Community Imperial: Review of Caesar in Gaul, campaigns for Total War: Rome II - Community Imperial. Caesar's Gallic War

The company, which delights us with good tactical strategies from time to time, when releasing an add-on, as a rule, does not limit itself to new textures, traditionally already offering a very serious change in the game.

The addition, on the whole, remains true to this tradition, although, of course, it is lost against the background of the much more successful addition to. While it offered us a completely redesigned gameplay, and, in fact, a new game on an old engine, "Gallic War" is simply a collection of four campaigns, inviting the Romans to chase the French, Germans and Belgians through their native forests.

On the other hand, the certain poverty of the add-on in no way means that it is uninteresting to play. For once, the developers have placed under our command not some abstract Roman man, but the great Julius Caesar. And it is with our help that he will achieve his greatness.

Notes on the Gallic War.

Taking into account that we have a serious historical strategy here, expect from Caesar in Gaul there is no appearance of Asterix, Obelix and the magic potion. Instead, there is a complex and complex war on several fronts and intense diplomatic work. The wild, bearded Boys, of course, don’t mind tapping the Galatians in the face and spitting into the Nervii’s mush. But, in their opinion, all this can be done later, when the skin of the last upstart from Rome can be stretched onto a drum. In turn, the Roman legions under the command of Julius Caesar himself are trying to impose at least some semblance of order in the boundless Gaul, mercilessly slaughtering everyone who does not agree with the current course of the Senate.

At first glance, the map is a bit crowded - in fact, even more provinces are crammed into it than in the original. So what does this supplement offer us, designed to shed light on the most important military campaign of Caesar's career, after which his popularity in Rome reached such heights that he dared to defy the Senate and call himself emperor?

For starters, forget about the Mediterranean - act in Caesar in Gaul will have to be found exclusively on the map of Gaul, roughly speaking, which includes the territory of modern Western Europe. Despite the fact that, at first glance, the map is cramped, in fact, perhaps even more regions and provinces are crammed into it than in the original game. We can look at the Gallic War through the eyes of Rome, the leaders of the Boii tribe, the wild but cute Galatians who love to fight naked, or the Belgian Nervii. Each side, of course, is unique and has its own set of troops. In addition, each faction fights differently. Finally, in addition to the four main participants in the conflict, various small tribes will take part in big politics, capable, however, of spoiling a lot of blood for the commanders, or of bringing many, many benefits if you are worthy of fighting all the wars with the hands of your allies.

He came, he saw, he ran away.

The first thing that catches your eye in the expansion is, of course, three new tribes. The Nervii, the ancestors of the modern Belgians, are the most fierce and frostbitten warriors who specialize in ambushes. Their guerrilla swordsmen, appearing out of nowhere and delivering brutal blows to the flanks, are guaranteed to drain liters of blood from the player. Boys specialize in battles in the open field, and they can afford it - their units are generally cheaper than other troops in the game and are recruited faster. Finally, the Galatians have archers at their disposal that become invisible in any forest. These guys are simply irreplaceable for fans of the “shit and run” tactics, however, microcontrol when using them is sometimes simply hellish. However, if the player suddenly decides to play against Rome, he will quickly see how decisively Caesar crushes the “goblin” resisting him with the steel fists of legions and mercenaries from the local population. The developers tweaked the AI, and the computer began to use the unique features of the factions to the fullest.

The computer has finally learned to use the features of the terrain and the faction it controls. The campaign lasts only eight years - from 58 to 50 BC. But don’t be alarmed, from now on each turn covers only two weeks, and the year, accordingly, lasts 24 turns, during which you can manage to do a lot of things. At the same time, the developers introduced the change of seasons into the game, each of which can award its own bonuses or disadvantages. For example, in late autumn, farmers can reap a good harvest, but a dry summer leads to fires on farms and damage to production. And in winter, soldiers may have problems with supplies and real epidemics of diseases.

IN Caesar in Gaul The mechanics have also changed. The conquered provinces rebel every now and then. The enemies, seeing the player as a dangerous rival, stop fighting among themselves, and can even form a huge coalition that will attack you with all its considerable forces. However, mechanics can be turned to your advantage by diligently exploiting the “divide and conquer” rule. Make an alliance with some tribes and set them against others that are undesirable to your regime - this tactic works especially well against the Boys. For once, diplomacy in the series went a little further than peace negotiations and declarations of war. However, the computer also loves to rake in the heat with your hands, so keep your eyes open all the time so as not to become a pawn in someone else’s game.

Experience is the teacher of everything.

Seeing the player as a dangerous opponent, the Gallic tribes can rally all their forces against him. In addition to the campaign, a new historical battle has appeared in the game - the battle of the fortified city of Alesia, which is key in the Gallic War. On the Roman side, the legions are personally commanded by Julius Caesar, and the united Gallic troops are led by the Druid Vercingetorix. The battle is a very complex siege of the city - it is very difficult to win, regardless of the side of the conflict. Rome will have to roll over the walls of the fortified city over and over again, and the Gauls will have to tremble under the blows of the legions, shoot the regiments from behind the walls, and pray to all their gods at once. In the real story, Caesar utterly defeated the troops of Vercingetorix, put the druid in a cage, paraded him through the streets of Rome during his triumphal procession and executed him. Try to repeat his feat, or vice versa - kill the legionnaires, take the “Salad Man” prisoner, transport him through the forests of Gaul and burn him at the stake for the glory of the pagan gods.

Unfortunately, the game remains sick with all its shortcomings. There are still the same huge maps, on which, at times, you get wildly tired of hunting enemy regiments, and the same stupid waving of swords and clubs instead of a full-fledged battle, as well as “colliding boxes” of legions. The enemy's intelligence has become a little better - he is smart enough to drive invisible archers into the forests - but sometimes, with stunning naivety, he throws his cavalry straight into the forest where our spearmen are hiding. In general, the technical part of the game remained unchanged. The same magnificent graphics, the same scale of what is happening, the same demands on computer resources. One can, perhaps, thank the developers for fixing numerous bugs and optimizing the game, which has stopped being so shamelessly slow even on very powerful systems.

Total War: Rome 2 - Caesar in Gaul, like the original game, is not without its shortcomings - and, for the most part, the same ones. If you evaluate the game as an independent product, it deserves all and all praise. However, this set of campaigns looks downright pale compared to Fall of the Samurai, which completely changed the gameplay. In any case, if you were satisfied with the original, there is not the slightest reason to pass up such a wonderful addition.

