Cultural Groups (TWR2)

Overview: Factions, Cultures and Cultural Groups

In Rome 2 every Faction is part of a specific Culture, and each of those Cultures is part of one of four broad Cultural Groups. Roman, Hellenic, Barbarian or Eastern.

The Culture and Cultural Group of a Faction affect both campaign and battle gameplay, as well as the audio and visuals of that faction.

Overview: Cultural Groups:

The Cultural Group a faction belongs to influences many aspects of the game, including:

• The general types of units and buildings it has access to.
• The settlement maps used in settlement battles.
• The additional options available after successfully attacking a settlement (Loot, Sack, Subjugate, Liberate.)
• Access to specific diplomacy options (Client States, Satrapies or Confederations.)
• The role women will play in their society, military and politics.
• The in game voices used by characters, units and on the diplomacy screen.
• The general appearance of the faction.
• The technologies they can research.
• Some of the character skills and abilities that their characters can gain.
• Access to specific additional recruitment options, such as Auxiliaries, Levying from Client States or Satrapies, or hybrid-Culture naval units.

These may be further influenced by the Culture, or even individual Faction.

Note that some factions within a Cultural Group may deviate from the standard template for that Cultural Group. Please see specific Faction and Culture pages for details.

The Cultural Groups:

There are four Cultural Groups:

Roman

The Roman Cultural Group consists of Rome herself in the Grand Campaign, Caesar in Gaul, Hannibal at the Gates and Rise of the Republic, as well as a number of splinter factions in the Roman Civil War themed Imperator Augustus (Octavian's Rome, Anthony's Rome, Lepidus' Rome and Pompey's Rome) and Empire Divided (Rome, Gallic Rome, Palmyra) campaigns. It also includes the Etruscan Tarchuna in Rise of the Republic, and Italic Samnites & Veneti in Rise of the Republic.

Roman Cultures and Factions

Grand Campaign

• Rome (Rome)

Caesar in Gaul

• Rome (Rome)

Hannibal at the Gates

• Rome (Rome)

Imperator Augustus

• Rome (Anthony's Rome, Lepidus' Rome, Octavian's Rome, Pompey's Rome)

Empire Divided

• Divided Roman Empire (Gallic Rome, Rome, Palmyra)

Rise of the Republic

• Italian Civilisation (Rome, Tarchuna)
• Italic Tribes (Samnites, Veneti)

Roman Armies

Roman armies generally lend themselves to a variety of styles of play, due to their access to a large and varied roster of Auxiliary units to support their main Legionary units.

Roman land units are mainly recruited from the Field of Mars, which branches at Tier II to specialise in Roman units or Auxiliaries. Siege Weapons are recruited from the Siege Workshop. A small number of speciality units are recruited from other buildings, for example Gladiators from the Gladiator branch of the City Centre chain.

Roman factions may also levy units from their Client States.

Roman factions in some campaigns can also upgrade certain units into more advanced versions once certain technologies have been researched. (For example Hastati > Legionaries > Legionary Cohort.) This can in some cases lead to units changing type. (For example spear armed Triarii > sword armed Veteran Legionaries > sword armed Evocati Cohort.)

Roman Navies

Roman navies are the largest and most versatile in the game, with access to a large selection of vessels crewed by a wide variety of Roman and Auxiliary units. Because of this they lend themselves to ramming, boarding, artillery bombardment, ranged attacks and landings.

Roman naval units are recruited from the Port, which has several branches.

Roman Buildings

Roman buildings generally focus on one role, for example industrial income, or military recruitment or agriculture. This encourages province specialisation, where multiple complimentary buildings are constructed to make the most of the bonuses provided by those buildings.

Romans have access to the powerful Sewer chain of Sanitation buildings, which at high levels offer large bonuses to Public Order, Growth and Cultural Influence.

Romans are also the only Cultural Group to have a building whose exact function changes depending on where it is built, the Auxiliary barracks chain. This allows recruitment of different Auxiliary units depending on the local culture of the province it is built in.

Roman Diplomatic Options

Roman factions can create Client States, either through the Diplomacy Screen or through the Subjugate post battle option when attacking the final settlement of a faction.

Hellenic

The Hellenic Cultural Group includes the Successor Kingdoms, Greek States, and Black Seas Colonies Cultures, as well as the Hellenic influenced Carthage Culture in the Grand Campaign. It also includes Carthage and the Greek Syracuse in Hannibal at the Gates; Egypt in Imperator Augustus; the Greek factions in Wrath of Sparta; and Greek States (Syracus, Taras) in Rise of the Republic.

