Pretty sure that’s not “average SE reader” but specifically those with male MCs who picked they’ve slept with the Empress*. Because Titus is perfectly civil and pleasant to everyone but them.
*) Although i guess that might be the average SE reader after all.
Casual reminder that even though it’s super easy to punch Titus and kick him while he’s down, if you go out of your way to mend the bridge, you actually gain a pretty solid ally and co-parent.
Well, that remains to be seen. Having momentarily change of heart doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll stick, especially if his own family chooses to apply the pressure.
Titus is punching bag by elimination, more or less. I can’t really think of anyone else who elicits a greater amount of… punchiness(?), I suppose. And indeed, that is contigent upon a prefect who is romantically or “romantically” involved with Julia.
I feel like that’s the average reader until they read about the Canadu BBQ and hear about the future, Gruthungian one. After that, they might go find refuge in being a parent. Or doing fun stuff at the cybernetic’s club. Or being part of the rich club. Or hanging out with the local crimelord. Truly, the sky is the limit (for now).
I can’t wait for Titus’ papa bear moment. Let the world tremble in fear of Titus’ awkward dad energy!
Well, there’s always the shocking alternative of just not picking on anyone. Although tis outrageous concept, i know.
Aiyah, Julia is concerned that her daughter is far too passive and reliant on me! I should have saved that poison instead of sending it to the priests.
It doesn’t work on her, if that’s what you’re wondering
I love the setting!!
What a fun game! I do love failing empires, the roman and byzantine empires, and all that! It is very exciting to also play the chancellor-type character as the Prefect. And the fact apparently there is technology masquerading as magic? OOOHHH.
Had so much fun playing my Prefect. Kinda cliche I assume, but it was interesting playing a duty focused Prefect just trying to balance everyone and keep this Empire functioning.
Very unfortunate she is in love with a tyrant who is slowly going mad (although if Julia does have some cybernetic eye that is gonna help her win the war with the witch king, that will certainly cause a massive crisis in faith (well lack of faith technically) for my MC).
Love Augusta, gonna try to make her a solid Empress but we shall see. Kinda regret training her in warfare with both Julia and my Prefect being so military, would have been nice to have a different type of empress, but alas. Maybe next update I’ll do that!
Deeply fascinated and engaged by the relationship of a Prefect, especially a moral one, and Julia, so kudos to you for that!
Anyways, really enjoyed it and will be closely following in the future.
Reading the lore and just wanna make sure that I got right that this version of Egypt was brought into the empire through Not! cleopatra marrying Not! F! Ceasar? (I assume) Delightful!
Have you ever heard the saying ‘if you’re going to come for the king, you’d better not miss?’ I imagine taking out Julia will be a far harder endeavor than just slipping poison into her dinner. Or else you might find out exactly what her paranoia enables her to achieve…
Yes, it is getting progressively harder to be both morally compassionate and a loyal ally to Julia. I’m trying to balance support for her while training Augusta to be different, but I can’t help but feel that there will be negative consequences for trying to repeatedly steer Julia to avoid her barbeque session.
It was one of the possible options, however. One with most chances is allying with the barbarians and throwing all the blame on Julia. Empire gets a puppet empress, Legate can hopefully be persuaded away from his folly, I get power. Everyone wins!
Ya, I am quite worried about my MCs future.
Fun fact: I somehow didn’t notice the imperial favor stat until chapter 4 so I was kinda pissing off Julia figuring her love for her trumped that or something. Then I saw it and boy it was low… I think on a replay I will try to be more careful for when I annoy her… Also gonna avoid the personal alliance with the senate and instead try a lot harder to balance the Legate, Cato, and Senator… My Prefect sees the path of keeping this dying empire afloat is balance, just keep it going day by day, so I don’t see her ideologically committing to a faction (and I have doubts on their long term viability for the empire v keeping things balanced under the imperial throne). Plus my MC is loyal to A) the idea of the empire, B) personally loyal to Julia (well more Augusta at this point). Although setting up Augusta as a semi-constitutional monarch is an interesting idea… But I do think the Empire does need barbarians (Rome and Byzantium did in real life), and a traditionalist view wouldn’t be long-term good for the empire.
Also in vague tips on handling the crisis? Any right choices or should I just try to choose what reduces my highest stat to keep them balanced?
Alternatively the barbarians dispose of their no longer needed ally, puppet empress left on her own is unable to muster authority/force to oppose them, they get the power and win. :v
Oh that will be a very difficult choice for my duty focused MC… Although if Augusta is shaping up to be a good person, and she is the heir to the throne, being a good parent is doing your duty to the empire, really…right?
It does. Having a Julia romance gives you the same options and dialogue responses as a highly favored Prefect, just like a personal alliance with either the Senate or Barbarians acts the same as having a really high relationship with that faction. It sort of auto-locks you as her most trusted advisor.
However, I doubt this always will be true going forward. There probably will be consequences for having a low Imperial Favor even if you romance Julia. Just because she loves you doesn’t mean she has to keep you in charge of the Empire, or that defying her won’t make her upset.
I think your prefect is really similar to mine ideologically. Empire first, Empress second, then any personal matters. I’m also not allying anyone (besides Julia with the romance) in my main playthrough.
I think the best thing to do is keep the Empire’s stats as high as possible. Always lower your highest stat, and take any opportunity to raise them or prevent a decline, even the personal stat gain opportunities. A high economics stat is your friend, and I would choose rhetoric as a second. Those two are the most applicable to your actual job as an administrator and the best for stabilizing the empire.
That being said, this advice is subject to change, as we haven’t actually seen the crisis yet.
Good advice, although to be honest, I might, for RP and possible future problems, stick with Rhetoric and Warfare (with veteran background). But a more administrator route is always an option…
Oh interesting! That makes so much sense. I also agree with you that going forward she might start turning on the MC, we have started seeing hints of that, so I probably should take some opportunities to keep it up. Although that will complicate things if I am not making a personal alliance with the senate/barbarians, and instead trying to balance everyone… Concessions need to be made and Julia certainly does not like giving up scraps of her power.
Oh, didn’t realize they hadn’t shown up! I thought that meant those like court events where you have settle various disputes around the empire
Warfare is actually the best stat for a Julia romance, as there are a couple options for high-Warfare players that increase your relationship with her.
I was thinking about the Witch King’s invasion or some sort of government collapse with that. There aren’t any consequences for low empire stats right now l is what I meant to say.
Yeah, I try to keep all the factions roughly equal and as high as I can. It is just barely not possible to have all 3 above 50% in this demo, I think, but that should be possible once Chapter V releases, barring any major surprises.
I mostly worry about her daughter if Julia is to die on way or the other.
Even if her daughter is compassionate, I doubt she’d forgive me for getting Julia killed in some way.
Unless I frame the death of Julia as something unrlated to me which is still linda messed up since you’d get Julia’s daughter to believe a lie.
Historically accurate, to be honest. But even barbs have more organisation and spine than the consuls who just keep bitching about everything going the wrong way, so I see no reason to prolong the agony. Augusta is useless without MC deliberately molding her into proper shape, barbarians are already getting testy, parthians don’t do a thing to help and the holy fire plan seems like a surefire way to ensure mass riots amongst the auxiliary even with lands and good earth. Empire falls with Julia, and it is my true duty as a roman citizen to ensure that Senate falls quicker than she does.