Rome: Total War vs Medieval II: Total War

Hi

I have been a big fan of RTW and MTW2 games. I haven't, however, played them for a while. Now I am thinking start playing one of them again. Which made me thinking: which one?

I like MTW2 -- better graphics, more variety and depth (such as towns vs castles, religion, leaders' personalities), the possibility to build multiple units in one turn.

But I also prefer the ancient world to medieval world. This is probably the main thing that attracts me to the RTW, but it is a big one..

Except for the graphics and the animation, I haven't noticed much difference between the games' battle engines.

I justed wanted to know what other people think about this two games and how they compare them. Which one do you play more and why?

Hello vladiator!

I would say M2 because it's more balanced, and the AI is better. Unless you get EB, a mod for RTW; start playing RTW again.

what about the SPQR mod from LT_1956 for RTW?
It should challenge you and improves the gameplay.

At the moment, I concentrate only on M2TW but I have not finished a vanilla game yet so, that's my excuse :2thumbsup:

Though I have not played it yet (I have it, but cant play...stupid computer...) I would say M2TW, as it is placed in the medieval world, and the graphics are really cool. I havent played a mod for RTW yet...so I cant say anything about them.

Hi everyone!

I palyed English in MTW2 and ruled the world :). Had less success with Russia because of the constant attacks by Mongols. It is a great game, especially after the zero-day patch.

But I think I might try to play RTW again. I looked around for what mods people recommend and it appears that Europa Barbarorum is the best. Tarbanrael also mentioned SPQR. Any other opinions?

I like M2TW, but that's because I prefer the medieval era over the roman one. It seems that you like the roman era over the medieval one, so I'd say go with that.

Medieval II

Massively improved AI, better pathfinding, better battles, better sieges, less monotony, less balance issues, more pope.

Edit: Or RTW with EB, but I'm biased :rolleyes:

I'd vote for Medieval II, simply because it's a "better game".

I tried to go back to R:TW after playing MII:TW and I couldn't do it, not because of a time period preference but simply because MII:TW does everything Rome does...better.

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Originally Posted by Out

I'd vote for Medieval II, simply because it's a "better game".

I tried to go back to R:TW after playing MII:TW and I couldn't do it, not because of a time period preference but simply because MII:TW does everything Rome does...better.

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:bow: Summed up nicely.

I am the odd one out here. Go Rome: Total Realism!

EB and RTR are the two best known mods for RTW. And RTR 7.0 is coming out :2thumbsup: *heads off to RTR to find out when*

MTW2 by far...but mostly because I'm biased (fueled by a preference of medieval history over ancient history).

Still, MTW2, on gameplay merits alone, is a wonderful experience. I just wish CA would've brought back/kept certain elements from previous TW games (being able to dismount cavalry before battle, titles, choosing faction heir!).

Well i have only played M2TW round my friends, it is a great game but rome total war just seems more enjoyable.Especially with all teh mods available like Roma Surrectum,EB,realism...I do love vanila rome total wat tho :D

Hi vladiator and fellow members,I have campaigned with both med2and rtw.While the graphics are better in med2 the whole campaign and gameplay are for myself not as interesting as RTW,I play the mods,Ancient Empires,EB and Roma Surrectum.These for great maps and campaigns are very hard to beat.regards magpie.

I dont have the pc to play M2TW, so im an avid RTW fan! So my vote goes to RTW!

(Unless anyone wants to buy me a new graphics card and processor) :D

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Originally Posted by Fate

I dont have the pc to play M2TW, so im an avid RTW fan! So my vote goes to RTW!

(Unless anyone wants to buy me a new graphics card and processor) :D

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I'd be glad to, mate...........................................................just as soon as I hit the lottery! :idea2:

Hi to all,
I will have to say RTW, ok its not as flashy as m2, but the individuality of the factions and the scale of the campaign, especially with mods makes rtw the winner for me. Somehow conquering the whole of the world with Scotland seems wrong, yet a resurgent seluecid empire from the babylon to tara just feels within the realms of possibility.
Don`t get me wrong M2 is a great game, (the fighting just blew me away when i first zoomed in on a battle)rome just has more to offer, things may change as new mods come out for m2 but at the moment rtw ftw.

