SHADOW OF ROME FAQ
February 12 2005  Version: FINAL  (may still add small things)
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Send me an email if your site wants to put it up as well!
Revised:
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May now use the FAQ!  (more pending)
Copyright 2005  Joe Barbee
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Hello!  This is my first FAQ ever, for the wonderful game Shadow of Rome on the
Playstation 2 entertainment system.  If you have any ideas, contributions,
suggestions, rants, ascii art, or anything otherwise constructive to my FAQ,
please let me know.  All types of input are welcome and credit will be given
fairly.
Also, if you're into this game the way I am, don't forget to check out the
Shadow
of Rome message boards on GameFaqs.com!  You might learn some interesting
things
from the board's veterans!
I'm interested in just getting to the raw meat (no pun intended) of the
gameplay,
so this may not be an overly complicated FAQ, at least not at first.  Just as
the
gladiators before you, you will be given meager, plain trimmings to enjoy and
work with.
I'm lastfirstborn.  I've been around GameFAQs for years and years and years
with
all types of names.  You can contact me at lastfirstborn at gmail dot com.
And now, let us enter a story of betrayal, mystery, survival, and stealth, deep
within Rome's walls...
This guide WILL contain spoilers!  So please try and enjoy the game yourself
and
work at solutions before coming here.  If you do, please do not read ahead, as
this game has some wonderful plot twists as you get further in.  You just have
to see them in game to believe them, my words cannot do them justice, so don't
accidentally read a spoiler!
This game uses up 166 KB of space on your memory card.  You can have up to
ten files before having to erase data.
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Table of Contents
I. Controls
II. Story
III. Cast
IV. Title Screen Info
V. Game Screen Info
VI. Basic Actions
VII. Salvo/Rank
VIII. Chariots
IX. Map
X. Secrets
XI. Walthrough
XII. In Depth Secrets
I.  Controls:
Left Analog Stick:  Select options/items, move character
Directional Pad:  up = drop helmet  right = drop main weapon (X button)
left = drop sub weapon (square button)
Triangle Button:  Cancel, Agrippa = Throw weapon, Octavianus =
Flatten out against surface
Circle Button:  Confirm, Search/Pickup items
Square Button:  Attack with sub weapon
X Button:  Confirm, Attack with main weapon, Agrippa =
Power Attack (when held down)
L1 Button:  Agrippa = Block, Octavianus = Walk (when held down)
L2 Button:  Crouch
R1 Button:  Lock-on target  (must be held down, tilt analog stick
at different directions to focus on other opponents)
R2 Button:  Enter 1st Person View
Right Analog Stick:  Adjust the camera angle
R3 Button:  Center camera
Start Button:  Open pause menu
Select Button:  View map screen
Also note, that quitting to the main screen from in game prompts
the message "do you truly wish to quit?"  Your options are "No. A
true warrior never quits."  Or, "Yes, I've reached my limit.".
Little touches like that are what make this game great!
Octavianus' quit message says "No.  I will do anything for a friend."
or "yes.  May the Gods forgive me."
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II.  The Story:
I STRONGLY recommend you look up the true, actual history of these characters,
as they are all real.  And highly entertaining.  The story itself is a pure
work
of fiction, however.  Take it with a grain of salt and enjoy an
"alternate Rome".
This is a small little intro I wrote myself, using some pieces from various
sources
but mostly alone, to give you just enough info to whet your appetite for
adventure.
There is murder in the senate.  The year is 44 B.C., and just as Rome started
to
fall into shadow, one man rose up and helped them all struggle back into
prosperity.  He was Julius Caesar.  Of course, the people, having a new hero,
did not entirely agree with the current Senate.  They feared movement, change.
Change into a new empire.  Imperial rule would destory their democratic
freedoms...and misdeeds.  Alas, before any hopes of a bright future could
truly even begin to blossom, the great Caesar was struck down.  It was
March the 15th, the ides of March he was so warned about by a local
soothsayer.  He never travelled with guards, the Senate would later,
somberly argue.  This was inevitable.  A man, very nearly almost still
a boy, but a skilled fighter and tactician, named Agrippa, was on the
border to the North.  The Germanian horde pressed at the borders, just as
all the borders of Rome seemed to swell with brigands, bandits, mercenaries,
killers, rapists, and barbarians of all kinds.  They were the biggest threat to
date, however, and the young man had been sent there to quell their furies.
His name was Agrippa.  The youngest centurion appointed his rank.  Whilst in
the middle of liberating Roman soliders captured by the fiends, dire news came
to his attention.  Caesar had fallen.  As the blood drained from his face upon
hearing the basic damnation of his people, the news worsened still.  When he
returned home to a sorrowful Rome, he was met with scowls and uttered curses.
He learned his father, Vipsanius, was accused of the crime by Cicero, head of
the Roman Senate.  Had he truly witnessed this foul act?  Could it be possible
his father of all people could slay his own close friend and most highly
respected leader?  And now, it is up to Agrippa and his closest friend,
Octavianus to put their heads -- and weapons, together.  This is a deep
conspiracy, it must be, conveluted and dark.  Steele thyself for combat.
There's a long road of battle ahead.
There is much more to this than you know...
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III.  Our Cast:
Agrippa - Due to his outstanding military prowess, Agrippa was appointed
General at a young age by Caesar himself.  Octavianus is his good friend.
