Punic Steel-How the Professional Army of Carthage Defeated Rome

In fairness, the scorpions could have been deployed directly in front of Carthaginian infantry. If anyone threatens the scorpions, the crews fall back, the infantry move forwards, and they're protected. This would still prevent the scorpions from firing much of the time, though.

Completely agree with all you said, but given that the battle is just three short phrases, it gives the idea that the Romans just sat there getting shot at. Two manipulus, in each flank, could had easily been ordered to attack the Scorpions forcing the crews to stop firing or keep firing and end up dead.

Also relating to the casualties, at Lake Trasimene, where the Romans were ambushed and were with their backs to a lake, the casualties were, according to Livy, only half of the Roman forces and no one can deny that it was one of Hannibal's greatest battles, so this huge casualty rate here indicates, at least in my view, that the Romans actually just stood there getting shot at the flanks, while being systematically butchered from the center.
 
Then suddenly the Skorpios opened up. By the end of the Day, the Battle of Masilia was another decisive battle for Carthage, and Hannibal in Partcular, having utterly slain 60,000 Roman and Allied Troops in the camp and forcing the rest to break. When the Consuls tried to bully their remaining 20,000 back into formation, they made themselves targets and they too were cut down. The Roman Retreat Turned into a rout and Hannibal's Numidian Cavalry turned that Rout into a Slaughter. By the end of everything not a single Roman or Roman Ally that had marched into Narbonensus remained alive.
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Holy Hell. Rereading that, 80,000 Romans initially, 60,000 dead in the camp before they break, another 20,000 regroup and are shot down, and the Numidian cavalry apparently trample the bodies or something, because everyone's already dead.
This is why you check the numbers, folks.
 
Well then I give up. You guys couldn't just enjoy the story so this is a dead fic. No more will come of this from me
I'm not trying to kill the story. The core concept/goal is good. You clearly know what you're talking about, and there is a way to get from Point A to Point B without using some of the more implausible stuff. It just has some problems in the details that need modifying.
 
I'm not trying to kill the story. The core concept/goal is good. You clearly know what you're talking about, and there is a way to get from Point A to Point B without using some of the more implausible stuff. It just has some problems in the details that need modifying.

The details don't matter, but since you're insistent on them instead of the overall plot, this is finished. Because you were too hung up on the details to enjoy the story
 
Dude,you've been on this forum long enough to know that details and plausibility ARE important.

I'm more hung up on telling a good story than details that don't matter. Maybe you should read one of those bare bones TL'S that just tell you what happened and give a date then if you can't deal with actual storytelling. . .

Then maybe try the writer's forum?

Nobody goes to the writers forum. . .
 
The details don't matter, but since you're insistent on them instead of the overall plot, this is finished. Because you were too hung up on the details to enjoy the story
This is a timeline focused on the military side of things, the details of battle(and I'd say annihilating an entire roman army of 80,000 men is a bit more than a detail) are important. If you think this is nitpicking, you should see some of the arguments in post 1900 about production numbers and engine types. This is nothing in comparison.

Well then I give up. You guys couldn't just enjoy the story so this is a dead fic. No more will come of this from me
There's no need to give up. This was good up until Hannibal got hold of a machine gun corps detachment. Just edit the battle to be more plausible and keep writing. If you're worried about plausibility, just take the tactics, casualty numbers and the like from real battles and adjust them to fit the situation.
 
This is a timeline focused on the military side of things, the details of battle(and I'd say annihilating an entire roman army of 80,000 men is a bit more than a detail) are important. If you think this is nitpicking, you should see some of the arguments in post 1900 about production numbers and engine types. This is nothing in comparison.


There's no need to give up. This was good up until Hannibal got hold of a machine gun corps detachment. Just edit the battle to be more plausible and keep writing. If you're worried about plausibility, just take the tactics, casualty numbers and the like from real battles and adjust them to fit the situation.

This isn't a timeline, it's a story. A subtle distinction but an important one. My philosophy when writing is to prioritize telling a good story over plausibility.
 

Raunchel

Banned
This isn't a timeline, it's a story. A subtle distinction but an important one. My philosophy when writing is to prioritize telling a good story over plausibility.

I understand, but plausibility can really add to the story. And if it only requires small changes, it should be very easy.
 

oberdada

Gone Fishin'
Don't give up. I read the entire thing, despite some contradiction to what I learned about carthagian-roman history.

I am pretty sure that crucifixion was a Roman only custom and that carthago just did not have the population base to not really manly on mercenaries, but whatever...
 
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