Yes
I don’t know where you got the idea that escapism has to mean you hate your life, escapism can just be a diversion from the mundane. But hey whatever.
I suppose I don’t consider them diversions.
Whenever I play Rome, I temporarily become a hardcore imperialist.
When I enslave a part of the populace I pretend people are simply migrating to another part of the Empire.
And when I exterminate a populace (because oddly it makes them happier, something they fixed in the later games)
I pretend it didn’t happen.
Lol!
I view slavery simply as a first step in cultural assimilation. After all, you only get the slaves for a certain number of turns. Also, it makes sense that order goes up if you exterminate most of them. The few left are like “Ok, ok, just… just put the sword away.” I do it if the place I counquered gave me more trouble then thay are worth, Alexander style.
You’re talking about Thrace not Tyre right?
I’m talking about almost every single Germanic or Rebel state. Backwards-ass rebelious barbarians!