RTR or EB?

[option]

So I'm looking to start into either Rome Total Realism or Europa Barbarorum after I finish my current campaign, and I'm wondering which is generally considered better. Opinions?

[johnhughthom]

EB is the better mod, in my opinion, but RTR may be a better place to start as it isn't quite as overwhelming at first.

[Beefy187]

Try both.

I started with RTR. Which was amazing mod.
Then I tried out EB. Amazing too!

I recommend EB for historical details, RTR for game play.

[Jolt]

I remember playing RTR some years ago. I had the most epic war ever in RTW. I was Iberia and was fighting Macedonia. Each one of us crushed the neighbours and expanded northwards, so I (Iberia) was having multiple full stack battles against Macedonia in Germania, on a frequent basis for like 60 years. My entire population in Germania and more advanced Gallic cities was depleted from all the constant re-training.

[Owen Glyndwr]

Well, my best recommendation, as has already been stated is try them both. The great thing about humanity is that everyone has a different opinion, a different cup of tea. Another good way is to go to the respective forums and website of each of the mods, and just check them out. Look at the discussions and things like that.

I actually did that myself. For me, the biggest factor was initially the map (I picked RTR first, and then switched to EB later), and secondly the much greater attention to historical detail on the part of EB.

However, the important thing to remember is that they both are quite different. Playing both, I felt that RTR moved a lot faster, and overall, felt sort of like a beefed up R:TW. EB, on the other hand feels like a completely different game. Everything is so disorientating at first, and the gameplay, based on my observations, appears slow to the extent that it would be frustrating to a long time vanilla player.

So my recommendation is if you are looking for an improved (much improved) version of the game you are already playing, go with R:TR. However, if you are looking for a highly detailed, extremely historically accurate game, which emphasizes accuracy over gameplay, go with EB.

[Quirinus]

I say.... XGM (Extended Greek Mod). Of the three mods, I would say XGM is the closest to vanilla in terms of look and feel.

[PrimusPilus]

EB is a great mod but I experience crippling CTDs about 100 years into it. Usually after getting the Marian reforms it becomes too much and I start a new campaign just to avoid the aggravation.

Never had problems with RTR but too spoiled to go back.

[option]

Yeah, after checking them out I think I'm going to start with RTR before eventually moving to EB. The sheer amount of work they put into EB is jaw-dropping - just looking at some of the history pages on the website alone is enough to show those guys really know their stuff. It does seem quite overwhelming, though, so I'll hold off on it for a while.

[Moosemanmoo]

Well I started playing EB because I found the Romans to be so horrifically overpowered (Urban Cohorts lol) and innacurate it hurt, it made me wonder how on earth anybody beat them
I love EB and would strongly reccomend it, even though it is a learning curve from hell, it's worth it, it also taught me a lot and I feel my knowledge of the classical period to be much improved
I've never played RTR and I think after hearing about it I'll give it a go

[Omanes Alexandrapolites]

Moved to Mod Discussion

Overall, EB provides the more indepth game play adding more features than the basic R:TR that I remember (which really is, although an Ok mod, nothing exceptionally special and is a little overrated in my eyes). I haven't touched it for well over two years though, so the chances are that it may have changed. The length of time also means I don't remember much about what it did for the "small scale" game play (balancing, battle speed, unit types e.c.t).

Just some advice BTW, if you want to play EB later (and haven't already downloaded R:TR) then use this version which uses the mod switch. This lets you play both mods simultaneously.

[SokayScoot]

This is something I might have to confront and accept as a laptop user. My cursor is laggy in battle and campaign mode in RTW. I'm working with a Toshiba tablet so I don't have any way of utilizing my pencil though hooking up a real mouse is an alternative. Does this sound familiar to anyone with lower processing speed or is there a way I can fix this for faster game adjustments. (Sneaky generals are tearing up my lines before I can spot them)

[Imperator Invictus]

EB is way better than RTR

[PatricianS]

RTR 6 Gold/Platinum are rather old mods compared to EB. so they don't have scripts and stuff. However I would advice you try the Extended Realism Mod (ExRM), which is a submod for RTR Platinum. Compared to platinum it does add three more factions, a campaign script, units, lots of rebalancing (campaign and battle), an improved map and lots more... So actually ExRM is the most up-to-date Grand Campaign for RTR...

Obviously you should also try RTR VII: The Iberian Conflict (TIC)
(and soon RTR VII: Fate of Empires (FoE), which isn't released yet)

:)