Rome 2 or Attila?

[dkanter]

Hey,

This is my first post, so I'd like to start by saying - love the community here. I've been reading for a long time and really appreciate all the folks at the Org. A special tip of my hat to Frogbeastegg, who wrote the most amazing guides ever.

I played Shogun-Medieval2, Empire, and recently S2. Enjoyed most of them.

I am looking at either getting R2 or Attila, and wanted to know if anyone here had suggestions. I really like Rome, and R2 sounds great. But Attila is supposed to have a more robust engine. Are both fully patched to playability? I'm sure the DLC for Rome2 is all available now, whereas there may be some still evolving for Attila.

Also, are mods necessary to play?

Thanks,

DK

[Cazbol]

I find both games brilliant and I can't really say I find one game better than the other. However, if I for some reason could only have one of these two games, I suppose I would choose Rome 2. The reason being greater variety of campaigns due to more downloadable content.

[Hooahguy]

For me Im conflicted. On one hand, I prefer the game mechanics of Attila more than Rome 2, like the family tree and better politics. But I much prefer empire building so Attila, a game where its about survival, is not really my cup of tea. But I do also love the enhanced blood effects of Attila, and the burning men are really top notch.

And yes for Rome 2 at least mods are basically a must. There are 2 mod packs that I think are the best for Rome 2, depending on the style of play: the Radious mod pack if you want a more arcade-style gameplay. If you want more serious and historical gameplay, you should give Divide et Impera a try.

[StePenguin]

This is a very interesting question. TW: Attila does have some very interesting game mechanics (I could set the world on fire. I've always wanted to do that!), though TW:R2 has a lot more campaign options to go with, assuming you are buying the dlc.

In regards to vanilla campaign, I would say that TW: Attila is better. The pacing of the campaign map is much slower, so you can actually build a connection with your characters rather than having them die out way too quickly. The family tree also returns, which allows you to manipulate kin however you want. You also get to designate provincial governors and assign prestige posts (that's probably not the right word, but I can't think of it right now).

However, if you are going to be considering expansion campaigns, then TW:R2 wins by a long shot. Although TW: Attila's The Last Roman campaign is fun, TW:R2 comes with a number of different campaign options for you to choose from. You can delve into the Second Punic War with Hannibal at the Gates, which wasn't that great, if I were to be honest; conquer Gaul in Caesar in Gaul, which is definitely worth getting; or play as one of three factions during the Second Triumvirate in Imperator Augustus, which, in my opinion, should have been the vanilla game. Also, based on reviews that I've read, most people didn't like the Wrath of Sparta campaign, but I thought it was interesting and one of the campaigns that should be in your library if you have TW:R2.

Battle-wise, I would say that TW: Attila has the edge. It's darker and grittier, and I get a larger sense of urgency and a need for victory that I don't feel from TW:R2. The only real downside is that TW: Attila is INFESTED with Germanic units. When over half of the playable factions (not including Culture Pack factions) are Germanic, it gets stale really quick.

I believe both are as patched as they'll be. There may be one more dlc for TW: Attila, though it'll either be another Culture Pack or (less likely) a Campaign Expansion, but I would say that both are at release quality. I would say that TW:R2 is better optimized though. Based on the in-game benchmark, my average fps on TW:R2 is 67 with a high of 92 and a low of 32 at max quality; compare this to TW: Attila's benchmark average of 47 with a high of 69 and a low of 29 at Quality settings. Of course, your rig will be different from mine, but this just shows a general comparison. So, if you were looking to go for a game that gives you better fps, then I'd say go for TW:R2.

Also, I apologize if this post is too long. I kind of got too into it when I started typing it out...

[Suraknar]

Hello DK and welcome.

I do not have much to add on top of what everyone else already expressed.

Personally I see both titles as a continuous Game..from a Historical evolution POV.

Rome 2 Contains gameplay from Early Rome to Advanced Rome and Attila Decline period.

If that period of history interests you much then i suggest to get both titles, look for deals on Steam etc. Attila is currently 50% off this week. You could manage to get both anyways :)

Cheers!

[dkanter]

First of all, thanks to everyone for chiming in. I ultimately decided to get Rome2, for a few reasons:

1. Seems like the campaign is a bit more classic expansion-style
2. It's probably a bit less polished, and I will have trouble going back to it after enjoying Attila
3. DEI sounds pretty awesome

Now that Frogbeastegg is no longer doing her amazing strategy guides, are there any that people would recommend online (even at other sites)?

Also, which mods are particularly recommended?