Octavianus - Having lost his father at a young age, he was adopted and
lovingly raised by Caesar.  He is a close friend to Agrippa and his family.
Caesar - The most famous military and political leader in Roman history,
Caesar possess a wisdom in judgment and a warmth in character that has
earned him the respect and admiration of an adoring public.
Cicero - He is the head of the Roman Senate, and is a very gifted
speaker as such.  He accuses Agrippa's father of the heinous crime of
assassination.
Claudia - A popular and sexy female gladiator, Claudia is the younger
sister of Sextus.  After witnessing Agrippa's consummate skill,
she sets him on a path that determines not only his fate, but
that of the many.
Sextus - A crafty businessman and borderline pirate ruffian, who
oversees a stable of gladiators outside Rome.  He has an easygoing
attitude that's earned him respect from the men in his charge.
Antonius - successor to Caesar, he promises to rule Rome following
the unexpected demise of his great leader.
Maecenas - Antonius' secrety, and the highest one within the senate
at that.  He prposes the idea of a gladitorial tournament.  The
victor shall win glory and honor by slaying poor Caesar's murderer...
Vipsanius.
Vipsanius - A close, trusted associate of Caesar, Vipsanius is the
father of Agrippa.  Falsely accused of Caesar's brutal murder, he
is incarcerated at Syracuse.
Barca - General of a large barbarian force.  Of Germanian decent.
Pansa - Former chief intelligence officer.  Ex war hero, many scars.
He's adept at teaching the arts of spying and trickery, in his old
age.  Strange connection to Octavianus' family.
Decius - Republic General.  Decius has led many great victories
for Rome, both honorable, and brutal.  He loves blood shed and the
smell of blood.  The screams of pain are music to his ears.  Also,
leads the Valcross stable of assassins in the arena.
Marcus Brutus - Brutus is a Justice for the republic.  Cicero's
protoge.
Cassius - Another Justice of the senate.  A bit of a hedonist
as well.
Iris and Charmian - Mysterious twins, one light, one dark.
What is their aim in this tale?
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IV.  Title Screen:  Fairly simple really.
New game = Starts your journey anew.
Continue = Resume game from your most recent save point.
Load Game = Load up any file, in case continue wasn't the one
you're after.
Battle Select = This one's important.  It allows you to go
back and replay any battle you've previous conquered.  Get
those medals!
Secrets of Rome = I'll cover this in another section near
the end.
Options = Adjust your options menu you normally see in
game from the title menu.
End Game:
If Agrippa is slain in combat, or fails to meet certain
requirements dependant upon the bout in question, he
fails, game over.
If Octavianus is attacked even once by a foe, with sword,
shield, arrow, or any other means, he is slain instantly.
Avoid contact with red dots on your map!  Also, some missions
end automatically if he is spotted at all.  Be extra wily
during this, and aware of your map.
You may continue from where most maps begin, or just before
a match should you die in combat as Agrippa.
You also have the option to quit, but c'mon, what kind of
Gladiator are you?  I know you have more power than that!
If you do quit, be sure you've saved beforehand, as you'll
lose any progess between a save point and quitting.
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V.  Game Screen Info:  Here I'll break down what all those pretty
gauges do.  Be sure to commit them to memory as you play, keeping
an eye on most parts of your vital info is key to victory later in
the game!  It comes easy, don't worry.
Vitality Guage = At the top of the screen, you'll know it.  When
you take a hit, it flashes red, you bleed, and it hurts alot.
When it drops to within less than a quarter of itself, it begins
to flash rapidly, letting you know your heart is about to burst!
Not really, but one more hit and it's game over, so find some food
or hack off that last limb of your final foe quick!
Weapon Window = Basically, you'll get a nifty little picture of
the weapon(s) Agrippa currently has on his person.  X button on
the right, Square button on the left.  You may hold one of each
type, and I highly recommend having full hands nearly 100% of the
time.  Using them for combos is great for keeping yourself alive,
and gaining loads of Salvo poins and bonuses!
Please keep in mind, a two handed weapon will take up the entire
window, as well it should.  These massive gifts from the Gods
above do tons of damage, and have both a square and X button attack.
Let the blood spill!  Sub weapons cannot be held while holding a
two handed weapon.
Weapon Durability Gauge = Much like vitality, but it drops alot more
quickly (I hope...).  Basically, especially in cheap arenas, you're
going to go through ALOT of shields, swords, axes, mauls, spears,
and all the other types of weaponry.  The more you block, the faster
they "die".  The more you attack, the faster this "die" as well.
When their guage reaches zero, the weapon breaks entire from your
person, and dissapears from the field.  WATCH THIS GAUGE.  You don't
want to be surrounded by six really big guys with mauls and suddenly
your Gladius shatters to nothing.  Same with shield usage, though
not as bad.  Why you ask?  Because you can also block attacks with
your weapon!  Just remember, this basically halves it's durability.
Same as using the shield to bash too much when you should just use
it for blocking to survive.  Also, keep in mind ammo using weapons,
the various types of arrows, the sling, etc., will depletely a
durability meter as well.  When it's out, you're out of ammo.  For
some reason, the bow tends to break completely.  I like to think
he's very, very angry at the lack of arrows, so he tears the bow
apart.
Helmet Durability Gauge = Displays the durability of the helmet
Agrippa is wearing.  They decrease any head damage he may take by
an almost uncanny margin, but they break to pieces VERY quickly.
