I would love to see them upgrade RTW in a few ways, but I like the basic game as it is for the most part. I think video/computer game designers can get carried away trying to outdo themselves from a previous release or previous game. RTW is really nothing but an automated board game. Parker Brothers' game Monopoly has been hugely popular for generations, which proves to me that you don't need to be constantly innovating to have good market success for your product.
If I had my druthers, I think I would like to see CA improve the graphics just a bit and upgrade the designs of some units (like the Spartan hoplite - it's much too plain to suit me.) The guys who designed Extended Greek Mod did a wonderful job on the unit design/art graphics. It would be neat to see some of those unit images adopted in a CA upgrade. Also, the XGM game board is much larger extending deep into central asia, and farther down the Nile and Sahara regions. There are a few more cities as well. I like the larger game map in XGM. That was another nice feature of their mod. I think it would be neat if CA could adopt something like that to RTW.
I would also like to see some better infantry units for Parthia, some better cavalry units for the Greek cities, and more options for mercenary recruitment for all the factions. Maybe have them design more of the factions for 'unlockable' rather than having so many as 'unplayable.' Perhaps they could design a feature whereby if a faction conquere certain factions, then make it so that this faction can adopt some of the other factions' unit types. Some of that idea is in RTW now (the Seleucids, for example, can recruit a Roman legionaire type unit.) Say, if your Roman faction encounters a Parthian army, then maybe within a certain number of turns after that encounter the Romans can 'adapt' and suddenly have in their schedule of recruitable units, a cataphract. Just a thought. But truly successful armies in the ancient era learned from their enemies. The Romans adopted the pilum and gladius from Spain, and in later eras, the cataphract. The Seleucids adapted, as did Philip II when he developed the Macedonian fighting machine.
By the same token, maybe multiple temple development within a city's schedule of building options.
Maybe add one or two more factions - an Indian faction, maybe one more barbarian faction AKA make the Scythians more viable as a playable faction, or even subdivide the Gauls into the Aedui, Belgae, or something (that might be overkill, I guess, just a thought though.)
The RTW combat phase 'fluidness' I think is much better than M2TW. I like the added buildings and units of M2TW but I have never enjoyed the combat phase of the game. It just seemed to be more uncontrollable and awkward. RTW's combat phase is more fun, and I returned to RTW after playing around with M2TW because I didn't enjoy that feature even though the graphics were supposedly an improvement.
My only concern is - if you change too much, it's no longer RTW, but something completely different. I wouldn't want to see that. I love RTW for what it basically is. I think the modest improvements I've mentioned above could be done without changing the basic character of the game too much.
At least, I would hope. Interesting thread topic.
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