Hellenic Cultures and Factions

Grand Campaign

• Carthage (Carthage)
• Successor Kingdoms (Baktria, Macedon, Egypt, Seleucid Kingdom)
• Greek States (Athens, Epirus, Sparta, Syracuse, Massilia)
• Black Seas Colonies (Cimmeria, Colchis, Pergamon.)

Hannibal at the Gates

• Carthage (Carthage)
• Greek States (Syracuse)

Imperator Augustus

• Successor Kingdoms (Egypt)

Wrath of Sparta

• Greek States (Athenai, Boiotian League, Korinthos, Sparta)

Rise of the Republic

• Greek States (Syracuse, Taras)

Hellenic Armies

Hellenic armies generally lend themselves to a more defensive style of play, due to their slow moving but heavily armoured spear and pike units (including the famous Hoplites,) supported by other units.

Hellenic land units are mainly recruited from the Muster Field, which branches at Tier II to specialise in heavy Hellenic units such as Hoplites (Holosideros) or lighter support units such as skirmishers (Periokos.) Siege Weapons are recruited from the Siege Workshop. A small number of speciality units are recruited from other buildings in some factions, for example Egypt recruits their Sobek Cultists from the Royal Sanctuary (Tier II Temple.)

Hellenic factions may also levy units from their Client States or Satrapies.

Some Hellenic factions in some campaigns can also upgrade certain units into more advanced versions once certain technologies have been researched. (For example Carthaginian Hoplites > Late Carthaginian Hoplies.)

Hellenic Navies

Hellenic navies generally have access to a selection of ram equipped naval vessels, including artillery, crewed by Hellenic units. Because of this they lend themselves to ramming, boarding, artillery bombardment, ranged attacks and landings.

Hellenic naval units are recruited from the Port, which has several branches.

Hellenic Buildings

Hellenic buildings generally focus on one role, for example industrial income, or military recruitment or agriculture. This encourages province specialisation, where multiple complimentary buildings are constructed to make the most of the bonuses provided by those buildings.

Hellenic Diplomatic Options

Hellenic factions can create Client States (or in some cases Satrapies,) either through the Diplomacy Screen or through the Subjugate post battle option when attacking the final settlement of a faction.

Barbarian

The Barbarian Cultural Group includes the Britannic Tribes, Gallic Tribes, Germanic Tribes, Nomadic Tribes, Iberian Tribes, and Balkan Tribes Cultures in the Grand Campaign. It also includes the Germanic Suebi, Gallic Arverni & Nervii in Caesar in Gaul; the Iberian Arevaci and Lusitani in Hannibal at the Gates; the Balkan Dacians, Britannic Iceni & Germanic Marcomanni in Imperator Augustus; the Sarmatian Alani, British Caledonii, Germanic Gothi, Marcomanni & Saxoni; and the Gallic Insubres & Senones, and Nuragic Iolei in Rise of the Republic.

Barbarian Cultures and Factions

Grand Campaign

• Britannic Tribes (Iceni)
• Gallic Tribes (Arverni, Boii, Galatia, Nervii)
• Germanic Tribes (Suebi)
• Balkan Tribes (Ardiaei, Getae, Odrysian Kingdom, Tylis)
• Iberian Tribes (Arevaci, Lusitani)
• Nomadic Tribes (Massagetae, Roxolani, Royal Scythia)

Caesar in Gaul

• Gallic Tribes (Arverni, Nervii)
• Germanic Tribes (Suebi)

Hannibal at the Gates

• Iberian Tribes (Arevaci, Lusitani)

Imperator Augustus

• Britannic Tribes (Iceni)
• Germanic Tribes (Marcomanni)
• Balkan Tribes (Dacia)

Empire Divided

• British Tribes (Caledonii)
• Germanic Tribes (Gothi, Marcomanni, Saxoni)
• Sarmatians (Alani)

Rise of the Republic

• Gallic Tribes (Insubres, Senones)
• Nuragic Tribes (Iolei)

Barbarian Armies

Barbarian armies generally lend themselves to a more offensive style of play, as well as strategic use of the Ambush Stance, as many of their units are lightly armoured but gain large charge bonuses. Barbarian units often excel in melee, but suffer under sustained ranged attack.

Barbarian land units are mainly recruited from the Artisan's Bronze Workshop branch (infantry,) Craftsmen's Woodworker branch (skirmisher, ranged and siege weapons,) and the Agricultural Horsepens branch (cavalry.) A small number of speciality units are recruited from other buildings in some factions, for example the Iceni recruit their Druidic Nobles from the Bard's Grove (Tier III Commons.)