Don't plan on finding the good stuff until much later in the game,
most are very weak and easy to break at first.  But hey, good for
you really, because the enemy also is equipped with what you have
access to.  (usually)
Alert Guage = This one is for Octavianus.  If you get spotted,
it appears to the lower right of the screen.  He will also have
a "Tail Gauge" and no, that is not for when he's visiting the
bathouses and brothels of Rome.  Basically, the alert will drop
REALLY quickly if you hide in another area, or enter a pot and
duck down, unseen of course.  Also, completley exiting an area
in it's entirety will erase the alert, you can reenter right
away, and they seem to have forgotten you.  Silly Romans.  As
for the Tail Gauge, there are some missions where you must
follow someone to a given location, or to learn something in
time.  If he loses his target, this gauge appears and begins
to rapidly deplete until it runs out, at which point you fail.
If you catch back up, no worries, the gauge goes away.
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VI.  Basics of Gladitorial Combat:  At this point, most basic actions
should
be apparent to you (if you've been a gamer the past few years
at least).  However, there are some variations to old favorites,
and a few new twists on the old school of action gaming.  I'll
cover whatever I feel is neccesary here.
Locking On needs to become second nature.  Hold down R1 with
either character, and they will lock onto the nearest human being.
You don't ALWAYS have to do this with Octavianus, but with Agrippa,
it's borderline neccisity.  So make a habit of pressing and holding
R1 constantly, and only release it when you want to run away very fast.
You can tilt your movement stick toward another enemy WHILE holding R1
if you aren't happy with who Agrippa first targets.  Often, he does
an ok job, but we all know, some targets need to be taken out
before others.  Big weapon guys, annoying flea guys, archers, etc.
Throwing weapons also can really make or break a close fight.
Be sure you're locked onto an opponent first though.  Then,
press trianle to let fly with basically every weapon, even
the huge ones.  Keep in mind he is strong, but doesn't always
throw some things as far as others.  If you throw something
like a mace, maul, or almost any huge blunt type weapon, not
only does it harm your target, gain you Salvo points, and
spill blood for the crowd all fancy-like, it also will
completely disarm your opponent for a moment.  Use this
time to rush in and procure their weapon!  This is key
if you can't get a spearman off your back, plus hey,
you with a great weapon, them with none or small
class ones = success, more often than not.
Dropping weapons can also really help you sometimes,
but it takes a good bit of planning and a little luck,
I don't recommend it until you know what you're doing
and what you're up against levelwise.  Basically, this
is almost a useless function, at first.  You can throw
a weapon.  You can replace one with the simple press
of triangle.  But sometimes...you might want to wear
down every weapon you get a hold of, and then steal
the enemies nice, large weapon, leaving him with
easily breakable stuff for good combos and high
salvo bonuses.
Not to mention, you can end his life.  Also a plus.
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First Person View mode is important.  You hold R2 to use it.
Not only for it's obvious reasons, but also, with a bow or any
other ranged projectile (for either character), you can enter
first person for very precise shots.  Whether to injure, or distract,
this can be valuable, and I suggest you start learning to use it
whenever you find throwable objects or ranged weapons.
Don't forget that Octavianus (that little exibishionist!), can peep
through keyholes and be privy to all sorts of information he wouldn't
normally get.  It's also helpful if you feel mislead by the map (rare).
You can check to see if the baddies are as close as you think they are,
etc.  You just kneel with L2, crawl up to a nearby door (almost any),
and press circle when prompted.
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When Agrippa lacks weaponry, he is still a very dangerous man.
Don't panic if you should find yourself unarmed.  X is a heavy attack,
you can do two in a row for nice damage and to offbalance your foes.
Square is a three hit combo if pressed the appropriate times, and is
also good to get in a small jab to catch opponents off guard so you
can come in with a powerful X attack or even a bladed one.  Three weak
punches followed by a charged up blade attack is sure to please the
crowd, and Agrippa.  Also, if you lock onto your foe, and press forward
on the stick towards them as you press X, you will do a shoulder ram
attack.  Also very useful, play around with it and incorporate it into
attacks if times get desperate.
Also, if your enemy looks at you, and happens to compare you to an
armed man, he will not consider you a threat.  How insulting!  Use
it to your advantage while you can.  Rush up to an enemy and press
X to start up a weapon struggle (can also be done when someone is
looking at you head on, but is a little harder than at an angle when
they are distracted).  Just mash mash mash X and/or Square, and soon
you'll overpower his puny grip and wrench the weapon from him.  Whilst
he's staring at you, stunned, do him a favor and cave in his skull.
Also, rarely, and a little tougher, you can initiate a steal move.
It looks awesome, gains great crowd favor, and is all around good to do.
When a foe is JUST about to strike you (we're talking miliseconds from
impalement, learn all the weapon animations!), press X and laugh out
loud as Agrippa not only wrests the weapon from enemy hands,
but flips the idiot and sends him flying, stunned.
Make him hurt with your newly gained weapon.  Please.