If you prefer the setting of Rome, than you should play Europa Barbarorum.

I prefer Ancient History over Medieval so i'm naturally biased. As far as the game itself goes; I have MTW2 and it does have some very nice features but i just can't really can't get into it yet. In my opinion as was the case with RTW, it will be alot better when full conversions start being released for it. For example EB2.

For now, i'll say RTW but only because of the great mods for it like EB. :yes:

Hm... that's actually a tough question. I really perfer the Roman era over Medieval, but there's no denying that Medieval is the better game if you simply had an objective look at both of them. Better graphics, improved gameplay, more depth, etc.

But there's more to it than that. Rome: Total War had its own charm, and it played significantly different on the strategic map from other Total War games. It was truly a breakthrough in a series of ground-breaking games. Its graphics aren't as good as Medieval 2: Total War, and it had "clone armies", but it looked very crisp and clean compared to M2:TW's dirtier and more realistic look.

Gameplay is similar, but M2:TW does add quite a few key improvements that simply make it better head-to-head with R:TW. Even with the Pope in M2:TW (which is much more annoying than the Senate ever was), R:TW simply can't stand up. Battles are quicker in Rome: Total War, and strategic map has much more depth in Medieval 2: Total War, but you can play one and then the other and have no problem in transition, because they are very similar overall.

So again, I think Medieval 2: Total War is the better game, but Rome: Total War still has its own charm and is worth playing alongside M2:TW. R:TW was more groundbreaking and "different in a good way" when it was released than M2:TW was, so in the eyes of history it will be viewed as the better game (much like Half-Life is viewed as the better game than Half-Life 2, despite the fact that HL2 deffinitely is better if you compare them side-by-side), but right now M2:TW is better.

In other words, I don't really feel either is the "better game", and I feel they both are worth hard drive space on your computer, so whichever one you choose is the right choice.

And, because I have to put something in here that you actually asked for/sort of care about, I play M2:TW more, but that's because I've gotten it fairly recently, and I don't have time to play both with my current hectic schedule.

i would say R:TW because... well, it's a lot less boring :p

Haven't played MTW2 -- don't own a computer with enough horsepower -- though it seems the game is cross-the-board improved.

Eventually, they'll apply the new engine to RTW, and then we'll see.

Meanwhile, I've heard good things about EB as an RTW mod, and I have been playing XGM for a while (MUCH more of a challenge than vanilla).

M2Tw has way better graphics and better battles and a cooler map

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Originally Posted by GeoBeeChamp

M2Tw has way better graphics and better battles and a cooler map

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I wouldn't say "better" battles. Just different. More centric on Cavalry over infantry, Phalanx are gone, and sieges are actually enjoyable even if you didn't build artillery.

I played XGM for R:TW for quite some time, and it's a great mod (and still getting better). Lately, I've gone over to EB, and it's likely one of the best video games I've ever played. I would say RTW with EB would easily be your best choice, especially if you prefer the ancient era to the medieval one.

After I began to play EB and became addicted to it, M2TW seems crappy to me. Try EB, you gonna love it.

Vanilla M2TW is far better than Vanilla RTW or BI , but whats makes RTW and BI the winners for me are the mods available. EB, RTR, IBFG, Roma Surrectum and lots more mods on the way. M2Tw has potential as far as future mods are concerned but i tried playing the byzantines and their units look like goblins or orcs to me, ugly as sin. So the winner is RTW and BI purely because of the mods.

Goth

I personnally prefer M2 because of more depth and variety, whether it be units, factions or eras; The campaign has more depth and is slightly more realistic; Improved AI in M2 diplomacy and battle much more realistic and challenging, but I don't like to go into this particular kind of thing because of the debates regarding the wishlist and buglist of the patches and as a result it's constantly changing.

