Reverting to the Windows desktop means that either there is no description for the Senate as a faction (causes game to crash) or the "Senate" button has been pressed from the main screen. Likely, your issue is the former.

Wartrain has a great mod that allows all factions, including the Senate, to be played which includes all necessary faction descriptions. Click on the link and download:
http://rtw.heavengames.com/downloads/showfile.php?fileid=3998
If you need more assistance, often times the Game Modification forum is invaluable!

Good luck!

[This message has been edited by Antiochus IV Epi (edited 01-25-2006 @ 01:40 PM).]

The first part only apply if you have 1.3 or 1.5.

Also, you could play as the senate modifying the descr_stat.txt or something along those lines to play as them, but I do not recommend doing it that way, gives big fat game error when you try to view the SPQR faction scrolls/family/senate, ect.

You only need to avoid the buttons the other Roman factions have, the exclusive buttons - Senate tab, senate offices, that sort of thing. The family tree is fine, as is the details scroll of settlements, military, etc etc. If you mod the game just right, then there won't be a problem. I've done it. No problem.

Just a quick question, I am playing RTW v. 1.2 and I am playing as the Senate. The question is that will a civil war erupt when say the Brutii etc gets too strong or will I be stuck forever in a boring alliance with the other Roman factions.

In my experience, you will get a permanent alliance but they will try to take any cities that you don't already have. The julii are easy enough to hem in. The scipii have egypt to worry about. It's the brutii you need to fence. And fast.
So you fence the Brutii in and it won't be long before the Germans and Gauls come visiting and you are forced to conquer their territories to protect your own.

Ironically, you end up replicating the real roman empire if you do this [bar the German bit]. Before Ceasar & Pompey, the only territory that was directly administered by Rome was Macedonia. Then they started expanding into Asia Minor before Ceasar picked a fight with the Gauls.

[This message has been edited by Gaius Colinius (edited 01-25-2006 @ 07:26 PM).]

In my experience, in 1.2 when playing as SPQR I just COULDN'T get any alliances in the civil war. Oh, if it helps, I started it...just as I did in my mod for 1.3 (well, a mod based on Meqon-Nerd's mod for unit recruitment, etc etc...). Have all of Italy in 1.3...

Yeah, once you break a roman alliance you seem to get really punished on the reputation side of things. Currently working through a Mundus Magnus game as SPQR. The aim is total domination. Egypt are just gobbling up land!

Oh, I got alliances in 1.2 during the civil war...just that the turn after, war broke out again and my alliances fell...

I prefer to start a civil war right off the bat. Turn one or two, beisiege the Julii city of Tarentum. With the mod that I have (MM for 1.6) I have a full stack of pre-Marians with two gold chevrons plus gold shield and sword. It makes the dealing with the other romans a lot easier.

I suggest tho, before actually starting a SPQR campaign, to give them acces to temples. go to the folder export_description_buildings and add romans_senate to every level of a temple that you want to acess. Like I said, definatly a good idea.