Campaign Pack

Description:

Caesar in Gaul is a standalone campaign pack for Total War: ROME II covering Julius Caesar’s war of expansion against the Gaulish tribes. Players can choose from four playable factions in this conflict: the Gallic Arverni, the Germanic Suebi, the Belgic Nervii and Rome, in a campaign inspired by Caesar’s Commentarii de bello Gallico (Commentaries on the Gallic war).

Offering a tighter scope in terms of time and geography than Rome II (58-51BC), the Caesar in Gaul Campaign Map is an expanded, more detailed vision of Gaul and the south coast of Britannia.

Compared with ROME II's map of Gaul, Caesar in Gaul contains more regions and provinces, more factions (both playable and non-playable), and a series of famous generals and statesmen from history which the player will employ or fight against depending on their chosen faction

A war of great profit and glory for Caesar, this conflict made him extremely popular with the people of Rome... though less so with the senators, who saw him gathering power to himself in a series of events that ultimately lead to his ascension to Dictator.

Caesar in Gaul differs from the core ROME II experience in a number of important ways:

New Campaign Map:

The Caesar in Gaul campaign map is an enhanced, more detailed representation of Gaul, with players able to expand across 18 provinces dotted with resources, new settlements and new provincial capitals.

Greater focus on characters:

Many factions employ great generals and statesmen from history (for example, Rome fields Gaius Julius Caesar himself, Mark Anthony and others). Each of the four playable factions also has a faction leader who acts as the player’s avatar during the campaign.

24 turns per year:

As Caesar in Gaul deals with a considerably shorter time-span (58-51BC) than the grand sweep of the ROME II campaign, each turn represents two weeks rather than a year. This means seasons make a return. The gameplay effects of these aren’t always predictable however, and may vary from province to province. A late autumn may bring a good harvest for example, but a long, dry summer may damage your food production.

Compact, focused multiplayer campaign:

For those generals looking for a more rapid MP campaign game, Caesar in Gaul presents a series of interesting options. Due to the geographic scope and the opposing 48 factions, co-op or competitive 2-player campaigns are tighter, more focused, and less time-consuming than a full Campaign.

New mid-game challenge mechanics:

For those players making it through to the mid-game, there will be new challenges to face as a more suitable replacement for the Civil Wars of ROME II. As a Gallic tribe, you’ll feel the mailed fist of Rome respond with heavy intervention forces, and as Rome, you’ll see the Gallic tribes rebelling and forming alliances against you.

New historical battle:

Caesar in Gaul adds the Battle of Alesia as a playable historical battle. Alesia marked the turning point of Caesar’s Gallic War, and resulted in the capture of Vercingetorix, who was later taken to Rome and executed at Caesar’s Triumph.

Set from Caesar's perspective, Alesia tasks the player with maintaining the siege of Vercingetorix"s Gallic stronghold. The battle begins with the Roman forces deployed within their own investment fortifications outside the hill-fort. The player must guide the Romans as they weather attacks from both a huge relief army and within the fort itself.

New Total War: ROME II full campaign playable factions:

Alongside the factions playable within the new Campaign, Caesar in Gaul also adds three new playable factions to the main game; they are:

Nervii (barbarian, Belgic)
The most fierce and powerful of the Belgic tribes, the Nervii are a melting pot of Celtic and Germanic heritage. Their unit roster reflects this mix of cultures, opening up the possibility of creating new, unique army compositions.

Boii (barbarian, Gallic)
One of the largest of the Gallic tribes, the Boii occupied Cisalpine-Gaul, Pannonia, Bohemia and Transalpine Gaul. Their numbers make them a force to be reckoned with but they are somewhat disconnected from other the Gallic tribes geographically and are directly exposed to the ferocious Germanic clans and the Dacians.

Galatians (barbarian, Anatolia)
The Gauls of the East, the Galatians migrated to Asia Minor following the Celtic invasion of the Balkans. They arrived through Thracia at around 270 BC, led by generals Lotarios & Leonnorios. As Celts deep within Hellenic territory and factions hostile towards them, the Galatians offer interesting and challenging new gameplay.

New units:

Alongside their usual unit rosters, the playable factions of Caesar in Gaul (and playable factions in the main ROME II campaign provided by Caesar in Gaul ownership) also gain the following new units:

Boii (ROME II)

Sword Followers (sword infantry)
Where a lord commands, the sword is thrust.

Veteran Spears (spear infantry)
Battle hardens the sinews and the heart, and deafens the ear to the cries of cowards.

Galatians (ROME II)

Galatian Legionaries (sword infantry)
The Celts have taught the Romans more than they"re prepared to admit, but this is a two-way street.
Galatian Raiders (javelin and sword cavalry)
Broken enemies know it is better to flee than face riders who will not spare their lives.

Gallic tribes (ROME II and Caesar in Gaul)

Chosen Swordsmen (sword infantry)
These men fight with proven bravery and well-honed skill-at-arms.
Chosen Spearmen (spear infantry)
Chainmail does not chill a warrior's heart, or still his lust for battle.

Nervii (ROME II and Caesar in Gaul)

Fierce Swords (sword infantry)
Once he has earned it, a Celt will only be parted from his longsword by death itself.
Guerilla Swordsmen (stealth sword infantry)
These swordsmen strike wherever and whenever their enemies least expect.
Mighty Horse (spear cavalry)
A strong mount and a savage swing make these warriors a fearsome prospect.
Naked Spears (spear infantry)
Who needs clothes when you have more than your share of courage?
Gallic Hunters (stealth bow infantry)
The skills of the hunt, hiding and a sudden strike, are the skills of a warrior.

Auxiliaries

Auxiliary Gallic Hunters (stealth bow infantry)
The skills of a hunter should be used in the service of Rome.
Auxiliary Noble Horse(spear cavalry)
A mounted, armored fist is always useful in a Roman army.
Auxiliary Naked Swords (sword infantry)
The savage gods of war should be used to Rome's advantage.
Auxiliary Short Swords (sword infantry)
Bravery in battle, rather than skill, sometimes gives worth to a man.