The only other thing that could change your mind is the lag. Depending on computers and connection's the lag in RTW could be worse than that of M2 or vice versa. Some computer's can cope with the new engine and systems used to deplete lag but others cant cope with all of it in the first place so it cannot sustain lag depleting systems anyway.

Hope that helps.

MTW/VI more. Pike&Musket is a good mod for it to for your information. Better SP, and a hell alot better MP.

I'm largely biased on this one. I'm an avid student of Spartan history, and I love the Spartan legends and especially the mythical elements of Sparta and its culture. So, therefore, you can imagine my ecstatic joy when I played Rome: Total War, and later found out I could play as the Spartans. I literally jumped out of my seat. "What could be better than Total War?", I asked myself, "Total War with Spartans!"

Though, I do agree, Medieval II is such an awesome game. There are vast improvements over Rome, and it feels much more fluent and realistic, as has been said in this thread. Even with the Byzantine Empire, Holy Roman Empire, Scotland, and England as playable factions, I still lean towards Rome.

However, Empire: Total War may finally conquer my love for Rome: Total War. "What could be better than Total War?", I ask myself, "Total War with Industrial Era armies!" Not to mention, naval battles! Don't get me started on that.

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Originally Posted by God's Grace

Hello vladiator!

I would say M2 because it's more balanced, and the AI is better. Unless you get RTR PE, a mod for RTW; start playing RTW again.

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Fixed your typo. If you prefer good battles, good multiplayer and a game that runs nice and smoothly Rome total Realism Platinum is the mod of choice.

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Originally Posted by Roughneck

I'm an avid student of Spartan history, and I love the Spartan legends and especially the mythical elements of Sparta and its culture.

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In that case, make sure you visit the Monastery once you are promoted to member.

I will take up that offer, thanks.

I think you should play rome total war with the realism mod this makes the graphics better an units realistic and in my opinion I hate medival warfare and I dont really like the MTW2 game at all.

I have played Shogun TW, Medieval TW Viking Invasion and Rome TW and I found Rome much more entertaining, maybe this was because of the technology availiable or the fact that I would sleep with a Roman (any) if I could (slight exaggeration), I love the Roman era :book:

Unfortunately I cannot play M2TW as of yet, I will be obtaining a new computer shortly but I will pass on Empire: TW as I think that guns are cheating. I will play on M2TW before I make my judgement on which is the better game IMHO.

Went off on a small tangent there... not to worry.

To me it's an easy choice. I started playing TW games with MTW, but since this is about the two most recent games, I'll focus on them.

Now, I'm a big fan of both games. I remember last year I took out my RTW discs, looked up sites on a whim, and found out M2 was coming out in a week or two!

But I was disappointed. :(

RTW provides a truly epic feel for me. You have beautiful units fighting in close combat, a great map, great multiplayer, and most importantly, a game that I can play for hours.

M2 provides many of the same things, but I just feel less satisfied than with RTW. I never finish campaigns in M2 while in RTW I think I finished every one. The graphics are nice, but the lowered unit sizes and really buggy AI just killed it.

Part of the reason I favor RTW is the mods, and in time M2 will have full conversions out. But unless those can take care of the silly AI I'll keep coming back to Rome.

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Originally Posted by Benandorf

In other words, I don't really feel either is the "better game", and I feel they both are worth hard drive space on your computer, so whichever one you choose is the right choice.

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Benandorf basically said what I was thinking. Both great fun, just depends which one you're in the mood for. I've got to say, Kingdoms really keeps me entertained for the moment. Then again, once I finish downloading Europa Barbarorum v1.0, I'll prolly play that for the next month.

Thanks everyone for all the replies!

After starting this thread about two months ago, I started playing RTW EB and really really enjoyed it. However I messed up by choosing the Medium/medium settings instead of the recommended very hard/medium setting. Thus the game became less challenging as the game progressed. And I decided to start playing another campaign.

