The Total War series

[Doug]

I pre-ordered Empire total war on Steam about 2 weeks ago, and decided to toy around Rome: Total War Gold. I've been a fan of the TW series since the first one (Shotgun: Total War), and I love the way the series mixes Turn Based Strategic warfare and Real Time battles.

Anyway, I loaded up Rome: TW again for the first time since before Medieval 2: TW (the current top end of the series) and I was amazed at how primitive Rome already seemed in comparison to Medieval 2. This reminded me that the Total War series has improved beyond graphics and theme over the series.

So, the point of this thread is to see who likes/dislikes the series, why, and for the fans, what you hope for the next game, Empire: Total war (I'm hoping 'Modern: Total War' comes next )

As for me, a) I'm hoping the diplomatic, one of the real weak links in the campaign game, is improved as much as they are claiming, b) battle path-finding improves, especially in the seiges, c) Gunpowder and bayonet warfare is as fun or better than sword-arrow-musket warfare, and finally d) the new focus towards objects rather than conquest (Although conquest is still a valid route) is as fun as Total war normally is.

 

[xitel]

I actually had a class in High School where we used Rome: TW to simulate ancient battles. It was great.

 

[Doug]

I actually had a class in High School where we used Rome: TW to simulate ancient battles. It was great.

Sweeeet! I know they did it for a TV show or 2 over here (UK), although one of them was abit of a flop (Time Commanders) and the other was for the discovery channel.

 

[spuddyt]

i loved rome total war, one of the few games where i actually enjoyed the single player campaign (it was sort of a project almost... to conquer the world!) I also used to play this game on lan with a few friends (and i dont think i'm exaggerating when I say they SUCKED - I could beat them 2v1 with pretty much the same armies), and man that was fun - although if we tried to use wireless lan, we got some pretty interesting desyncs without the game noticing.....

 

[Cousin_IT]

I preferred Rome over Medieval II tbh. & I dont think ive enjoyed any of the series as much as Shogun. Though if Empire is as good as it looks, & not just Imperial Glory with a better tabletop map; I think itl be my new favourite. Hopefully it wont be just another "build massive armies, throw them all at one city, rinse & repeat" system all the other TW games have ended up devolving into

 

[Mariena]

I think M2TW is a major improvement over Rome, not just graphics wise. Good things: graphics, sounds and models, obviously. No more senate. Actual reputations with other factions, so alliances actually matter now. In R:TW they were just.. well.. nothing. You'd allied with some nation, then 5 turns later they knock at your border with a 1600 man army and 20 siege engines.

However, a few points I'd like to rant about:

Rome Total War factions were all pretty much different. Even the Britons differed in quite a few ways from the Germanic tribes, even though they can all be considered "Barbarians". Medieval 2 factions: Western armies, middle eastern armies and a few in between. While the Middle Eastern armies seem to offer more variety, I can't help but think that the western armies were all made from some kind of template. Men at arms, archers, armored sergeants, knights, dismounted knights, and the usual types of militia. They all seem to have them, and a 'special' unit or .. one.

But my biggest gripe: RELIGION. It is *so* annoying. You think you've finally got it all under control, then some freaking priest turns into a heretic and starts polluting the lands with heresy. Woop, down goes the religion, religious unrest sky rockets and you'll have to send assassins or new priests to kill them and restore the land. That is, if you're lucky enough to actually notice this happening.

You don't get any messages "MY LADY, THAT FILTHY PRIEST IS NOW A HERETIC!" or any heretics, witches entering your territory. If you don't do a sweep of every damn region you own every turn, you'll be wondering at some points in the game why the hell town X is revolting. I seriously had to grab a few lords and start shitting out watch towers all over my territory. I'm really glad I did not conquer Russia.


.. Despite all this, it's still an amazing game. Promised.

 

[ElArabDeMagnifico]

Oh, now that you have Rome, MOD THAT SHIT UP!

Seriously though, Rome's mods are incredible and make the thing feel like an entire new game.

Also, I'm surprised how early pre-purchases are available for Empire. I mean, it comes out in February.

 

[runtheplacered]

Rome, in my opinion, was a much better game because of the AI. Although the AI still had its faults, M2TW was just atrocious. I can't even try to play vanilla M2TW. I have to at least install the Stainless Steel mod on it.

