- 68 AD: The Year of the Four Emperors
- 193 AD: Return of Civil Wars
- 310 AD: Collapse of The Tetrarchy
68 AD: The Year of the Four Emperors
Nearly a century of internal calm followed the foundation of the Empire. However, the excesses of Nero led to a revolt. After some desultory fighting, he was abandoned by the Senate, army, and people in favor of Galba, the governor of Spain, and shortly thereafter committed suicide in 68. Galba assumed the Imperial Purple and began a relatively benign rule. The army on the Rhine resented the intrusion of the Spanish legions into high politics and so put up their own candidate, Vitellius. Galba was assassinated at the instigation of the overly ambitious Otho, who then committed suicide after Vitellian troops defeated him in northern Italy. Meanwhile, the armies in the east nominated their general Vespasianus as candidate for the Imperial Purple and were joined by the Danubian Legions. The clash between Vitellius and Vespasianus resulted in the latter's victory and the establishment of a new dynasty. It was the last civil war for a century and a third.
193 AD: Return of Civil Wars
The cruelty and incompetence of Commodus (180-192) brought more than a century of peaceful rule to an end. Upon his murder, the able Pertinax (193) assumed the purple. But Pertinax was in turn murdered by lovers of his predecessor. The Praetorian Guards - simultaneously custodians and murderers of Emperors - offered the throne to the highest bidder, and a senator named Didius Julianus (193) secured it. But everywhere the army sought to register its vote. The Danubian legions put forward Septimius Severus (193-212); those in Britain and Gaul, Clodius Albinus (193-197); and those in the east, Pescennius Niger (193). A bitter civil war continued for nearly four years; finally, Septimius Severus was confirmed in the Imperial dignity. He would prove able. The pattern of legionary revolt was beginning to solidify, however; Rome's inability to peacefully provide for the succession would become an important cause of its decline.
310 AD: Collapse of The Tetrarchy
Diocletianus (284-305) devised a unique system for ruling the Empire: there would be two full Emperors - 'Augusti' - and two vice-Emperors - 'Caesari'. At the end of each twenty years, the Augusti would retire and the Caesari move up, selecting replacements for themselves. It worked well, on paper. But personal ambition and familial connections wrecked the system. When Diocletianus and his partner Maximianus (286-305) stepped down, the civil strife resumed almost immediately. Over the next six years six different men wore the purple collectively or independently, and both Diocletianus and Maximianus made come-backs. Finally, in 311, the two survivors, Constantinus I (306-337) and Licinius (307-324) called a halt to the struggle and divided up the Empire, only to resume hostilities after a couple of peaceful years with Constantinus I finally eliminating his last rival in 324.
Main characteristics and mechanics of the three scenarios
- Monthly turns, i.e., recruitment and build costs increase correspondingly.
- Winter from November until March, with October and April also being potential winter months.
- Legacy serves as morale for the different Roman factions, affecting unit quality and most importantly if Roman factions collapse or not, and is adjusted through:
- Gaining and losing control over regions, particularly the imperial capital(s).
- Winning and losing battles (same adjustment as for war score).
- Gaining and losing enough tokens.
- Legacy is adjusted between turns to average 100 between all existing Roman factions.
- Only the Roman factions controlling the imperial capital(s) may be Empires, earning Legacy, while all other are Monarchies.
- But with the control of the imperial capital(s) comes also the undertaking to feed the masses with bread and thus control grain-producing provinces or risk facing a corn rebellion.
- Legit control over regions is automatically changed at end of turns for all coastal regions and those neighbouring at least two other controlled regions.
- Risk of barbarians spawning along the borders if left undefended.
- Same goes for Parthia (in 68 and 193 AD scenarios) and Sassanid Persia (in 310 AD).
- More Roman usurpers may also spawn within the Empire for the same reason, i.e., too few troops in the regions.
- All Roman factions are constantly at war with each other, unable to make peace (exception: 310 AD scenario).
- ...
- Mods can be daunting and overwhelming compared to the base game, just because they are mods with modded functionality and mechanics and lack of base game balance. That's the whole idea of mods!
- So start out at lowest difficulty (Easy) and get to know the mod from there.
- For this mod specifically, the higher the difficulty, the following applies:
- The more units the other Roman factions get at start.
- The lower your Legacy, and the higher the Legacy of the other Roman factions, at start.
- The higher the requirement to station troops along border to avoid barbarians, Parthia, and Sassanid Persia from becoming activated.
- The more grain-producing provinces you need to control in order to avoid corn rebellions in the imperial capital(s) (not at all applicable on lowest difficulty).
- So the lower the difficulty, the opposite (you getting more units at start, your Legacy will be higher and the others lower, etc.) will of course be the case!
- Just keep in mind that some Roman factions (such as Domitius in 310 AD) will still face almost insurmountable challenges even at lowest difficulty.
- Most importantly of all, take a relaxed approach and enjoy! This mod is about winning but most likely not at the first time (although the historical Roman usurpers never got a second chance)!
- Make sure to delete any old folders and files of the scenario in question!
- Download the latest version from my Google Drive:
- 68 AD: (68CE_BellumRomanum_v139_20250710.7z) HERE.
- 193 AD: (193CE_BellumRomanum_v139_20250710.7z) HERE.
- 310 AD: (310CE_BellumRomanum_v139_20250710.7z) HERE.
- Unzip/extract the downloaded .7z file.
- Place the unzipped folder (name below) and its files in the SCENARIOS folder of FieldOfGloryEmpires, under Documents/My Games/.
- 68 AD: 68CE_BellumRomanum_v139.
- 193 AD: 193CE_BellumRomanum_v139.
- 310 AD: 310CE_BellumRomanum_v139.