Mercenaries

Mercenary Gallic Hunters (stealth bow infantry)
The hunting of other men often has the greatest of rewards.
Mercenary Noble Horse (spear cavalry)
Even a nobleman has his price, and will fight for gold.
Mercenary Naked Swords (sword infantry)
The gods of war will bless mercenaries as long as they fight bravely.
Mercenary Short Swords (sword infantry)
It is often enough to sell bravery and a taste for glory.

A lot of time has passed since the game was released, but no less has passed since the release of the Caesar in Gaul campaign. Honestly, on the one hand, I love local campaigns. They allow you to feel more subtly the events of a particular era. I really liked the small campaigns in Napoleon, Medieval 2: Kingdoms. And Rome 2 currently offers a fairly diverse set of local campaigns, each of which is interesting in its own way. At the same time, I never had the opportunity to either play them out to the end or start them at all. A similar thing happened to Caesar in Gaul. I remember once I started the game as the Suebi, but after conquering a fairly large number of tribes, I abandoned the campaign. There were other things to do. Now that the big campaign has been played out many times, I want to try something new. And I decided to look at Caesar in Gaul again, to give him one more chance.

Naturally, he began the campaign for the Romans, expecting to repeat the glorious exploits of Gaius Julius from the Notes. At first everything went pretty smoothly. The Allobroges and Aedui are quite friendly towards Rome. Vocontia is actually a protectorate of Rome. The war with the Helvetii is also not particularly difficult.

In the course of the Notes, I had to continue to fight with the Suebi, and in the future with the Nervii. But it so happened in the game world that the Vibiskis declared war on me, and Martius, not wanting to surrender Narbo, had to redirect Caesar’s combat-ready army to the west. Caesar's iron legions dealt with the local tribes without any problems. It is worth noting that this formula applies to other tribes as well. As a rule, all Gauls have mostly peasant recruits in their army, a few light horsemen and 1-2 strong strong units. While the Roman army is the strongest in this campaign. The basic infantry of legionnaires fights on equal terms with the best Gallic swordsmen (what can we say about weaker units). In addition, the Romans had access to local Gallic troops and artillery. Therefore, dealing with the Celts should not present any particular problems for Caesar.

However, an equally important aspect in this campaign is diplomacy. After all, it was thanks to her that Caesar achieved most of his initial victories. At first, maintaining relationships with neighbors is not particularly difficult. But as Rome’s territories increase, the level of expansionism also increases, which has an extremely negative impact on relations with its neighbors. Each turn I sent cash gifts to existing allies and protectorates with the intention of maintaining friendly relations. But with each move it became more and more difficult. Moreover, the ensuing war with the Suebi and Nervii burdened Caesar's treasury, so gifts ceased to be regular.

At some point, the level of expansion reaches a critical point and an uprising of already conquered Gallic tribes occurs in all cities. Considering that at the same moment a very powerful state of the Arverni was emerging nearby, and their allies were joining the enemies, Caesar’s position became extremely unenviable. After a few moves, even the most loyal allies, including protectorates, betray.

Cities are burning from uprisings, there is a catastrophic lack of forces, and there is no money to recruit new armies. As a result, Caesar is left without troops (and those that exist desperately hold on to the existing territories), without allies, surrounded by extremely hostile tribes, diplomatic relations with which are now impossible.

Gaius Julius Caesar was left with no choice but to press ESC, “save game” and “exit to main menu”, hoping that in the future he would be able to overcome these problems.

Summing up the results of the Roman campaign, I note that everything is practically happening as it was historically. The campaign turns out to be quite complex and intense (especially considering that at some point you will have to fight with everyone at once). However, the uprising of the conquered Gauls is not a terrible threat compared to the other unconquered Gauls, of which there are a lot. I admit that my biggest mistake was getting distracted by Vibiscus. Firstly, I spent 4 turns moving Caesar's legion. Secondly, during the conquests an empire grew, which worsened relations with my neighbors almost instantly. I will also note that diplomacy is very difficult to conduct. Yes. This is hard. But it is necessary to actively monitor who is fighting with whom and not allow one side or another to gain strength. Divide et impera! Thus, fighting should become easier. Being an ally of the Aedui and not restraining them in any way, I allowed them to expand, which later, during the war with them, cost me very dearly.

But I decided not to give up just like that and therefore tried a campaign for Caesar’s rivals - the Arverni. At first, the campaign seems quite simple. War with neighbors, as a rule, is not particularly difficult, especially after the Arverni have noble swordsmen and even ordinary spearmen. But the Arverni, by and large, don’t need to fight. Their faction bonus, as well as various diplomatic technologies, allow them to improve their relations with their neighbors. After the first faction joins your confederation (and this will happen very soon), a chain reaction will begin. Many small tribes will want to become members of the confederation, and large ones will want to become allies. At this point it is very important to gather a large army.

Because having reached the maximum imperium, we receive news that the Romans are starting an offensive. After a few moves, I declared war on the Quirites, because this confrontation is the main essence of the game. And imagine my unpleasant surprise when numerous legions and enemy agents began to arrive from the direction of Lugdun Gaul. I counted 13 legions, the composition of which was such that they could immediately destroy me.

On the very first turn, my army, which was garrisoning the settlement, was attacked by the Romans, having significantly damaged it with agents a moment before. The first battle was won and the Roman legion was destroyed. But subsequently 3 others arrived, and the result of the next collision was obvious. Even 1v1 the Roman stack represented a serious force, and it was possible to defeat it in a fair fight only with very large losses (if the outcome of the battle was victory at all). So, in the first moves I lost 2 armies. There were still 3 left in stock. I was ready to do exactly the same as in the case of Caesar's campaign.

The next day I thought, I’ll take another look at the balance of power in the campaign. Having estimated that the Romans, even if they advance, will not soon capture all my lands, I will have enough time to give the Quirites a “worthy reception.” I remembered the methods of war of Vercingetorix himself against the Romans. He never engaged in open battle with the Romans, preferring to hide his main forces in oppidiums and organize guerrilla attacks on the Romans. This was the only way to defeat the Romans. As agents, I carried out various acts of sabotage in the Roman legions, and put the existing armies in the “ambush” mode (I admit, this was the first time I tried this mode), which made my armies invisible and allowed me to ambush enemies. I managed to destroy several legions of Romans in this way. At the same time, new resistance armies were recruited in Nemessa and Alesia. By the time of the war, the Nervii and other large tribes had come to my side. But I also tried to persuade with money those tribes that were neutral towards Rome. Thus, I managed to persuade the Allobroges and Vangiones. But to my regret, Caesar was able to destroy them on the same turn (!) when they joined my coalition. As Caesar resisted, he also captured Bibracta and some other settlements. During such “suicidal” battles, I tried to destroy first of all the Roman artillery, which brought the most trouble.