Instead of continuing with EB, I decided to give another try to M2TW. I downloaded 1.2 patch and now play as Russia. I really like the depth of the campaign map gameplay there, with having to use prists, merchants, etc. The battle graphics is also amazing. Fighting with Mongols from one side and Milan and Venice from the other side is killing me tho (I expanded my borders quite a bit into Western Europe)...

Currently,when I play M2TW, whether because the life of playing Russia in M2TW has become too hard or maybe for my general preference of anscient world period, I increasingly find myself thinking about EB.

That's what being spoilt by having a choice of two great games does to a person -- makes him very undecisive. What happened to the days when I could entertain myself for months just playing Caesar II?.. :inquisitive:

Hmm... I find M2TW like a FPS, very impressive at first... but very boring very soon.
Give me RTW every day of the week (bugs and all), I love the period, the diversity, the lack of a cohesion bug that makes charges worthless, the lack of a Pope that is even more annoying than the Senate... etc

i think M2TW is very pretty and appeals to kids on a visual as well as strategic level. That's why I have stopped buying TW games. :furious3:

I prefer Medieval II with "The Long Road" modification.

I like Rome:Total War Better:yes: . MT2W I didn't like the feel of it, but I have a crappy computer anyhow.

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Originally Posted by mrdun

I have played Shogun TW, Medieval TW Viking Invasion and Rome TW and I found Rome much more entertaining, maybe this was because of the technology availiable or the fact that I would sleep with a Roman (any) if I could (slight exaggeration), I love the Roman era :book:

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Agreed! (except for sleeping with Romans... I'd rather kill them).

But STW/MTW are still great games :yes:

I'll be waiting for MTW2 and its Expansions to be released in a budget bundle before I try it... My PC will be better by then :embarassed:

After playing M2TW for a few weeks now I gotta say that M2TW lack depth. The diplomacy is crappy, getting your units lined up correctly before a battle is a real pain in the arse, constant sieges from tiny armies that I can beat in sally with 8:2 odds; and lastly I wonder if the game really has to be such a CPU killer. :inquisitive:

Though, RTW was my introduction to the TW series, so it isn't easy to compare.

I'm going to call it a draw for now. I enjoy both games with mods, MTW2 with The Long Road and RTW with the Total Realism modification. This is subject to change when some of the more anticipated MTW2 mods are released. As for vanilla, I preferred Rome.

RTW 2 is better.

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Originally Posted by jaywaters79

RTW 2 is better.

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It'll be pwned by Medieval 3: The Crusade For More Money!

RTW with EB is much better that MTWII, as fun as the crusades are, I prefered the old method in MTW..

In what they are in the context they were made Rome is better: more revoluationary and impressive. Medieval simply builds on and polishes what Rome did before. Kind of like sonic 1 vs sonic 2

I equally like ancient and medieval eras, and I love both RTW & M2TW. But between vanilla RTW & vanilla M2TW, I vote for RTW. Why? In M2TW my main objection is the gunpowder thing (it's given too much hype, but not that much use in combat) and it comes too early in the game for me--not enough turns for cold steel and pointy things in the game for me. In this aspect, I prefer the orig MTW over M2TW, if only m1tw wasn't THAT crude! After all, anyTW game is all about strategy and fighting, right? Diplomacy, spies, assassins, ninjas, etc., merely supplement your combat prowess. Hawooh!

for time period and epic feel- RTW
graphics and battles-M2

the winner is- M2 with EB2 (when it comes out)

I'm currently loving playing M2TW with the Stainless Steel mod.

I haven't played it enough to really say which I like more, but it's looking promising.

RTW + EB had a similar feel, but more expansive. I can't choose which I like more... yet :2thumbsup: Both are amazing, but I wouldn't play either without these mods.

RTW with the EB mod, vanilla BI and MTW with the XL mod.

My hardware can't run M2TW.