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Getting Attention is very important as well.  When you hear the
bloodthirsty crowd cheering "kill, kill, kill, kill!" that's your
cue.  You can start the slaughter.  Basically, toy with them a bit
first.  That will start a chant in the crowd.  Don't get hit much,
and don't waste time.  Go from toying, to amputating limbs, cutting
bodies in half, impaling, caving in skulls, and many other wonderful
things.  This will work the crowd up into a frenzy!  You will notice
a meter in the lower right corner.  As it becomes more colorful and
grows to full, the crowd is becoming excited.  By the time you start
killing, as aforementioned, if you have a free moment away from bad
guys, press Square and X at the same time.  Agrippa will cheer on top
of his victims, and the crowd will become even more estatic.  They
love you when you show them it's all for them!  They'll toss you food,
if your health is pretty low, a shield if you get hurt alot, or more
likely no matter what the situation, a very large weapon.  Still many
other things can be thrown, but you get the idea.  Should you get a
rose, be sure to build up a huge combo, go get the rose, and throw it
at your victim while the combo numbers are still on screen.
Triple bonus!  So don't think they're useless, should you stumble
across one from the crowd...
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Speak to the weapons guy in your camp.  Do it often.  Like everytime
you find a new weapon in the arena, speak to him.  He's behind a counter.
He'll tell you about all types of weaponry, VERY useful fella.  He'll
tell you what types of weapons do what type of damage to foes, plus,
he'll tell you what can be charged!  Some weapons hold X, you get a big
attack!  Some, hold Square, same deal!  And still even some, hold down
X AS you hold up toward your oppoenent for yet another type of charged
up attack!!  Charging takes time, however, just like how it sounds.
Agrippa will rear back, and his arm will shake a little.  Keep holding
a second longer, and pray the enemy doesn't hit you or move out of the
way of your death dealing.  Also, some of the larger weapons have ALL
three types of charged up attacks.  Oh, how I love them so.
You can also attack from the ground.  Simply hit square/X alot and
you'll toss sand into your opponents eyes.  This buys you enough
time to do some damage, or run.  Whichever you need.  Also, toggle
the control stick all around like a crazy person on the ground, and
you will roll out of harm's way.  Same thing in battle, should you
be that lucky.
Agrippa can also stab a downed foe, sometimes killing him,
sometimes don't massive damage.  Just press X over a downed oppoenent,
and voila!  Careful though, they roll and throw sand just like you do.
Also, if unarmed, you can stomp a foe's head in repeatedly, so long as
they do not roll out of the way.  Big points in that, early on at least.
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The Weapons Rack
I'll give small descriptions of the weapons found in game,
and my personal ranking of such weapons and items.
Main Weapons:
Gladius - Short range, but very easy to use, and strong for it's
size.  The standard combo maker, and stabber.  3/5 Stars.
Scimitar - Very light and fast.  Can remove limbs and heads.
Has a four hit combo, and a fairly nice Supra attack.  Sadly,
it breaks very easily, and offers no defense should you need to
block with it.  Highly useful near the end of the game.
Otherwise, use them quick to disarm two handed giants.  4/5 Stars.
Mace - A blunt weapon, very slow, but powerful for it's class.
Be sure you don't miss using it, you'll be wide open to attack.
Best to "turtle" your foes.  Block, then when they're off balance,
let fly to their soft skulls.  Very good throughout the game.
3/5 Stars.
Morning Star - A heavy, spiked ball on the end of a fairly long
chain.  This weapon can be very useful in tight corridors.  It
attacks in all directions.  However, when you block with it,
you'll still feel the hurt.  Also slow.  It's forward strike is
good if the circular swing isn't working for you though.
Flaming ones are also available.  2/5 Stars.
Sub Weapons:
Dagger - Small, fast, weak.  Highly useful if nothing else is
available (as they does happen), and exellent for combos.
Coupling this weapon with a quick sword like the Scimitar will
more than make your day.  Also has an instant kill attack from
behind a foe.  Very useful on big guys.  Leaves you wide open
though.  4/5 Stars.
Torch - Hmm.  Dependant upon context, this can be useless, or
very nice to have on your side.  If a foe is doused in oil, or
you are, fire will do the trick to the body in question.
Otherwise, it only stuns foes for a short time, and is nearly
useless.  Rarely used (oil fights only really).  1/5 Stars.
Bow - A very effective long distance weapon, with fair
ammounts of ammo far into the game.  Reloading leaves
you open, but in a long range battle, nothing could
be more useful.  Flaming arrows are available.
4/5 Stars.
Sling - Very slow to use, but works in close range,
as well as long.  Strong, but you are defenseless
before a throw, and it takes a moment or two to
swing it around to gain the force to let fly.
Some also throw oil rocks.  1/5 Stars.
Shields - Must have for some tight spots.
Not only good for blocking, but also offensively
strong as well.  Comes in the spiked variety.
Can be used for two handed combos much like
the dagger.  Spiked shields are very hard
to break, also a plus, when on your side.
5/5 Stars.
Two Handed Weapons:
Maul - A very long handled weapon with a
heavy, spiked ball on the end.  Very strong,
but incredibly slow.  Leaves you very open to
assualt should you miss.  Nice attacks all
around though.  Also shatters armor and
shileds like they were merely paper!  4/5 Stars.
Spear - Long handed, point weaponry.  The reach
makes it worth while to go out of your way to
grab, and it's also brutally quick.  Makes a
great throwing weapon as well when nearly
broken.  4/5 Stars.
Halberd - An axe with a very long handle.
Not only does it possess nice reach, but
has great power as well.  It is very heavy,
so watch your attacks, do try not to miss
and leave yourself wide open.  It does
not harm equipment as well as the Maul.
3/5 Stars.