In the south, a lone army of Vercassivelaunus operated in Narbonensis, liberating those tribes that had been conquered by the Romans. In the future, I had to deprive the Romans of a strategic base in the south.

Over time, the Roman offensive faded, ambushes and the actions of agents did their job. When any Roman army moved away from the main forces, my forces attacked it. However, the Roman army acted very wisely, trying not to move away from each other. It was obvious that I would not attack 5-6 legions (even battered ones). Moreover, my forces were scattered.

But soon the entire south was freed from the power of Rome. The allies gradually sent their armies, which hindered the advance of the Romans. The Nervii recaptured Bibracta from the Romans, granting independence to the Aedui, who hastened to join my confederation. At the end of autumn, the Romans were either defeated or their few forces were driven back to Helvetica. The original plan was to wait until winter to allow the Romans to suffer non-combat losses. But fortunately for the Gauls, the situation turned out much better.
In several major battles, Vercingetorix managed to personally defeat the Romans with very heavy losses (which once again emphasized that fighting head-on with the Romans was extremely unwise), but he was soon wounded by the actions of the agents.

The Romans were left without legions. At least the forces they had were active in Germany against the Nervii and Suebi. The path to Italy was open. Having subjugated Massalia, the united Gauls swept through Liguria and Insubria like an avalanche. The goals of the Gauls were achieved. Victory!

Summarizing the results of the Arverni campaign, I can say that, based on a combination of factors, it was much simpler. The only difficulty was the Roman offensive, which could not be dealt with in a couple of moves. It made me sweat quite a bit and use my brain. But the main plus is that it turned out to be a fairly believable and realistic roleplay for Vercingetorix. The Gallic campaign itself is gameplay-wise the complete opposite of Caesar's campaign. That's good. The Suebian campaign, oddly enough, is also quite different from the other 2. I can’t say anything definite about the Nervii.

In general, the campaign, in my opinion, is worth both the player’s time (because it forces you to think a lot, and due to the great detail of the map and some of the capabilities of the campaign itself, you need to think very carefully, and also due to more or less correspondence with the story), and his money ( the price of the DLC is quite small + in addition to the new campaign, we also get 3 factions for the main campaign). Overall my rating is 4.3 out of 5.

Julius Caesar is by far the most popular and famous politician and commander of Rome in its entire history, of whom modern humanity knows. And it must be said that it is deservedly so. Combining several roles, he was successful in any business he did. Well, the most significant moment for all of us is that it was after the death of Caesar that the Roman Republic finally and irrevocably took the path of the Roman Empire.

Caesar was immortalized in many theatrical performances and in media culture, in particular in various historical films, or even comedies. I'm sure you've all seen Asterix and Obelix vs. Caesar.

But the fact that The Creative Assembly in the first Rome passed by this greatest historical figure, who influenced the fate of Rome itself, somewhat disappointed fans. Well, now 9 years have passed and the developers decided to rehabilitate themselves in the eyes of the fans, for the second time paying attention to the undeservedly ignored Julius Caesar. They decided to immortalize him in the most obvious way - by making a separate campaign dedicated to the conquest of Gaul.

Indeed, DLC is based on Caesar’s own chronicle, better known as “Notes on the Gallic War” and, first of all, this chronicle describes the events taking place at that moment on the part of Julius Caesar himself and the Roman army. In the DLC, this is expressed in the fact that at the start of a new campaign, both for the Romans and the barbarians, instead of an adviser who tells what to do, Caesar also appears. And if you chose Rome, then it will describe its immediate actions; when starting a new campaign for the barbarians, Caesar will evaluate certain barbarians and try to predict their further actions. Made unusually and quite fresh. This fact also once again emphasizes who is, so to speak, the cornerstone figure of the entire DLC.

Meanwhile, there are only 4 playable factions. Three of them are already familiar to us from “vanilla”. This is Rome, Arverni, Suebi. But new barbarians also appeared - the Nervii. They are quite strikingly different from their brothers in a fairly powerful and balanced line of troops, where everything is in abundance - heavy infantry and spearmen and riflemen and cavalry of the most varied variety.

Also, the very way of life and military discipline of the Nervievs are very reminiscent of the famous Spartans. They led a rather ascetic lifestyle, fought a lot, and were known for their fearless and merciless wars, where there was no place for the weak. It is not surprising that the Nervii were called barbarian Spartans in certain circles.

All this combined with high morale makes the Nervii potentially the strongest barbarians in the entire DLC. The other side of the coin is the weak economic development of the Nervii. Well, we already know about our acquaintances Suebi and Arverni. Their strategic position roughly corresponds to vanilla, and the developers diluted their troops with a couple of new units.

And of course Rome. Southern part of the map. The territories of Rome are reliably protected from enemies by the Alps mountain range and the lands of barbarian allied tribes. It is expected that the campaign for Rome will be the most comfortable, especially for beginners.

In total, we will see 48 factions in the campaign (including 4 playable ones). And believe me, even this amount will be enough for an exciting campaign from beginning to end. All of Gaul (of course significantly expanded and expanded in territory, unlike the original Total War: ROME 2 ) will be one big anthill, in which dozens of tribes will swarm, with their own rules, alliances, and opponents. Which, by the way, sets special conditions for the game. The fact is that most tribes will have no more than one region with one settlement, as a result of which bloody and dramatic battles are expected literally for the survival of one faction or another. And this also applies to playable factions. Having started a war with a seemingly weak neighbor, you will later discover that he managed to create alliances with his neighbors, and that they are all coming to take revenge on you for him. That is, each of your moves will have to be planned very carefully and precisely, preferably several games in advance. By the way, this also applies to the Romans to a large extent. True, if for the barbarians diplomatic and geopolitical mistakes and miscalculations at the beginning of the campaign will actually equate to an instant loss, then for Rome, due to the initially largest number of provinces, cities, a strong army and economy, it will be “somewhat unpleasant,” but not critical. However, if Rome has an incompetent leader at the helm, then he too will be doomed.