 

[Mariena]

Rome, in my opinion, was a much better game because of the AI. Although the AI still had its faults, M2TW was just atrocious. I can't even try to play vanilla M2TW. I have to at least install the Stainless Steel mod on it.

I tried to play Vanilla, but it just didn't work out. I had a good amount of provinces, and it was time for war. I built an army, but unfortunately, I couldn't sustain more than one. Otherwise my expenses would just be too high. Well, one army should do the trick, I thought. Then it happened: The black plague. In three turns, it swooped over all my provinces. Every. Single. One. My economy plummeted, and was buried 20 feet under the ground. All my generals were weakened, troops were dying, and I couldn't even sustain the only army I had. I was bankrupt, nothing to fight with and utterly *raped* by one event.

I could recover from that in time, but then something else happened. THE MONGOLS ARRIVED! They just swept through everything. The entire middle east, Russia, Greece and Turkey.. they were even conquering Hungary. Nothing stopped em. And then they knocked on my door. Well, what could I do? Nothing. It was probably the worst Total War experience I've ever had. Stainless Steel is so much better.

 

[SimuLord]

Considering the review I just wrote for RTW on User Reviews asserts it's the Game of the Decade, I'm going to have to disagree with your assessment of it.

 

[GenHellspawn]

Already preordered Empire, although I'm worried that an abundance of ranged units is going to remove most of the strategy. Naval battles also look wicked.

 

[The Admiral]

I actually had a class in High School where we used Rome: TW to simulate ancient battles. It was great.

Yeah I had a class where we played Caesar 3. My city pwned. Anyway, to the topic. You all will think I'm crazy but I liked Medieval Total War the best. The others are fun but I just can't get into them as much. I still think Middle Earth Total War would rock like nothing else.

 

[Archaeology Hat]

Already preordered Empire, although I'm worried that an abundance of ranged units is going to remove most of the strategy. Naval battles also look wicked.

Nah, it'll mean different strategy though. And don't forget cavalry, there'll still be alot of that so your squishy ranged troops will need to be aware of it.

 

[GenHellspawn]

Already preordered Empire, although I'm worried that an abundance of ranged units is going to remove most of the strategy. Naval battles also look wicked.

Nah, it'll mean different strategy though. And don't forget cavalry, there'll still be alot of that so your squishy ranged troops will need to be aware of it.

Oh great, now cavalry is going to be even more overpowered.
Good thing none of the troops carry spears or halberds!

 

[The_Deleted]

Oh, now that you have Rome, MOD THAT SHIT UP!

Seriously though, Rome's mods are incredible and make the thing feel like an entire new game.

Links please.

ROME is the game for me.
If Ihad to choose one game to play, over any PC or Console release, ROME would win it hands down.

 

[Doug]

Already preordered Empire, although I'm worried that an abundance of ranged units is going to remove most of the strategy. Naval battles also look wicked.

I doubt it'll remove 'most of the strategy' else Napolean would never have gone anywhere But seriously, tatics and strategies will have to change, but they'll still be there --- after all, those bayonets are not just for show like today

 

[runtheplacered]

Oh, now that you have Rome, MOD THAT SHIT UP!

Seriously though, Rome's mods are incredible and make the thing feel like an entire new game.

Links please.

http://www.twcenter.net/

 

[GenHellspawn]

Also the British are going to be overpowered with their Redcoats and all.

Also, The Ottoman Empire/Russia/Germany/Spain is going to be overpowered with their Janissaries/Cossacks/Reiters/Dragoons and all.

 

[Doug]

Btw, for people who think the game is going to be unbalanced, please try and remember the Total War games are based on warfare of whatever period. For example, Cavalry were important in that era, but infantry could counter them with the 'Square' formation. But this left them vulernable to canon fire.

Also, the primitive muskets of the era, whilst lethal, were inaccurate over any distance, and very slow firing - the bayonets were for when armies reached into stabbing range. Tatics and strategies had a major shift in this era, but they were still there. Napoleon, Wellington, Neslon - many of the famous generals and taticians existed in this era.

 

[Cousin_IT]

Sea combat from what ive seen looks little different to in Imperial Glory ie. Very very slow