Controls
Basic Controls
Cohorts are the only figures in the game directly controllable by the player. The basic control paradigm is left click to select, right click to set a destination or target. (Standard RTS Controls)
Selection
* Clicking any figure in a cohort selects the entire cohort
* Clicking the cohort’s standard/standard bearer selects the entire cohort
* Clicking the figure tracking window when a cohort’s fort is selected selects the entire cohort
* Double-clicking the figure tracking window of a fort selects the cohort and centers the camera over the cohort.
* When the cohort is in the fort, pressing the ‘Deploy’ button on a fort’s selected object panel selects the cohort and moves the cohort to one of the fort’s gates.
* - When the cohort is not in the fort, the button changes to an 'order cohort home' button.
* Pressing a cohort’s hot-key selects the cohort. Pressing the hot-key a second time centers the camera on the cohort. (Hot-key groups can be set for cohorts by ctrl-# )
Click for larger imageCity Defenders
Some non-cohort player units can also be involved in combat. They are not true cohorts and generally operate independently of one another.
* These units are not directly controllable by the player.
* These units do not move to seek out opponents, but rather react to nearby enemies.
* Gladiators and Praefects – in addition to their other roles, these units also defend the city by attacking enemy figures that come within their engagement range. Both are gladiators and praefects are considered melee units.
* Wall defenders – ranged units spawned by towers that patrol sections of wall.
* Fortifications function differently and are defined individually.
Click for larger imageBuying off the Enemy
Buying off the Enemy – many, but not all, enemies can be bought off with large cash payments. This ends the current invasion, but does not necessarily preclude the return of the enemy at a later time.
Enemy Forces on the City Level
Enemy forces can have different strategic goals, set by Invasion Type in the editor. This generally defines the level of destruction the enemy seeks to inflict before departing, and restricts which goal types are available to their cohorts.
- Raiding – the enemies only seek to steal goods; destruction is incidental.
- Pillaging – the enemies seek to steal goods and destroy outlying property.
- Pre-emption – the enemies seek to reduce or destroy the player’s military forces, but they do not seek control of the city.
- Conquest – the enemies seek total domination of the city; destruction is one aim in this.
Caesar – Caesar does not seek to destroy any civilian buildings, but does break through fortifications as needed. ): If the player has prolonged low favor, then Caesar sends forces to remove him from power.
- Caesar’s forces seek to remove the player’s military forces by destroying all forts that currently have manned cohorts. - In addition, Caesar’s forces seek to occupy the governor’s mansion (as above in Conquest).
If Caesar’s forces have met the military requirement (above), then occupying the governor’s mansion causes the player to lose the game and ends the scenario.
If the player does not have a governor’s mansion, then simply removing the player’s forts is sufficient to trigger the loss.
Click for larger imageWalls
Placed by dragging the mouse from one tile to another (similar to road placement)
- Can be placed diagonally, as well as in the 4 cardinal directions.
Walls can be scaled by some types of cohorts.
Towers
Towers can only be placed on existing wall sections.
Towers require road access for staffing. Banner messages inform the player of this if they place a tower that is not adjacent to a road.
Towers intermittently shoot missiles from ballista at enemy cohorts within range
Staffed towers also generate defenders for nearby sections of wall.
- Whenever a defender is killed during the course of an invasion, that number is subtracted from the total number of defenders that tower can generate until the current invasion is ended.
- Towers employ plebs
Gatehouses
Gatehouses are passable for all player units, but not for enemies.
Gatehouses intermittently shoot missiles at enemies within range.
- This range is set much shorter than that of a tower
Gatehouses employ plebs.
Siege Cohorts
Siege cohorts (catapults and the like) are a special type of enemy cohort that exists purely for defeating fortifications.
Only some enemies have these cohorts. Raiders are never accompanied by siege cohorts.
Players do not have these types of cohorts, as the player never tactically assaults enemy fortifications.
Scaling Walls
Some types of enemy units are able to scale walls
- This is generally done by infantry (as opposed to cavalry or siege units)
When searching for a wall section to scale, cohorts continue to attempt to avoid tower missile fire and give preference to areas free from tower coverage.