In general, the AI ​​in the DLC was tweaked quite well, but mostly thanks to patch No. 8, which was released simultaneously with Caesar in Gaul itself. On the strategic map, AI acts competently and logically, trying to enlist the support of its neighbors and quickly crush you. On the tactical map, everything is just as good. The commander does not lead spears; he disperses the troops according to the terrain. The AI ​​also conducts siege battles quite well, but nevertheless, it is in this direction that some shortcomings can still be observed. For example, they can ignore gaps in the walls and still use stairs, even if it is unprofitable in this situation.

However, you can’t expect the skills of a super strategist from AI. Yes, he was finally taught basic and standard positions and maneuvers, he learned to act logically and often puts a spoke in the player’s wheels, but nevertheless, not a single AI can compare in skill to a living opponent. Fortunately, like in the original Rome II, there is a co-op for 2 people, which allows you to simulate truly interesting situations. And it is “Caesar in Gaul” that is perfect for playing through a campaign together. A tighter, more balanced campaign map is ideal for this. Since we only have Gaul at our disposal, the rivals will not have to develop for a long time when they eventually meet each other. Everything happens from now on more quickly and dramatically. By the way, now the duration of the campaign will be 7 years and 24 moves per year. And this implies the appearance of weather conditions that most directly affect the gameplay. Don’t be surprised that after a warm autumn, your legionnaires will suffer non-combat losses when a harsh winter sets in, even when directly moving across the global map. Therefore, it is better for unprepared troops not to move at all in winter and to form a camp. By the way, weather conditions such as heavy rain or falling snow significantly enliven the game map of the campaign and bring some comfort.

As for the rest: the technology branches were redesigned specifically for this DLC. Moreover, there are significant differences in structure between the barbarians and the Romans. Many factions now have real-life political systems. Activists and leaders (in addition to Caesar himself, Rome also has Mark Antony, the barbarians, for example, Vercingetorix, etc.).

Another innovation. There are no civil warriors in this DLC, but the developers have made a replacement for them. We will be waiting for some kind of testing system closer to the middle of the campaign. This is expressed in regular uprisings of the conquered barbarians and their even greater unity if you play as Rome. Well, the barbarians will have to hold back the powerful and well-equipped armies of Rome.

And finally, about optimization. Previously, there was virtually no difference in performance between high and ultra settings. The following was discovered experimentally. Ultra and Extreme settings will only work well with very powerful stations. But tall and very good. high settings are now the most optimal for the vast majority of modern, but not top-end PCs. It’s nice that, in general, the difference in graphics quality even between high and ultra is not noticeable, and the difference in FPS between these two settings can reach as much as 10 fps!

But at the same time with the exit Total War: ROME 2 Caesar in Gaul The graphics have even been improved, regardless of the graphic settings themselves, and now the game will look more beautiful than it did before in vanilla with virtually no loss of performance. At the moment, the warrior models look better than what we could see in vanilla Rome 2 and Shogun 2

To summarize, we can say with confidence that the additional campaign “Caesar in Gaul” was a great success. In this DLC, Creative Assembly worked on the bugs and took their chance for rehabilitation after the crude release of Rome II. Everything that initially worked poorly in the original or was cut out has now been added and improved many times over. In the same way, the theme of this campaign was used and implemented in the best possible way. By the way, the release of Caesar In Gual makes it clear that this is the first sign of this kind of additionally downloadable content. This style of individual campaigns a la Kingdoms for Medieval II has proven itself well among fans, so we are waiting for the hypothetical “Hannibals in Italy”, “Alexandrov in Asia”, “Warrior of the Diadochi” and the blue dream of all totalitarians - “Barbarian Invasions, Take Two” !

Roman conquest of Gaul in 58–50 BC. e. - one of the most famous military campaigns of the Ancient world. And above all, thanks to the “Notes” of Gaius Julius Caesar, in which the military leader informs readers in detail about the progress and results of his campaigns. The development of archeology allows us to more clearly imagine how events developed in Gaul, and even supplement Caesar’s account with new facts.

Political situation in Gaul on the eve of the Roman conquest

In the spring of 58 BC. e. Gaius Julius Caesar became governor of Gaul. By that time, he had a brilliant political career, ambition, and also huge debts. Caesar received from the Senate the right to military command for five years, the opportunity to recruit legions and appoint assistant legates of his choice. The ambitious politician gave Gaul a huge place in his plans, which was favored by the explosive situation that had developed here at that time.

Gaius Julius Caesar (100–44 BC). Bust from the Antique Collection, Berlin

Since ancient times, the country was divided into warring parties: one was headed by the powerful Arverni and their allies the Sequani, the other by the Aedui. The position of the Arverni was greatly shaken when in 121 BC. e. they were defeated by the Romans. The Aedui, who entered into an alliance with Rome, on the contrary, significantly strengthened their positions.

Around 63 BC e. The Aedui fought a war with the Sequani for a strategically important corridor leading from the Rhine valley to the upper reaches of the Rhone. The Sequani initially suffered defeats and recruited 15 thousand Germanic mercenaries from the Suebi tribe, led by Ariovistus, to participate in the war. The Germans came to Gaul from distant lands beyond the Rhine and had a reputation as brave and experienced warriors.

As a result, the Aedui suffered a heavy defeat from them in the battle of Magetobriga (possibly near modern Amage, 75 km from Besançon). The Sequani took possession of the disputed territories and settled here the warriors of Ariovistus, who were supposed to play the role of a border buffer between them and the Aedui.

The leader of the Sueves, not limiting himself to what had been achieved, began to transfer more and more new detachments of Germans across the Rhine. Soon their number here reached 120 thousand people. For their resettlement, Ariovist demanded that the Sequani cede part of their possessions to him, and also began to take away lands from neighboring Gallic communities.

Helvetii

The Gauls were divided. One party, led by the Aedui leader Divitiacus, planned to turn to the Romans for protection. Another, led by Divitiac's brother Aedui Dumnorig, as well as Sequan Castic, proposed using the help of the Helvetii against the Germans.

This powerful and wealthy Celtic tribe, living in the northwestern part of modern Switzerland, before the growing onslaught of the Germans, decided to leave their possessions and settle in the southwestern part of Aquitaine. For this purpose, the Helvetii collected large supplies of food and burned their cities and villages.

Since the shortest route to the places planned for settlements ran through the territory of the Narbonese province, the Helvetii turned to Rome with a request for free passage. The Romans, only in 62–61 BC. e. Having suppressed the Allobroges' uprising in the province, they feared renewed unrest and refused their request. The Helvetii tried to break through by force, but Caesar, already in the early spring of 58 BC. e. Hastened to leave for the province, he took a number of defensive measures here.