Rocks - Slow, hard to keep from breaking
with use.  You becoming a slow moving target
when equipped with one.  Still, then can do
fair damage and save you some time, should
you need to knock an enemy flat and flee.
VERY useful if a catapult is around,
otherwise, don't bother unless a last
resort.  2/5 Stars.
Barrels - Some empty and useless, others
filled with oil.  The latter are useful, to
an extent.  But only on certain levels.  1/5 Stars.
Great Sword - Also known as Magnus.  Wonderful, great
weapon.  Well balanced, with good speed and exellent
power levels, this is what you'd want, onced you
learn to be a great sword master.  All it's attacks
are chargable, and it's devastating to armor and limbs
alike.  5/5 Stars.
Items:
Helmets - Get them.  Always get the best available to you,
durability wise.  Nuff said.  5/5 Stars.
Food - Eating food keeps you alive.  Makes sense eh?
Meat (high), Cheese (medium), and Bread (low) restores health.
Also, Salvo bonuses come in if you eat enough of something in
one match!  So be a pig, even if you don't need it.  Your
enemy will suffer for it.  They also grab food.  Rapidly
press Square down to eat faster than usual.  Make this a
habit for sure.  5/5 Stars.
Roses - Sometimes enthralled audience members will throw
fresh cut roses your way.  They aren't useful as weapons,
but perhaps they have another use?
Roses can be thrown into an enemies face for a few points.
Also, they multiply your Salvo bonus by three times (!!!),
if you're quick enough to equip and use one.  I once got
well over 100k Salvos this way, with no problem at all!
You can also throw them to the crowd, if you can reach them.
3/5 Stars.
Special Devices:
Catapult - Very useful.  Capable of hurling large rocks at
very high speeds.  Not only do some actions with a catapult
give you unique Salvos (if you're a collector), boy are they
ever strong!  Any chance you have a clear option to use one,
do it.  Kill people, break doors, hit elephants, and even a
certain boss from her high perch, to do massive damage!
4/5 Stars.
Presses - Oh yes, the good stuff.  Get a foe under these
spikey presses, and hit a nearby gong, and watch the fun!
Once used, it takes a while to reset, but they are
invaluable to certain levels later in the game.  4/5 Stars.
Fire Trap - Sadly, you don't see these much.  But they are
useful.  Switches in the ground control nearby fire grids.
Set up five or six bad guys on the platform, and flame
on!  4/5 Stars.
Rotating Blades - Don't see these much either.  Very slow,
but very deadly, to both you and your foes.  If used
properly (like the smart killer I KNOW you are), these
can really even out the odds on a tough fight.  Just
remember to stay ducked the entire time near them!
Usually seen in pairs, or threes.  3/5 Stars.
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Speak to EVERYONE, EVERYWHERE, as BOTH characters!!!
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Tips for the shrewd Combatant:  Remember, you are no longer a
solider.  There is no honor here among you and other men.  Do
what you must to gain the crowd's favor, and they will treat
you like a king.  Do not, and Death will find you quickly.
Blocking is good.  If you find yourself having a hard time surviving,
try using that shield more than your thick skull, and you may yield
better results.  Even if your back is to an opponent, Agrippa will turn
to block him.  You can also block with weapons, but I don't recommend
that unless you're in dire need of defense.  Simply because it wears
away your weapons durability all the more quickly.
If unarmed, and an enemy is in stunned position, you may place yourself
behind them and grab.  From here, rapidly tap X/Square, and you'll
perform a suplex that is often fatal.  Especially if you lauch an
enemy off a high platform, or into a pit of spikes.
The Supra Attack can be done with almost any X button weapon.  So use
it often!  Don't be predictable, but spice it in with quick jabs or
punches from your other hand, then press up when locked onto a foe and
hold X for the Supra!  It's basically a jab, or outward lashing attack,
depending on your X button weaponry.  If unblocked, it does more than fair
damage with most weapons, and can send an opponent flying backwars, blocked
or no.
If you'd rather do some meat sculpting, there's one sure fire way to do it.
Rather than stab a downed foe as highlighted above, you can get over them and
press Square if able.  Agrippa will set the enemy on his/her feet, where they
stand staring, hurt, as if zombified for a brief few seconds, depending on d
amage
done to them in the first place.  Charge up a maul for blunt head bashing, or a
scimitar type blade for decaptations and amputations!  I once whirled around a
man
who became nothing but a pile of arms, a head, and a quivering torso.  Now, you
can too!
Last but not least (well it might be to some...), the Kick!  You can basically
do this with any weapon except heavy.  That I know of.  If you need space, just
hold back and press X OR Square, and boom.  Agrippa boots the foe(s) real nice
like.  Exellent for crowd control.  Send em flyin, or get in that stun hit to
lop off an arm right after!  Works wonders on the little guys too, if you're as
annoyed by their hopping grunts as I am.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
As for Octavianus and his basic actions, really, all you need to know is
Circle Button does EVERYTHING.  When in doubt, stand over an item, near a
door, around a ladder, etc, and watch for the circle button prompt.  He
picks up ALL sorts of items with a myriad of uses to be covered more in depth
later in this guide, he steals clothing, he drags bodies, he steals money,
he wakes some people up (rarely), he climbs various objects and ladders, and
does so much more with Circle!  Oh, he's a peeping tom too.  Score!!!