RTW hands down. MTW2 is to high up in graphics, and kinda hard to follow.

mtw2?ohhhh!william wallace,richard the lion heart,william the conqurer(who gives the welsh no credit for creating the longbow),and lets not forget the beloved saladin(sala adin)

rtw is the definition of history and its beloved wars,BELLA,HORRIDA BELLA!julius ceaser,leonidas,vercingetorix,messinisa,the warrior queen that rebbeled against rome in briton,ariminus,alaric,giseric,king arthur,scipio africanus,and the best of them all,HANNIBAL.rtw for sure,just needs some naval battles for the punic wars...

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Originally Posted by Ozzman1O1

mtw2?ohhhh!william wallace,richard the lion heart,william the conqurer(who gives the welsh no credit for creating the longbow),and lets not forget the beloved saladin(sala adin)

rtw is the definition of history and its beloved wars,BELLA,HORRIDA BELLA!julius ceaser,leonidas,vercingetorix,messinisa,the warrior queen that rebbeled against rome in briton,ariminus,alaric,giseric,king arthur,scipio africanus,and the best of them all,HANNIBAL.rtw for sure,just needs some naval battles for the punic wars...

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...not to mention (in EB, the best RTW mod ever...) Diodotos Baktrios, Pyhrros Aikades of Epeiros, the Sakaraukai,(in 77BC mod)Surena, Tigranes, Sertorius, and MITHRIDATES VI EUPATOR of PONTOS (who in my opinion did the most severe damage to the Empire in the short term...the slaughter of over 70000 Italians living in Asia Minor...in ONE day)

RTW is a great concept, but you really need mods to get the most out of the game (the vanilla game took a bit too much creative license with historical accuracy, but was overall less buggy than the M2TW (vanilla) release)

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Originally Posted by Colovion

I'm currently loving playing M2TW with the Stainless Steel mod.

I haven't played it enough to really say which I like more, but it's looking promising.

RTW + EB had a similar feel, but more expansive. I can't choose which I like more... yet Both are amazing, but I wouldn't play either without these mods.

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agree, I just got M2 not too long ago (got a new comp :), played for about 6 hours before I dl'ed Stainless Steel mod, now I've been playing my Venetian campaign for weeks. Just like RTW, MInO needs mods to actually BE about the Medieval period, but ohhh that Engine, EB on that would be the most gorgeous strategy game ever made.

Am lovin' my Venetian campaign, though I keep going back to my current Pahlava campaign in EB1.0 whenever I need a break from the Pope and his inbred Muslim slayer masses.

my own thoughts.

M2TW:better graphics, some of the factions i personally think aren't good. like the 3 iberian nations, the eastern nations minus russia i did good with them. and the eastern nations you enter a war and your excumunicated.
M2TW expansion(forget what it is with the four diffrent campaigns):
americas: highly recommended mayans and spanish are all i've done both relatively easy.
teutonic:teutons good infantry but my economy wasnt very good Lithuania: semi weak soldiers but good economy(for me at least) and Danes are strong wit good economy
Britania:only played as Ireland and i've conquered about half of britian in about 100~120 turns i forget the number.
Crusades:only play if you do a hotseat and do Antioch/Jerusalem

RTW:ok game i think its better than origanal M2TW just because i like the era more
RTW:BI:cant get into at all i hate all the barbarians everywhere. only ever beat as sassinids
what i think you should do download EB (Europa Barbarium (sp))
sorta slow loading times but worth it, best mod i've seen with good setup and the makers have put a lot in to it.

Do what I did,choose between rome or m2tw and eventualy buy Rome,then let the confusion and frusration devour when you start thinking you want m2tw,then once you buy it,you hate it and stop playing it


just kidden,think...do you like richard the lion heart fighting saladin or scipio africanus fighting Hannibal.....or battle tactics,the greek phalanxe or the heavy cavalry of central europe(knights)
or do what i am doing now and wait for rtw2 to come out wich ca has confiremed there making

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Originally Posted by Ozzman1O1

or do what i am doing now and wait for rtw2 to come out wich ca has confiremed there making

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Source? Other than idle internet speculation or a gaming magazines wild guesses :laugh4:

CA is working on Empire: Total War and Viking: Battle for Asgard.