Statue of a Gallic warrior from Vachers in southern France, 1st century AD. e.

Finding the path through the province blocked, the Helvetii moved around - through the areas of the Sequani and Aedui. Dumnorig obtained permission for them to pass freely. However, the violence that the Helvetii caused along the way turned the Aedui in favor of Divitiac's party. As a Roman ally, he turned to Caesar asking for protection.

Caesar hastened to seize a convenient pretext for military action. At the beginning of the summer, he transferred three legions from Cisalpine Gaul across the Alps in addition to the legion stationed in the territory of Narbonne. In addition, he recruited two more legions of volunteers. Now possessing an army of six legions, i.e. 25–30 thousand people, Caesar rushed after the Helvetii.

June 6, 58 BC e. he attacked the Tigurins who were part of them during their crossing of the Arar. The surprise attack was successful: the Gauls were defeated and suffered heavy losses. Constantly pursuing the enemy, Caesar was able to force a decisive battle on the Helvetians a few days later somewhere near the Aedui capital Bibracte, possibly near modern Montmore.

At the beginning of the battle, the Helvetii were able to strongly push the Romans from their positions, but then military luck turned away from them. The battle ended in complete victory for the Romans. About 80 thousand Helvetii and their allies were killed on the battlefield, the survivors were forced to return to their original settlement sites and rebuild previously destroyed settlements.

Caesar's Campaign against Ariovistus

After the victory over the Helvetii, Caesar convened a general Gallic meeting in Bibracte, at which representatives of the most influential tribes brought him a complaint about the actions of Ariovist. Ariovist refused his invitation to come to headquarters, which confirmed the worst suspicions about him.

Caesar's war with the Helvetii and the campaign against Ariovistus, 58 BC. e.

Soon, Caesar learned that the Garudas, who had recently arrived from beyond the Rhine, were devastating the border lands of the Aedui, and on the other side of the river, huge forces of the Suevi were standing, waiting to cross. In an effort to prevent their connection with the main forces of Ariovistus, Caesar set out on a campaign at the end of August of the same year. He managed to occupy the capital of the Sequani, Vesontion (Besançon), before the main forces of the Germans approached it. Ariovist awaited Caesar's approach at the "Burgundian Gate" near modern Belfort. The personal meeting of the military leaders was unsuccessful. Ariovistus refused to accept Caesar's mediation and rejected his demands to grant the Gauls freedom.

For several days there were light skirmishes between the opponents. The decisive battle took place on September 10, 58 BC. e. At the beginning of the battle, the Germans managed to push back the Romans on one of the flanks, but Caesar promptly brought in reserves, which decided the outcome in his favor. About 80 thousand Germans died on the battlefield and during the flight to the banks of the Rhine. Ariovistus and a few associates managed to cross the river and escape. His further fate is unknown.

Campaign against the Belgae

The Roman victory over the Helvetii and Ariovistus seriously changed the political situation in Gaul. The palm among the Gallic tribes passed into the hands of the Aedui and the pro-Roman party that stood behind them. The Belgae who lived in the north of Gaul were unhappy with these circumstances. They terminated the friendship agreement previously concluded with the Aedui and began to prepare for war.

Caesar regarded the Belgae's preparations as a threat to the new order he had created. In the spring of 57 BC. e. he recruited two new legions in Cisalpine Gaul and, with all the forces that were with him, invaded Belgica. The Rems, who lived between the Aisne and the Marne, assured him of their support and offered help. The Levki (Tul), the Mediomatriki (Metz) and the Treveri who lived in the Moselle valley declared their neutrality.

The rest of the Belgae, among whom the Bellovaci (Beauvais) played the most important role, gathered a militia of 300 thousand people. These enormous forces approached Caesar's fortified camp, which was set up on a hill on the banks of the Aisne near modern Craon. A direct assault on the camp was made difficult by the nearby swamp. Minor skirmishes took place on its banks.

Over time, the Belgae began to feel the need for supplies, and their militia began to disintegrate. Caesar rushed in pursuit of the retreating and pursued them to Noviodun, 3.5 km from modern Soissons. The frightened Belgae, one tribe after another, began to express their submission to him. The Nervii who tried to resist were defeated and completely destroyed in the Battle of the Sambre River. According to Caesar, out of 60 thousand men capable of bearing arms, only 500 survived, and out of the 600 most noble senators, only three survived. Their death forced the recognition of the Roman dominance of the Atrebates (Artois) and the Veromandui (Vermandois). The Aduatuci, who tried to defend themselves at Namur, suffered a severe defeat. After this, 33 thousand of the vanquished were sold into slavery.

Simultaneously with this campaign, Publius Licinius Crassus, with one legion, accepted the surrender of the Veneti, Osismi, Coriosolites, Aesubians and Redons in the coastal regions of Brittany. So by the end of the summer of 57 BC. e. a significant part of Gaul recognized the dominance of Roman weapons.

Caesar's campaign against the Belgae in 57 BC. e.

Conquest of Armorica and Aquitaine

Winter of 57–56 BC. e. The Roman legions spent time in Gaul, settling into quarters along the Loire. In the spring, the Veneti (Morbihan) came out against the Romans, joined by the coastal Armorian communities conquered last year. Caesar invaded Armorica with his main forces, and his legate Decimus Brutus, at the head of a newly built fleet, subdued the coast and defeated the ships of the Veneti at sea. As punishment for resistance, Caesar ordered the entire Veneti Senate to be executed and the prisoners sold into slavery.

Caesar's legate Quintus Titurius Sabinus with three legions marched with fire and sword through the territory of Normandy right up to the banks of the Seine, and Publius Crassus with twelve cohorts subjugated the territory of Aquitaine from the Garonne to the foot of the Pyrenees. In the decisive battle, the Aquitanian militia suffered such losses that only a quarter of its 50 thousand people survived.

Caesar's conquest of Armorica and Aquitaine, campaign 56 BC. e.

In the autumn of 56 BC. e. Caesar himself went to Belgica against the Morini and Menapii, who lived along the Scheldt River and in the lower reaches of the Rhine. As he approached, the barbarians hastened to retreat into dense forests and swamps. The Romans had to cut wide clearings and clear away rubble on the roads. Having limited himself to plundering homes and fields, Caesar gave the troops the order to return to winter quarters.