Triangle is also prett valuable to him, as a spy.  You may be familliar
with flattening against walls from other stealth oriented titles.  You get
near a flat area (wall, bookcase, etc.) and just press Triangle.  He flatens
against it.  Walk left or right, or crouch to be even sneakier!  Sidle up to
a corner whilst pressed against the surface of something and he will peek
around the corner, safely invisble to enemy eyes (on that side) but able to
see and even zoom in with the directional buttons!  Super vision!
There may also come a time when you're feeling safe, because you're
wearing an enemy outfit and you fit into an area.  Yet, you know you
must take out a guard of some kind, perhaps to move on, perhaps for
that hidden coinage, perhaps to gain his clothing and pick his pockets,
or hey, perhaps you just like knocking people out.  Who am I to judge you?
For whatever the reason, don't be seen holding rope, or vases.  Or stones.
Or apples.  I think rats and frogs are ok, but I'm not sure 100%.  Don't
ask me why, but with all this conspiracy, I can understand the Roman's
behing so careful.  Bottom line.  If you're in enemy garb, and you run,
crouch, peep, or wield a "weapon" in front of a guard, it's over for you,
ok?  But, you can counter this.  Simply hold R1 to lock onto the enemy,
whilst also holding L1!  Preeeeetty sneaky eh?  You'll hide the
item behind your back, and look oh so guilty, but they won't
say a word to you!  When they turn their back, WALK slowly up
behind them, and let em have it!  He's no Agrippa, but when it comes
down to it, Octavianus is down with the violence.
Also, he can whistle.  Like, really well.  He's a champion in Rome.
Well, not really.  BUT.  If you can't find a rock, rat, apple, etc.
to toss at a foe to distract them or get them to move where you want
them to, no worries.  The whistle is always avaiable to you!  Just press
down Square and Circle at the same time.  Be sure you do it when you want,
and not by accident though.  If you're within earshot (some of these
guys are very deaf), you'll get his attention.  Now go hide or go wherever
your plan entails, because he's going to come basically within two feet of
the spot he heard you from.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
VII.  As explained before, KNOW YOUR SALVO!  Go for combos, go for brutal
kilings, be mean and kill the poor guy that peed himself in the corner.
Hey, even toss weapons INTO the crowd.  You'll gain points and bonuses
for doing all sorts of things.  There are many, many Salvos.  6 pages of
them in game, in fact.  I'll cover them in better detail as this FAQ grows.
So, what the heck is a Salvo?  Well, the game defines it as:  A Salvo is
an action or combination of actions that pleases the crowd.  When a salvo
is performed, it's name appears on screen.  (and often, it's quite
hilarious what some of them are named)
If you do the same Salvo over and over...you get fewer and fewer points
for it.  So spice things up, be original, and mostly, have fun.  Just go
nuts on them!  Chain them together too, once you've learned how the flow
of battle works.  Massive points are given to people that don't hide,
hardly are slowed down by getting hit, never run away, etc.  Basically,
make sure the blood doesn't stop flowing!  The faster you kill, the
better your combo bonus multiplier will be.  When I first started this
game, I had less than 10k points.  I'd go back to the same places and
EASILY more over 100k points, once I learend my combo links, timings,
and Salvo multipliers.
Page one of Salvos---------------->
row 1
Roman Spotlight x2 bonus
Guard&counter 50
Sting Combo 50
Sub,Main & Supra 100
3 hit fury50
4 hit fury 100
10 hit fury 500
Gladiator's Rage 1000
row 2
Liftoff 100
Rock it 100
Rock and Roll it 150
Overkill 50
?
Rundown Beatdown 100
No Mercy 500
Threat From Above 50
row 3
Divine Threat From Above 100
Stuck Pig 500
Stand & Deliver 50
The Fires of Rome 600
The Guillotine 300
Disarmed 200
Red Volcano 400
Juicy Tomato 300
row 4
Whiplash 300
Arm Breaker 200
Tumble & Fumble 50
Gladiator's Booty 100
Stpe Attack 100
Head's up Bonus x4
Urine trouble 50
Flesh Attack 50
Page 2 of Salvos------------------>>
row 1
Fire-Fighter 50
Meat Sculptor 600
Meat Collector 1000
?
Double Fracture 600
?
Assault & Battery 1000
Sadist's Utopia 50
row 2
Human Dartboard 500
Spread The Warmth 300
Human Catapult 500
Rest in Peace 200
Undessed to Kill 100
Shield Scraper 100
Weapon Breaker 100
Roman Blitzkrieg 500
row 3
8-shooter 500
Snatch 250
Big Snatch 250
?
?
Human Tank 50
Quicksand 50
Rage of Hercules 200
row 4
Rage of Zeus 400
Take one for the team 150
?
Hostage Down 300
Domino Effect 200
Deluxe Domino Effect 300
?
Walled-In
Page 3 of Salvos------------->>>
row 1
Crash Landing 50
Bounce of Fate 150
Thorns of the Rose 100 (3x bonus if used whilst comboing)
?
?
Choke Chain 1000
?
Tee Off 500
row 2
Tornado Maximus 500
?
Rolling Thunder 100
Wrath of the Gods 50
?
Enemy of the People 100
Fresh Ham 100
My Fellow Romans 300
row 3
Meat Eater 1000
Master Thief 1000
?
Public Indecency 1000
?
?
Serial Killer 1000
Sharpshooter 500
row 4
The Butcher of Rome 1000
Bone Duster 1000
?
