Paper: Navigating the 3rd Century Crisis in Total War: ROME II – Empire Divided

The campaign immerses players in one of Rome's most turbulent eras. By 270 AD, the Roman Empire was reeling from economic collapse, a rapid succession of "barracks emperors," and external threats from barbarian tribes and the rising Sassanid Empire. The empire had effectively split into three rival seats of power: the central Roman Empire, the Gallic Empire in the west, and the Palmyrene Empire in the east. 2. Core Gameplay Mechanics

: The plague mechanic was reworked to tie directly to a province's sanitation level, reflecting the historical "Plague of Cyprian" that devastated the empire.