Poll: Which Total War game would you recommend?

[OneCatch]

So, with that in mind, which of the other titles would you recommend? I'm kind of leaning toward Empire or Napoleon, is either of those considered strictly better than the other? Not really interested in Shogun (apparently the battles resolve really fast and it has a rock-paper-scissors approach to unit types). Medieval 2 seems thematically dull, but I'll take it if it's mechanically superior. Don't know much about the rest.

I'll try and summarise the advantages and disadvantages of them:

Rome:
+ Massively varied map, campaign, and unit roster. Pretty much every faction has at least a few unique units, and mercenaries mix things up as well.
+ Decent UI, is a solid engine and platform. Not buggy (except some siege pathfinding, but that's not a real problem)
+ Is the most colourful and expressive total war game. Insane strategies will sometimes work, specialised units are horribly effective, meaning you can really play as a Magnificent Bastard, and feel correspondingly proud when you pull it off.
- Is dated now.
- Is absurdly unbalanced/exploitable in some ways (looking at you General Bodyguard, Berserkers, forester warband)
- AI is flawed compared to later versions (though general tactical colourfulness mitigates this).

Medieval II:
+ Generally solid - the engine is refined, the units relatively balanced, but still varied enough to be interesting
+ Really significant evolution of units - you go from shield walls to musketeers during the course of the campaign
+ Tones down some of Rome's 'eccentricities' while maintaining a level of tactical effectiveness.
+ Kingdom's expansion is probably one of the best DLC's ever. 4 complete campaign scenarios with modified mechanics, about 15 mostly new factions, different maps.
- Is distinctly medieval. If you don't like the era that might be an issue.
- Newer than Rome but still dated and AI flawed.

Empire:
+ Massive globe spanning map. Theatres in Europe, Middle East, India, North America, Carribean. Smaller naval trade locations in Africa, South America, East Indies.
+ Naval Battles and emphasis on naval trade - blockades, trade routes, etc are really important, making global strategy and diplomacy a must.
- Really fucking buggy; Memory leaks, dodgy AI, crashes, save issues. Back up your saves, mods needed for best experience
- Might be too big for first time Total War player, campaign is kind of sparse.
- Line infantry tactics interesting, but battle tactics a lot more static and attritive, imo a bit boring.
- Small unit roster, though that is mitigated by getting the unit DLCs.

Napoleon:
+ Campaigns a lot tighter and more involved
+ Units tweaked so that battles are more tactical than Empire (though not as much as Rome or Medieval II)
- Much smaller map than Empire - Europe only, less emphasis on trade.
- Unit roster still small, though a little more varied in abilities now

Shogun II:
+ Pretty, and battle animations great, battlefield terrain varied enough to keep things interesting
+ AI is actually decently aggressive in campaign
- Naval combat is abysmal. Pathfinding is shite, units are frustratingly poor, outcomes seem determined by chance.
- Unit roster is crap - only a few types of unit, and not that much difference between them. Factions are all basically identical.
- Even though it's melee based, the battles always seem to devolve into attritive messes. Less tactical than Empire.
I normally put multiple hundred hours into total war games, I put about 20 into Shogun II before giving up.

I've only played Rome II about 15 hours so far, so I won't comment on it yet. But what I can already say is that it's better than Shogun II!

All things considered I'd narrow it down to Napoleon, Rome, or Medieval II. Of those it depends what grabs you.
Rome I remains my favourite game of all time, so I'll vote for that, but any of those three are a pretty good choice as an introduction to the series.

 

[Ed_Fox]

OneCatch - that's a pretty good summary of the TW series.

I would personally recommend europa barbarorum http://www.europabarbarorum.com/ it's historically sound, really adds loads to awesome features to the RTW game and is very stable when installed with alexander total war

 

[Mordekaien]

OP snip

Go with Medieval 2 or the first Rome- both are very good, they have solid mechanics and can be bought cheap nowadays- but I feel that Rome battles are more faster paced than in Medieval 2.
I also found that Medieval suits me better, but it's because I like middle ages better than I like Roman period of history.

 

[Avaholic03]

Just wait until they do another Steam sale. I got every TW game up through Empire a few years ago for dirt cheap (IIRC it was like $30 for all the games...this was before Shogun 2 came out).

But failing that, I'd say the newer games are better for a new player. They've slowly streamlined the interface, as well as looking better and the AI is "smarter". My personal favorite is Empire, although it's got some flaws, it's also got the most variety and scope.

 

[Cecilo]

Medieval 2 Total War, if you have any interest in modding than that is your game. Warhammer, Hyrule, I believe they have a LOTR mod as well, there was a Warcraft mod in development but it was abandoned last January sadly.

Though, you might get frustrated with the Religion in Medieval 2, in the base game, the Pope gets really pissed with you if you attack fellow Christians, constantly demanding you stop.

But whichever you choose, make sure you look up balance mods, most of the games need them.