?
?
Bonum Salvo 1000
Magnum Salvo 1500
Supera Salvo 2000
Page 4 of Salvos------------->>>>
row 1
Hoplomachii 500
?
?
?
Secutor 500
?
Provocator 500
Dimacheri 500
row 2
?
Saggittarius 500
Asilus 500
Fatal Blow 150
Hole In One 200
The Reaper 200
The Masher 200
?
row 3
Smash Hit 200
?
Shiskebob 200
Deluxe Hole In One 200
Unholy Reaper 200
Grand Masher 200
Cut Man Grand 200
Mega Smash Hit 200
row 4
?
Apollo's Guidance 200
Stoned To Death 200
Head Trauma 250
Torn Limb From Limb 250
Bullseye 200
Big Roman Balls 250
?
Page 5 of Salvos------------->>>>>
row 1
?
?
No Super Man 250
Breakdown 300
The Sky Is Falling 300
Gate Crasher 300
Blast Off 250
Bed Of Nails 500
row 2
Into The Flame 200
Arsonist Extrodinare 300
?
Im-pressed 500
Second Im-pression 500
Flesh Pudding 100
?
Rock Breaker 200
row 3
Better Late Than Never 100
Feel The Burn 50
Savior of the People 200
Fetch This 100
Cruelty to Animals 50
Aeriel Cruelty to Animals 150
Goal!! 1000
?
row 4
?
?
?
Rock On 100
?
Sniper Shot 300
Rock Smasher 500
?
Page 6 of Salvos--------------->>>>>>
row 1
Birdseye 100
Tag-team Ultimas 250
Splitting Headache 500
?
Achillies Heel 700
Four on the floor 2000
?
Don't kick the Elephants 50
row 2
Small Splitting Headache 500
Nail Breaker 250
?
Broke a Nail 1000
The Vega Connection 500
?
?
GS Counter 1000
row 3
?
?
Whirlwind Breaker 500
Kick Ass 1000
Fender Bender 100
Drive-Thru 200
Street Sweeper 100
Moving Violation 100
row 4
Dead on Arrival 300
Collateral Damage 200
?
Speed Zone 800
Leader of the Pack 1000
Room to Breathe 400
Pole Position 200
Genocide 2000
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Rank points are shown to you during your mission briefing beforehand.
You can also view them after a battle by holding square when prompted.
Bronze is farily easy to get on Normal, even on Hard.  Silver, of
course, a step up, usually 20k point difference, and Gold, of course,
is hair pullingly frustrating (in a good way) to get, normally a good
40-65k above Bronze.  Earning lots of Cups of various types, on various
difficulties, unlocks awesome secrets.
You'll also get a nifty ranking screen, showing you which Salvos you
used.  You can also find a Salvo list in your options menu in game.
Can you find them all?  Some nearly feel like one time only, needle in
a haystack, others are the bread and butter of this game's combat flow.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
VIII.  I'll cover Chariot Racting segments a bit later on, but here
are the controls for now:
Left analog = Steer
Triangle button = Guard
Circle button = Attack
Square button = Brake
X button = Accelerate
L1/R1 button = Slide attack left and right
Right analog = Adjust camera angle
You will see Battle Mode indicators, crossed swords, letting you know
when attack options are avaiable to you.
Aim very carefully when a slave wants to hand you a weapon, and do
try not to squish the poor guys/gals ok?
Also, watch your wheels and those of your foe's.  If they're wobbling
like there's no tomorrow, they're about to break off.  Good if it's
their's, bad if yours.  Race over if a single wheel breaks off.  More
in depth stratagies in the walkthrough.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
IX.  The Map is a very important function, especially for Octavianus.
Agrippa also makes prime use of it when he has complicated objectives.
Hold down square after having entered the map screen (pressing select),
and a legend will appear telling you what's what.
You'll have dots for:
Enemy  (red)
Player  (yellow)
Ally  (blue)
NPC (non player character)  (green)
Item/Weapon (bright green)
Rarget  (white)
Save Point  (square within a square)
Goal  (red circle in pen)
The faster you get used to the map, the better.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Be sure to check out the pause menu as well!  Memo tells you your goals,
Stats are well, stats, Profile gives you more information on characters
you've met thus far in your story (check it often), Salvo list tells you
what you've found, what's new, how many are left undiscovered, options
and quit game of course, have already been covered.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
X.  Some of the secrets of Rome are:
Art Gallery (48 pictures in all)
Cheats (covered later)
Survival Mode
The Big Escape
The Ugly Duck Fling
The Labyrinth
Chariots of Ire  (not a typo! ire IS a word!)
Salvo Master List
Expect a detailed strategy for each of the special levels at the end of
this guide soon!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
XI.  Walkthrough:  Here we go, what you came here for!
This guide WILL contain spoilers!  So please try and enjoy the game yourself
and work at solutions before coming here.  If you do, please do not read
ahead, as this game has some wonderful plot twists as you get further in.
You just have to see them in game to believe them, my words cannot do
them justice, so don't accidentally read a spoiler!
