Total war games: are some actions considered cheating?

[Twistur]

So I'm playing Napoleon: Total war for quite some time now, and I must say that I enjoy it a whole lot. I also like to think I am a good commander and strategist, but then I do use a few "tricks" in total war games:

1) When I'm fighting in a battle, I tend to push the 'P' button quite a lot, so I can review the actions of the enemy and form my countermeasures while the game is paused. Do you think that doing this is legit? I mean, using the pause button has helped me to win almost impossible battles, thus giving me a feeling like I'm some sort of master strategist, but I'm not sure if that's the way the game is meant to be played..

2) Another thing I do after almost every action I take in the campaign map, is quick-saving. Especially when using Spies and other agents. If they fail to do their job, I usually quick-load and try again. I don't know if anyone else is doing this too, but I can't help but think that this constant saving is the way the game is meant to be played.

Any of you use the pause button to win battles or have constant quick-save syndrome? Do you think it's ok to use it? Discuss

 

[Spaceman_Spiff]

Don't worry that's a staple of the total war games, you won't be looked down for it, that is unless you're not playing on VH/VH.

 

[ottenni]

Neither of those actions are cheating. The closest thing to cheating in total war games would be taking advantage of certain unit combinations to become invincible, and that is very very hard to do.

Things like having a full War Dog army for Rome Total war for example.

 

[gonzo20]

all is fair in love and war as they say, so i reckon its ok to do whatever you can to win unless its outright cheating like using the money cheats etc.

 

[ottenni]

Neither of those actions are cheating. The closest thing to cheating in total war games would be taking advantage of certain unit combinations to become invincible, and that is very very hard to do.

Things like having a full War Dog army for Rome Total war for example.

I had one unit of them once, They were deadly affective.

Here's a cheating tactic. Have a full army of them plus a general in a horse archer unit. Then release the dogs and hide the minders. Its so damn effective, the AI has nothing to target, and will often ignore cavalry archers.

 

[Iwata]

Unless you're doing the "add_money 99999" cheat or something, then no, it's not cheating.

 

[Twistur]

Neither of those actions are cheating. The closest thing to cheating in total war games would be taking advantage of certain unit combinations to become invincible, and that is very very hard to do.

Things like having a full War Dog army for Rome Total war for example.

Ok, maybe they're not considered cheating. But they do cause you to think you're a better strategist/gamer than you might think of yourself. Amiright?

 

[BeeRye]

Ok, maybe they're not considered cheating. But they do cause you to think you're a better strategist/gamer than you might think of yourself. Amiright?

Not necessarily, if it causes me to win then it causes me to win, I don't mistake this with me thinking I'm better at the game than I am. Then again I find single player games in generaly to be repetitive, there is usually something you can do that will cause the AI to react in a way they were not intended to and you can just use that to constantly win if you choose. I don't play single player RTS to feel like a master strategist either, I mean what's the big deal with outsmarting a computer that is designed to be beatable within a certain degree of difficulty anyway? For me it's just about building up huge armies and hurling them at each other to watch the carnage.

 

[Xodion]

So I'm playing Napoleon: Total war for quite some time now, and I must say that I enjoy it a whole lot. I also like to think I am a good commander and strategist, but then I do use a few "tricks" in total war games:

1) When I'm fighting in a battle, I tend to push the 'P' button quite a lot, so I can review the actions of the enemy and form my countermeasures while the game is paused. Do you think that doing this is legit? I mean, using the pause button has helped me to win almost impossible battles, thus giving me a feeling like I'm some sort of master strategist, but I'm not sure if that's the way the game is meant to be played..

2) Another thing I do after almost every action I take in the campaign map, is quick-saving. Especially when using Spies and other agents. If they fail to do their job, I usually quick-load and try again. I don't know if anyone else is doing this too, but I can't help but think that this constant saving is the way the game is meant to be played.

Any of you use the pause button to win battles or have constant quick-save syndrome? Do you think it's ok to use it? Discuss

I think using Pause is reasonable, as the AI can make decisions a million times faster than you can, to it the game is almost always on Pause.

Saving and reloading was a habit I used to have with Civ, but I've managed to shake it off now after playing a bunch of the GotM games. It can be pretty cheap, depending on how you use it, but they can't really stop you as you need to be able to save at all times anyway.

 

[ottenni]

Neither of those actions are cheating. The closest thing to cheating in total war games would be taking advantage of certain unit combinations to become invincible, and that is very very hard to do.

Things like having a full War Dog army for Rome Total war for example.

Ok, maybe they're not considered cheating. But they do cause you to think you're a better strategist/gamer than you might think of yourself. Amiright?

Not when playing the campaign, there is no such thing as playing clean in the campaign. Lie, betray and slaughter whole towns if you need too. The only time you should feel that you need to avoid such things is when playing against humans, in which case its good to set aside rules at the start unless you are all goood with just screwing around with elephants and flaming pigs.


btw http://www.escapistmagazine.com/groups/view/Total-Warriors Join now! Chop chop.

 

[More Fun To Compute]

Neither are cheating but using quicksave too much is like playing a game on super easy mode and honestly I don't think you can pat yourself on the back and think you are a master strategist if you do it.

 

[Scobie]

DELETED

 

[Arawn.Chernobog]

I wouldn't consider either of those cheating, but I do consider the second one rather unchallenging.

1) This is absolutely VITAL on large battles, otherwise you will loose control of one or more fronts.

2) This is basically running the game on Baby's-first-strategy-game Mode, it's way too easy but it's not cheating either.

 

[Spitfire175]

So I'm playing Napoleon: Total war for quite some time now, and I must say that I enjoy it a whole lot. I also like to think I am a good commander and strategist, but then I do use a few "tricks" in total war games:

1) When I'm fighting in a battle, I tend to push the 'P' button quite a lot, so I can review the actions of the enemy and form my countermeasures while the game is paused. Do you think that doing this is legit? I mean, using the pause button has helped me to win almost impossible battles, thus giving me a feeling like I'm some sort of master strategist, but I'm not sure if that's the way the game is meant to be played..

2) Another thing I do after almost every action I take in the campaign map, is quick-saving. Especially when using Spies and other agents. If they fail to do their job, I usually quick-load and try again. I don't know if anyone else is doing this too, but I can't help but think that this constant saving is the way the game is meant to be played.

Any of you use the pause button to win battles or have constant quick-save syndrome? Do you think it's ok to use it? Discuss

The pause button is there to bring the player to the same level as the AI. But only because the AI can give orders to multiple units simultaneously on many places, I see the pause button as an equaliser, to give the player the same "physical capabilities" as the AI. Pausing the game for a long time and speculating tactics is lame, but not cheating. I prefer to go "prima facie" and go with the flow, and pause only for the duration of the physical movement it takes to give the order.

The quicksave/load thing is rather boring, I prefer to take on whatever comes my way and bite the bullet. One guy fails, send in the next one. Or throw soldiers at it until it goes away. But is it cheating? kind of, "lame" in the least.

Total war games tend to be so easy resorting to real cheats via the console seems like "I don't bother actually playing this"