Caesar crosses the Rhine

In the winter of 55 BC. e. The Germanic tribes of the Usipetes and Tencteri, expelled from their homeland by the Suevi, crossed the Rhine in its lower reaches and found refuge in the lands of the Menapians. The refugees, who, according to Roman information, numbered 430 thousand, turned to Caesar with a request to give them land.

Caesar sought to prevent future uncontrolled crossings of the Germans across the Rhine and therefore gave them only three days to return back. Then, using as a pretext an attack by a detachment of barbarians on his foragers, he ordered the German leaders who had come for negotiations to be detained, and ordered the soldiers to slaughter all the people who had accumulated in the huge camp. Many people died, including old people, women and children.

The bridge over the Rhine was a real engineering miracle for its time. The flooring, covered with fascines, was supported by oak piles driven into the river bottom at a distance of 12 m from one another. To protect the load-bearing supports of the bridge upstream, bulls were built. All work took no more than 10 days

Not content with this result, Caesar decided to undertake a campaign across the Rhine. On his orders, in the area of ​​​​present-day Koblenz, where the river is 0.5 km wide, engineering units erected a wooden bridge. The coastal communities of the Ubii declared their submission, but the Sugambri, who accepted the surviving Usipetes and Tencteri, preferred to retire deeper into their country. The Suevi also cleared the coastal areas and retreated into the thicket of their forests. Caesar did not pursue them, setting fire to the captured coastal settlements. On the 18th day of the campaign, his troops returned.

British expedition

Since Gaul remained calm, in August 55 BC. e. Caesar decided to undertake an expedition to Britain. Two legions were used in it. Having driven away the barbarian detachments with the fire of throwing machines, Caesar landed and fortified himself on the shore of the island. The Britons retreated deeper into their country, skillfully waging guerrilla warfare and destroying Roman detachments moving away from the coast. On the 18th day after landing, Caesar sailed back to Gaul.

In July 54 BC. e. A new invasion attempt followed, this time with four legions and 1,800 Gallic horsemen, transported on 800 ships. The Britons again did not fight a decisive battle, but instead retreated before their superior enemy. Meanwhile, some of the Roman ships were destroyed by a storm. Bad news came from Gaul about an uprising brewing there. Satisfied with receiving hostages and a formal expression of submission, on September 20, 54 BC. e. Caesar left the island again.

Caesar's expedition to the Rhine and campaign in Britain in 55 BC. e.

Gallic revolt

In the winter of 54–53 BC. e. the Gauls finally realized the danger that threatened them and began to act together. The Roman troops, numbering six legions, were at this time in winter quarters in the lands of the Belgae. The conspirators, among whom the decisive role was played by the Treveri leader Indutiomar and the Eburon leader Ambiorig, decided to attack them separately.

The uprising began in the Eburonean region. Ambiorix and his men attacked 15 cohorts wintering near Aduatuca (Tongeren), commanded by the legates Quintus Titurius Sabinus and Lucius Aurunculei Cotta. The attack came as a complete surprise to the Romans, but they managed to repulse the first assault of the rebels. Then Ambiorix, who had previously been considered a loyal ally of the Romans, summoned the legates to negotiations and promised them a free retreat to their own. When the Romans left the camp walls, the Gauls ambushed them on the march. The entire squad was destroyed.

After this success, the rebels besieged the camp of Quintus Cicero on the Sambre. He barely managed to repel the first attack and held the camp until Caesar, who was wintering with three legions nearby in Samarobriva (Amiens), came to the rescue. In the ensuing battle, Caesar's 7 thousand Roman legionaries put 60 thousand Gauls to flight.

Campaign against the rebel Belgae in 53 BC. e.

Upon news of this defeat, the uprising began to decline. Indutiomarus, who with his trevians besieged the camp of Titus Labienus, allowed himself to be drawn into the battle before the approach of the Germans who had crossed the Rhine, was defeated and was killed. After this, the Germans returned to their home, and the Treveri submitted to Roman weapons.

In the spring of 53 BC. e. Caesar made up for the loss of personnel by recruiting three new legions and receiving another from Pompey. With these forces, during the summer campaign, he brutally dealt with the rebel Eburones, again pacified Belgica and once again crossed the Rhine to fully punish the Germans.

For the winter, two of his legions were stationed at the border of the Treveres, two at the Lingons, and the main group, which included six legions, at Agedinka (Sens), in the lands of the recently pacified Senones. Caesar himself went to Cisalpine Gaul to observe the course of events in Rome.

Vercingetorix

Meanwhile, the Gauls again began negotiations for a general uprising. At the first stage, it involved tribes living in the Loire and Seine basins: Aulerci, Andes, Turons, Parisians, Senones, Arverni, Cadurci and Lemovics. The conspirators were led by the Arverni leader Vercingetorix. He was a talented and energetic military leader, who later became a formidable opponent of Caesar.

On a predetermined day, February 13, 52 BC. e. The Carnutes killed all the Romans who were there in Kenab (Orléans). This massacre was supposed to serve as a signal for a general action. The total number of rebels was 80 thousand people. Vercingetorix, taking command of part of the allied forces, went to the region of the Bituriges, who then joined the uprising. Another army, led by Senon Drappet, was supposed to block Titus Labienus with his legions in Agedinka. Cadurc Lucterius with a third army invaded the region of the Rutheni, Arecomic Volcs and Tholosates, threatening the Narbonese province.

Caesar's position was extremely difficult. At the end of February, he managed to repel an immediate threat to Narbonne, after which, through the country occupied by the rebels, he arrived in Agedinck to the legions wintering there. From here Caesar went to Kenab to punish the Carnutes for the massacre they had carried out. The city was plundered and burned, and all its inhabitants were killed.

After this, Caesar crossed the Loire and entered the country of the Biturigi. Vercingetorix, using his superiority in cavalry, switched to guerrilla warfare tactics. The Gauls themselves burned several dozen of their cities and villages in order to deprive the enemy of food. They spared only Avaric (Bourges), the capital of the Biturigs, the most beautiful city in Gaul, which stood at the intersection of the most important trade routes. Caesar besieged Avaricus and took the city after a difficult siege that lasted 25 days. As punishment for resistance, the soldiers killed all its inhabitants. Of the 40 thousand people, only 500 survived, managing to reach the Gallic camp.

