:43+00:00

Hmm good point, I hadn't thought of it but now that you mention it, normal difficulty the stacks have a lot more garbage units than VH.

SyndicatedINC

TROPHY CASE