 

[Alssadar]

My favorite is Medieval 2, for love of the time period and setting. It's dark, gloomy, units look different and get bloody after combat, and there are no pink-pajama'd Parthians. Combat seems a lot for visceral, as the mists gather to obstruct the oncoming forces as fire arrows burn their way into the enemy.
In contrast to Rome, my second favorite, the same mechanics are implemented, but differed. Infantry footslogs are longer, and, while there are less unit "types," there is still plenty of variation, with the choices between city-based militias and castle-based professionals. Cavalry is also stronger, and doesn't loose half their unit when they charge pikemen from behind: they are skilled killing machines when used effectively, just as they should be. Unit groups are also large, ranging from 40-75 for heavy infantry to militia, who can actually form an effective fighting force, when commanded correctly. Also, artillery is much more obtainable, as well as necessary against multiple walled-castes.
There are also plenty of nations to chose from, with distinct flairs in technology and unit choices. Whether that's a simple different unit or a lack of diversified heavy cavalry to a wide access of horse archers, it does add some nice variation to barbarian, Romans, Eastern, Greeks, Egyptians, and Carthaginians with only slight variation of visual and unit choices.

Additionally, the Britannia campaign is worth getting the Kingdoms expansion itself, whilst the Americas campaign is boring (I'm still in progress. Para España!). Teutonic is decent, and I've yet to try Crusades.

 

[TNightmare]

Either go with Rome, or Medieval 2. My personal favorite among all is Rome, I just really, really love that game, and still play it from time to time. I didnt like both Empire and Napoleon, the whole setting and combat just feels weird to me somehow..

 

[NWJ94]

I would recommend one of these three.

Medieval 2: Decently easy to run, good gameplay, nice setting, fairly good introduction to series.

Rome 1: My personal favorite (though facing stiff competition from its successor), but shows its age in places. Also Phalanxes were laughably over powered and completely broke the game against the terrible AI. If you feel up to modding then Rome might be a good choice.

Shogun 2: Most streamlined of the Total War games, but also fairly hard on hardware depending on your rig. At least for me Feudal Japan just wasn't as much fun as Ancient Rome or Medieval Europe, but that's just personal preference.

Just my thoughts as a long running fan of the total war series.

 

[Paragon Fury]

Shogun 2 was always my favorite.

 

[Weaver]

Medieval 2, Shogun 2, and Rome 1 were great entries in the series, IMO.
I'd probably start with Rome 1 if it's your first game in the series. It's the one that really popularized the TW series IMO.

 

[Elvaril]

My recommendation is to get Medieval II and the Kingdoms expansion and then go download the "Rule Britannia" mod. I logged 1000 hours in the original R:TW when I got Medieval II. I was pretty iffy on MII and had decided to just go back and play R:TW again because I was having more fun with that when I discovered the Rule Britannia mod for Kingdoms. It made that game so much fun to play.

 

[Nickolai77]

For someone new to the series, i'd recommend the first Rome Total War. The learning curve is softer compared to other total wars because the maps are well balanced and it's also very fun. You can pick from three Roman factions, each of which lead to very different campaigns so you can get hundreds of hours out of it.

Medieval 2 i think is quite a bit harder so i wouldn't recommend you start off with it. If you're campaigning around France you'll be invariably zerg rushed by Milan in the 13th century because their faction isn't well balanced. Likewise, Inquisitors are over-powered and i've known them to kill well over half my ruling family for heresy. It is still a good game mind you- the Kingdoms expansion pack is great, but the buggy AI issues add an frustrating layer of challenge to it.

Empire Total War is pretty damn good as well. You have multiple campaign maps and they've done a good job of reflecting the importance of colonies and trade routes and intellectual ideas in that era. It's a very different game to the previous total wars so there is quite a steep learning curve.


I'd recommend you start off with Rome Total War, and once you're good at that play either medieval or empire total war.

 

[Blunderboy]

Rome.
It's cheap and has the best mid to late game of the series. Especially as a Roman faction.

But I'm still loving Rome 2 and I've yet to encounter anything to stop that.

 

[Mersadeon]

I know a lot of people are going to say Rome 1, but I actually don't think it's that good. Solid, yes, but not as good as Shogun 2 in my eyes. The only really bad thing is probably the Realm Divide mechanic (well, that and the accents in the english version).

I always warn people of going for the Total War games that have a lot of guns in them - *I* like them, but I'm a sucker for that kind of thing. Very many are going to say they hated it. Also, Empire had some very bad balance, AI and difficulty issues, so I'd actually avoid it.

EDIT: You know what, thinking about it? Rome 1 is probably still the way to go. It has a nice learning curve if you're new and only gets really dangerous and tactical in the late midgame.

 

[NearLifeExperience]

Shogun 2! Shogun 2! Shogun 2!

It was most certainly NOT a shamefru dispray.

 

[Jandau]

Medieval 2 is the apex of the series. That's as good as it's gotten. It's a direct upgrade over Rome, gets everything more or less right. The earlier games feel stripped down in comparison. Empire is a mess, not just in bugs, but in design as well. Also, the AI took a nosedive at that point.

