Faction Heirs - new family members

[RLucid]

It would, actually.... I know many people who were put off M2TW because of bad word-of-mouth (about the AI) and prior experience in RTW.

You're right some are put off. I already changed my mind about M2TW, which I looking out for.

Reading the Q&A totalwar blog about Empires, there doesn't seem to be much hope. What you get is new features, of things that can be displayed and shown. At same time these features are supposed to be easy to pick up and usable and fun after a minute.

They still have a 20 unit restriction, due to control issues, when my big gripe is multi-army battles (where I can't control all forces predictably, and the 20 unit restriction). It makes sense for big armies to merge up units, into larger formations. But no as "mere mortals" find 20 too many to cope with, they just excuse need to develop anything which makes the game campaign scale better. I'd basically like an Army/Wing Tab with own leader that you could flip between, to manage the complexity and add realism.

This focus on features, does not suggest that any real strategic depth improvement is aimed. Just more factors, that give the illusion of depth. Why design an AI with understanding of threat and potential, when most of the market is more interested in whether ppl will be shown falling off masts and stuff? It must be lots easier to give ppl effects than have an elite programmer team, able to simulate intelligence.

Pictures of animated action, will get shown in mags, web and in demos, to generate the buzz; stir those impulse buys. Many others with series will buy the update more or less out of habit.

The review sites give RTW and M2TW strong 92-96% ratings, despite all the very frustrating issues, that occur even in RTW 1.5, early reviewers were obviously having too much fun, and needing too much time to complete a game for the review to start seeing the failings.

Still been a great immersive game; just under inspection the core is rotten. I think an older game like Civ II had an AI that was more convincing, yet still beatable.

[Omanes Alexandrapolites]

You sound like the type that may be interested in Medieval: Total War or Shogun: Total War RLucid. The older games generally had a much better AI and improved strategic depth on the battle map compared to M2:TW and R:TW.

I wrote a post a few weeks ago about the pros of the older games. You may want to take a look here.

[RLucid]

Thanks, that was an interesting little read.

RTW would probably have been better, if the Strategy map part, had been a "parchment style old map" in unknown areas, becoming more detailed and accurate in observed areas where you benefit from local knowledge. A 2D map with 3D symbols for buildings and armies, and terrain features. Similar I guess to the Risk-style map you mention.

Then a terrain scenary viewer, could let you fly around prospective battle fields in "surveyed" areas and your towns to, so you could see the buildings developed if you want. That would have re-used the Battle map code, just show the landscapes without armies, and free the camera with an "Exit Landscape" to go back to Strategy map.

The 3D strategy map, sounds like a marketing brag feature, "RTW is 100% 3D!". Frankly the fun of seeing men walking about, and clashing swords last about 2 30s moments when beginning the game.

All the development resources saved, could have gone into keeping the Battle AI, and Strategy AI better players. Concentrate on the 3D battle development, which was the real killer feature of the game, inspiring Time Commanders and Decisive Battles.

All this "Strategy AI" line of sight nonsense on it's development paths, path finding problems, and it's basic cluelessness about effective naval play, would be avoided and the game would be easier to have produced to schedule.

It just sucks that basic playability features like undoing mouse slips when movement gets messed up are impossible, as is adjusting the speed of those characters motion.

[Quirinus]

You can, I think, by pressing the space bar, if that's what you're referring to.

[RLucid]

That just move figure to destination immediately, and you have to do it every time. If you're in habit of doing it, and the figure goes on a multi-turn round the houses trip, heading off in opposite direction to that you expect, then you lose your whole move, no chance to hit <Back Space> and cancel order.