Barbarian factions do not have Client States or Satrapies, so cannot levy units. They can however gain units when Confederating, as any armies or navies belonging to the faction confederating become part of the new confederation if this does not exceed the factions Army or Navy cap.

Barbarian Navies

Barbarian navies generally have access to a selection of smaller, non-ram equipped naval vessels, crewed by Barbarian units. Because of this they lend themselves to boarding, ranged attacks and landings, but are not able to use ramming and only have access to artillery bombardment through captured ports or mercenaries.

Barbarian Cultural Group factions are the only factions who are able to gain special naval units from captured ports of other Cultural Groups, and only if those ports are not converted to your culture.

Barbarian naval units are recruited from the Port's Harbour branch.

Barbarian Buildings

Barbarian buildings generally serve more than one purpose.

Where as in other Cultural Groups buildings are often specialised in a particular area, Barbarian buildings often so several things. For example, the Barbarian military training building (Warrior Lodge,) also provides income, and can be upgraded to provide additional income, bonuses to certain kinds of income and/or public order bonuses.

Instead of having dedicated military recruitment buildings, Barbarians recruit units from branches of industrial and agricultural buildings.

Barbarians are also the only Cultural Group able to build agricultural buildings in their walled Major settlements. This allows them to better protect their food sources, where other Cultural Groups have to rely on unwalled Minor settlements for most of their food.

This diversity allows Barbarian provinces to be more adaptable and your empire to be less centralised. For example, your main military recruitment province may also contribute to your economy and food supplies, and a province developed mainly for industry may also be able to put together an army in an emergency.

Barbarian Diplomatic Options

Barbarian factions can form Confederations with other factions of the same “Blood” through the Diplomacy Screen.

They may also Liberate previously defeated factions through the Liberate post battle option, when attacking a settlement that previously belonged to another faction.

Eastern

The Eastern Cultural Group includes the Eastern Empires and the Desert Kingdoms Cultures in the Grand Campaign. It also includes the Eastern Armenia & Parthia in Imperator Augustus, and the Eastern Sassanids in Empire Divided.

Notable non-playable factions in this Cultural Group include the Persian Empire in Wrath of Sparta.

Eastern Cultures and Factions

Grand Campaign

• Eastern Empires (Armenia, Parthia, Pontus)
• Desert Kingdoms (Kush, Masaesyli, Nabataea, Saba)

Imperator Augustus

• Eastern Empires (Armenia, Parthia)

Empire Divided

• Eastern Empires (Armenia, The Sassanids)

Eastern Armies

Eastern armies generally lend themselves to a more micromanagement focused style of play, using inferior (but cheap) infantry, agile skirmishers and skirmisher cavalry, and elite, heavily armoured (but expensive) shock cavalry, including the famous Cataphracts.

Eastern land units are mainly recruited from the Infantry Camp (infantry,) and Animal Breeder (which has several branches specialising in different types of cavalry and elephants,) Siege Weapons are recruited from the Siege Workshop. A small number of speciality units are recruited from other buildings in some factions, for example Nabatae and Saba recruit the Caravan Guard unit from the Caravan Inn (Tier III Town Centre.)

Hellenic land units are mainly recruited from the Muster Field, which branches at Tier II to specialise in heavy Hellenic units such as Hoplites (Holosideros) or lighter support units such as skirmishers (Periokos.) Siege Weapons are recruited from the Siege Workshop. A small number of speciality units are recruited from other buildings in some factions.

Eastern Navies

Eastern navies generally have access to a selection of ram equipped naval vessels, including artillery, crewed by Eastern infantry. Because of this they lend themselves to ramming, artillery bombardment and ranged attacks, but not boarding and landings due to their inferior quality infantry.

Hellenic naval units are recruited from the Port, which has several branches.

Eastern Buildings

Eastern buildings generally focus on one role, for example industrial income, or military recruitment or agriculture. This encourages province specialisation, where multiple complimentary buildings are constructed to make the most of the bonuses provided by those buildings.

Eastern factions are the only factions who can build the Courier Post chain of Tax buildings, increasing tax rate in the local province and at higher levels provides bonuses to spies or dignitaries recruited in that province.

Due to the specialised nature of the Eastern Military Recruitment buildings, a province focused on a military recruitment may need as many as 4 different recruitment buildings to access their main roster (5 including siege weapons,) plus military training buildings.

Eastern Diplomatic Options

Eastern factions can create Satrapies, either through the Diplomacy Screen or through the Subjugate post battle option when attacking the final settlement of a faction.