The lack of exciting battle maps is a drag, more apparent the longer you play. Every now and then I'm surprised to find vastly different terrain -- Moscow looked different than the 10 other capitals I'd rolled through to get there. The custom maps from RTI on the other hand are so much better than the same undistinguished rolling pastureland that accounts for 9 out of 10 provinces though. I think I've seen a river battle ... once, fighting on a hill ... once, and some broken terrain that made long line formations impractical ... once. Was the Quebec assault in RTI two a custom map? I can't remember, but it was on a steep valley dropping down to a river and as I recall it happened randomly so I'm not sure, but if so the game is capable of some great visuals ... none of which are ever used.

Would have been fun doing something unique in letting you storm ships at port. Beat the marines, get the frigates.