Roman siege works near Avaricus. In 25 days, the Romans built a siege mound 80 feet (24 meters) high and 330 feet (100 meters) wide, which allowed them to fight on the same level as the wall defenders. An attempt by the Gauls to set fire to the embankment was unsuccessful, and the city eventually fell

Having overestimated the significance of this victory, in April 52 BC. e. Caesar decided to go on the offensive, dividing his forces. Titus Labienus with four legions was sent to the lands of the Senones and Parisians to disrupt communication between the rebels and keep the Belgae in obedience. Caesar himself with six legions moved to the capital of the rebels, Gergovia. The city was located on a high hill, Vercingetorix blocked all approaches to the walls.

While the siege of Gergovia continued, unrest began among the Aedui, who had remained loyal to Rome all these years. If the Aedui had joined the uprising, the troops of Labienus, who were besieging Lutetia (Paris) at that time, would have been cut off from their main forces. To prevent such a turn of events, Caesar was forced to lift the siege of Gergovia, making an unsuccessful assault attempt before leaving. The Romans were repulsed from the walls and suffered heavy losses.

This defeat prompted the Aedui to enter into an alliance with Vercingetorix, since, among other trophies, hostages fell into his hands, ensuring the loyalty of their communities to the alliance with the Romans. After this, the uprising in Gaul became general.

Pan-Gallic uprising and campaign of 52 BC. e.

Siege of Alesia

The betrayal of the Aedui cut off Caesar from the Narbonne province. There were not enough forces to organize its defense, so Caesar decided to unite with Labienus and retreat to the south together. The latter, having learned of his failure, abandoned the siege of Lutetia and retreated to Agedinck, where in July 52 BC. e. united with Caesar who came there. Having set out towards the Narbonne province, the Roman army was attacked by the cavalry of Vercingetorix on the march, but in the battle that followed, the German horsemen recruited by Caesar overturned and scattered the Gauls.

Now Vercingetorix himself was forced to retreat to the region of the Mandubians and seek refuge within the walls of their capital Alesia. Caesar surrounded the city with a line of fortifications with a total length of 15 km, along which 23 strong points were erected. From them it was possible to observe the Gauls day and night. In his “Notes” he left detailed descriptions of engineering work:

“He built a ditch 20 feet wide and with steep walls, and built all other fortifications 400 feet behind this ditch. Such a system was intended to prevent unexpected or night enemy attacks. He made two ditches 15 feet wide and the same depth, into one of them he carried water from the river. Behind them was built a dam and a rampart 12 feet high, which was equipped with a parapet and battlements, and at the junction of the parapet and the rampart large slingshots were issued to make it difficult for enemies to climb the rampart, and the entire line of fortifications was surrounded by towers 80 feet from one another. . Wolf pits were dug in the field in front of the ditches.”

The fortifications allowed 60 thousand Romans to keep the 80 thousand Gallic army under siege.

Siege of Alesia by Caesar. The city is located on the top of a plateau, adjacent to the camp of Vercingetorix. The city is surrounded by a double strip of fortifications erected by Caesar’s soldiers with large camps and guard forts.

While the Romans had not yet managed to completely close the blockade ring, the remnants of the Gallic cavalry left the city and scattered throughout their districts to gather new forces there. On the 42nd day of the siege, a 250,000-strong Gaul militia under the command of Commius and Vercassivellauna approached the city. Now Caesar himself became a besieged man in his camp.

At night, on a three-kilometer front east of Alesia, the Gauls attacked the Roman line of fortifications, but were unsuccessful. The next night the assault was repeated in the northern and southeastern directions. At the same time, Vercingetorix tried to break through the line of Roman fortifications from the inside. In the night battle, the Romans had to strain all their strength. Caesar promptly transferred reserves to that sector of the defense that was in greatest danger.

Only by the morning of the next day was the attack repulsed on both fronts. The Gaulish army dispersed and Vercingetorix returned to his camp. The next day, September 27, 52 BC. e., Alesia capitulated.

Post-war structure of Gaul

After the capture of Vercingetorix, the Gaul uprising sharply declined. In the winter of 52–51 BC. e. Punitive expeditions were undertaken by the Romans against the Biturigi, Carnuti and Bellovaci. The Aremorian communities were conquered. Labienus devastated the regions of the Treveri and Eburones. The largest enterprise was the siege of Uxellodun (Puy d'Issolu), which was defended by Drappet and Lucterius. The city was captured only when the Romans deprived its defenders of water. By the spring of 50 BC. e. the last shoots of the Gallic opposition were strangled.

Gaul paid dearly for its resistance. In his report to the Senate, Caesar reported that in nine years he had to fight three million people, of whom he exterminated one million, put one million to flight, and captured and sold one million. He destroyed 800 Gallic fortresses and conquered 300 tribes. The amount of gold captured by Caesar was so great that its price in Rome fell by a third.

Only the Remes, Lingones and Aedui retained the status of Roman allies in conquered Gaul. The remaining tribes were obliged to hand over hostages and pay taxes. The uprisings that the Gauls raised were ruthlessly suppressed.

Vercingetorix capitulates to Caesar, painting by L. Royer (1899)

In 22 BC. e. Augustus placed the province of Narbonne under the control of the Senate, and divided the rest of Gaul into three parts: Aquitaine, the Lugdunian province and Belgica, which were ruled by his legates. Lugdunum (Lyon) became the common capital of the Gallic provinces; representatives of 60 Gallic communities gathered here annually.

The Romanization of the country proceeded so quickly that already in 16 BC. e. The Romans moved the troops stationed here to the Rhine line, entrusting their command to the governor of Germany. The only garrison on the territory of Gaul remained 1,200 warriors of the cohorts of the city guard of Lugdunum. And in 36, Emperor Claudius granted the Gauls the right to Latin citizenship.

Literature:

1. Notes of Julius Caesar and his successors about the Gallic War, the Civil War, the Alexandrian War, the African War / trans. M. M. Pokrovsky. - M.-L., Publishing House of the USSR Academy of Sciences. 1948.
2. Mommsen T. History of Rome. - T. 3. - St. Petersburg: Nauka, 2005.
3. Mongait A. L. Archeology of Western Europe: Bronze and Iron Ages. - M.: Nauka, 1974.
4. Shchukin M. B. At the turn of the era. - St. Petersburg: Farn, 1994.