On the extremely popular "Rise of Rome" map, why do so players try to go for Magna Africa, even though its really the worst place to start on the map?

"On the extremely popular "Rise of Rome" map, why do so players try to go for Magna Africa, even though its really the worst place to start on the map?"

Because it's not.

i think starting in africa is a very dexterous and strategic decision because many people think it's useless so not many people start in it

Edited 7/8/2016 18:53:32

it really depends, but in general, its inferior to other places.

If your playing a 5 player FFA and the four other people start in britain, parthia, greece, and hispania, your fucked up the ass. if, between hispania, south italy, greece, and parthia/asia minor, at least 2 of those are taken, prepared to have a bad time.

And many people start in Africa.

agreed

If your playing a 5 player FFA

no competitive advice for 5-man FFA works, because it isn't competitive to begin with

RoR is a map for 2v2/3v3 essentially, in which case area coverage is needed, and magna africa is an early income type bonus due to small bonuses, very dense regions and 2 cities in it.

Magna Africa has fewer access points than other bonuses. Easier to defend.

It is also part of 2 or 3 empire bonuses.

Only one, Carthaginian Empire. But yeah, it's very easy to defend and the small bonuses provide easy, safe early income and lots of potential FTBs. As such, good for early skirmishing someone out of a region.

Africa is great, one of the strongest in the map for team games - maybe not very good to ffa.

Has two capitals (+1 for 1 territory), it is part of two empire bonuses (Roman and cartaginian), it has a lot of good possible picks, easy to defend and good to attack other bonuses.

Edited 7/9/2016 01:46:10

Not to mention easy blocks against asi, mac, italy, spain, and not too far from Partha.

Lol Africa is one of the best places on ROR if you know how to pick in it. The thing is, like any Magna bonuses on ROR, you can hardly go in just one Magna without putting your teammates and your team game in general in danger. The 2 +1s of Africa are arguably the best 2 picks you can get on the whole map because they give huge positional advantage. Carthago counters Spain and Italy easily while you can go counter Macedonia and even Parthian empire/Asia/Partha with Alexandria. Alexandria is my best pick on ROR because it gives a +1 right from the start and it is a pick that possess a lot of strategical value.

If you witness a high level game on ROR, noobs will be astonished to see that Spain is let almost (or totally) completly open and is countered by strong Africa picks and/or strong France picks. It isn't noobish to go in Africa, it is noobish to think it is a bad place as it is way superior than some other places of the map. The only ways Africa is bad is in FFA with many players or a guy that takes Africa but doesn't know how to pick/play in it or goes all in (good players tho can go all in Africa and be good but that is an other story).

Edited 7/9/2016 10:39:15

Africa has only two main border access to it(the middle from Italy is rarely used) and with a ready access to chokepoint to Spain and all empires in general(except Barbarian) so It can mess up partha/Asia, Spain/Italy, Macedonia which. All of these contribute to 6/10 superbonuses in the map.
Can't see why would you call it a noob start.