Shogun 2 is the second best game in the series and should be your choice if Medieval 2 feels dated in the technical department. A very good game, though limited in scope and with very limited unit variety (everyone has pretty much the same stuff).

That only leaves the fresh new Rome 2, but by all reports the AI is at the level of a lobotomized snail and it's almost as bug-ridden as Empire, so I'd hold off on that one for a while.

 

[Strazdas]

Heck, I'll probably only get halfway through whichever one game I choose before considering my itch thoroughly scratched and losing interest.

Maybe its not worth starting then?[/quote]
What, because I don't want to play 5 long arse games, not to mention expansions, back-to-back?

Sadly, I do have to turn up to work from time to time, not to mention eat and sleep.[/quote]
No, if you dont want to spend more than 3 hours in the game before you loose interest.

 

[OneCatch]

Heck, I'll probably only get halfway through whichever one game I choose before considering my itch thoroughly scratched and losing interest.

Maybe its not worth starting then?

What, because I don't want to play 5 long arse games, not to mention expansions, back-to-back?

Sadly, I do have to turn up to work from time to time, not to mention eat and sleep.

No, if you dont want to spend more than 3 hours in the game before you loose interest.

Err.. who said anything about 3 hours?
All he's said is that he doesn't want to splash out for the Master Collection and then spend the next few months not playing anything else. Which is fine - I'm about as big a Total War fanboy as you can get, but I probably wouldn't do a marathon of all of them without wanting to play something else at some point in the several months that would take.

And there's no point in paying £60 or whatever if he isn't sure he'll like the games. It's a great franchise, but they aren't for everyone so why take the risk? Far more sensible to start with one, then get the collection later if it's enjoyed. Hence the thread.

 

[BarbaricGoose]

I'm gonna say Shogun 2.

I don't know what everyone's talking about when they say "Rock, paper, scissors." I didn't get any of that, and I crushed it on legendary--couple times. Yeah, some unit types fare better against other unit types, but playing smart is always superior to whatever bonuses the units get against other units.

Samurai are strong, yes, which is why you don't fight armies full of samurai on even footing on the higher difficulties. You always make sure you have the advantage; i.e. more units, or you're defending from a fort. And if you're playing on the lower difficulties, you can do basically whatever you want, so again, "Rock, paper, scissors"--moot. All of the TW games have had some sort of "Unit X beats unit Y" mechanic such as yari > cavalry, and it's not a bad thing. I don't know why Shogun 2 is getting singled out.

There are are some issues with it, but they're few & far between.

-Sea battles are, honestly, pretty lame. There's just not much to 'em, and they're extremely boring. UNLESS you go Nanban... Nanban is super fun!

-Enemy army compositions are sometimes a little whacky. Like occasionally you'll go up against a squad of, say, 2 samurai, 1 general, and 17 bow samurai. They have no chance of winning, but you've no chance of not sustaining extremely heavy losses. It's like a kamikaze attack, but with no follow up. This comes back to the hit-or-miss AI that's been present in, well, every TW game.

-The Realm Divide mechanic is a little silly. If you've been allied with someone--or someone's been your vassal--since the beginning of the game, it doesn't really make sense for them to turn on you, especially if you're much stronger. But they still do it, although sometimes they'll give you a few extra turns.

-Choosing how to level up your generals pretty much always goes the same way. Leveling them up as melee combatants just doesn't work on anything but the lowest difficulty settings, which is kind of a shame. If any TW game was begging for kick ass, Dynasty Warriors-esque generals, it's Shogun 2.

-Diplomacy is kind of stupid at times. There were some memorable diplomatic moments in one of my legendary campaigns... towards the end of the game, I had a treasury of about 50k and about 40 provinces. Otomo, who owned 6 provinces, had virtually no income and was at war with pretty much everyone (including me), continually asked (talking almost every turn) for the ENTIRETY of my treasury in exchange for a trade agreement that would've made me about 300 income per turn, and a peace treaty...

That's more or less all that really frustrated me about it, but I may be forgetting some stuff. Now onto the good stuff.

+"Hey, everybody, I'm a ninja! I'm doing ninja stuff now!" PLUS! CGI assassination cinematics.
+Samurai. Samurai everywhere.
+Graphics scale well, and you can even scale how many units are in each squad.
+Zooming in and watching the action unfold is not unlike watching a movie. As long you have the blood pack. Though, you probably won't be doing this much on higher difficulties.

Honestly, I'm realizing, everything that's good about it is more or less what's good about other TW games, but Shogun 2 just does it real well, and in my opinion, has the fewest flaws. The learning curve is solid. You'll suck at everything at first, but you'll get better. The tutorial is solid, too.

 

[JLML]

Going to go with the others and say the first Rome, or Medieval 2. They are both great games, easy to pick up, cheap and have aged beyond well. Which one of them you pick is up to preference.