Also, don't forget that hitting control F and searching for the name
of a mission or boss might yield some nice results on this page.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Political and physical battles are being fought daily.  Caesar has come,
with promises for peace in Rome, the Pax Romana.  But, it was not to
last.  Rome was sucked into a vortext of violence and destruction, for
mighty Caesar was struck down by an unseen assailant.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Prolouge Battle
Fast forward to the future a bit.  An arena, filled with combatants,
all fighting to death for the pleasure of the audience.  A man in
a coat looks to our hero, who sits, with fist clenched.  This
man will tell Agrippa what mission lies before him.
Basically, this first arena is your practice round.  So don't worry
too much.  It is sectioned off into three rooms.  Talk to a few
men around the room after your briefing and control tutorial.  They
treat you like a runt, and sort of laugh at your nervousness.  Down
the stairs to the left is a pile of bloody bodies.  Our goal is to
end up not down there.  Speak to the imposing looking man with the
maul weapon to begin.
It's a Battle Royale in this first section, none of these men are
your friends.  Remember that.  Rush forward when prompted and grab
the weapon nearest you, and begin to hack away at your foes.
Whoever comes at you, let the others tire one another out.  Now is
a good time to learn combo styles.  Punch with your left hand, use
your weapon with your right.  Mix it up and don't forget to block
when neccesary.  It only gets tougher from here, so learn while you
still can...
Kill fast, try to take every man for yourself if you feel confident.
Don't forget to stab downed foes, and if your points are racking up
nicely you should also cheer to the crowd.  This will double your points
and more than likely gain you a large weapon, with which to gain even
more points.  Double those, repeat until all are dead, and you'll be
well on your way to learning the point process.  Now, onto room two...
This little area is a good place to learn to use that shield you see
on the ground near you.  Use it to avoid the arrows, although,
you should also eventually learn how to just dodge them, it will
really come in handy later in the game.  Kill this fool any way you deem
fit, and get ready for two of his cheery buddies from behind.  If you
have a giant weapon from the crowd, be sure not to let the bad guys get
it away from you.  To the next room we go!  Doing well so far I trust?
You've got a guard here that tells you the men in front of you are too
afraid to fight.  I'll say, some even soil themselves, heh.  Rush in with
your favorite killing device, and slaughter them all.  It may not be
fair, or kind, but it's a neccesary evil if Agrippa wants to move on!
Plus, hey, most of them are criminals anyway.  Try to bash their heads
in with a blunt weapon, three at a time if able.  Then go for a scimitar
and begin beheading and amputating.  Be sure to throw flesh bits and
weapons you don't need into the crowd also, to keep up a constant chain.
Get a large weapon from the crowd for even MORE killing variety, thusly
more points.  This should become a main practice for you later in the
game, should you wish to survive.  (High points means happy crowd, which
in turn means better weaponry for you.)  Next, a big guy enters the
arena, your first one!  And he looks ready to do some killing, so you'd
best be sharp.  Use any weaponry you have.  If small, charge up.  If
large, just beat him to death.  And above all else, avoid that big smash
of his.  If you can throw a mace type weapon at an unprotected head,
the foe will drop his weapon for a second.  You'd do well to remember
that as well.  Wait for him to swing first, then zoom in for the
hits.  Repeat over and over until done.  That's the end of that segment!
Agrippa doesn't want to kill the poor giant sap, so the executioner comes
in and does it for him.  Ouch!  Agrippa vows to never end his days in
a place like this, or like that.  And that's our tutorial!  Save your
game and move on.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 1:  The Wickedness of Men
A few days earlier, Agrippa is close to the Germanian borderlands.  They
seem to be pushing towards Rome, thinking it's in a time of weakness and
strife.  Time for the Roman guard to teach them a lesson.  You're the
head centurion here!  Agrippa is searching for a lost group of Romans
that seem to have been taken prisoner nearby by the barbarians.  And,
one of them seems to have been a messenger, by what he sees in their old
camp.  It could be something important, so time to seperate and look for
them in the woods.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Germainian Forests
Now's a chance to learn your map, although there isn't much on it.  Talk
to your men, search the tents for items, and move up to your goal.  You
may also break open any boxes you encounter, they often hold great items.
You'll also need to note, you can remove headgear, and any items, by
using the directional pad.  Simply pick it back up if you don't wish
to leave it behind.  Now then, we move up the hill.
Tell your second in command at the goal point on the map, it's time
to mobilize.  Here come some very brave, or very stupid barbarians!
If you grabbed the shield from the box down below, you should just
combo with it.  left, right, right, left, etc.  You may also grab
fallen baddies weapons, shields, and helmets, should they fall
unbroken.  Don't back down from them, just attack attack attack!
Your buddy will help you a bit, let him stab them while they're
on the ground.  Also, if a foe swings at you, right at the last
moment press X (whilst locked onto him) and you'll roll behind
him.  Very useful the entire game.
Now that that's over, you discover a map of the enemy fort on
the guys you just slaughtered.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Meanwhile, Octavianus saves a young puppy from being crushed by
a mob.  He is on his way to the Forum, where Caesar's body is
being publically cremated.  A mystery woman, who obviously
dislikes the Senate, is in the crowd as well.  Vipsanius,
Agrippa's father, is put forth as the villan behind the murder,
by the senate.  How can this be?  Antonius is introduced as
the new ruler of Rome.  The people seem very happy to have
such an honorable ruler in power so soon.  All save the
mystery woman, and Octavianus.  We discover much
detailing Caesar's brutal slaying in the Forum.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Forum
Talk to everyone in the crowd before you speak with the mystery shadow
man directly behind you at the start.  You'll learn a few things, and