Heroic Factions

Five of the ten playable factions in Empire Divided are classed as Heroic factions. These are Rome, Gallic Rome, Palmyra, the Sassanids and the Gothi. Heroic factions have grander and more elaborate victory conditions, and unique named faction leaders who cannot die in battle.

Heroic factions also have their own flavourful and bespoke event-chains, representing the tales of these characters’ lives, which bring bonuses to their abilities and enable the player to make meaningful choices regarding their development and that of their faction.

New events, dilemmas and missions

Empire Divided brings a host of new events, dilemmas and missions, both general and faction-specific, to introduce new challenges, benefits and period flavour to your campaigns.

Banditry

This period of reduced governmental authority fosters the spread of Banditry. Each province now has a variable Banditry level which increases with the size of your domain and the presence of certain local buildings. Banditry can be reduced with the presence of armies, generals and special buildings. As Banditry grows, food levels fall, threatening faction-wide shortages. High provincial Banditry can also trigger special Bandit events to occur.

Plagues

Devastating diseases were commonplace in the 3rd century. When a plague hits a settlement it hampers growth, impacts public order and reduces income. Diseases can move between neighbouring territories, spreading with army movement and along trade routes. Sanitation buildings can prevent plagues from erupting and spreading, and key technologies can improve sanitation factionwide.

Cults

Alongside the more established religions, many cults sprang up in the 3rd century. These are represented by special building chains that can be constructed by any faction in any settlement. Three different cults are available in the game: Christianity, Mithraism and Manichaeism.

A cult building may be built for no cost, as its construction represents your empire permitting disciples to settle within your territory. This makes cult bonuses relatively easy to obtain, though cults spread foreign culture, bringing disorder into your provinces. In order to remove a cult building, a significant expenditure is required and a public order penalty is incurred required as this is considered persecution. Careful consideration of a cult’s benefits and disadvantages is required but, if used correctly, they can become a powerful tool.

New General Skills

Generals’ skill have been overhauled, and now allow the player to customise and specialise their characters in the disciplines of Recruitment, Combat, Strategy, Governance and Maritime Proficiency.

New Narrative Technologies

All technology trees have been restructured and redesigned to reflect the time-period and each of the game’s culture groups. Moreover, technologies in Empire Divided don’t represent scientific or technological breakthroughs; rather they represent the measures taken by rulers to deal with specific problems facing their empires. In this way, they help to tell the story of each faction’s journey through the period.

Playable Factions

Culture: The Divided Roman Empire

Defenders of Civilisation: +15% morale for all units in own or allied territory. True Rome: Roman factions share a major diplomatic penalty with other Roman factions

Rome

Faction leader: Aurelian

Faction traits - Iron Fist: -50% resistance to foreign occupation, Marching Orders: +15% movement range for all armies

Gallic Rome

Faction leader: Gaius Tetricus

Faction traits - Romanisation: Public order bonus (max +6) from presence of Latin culture, Administrators: -20% political action costs

Palmyra

Faction leader: Queen Zenobia

Faction traits - Enlightenment Ruler: +20% research rate, Piety: -4 Banditry for each cult building (all regions)

Culture: Germanic Kingdoms

Cultural traits - Terrors of the night: Can always choose to fight night battles.Looters & Raiders: +150% income from raiding and sacking

Saxones

Faction leader: King Sigeric

Faction traits - Voyagers: +20% movement range for all fleets, Settlers: -50% building conversion costs (all regions)

Gothi

Faction leader: Cannabaudes

Faction traits - Horsemanship: -20% recruitment costs for all cavalry units, Ancestral Blades: level 1 weapons for sword units upon recruitment (all provinces)

Marcomanni

Faction leader: King Burkhard

Faction traits - Tribal Conquerors: +20% morale for all units vs Barbarian Tribes, Ambushers: +50% chance of successfully launching an ambush

Culture: Eastern Empires

Cultural traits - Centralised Authority: -5 Banditry (all provinces). Silk Road: +20% income from all commerce buildings (all regions)

The Sassanids

Faction leader: Hormizd

Faction traits - Local Dominance: minor diplomatic bonus with Eastern & Nomadic factions, Aswaran: +20% charge bonus for all cavalry units

Armenia

Faction leader: Narseh

Faction traits - Noble Guard: +3 experience ranks for commander’s unit, Westward: Minor diplomatic bonus with all Roman factions

Culture: Nomadic Tribes

Cultural traits - Nomadic archers: +25% ammo for all ranged units. Warlike people: +3 army recruitment slots in home province

Alani

Faction leader: Nikanuur

Faction traits - Horse lords: +2 experience ranks for nomadic cavalry recruits (all provinces), Steppe Dominance: Moderate diplomatic bonus with all nomadic barbarian tribes

Culture: Britannic Celts

Cultural traits - Heroic culture: +20% charge bonus for all units. Sacred springs: +6 sanitation (all provinces)

Caledones

Faction leader: Segovax

Faction traits - Fierce independence: +20% melee attack in own or allied provinces, Cultural aspirations: Moderate diplomatic bonus with all non-barbarian tribes

New Units

Alongside the existing unit rosters from ROME II, Empire Divided introduces a number of unique and signature units for the three Roman factions. Each faction features its own variant style and unique take on the classic Roman look and feel, with Aurelian’s Roman forces bearing the closest resemblance to the classic template.

Rome

• Legionaries
• Heavy infantry units – Praetorians, Jovianii, Herulianii
• Equites Dalmatarum – famous light cavalry
• Clibanarii and Cataphractarii – very heavy cavalry, precursors to medieval knights

Gallic Rome

• Taifali Cavalry – famous associated barbarian cavalry (distinguishing shield designs)
• Gallic Legionaries – distinctive from Roman Legionaries
• Gallic Axemen and Longswords

Palmyrene Rome

• Palmyrene Legionaries – distinctive armour and a preference for spears
• Hamian Archers – famous middle-eastern foot soldiers
• Palmyrene Cataphracts – eastern-looking heavy cavalry
• Armoured Camels – exotic eastern-style cavalry