So ever since I got this game for a great price on Steam, I've been pretty well addicted. I admire how the oft unseen facet of war, supply lines, is represented, and how this game has grasped the concept of "detailed geographical focus" which constantly eludes, and is for me a constant immersion-killer in, the Total War series. However, there's not exactly a gigantic wealth of information to be found on this game online outside of the manual, so I thought I'd post a couple of things on my mind.

1. What is the most "realistic" difficulty? I know this isn't an easy question to answer, but I'm just curious as to whether "expert" is an uberaggressive alternative for those who want to be truly challenged, or a more realistic difficulty that was ultimately seen as potentially too frustrating.

2. Do we know anything about the future for this kind of game beyond Hegemony Gold? I could see this kind of game working great in other regions and time periods (Palestine and Syria during the Crusades, Norman Conquest of Sicily, a game in ancient Italy where Rome is still a mere city state, etc), not to mention a multiplayer mode that could be competitive, or perhaps co-op (as in, multiple people control a single faction, making the micromanaging and pausing less intense and frequent).

Thanks for the quick reply! I greatly anticipate getting Gold next month!

I'm interested to see what you come up with for Caesar's invasion of Gaul. I was under the impression that pre-Roman Gaul was a lot more decentralized than, say, Hellenistic Greece (other than the occasional fortress like Bibracte, Alesia, Gergovia, etc), but if you guys have unearthed a gigantic list of Gallic hill forts and can achieve the kind of detail we see in PoM, all power to ya.

I also think the game is great!

And wonder if you might be extending this game to his son Alexander the Great! This game is hard enough but the thought of his son Alexander in a "Hegemony" setting has me salivating.

Anyway, keep up the great work! Hope to See Alexander the Great soon!!!!

While Alexander would be great, I think a detailed (and thus, smaller) geographical scope is integral for the Hegemony games. Just imagine how long it would take to maintain the level of detail we see in Greece and Macedonia in PoM, in all of Asia Minor, the Levant, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia, Bactria, the Indus Valley, etc. I mean, it would be awesome, but is it feasible with such a small team?

Unfortunately you may be right however if your team marries another team, maybe then you could put it together a la Total War. However, you're doing a great job; I have barely touched the campaign only because of lack of skill though; when I zoom I realize how far I have to go, so I understand when you say the scope of Alexander the Great would be enormous, and probably not cost efficient.

Continued Good fortune in your endeavors.

Are there any AAR's anywhere where I may see how someone else did this campaign; I got bogled down in Thessaly last game and this game I'm getting bogled down in Illyria.

There are many historical campaigns that would work within the Hegemony framework, with Caesar's conquest of Gaul, next on our list.
Now excuse me while I drool profusely from my mouth. You guys sure know how to push my buttons, and part me from my cash. I'm interested in many historical figures from antiquity but Gaius Julius Caesar and his conquest of Gaul has to be one of my favourites (in no small part helped by my love affair with ancient history and Rome).

Ahem... sorry I'll stop being a raving fanboy now, heh.

One thing I'd like to see is improved combat. As it stands, units don't respond very well to more complicated commands. I've noticed units tend to stay still at the edge of the formation, while only a corner of the unit is actually engaged in combat. They could easily envelop the enemy unit or attack adjacent ones, but they don't. When I did try more advanced formations like a wedge, they quickly collapsed and didn't work very well. Maybe I didn't play with it enough, so if someone can illuminate this, please do. Retreat commands are also very poor; yes, I can understand not wanting to abandon your comrades, but if there's only two of you stuck there and the rest of the unit is already a hundred yards away, cut and run, and have the two run at the earliest opportunity.

If these problems are fixed in Gold, great! I'd still like a retro patch for the original game, because that sort of kills the combat for me.