The 6th TW is years away.

Even though I've only played MIITW once, it seems better in terms of graphics and AI. The time period is also much better IMHO.

I´ve played TW since Shogun was released back in 2001, or was it 2000? Sigh, I´m getting old. Personally I prefer the roman era setting than the medieval one. M2 is far better balanced and the graphics is truly superb. However, playing EB 1.0 fills my eyes with tears of joy. Can´t wait for an EB roman release on the M2 engine but it might be years away unfortunately.

I just don't like the combat in mediaeval 2 total war. It's like even peasants put up a serious fight to armoured swordsmen. I usually have a sizeable number of casualties (more than in Rome), and the cavalry "charge" doesn't really work at all. All they do is promptly halt upon reaching the enemy and engage themselves with the unit they're attacking. Even when done from the rear. There is absolutely no "impact" of the cavalry crashing into infantry. Even the lightly armoured ones.

Also there are loads of games with a mediaeval setting. The whole thing just feels tired and old. I definitely like RTW better.

Damn this is a tough call but a good question.

Usually when a new game is released in a series I just can't go back to play its prequels anymore. There are very rare exceptions to this like the Seven Kingdoms series and with Rome and M2TW.

I think the thing that enables me to go back and still enjoy RTW is that it has, as other people have said, a far more epic feel to it. Thanks in a massive way to its awesome soundtrack by the way. I really like the soundtrack in M2TW but it just doesn't fire my emotions like the RTW music does. The importance of music in such games should never be underestimated.

The unit cohesion in M2TW isn't as "good" as in Rome although I do feel that the cohesion in Rome can be a bit tight as if the unit is a single organism. I know they were designed to operate as such but the reality is that they consist of individuals. I think a midway between the two cohesions would look right.
The fighting itself can take a long time in Medieval 2. A bit too long for me sometimes. Im so thankful for the fastforward button. I know some people loved the slothlike pace of the original Medieval but to be honest, I don't want to be waiting an age for a battle to be resolved.
I do feel that fatigue should have a far greater effect in Medieval 2 than it does.

One thing I can say for damn sure is better in Rome is the pathfinding in cities. Honestly in M2TW it is the one thing that can bring me damn close to tears. "Where are you going now?! Just go down the ******* road!"
You really have to give each unit their orders seperately for best results in M2TW. Not that it was perfect in Rome but it was far better.

Graphically well M2TW obviously wins hands down and that can be a big deal for a lot of people. Including me to be honest. It can be difficult to put up with Rome's clone soldiers and inferior graphics after playing M2TW.
Then of course there is M2TW's lovely sprawling castles and cities and beautiful skies. Oh that sexy bloom.

In terms of artificial intelligence it's a tough one for me. I think in terms of the campaign map M2TW wins hands down. But when it comes to the battlefield, the passive AI bug still rears its ugly head now and then in Medieval 2. On the other hand, the AI in Rome while Ive never seen it passive, does seem to just launch everything it has at you resulting in a very quick rout of one of the sides.
I do tend to get a more tactical experience with Medieval 2 than I ever did with Rome but I'll leave it to those more knowledgeable about the inner mechanics to settle the score on this one.

You know I used to love medieval shenanigans and not much care for the ancient world but it was actually playing RTW that got me far more interested in that period despite its historical inaccuracies. To the extent that when Im playing with knights and trebuches in Medieval 2 nowadays I often find myself hankering for some shortsword and sandals conflicts.
Oh damn I love both periods.


In conclusion I have to announce Medieval 2 as the winner. As others have said, it is basically Rome but better and more intricate. But both games are classics in my eyes and as another poster said, well worth your harddrive space. And hell Ive only got a mere fifty gigs!

It is a tough call but now I have better comp i'm not going to purchase M2 just yet. I have discovered mods :beam: XGM all the way!!