So how did you discover (and/or come to play) MTW?

[Martok]

I just realized that for as much as we talk about the game, I've rarely seen any discussion over how we initially discovered it and/or came to start playing it in the first place. (At least not since before I was a senior member -- if there *have* been extensive discussions about this particular topic, it's been so long ago that I myself must have been a relative newbie at the time!) Anyway, I'm curious as to how everyone here found out about MTW.

For myself, it was the simple fact that I'd already owned (and had been playing quite extensively) its predecessor Shogun. Until STW, I'd never really played another game like it, and I was utterly enthralled by it. And given that I've long had a fascination with the medieval period, you can imagine how excited I was when I heard that CA was working on a sequel that took place during the Crusades! I got Medieval as a Christmas gift (in 2002), and it's stayed on the hard drive of my computer ever since.

[Knight of the Rose]

What an excellent topic, and quite nostalgic too!

One of my friends had a brand new, I think it was 400 Mhz processor computer back in 1999 and I saw him play Shogun. I was utterly amazed. Both strategy and battles, while not quite new (Master of Orion, Heroes and a lot others), but in 3d was an eyeopener for me.

So back then I was a poor student, just enrolled at Uni. after serving in the Army, and all my savings spend on moving in with my girlfriend in our new flat. So I started reading about building your computer yourself from different parts bought here and there, and so in the beginning of 2000 I bought a 800 mhz processor and a graphics card (not all computers had graphic cards then), a monitor, keyboard and mouse. I actually didn't buy a soundcard, as that would enable me to buy the beast one month early.

So I fire up Shogun, which was the only game I had having bought it previously, on the rig that was purchased solely to run it and I get an error message! Shogun *needs* a soundcard! I had never heard of such a thing before, it actually needed a soundcard!

So off I went, down on my bike and laid my hands on the cheapest soundcard in the galaxy (no, I didn't steal it!!!), back to the flat, opened up the computer once more and with dire anticipation I started Shogun again...

And it worked, and I was swept into something I never got out of.

Then, just as I was getting familiar to S:TW, M:TW hit the stores. I had been playing 'Castles' a lot on the Amiga and I imidiately bought it. It was both familiar and strange. My first campaign was with the Danes, foolishly enough, as I didn't understand the trading system, nor the most basic rules of the strategy campaign. I had no idea what excommunication was, nor what to do with the agents. IIRC I turtled along getting just a province here and there until somebody else won the campaign.

Since then I've gotten to know the game better, but I still find I can get challanges and new situations from it. CIV4 that I have also played feels a little artificial once you've found out how to calculate and play the numbers, but M:TW still has the feel of actually beeing there. I'm still dissapointed when another faction has the happiest people! I want the happiets people in my kingdom!!

Well, you asked for it, and there it was...

/KotR

[seireikhaan]

My story isn't all that terribly exciting. Basically, I was in Target, looking through the bargain 9.99 games, saw MTW(no VI) and thought it looked pretty cool. Fired it up in the next couple days, and the rest is history.

[I of the Storm]

My boy, I remember many years ago, a friend telling me that there was this new strategy game called Medieval: Total War, and that it had these huge battles in 3d, and in real landscapes with lots of soldiers and that morale was an important factor and that a friend had told him that you sometimes even can have Jeanne d'Arc routing from the battlefield and that it was supposed to be pretty cool.
Then I finally got it maybe two years later when it was on budget sale and liked it a lot. Shortly after RTW came out and lured me away from MTW but I soon realised that both the strategical and tactical depth of MTW was superior.

But that was long ago, son.

[gaijinalways]

I'm trying to remember when I first bought MTW, though I have an European version bought in England, so I know I bought it on one of my summer trips. I had been playing STW already for perhaps a year or so. I think it might have been 2004-2005 as I know it wasn't completely new at the time, but it wasn't dirt cheap either. I know I was also in a Warcraft phase and playing the BG series I and II prior to buying it, so when I moved to MTW it was something very different.

Fantastic game, love to fire it up whenever I have a chance.

[Tony Furze]

A June Saturday in 2005. I'd just bought a laptop, an IBM notebook. (I'd sworn I'd never go near a computer) The only game I'd come across was with a boy I was tutoring. He had a Compaq and played a liittle game about an Eastern guy running through corridors, drinking potions. It was, of course, "Prince of Persia". That was way back in the 90 s.

Sheffield - a big music megastore. Tucked away in one corner were these mysterious looking DVD type boxes.

"Are there any good games I can play on my laptop?" I casually ask my younger brother, over from Ireland to see me.

"Ummmm," he strolls off to the aforesaid corner and browses. I browsed through some DVD films, meanwhile.

"You want something with thousands of soldiers getting slaughtered?" my brother asks, holding the old three disc box of MTW/VI in his hand, closely examining the back.

I ummm and ahhhh for a while - it usually takes me ages to decide on a purchase.

"Yep," my brother says finally."This should run. Activision's a reliable company."

So bought it. 19.99 pounds. (I've just had M2TW Kingdoms sent to me for the same price)

Well, I couldn't play it immediately, as there I was in England, while my laptop was over here in Karachi.I kept taking out the discs, examining them, then pouring over the manual...it was like being a kid again, strange/nice feeling.

It was my first time to see the actual installation of a game when I got back. I was fascinated by the loading bar and all the mystic loading codes streaming past.

Well, the tutorial was amazing- never experienced anything like it!

[Raz]

I played the demo of Rome: Total War first, but I could never find it in stores. So instead, I settled for a MTW: Gold Edition. I eventually found RTW a several weeks later, but by that stage I was far too caught up with my MTW to care about petty romans.

[Ironsword]

^^ Similar. I bought MTW and never played it at first. I had Later, a friend gave me RTW to try out.

I thought, best to start with the ealier one, so I installed MTW and never looked back. I still have the dusty old copy of RTW, it's as good as new, but my MTW disc has virtually worn down to a thin film...

[oz_wwjd]

I switched over from Civ3 to MTW,as I read a review about it in a magazine and thought it sounded just what I had been looking for. So far I've been through 3 MTW discs,which says exactly how much I play it,or used to. I'm trying to cut my time playing as it can be a bit TOO addicitive sometimes...

[Martok]

I switched over from Civ3 to MTW,as I read a review about it in a magazine and thought it sounded just what I had been looking for. So far I've been through 3 MTW discs,which says exactly how much I play it,or used to. I'm trying to cut my time playing as it can be a bit TOO addicitive sometimes...

You went through *three* disks?? Wow; I am in awe, sir.

[gaijinalways]

Originally Posted by oz_wwjd
I switched over from Civ3 to MTW,as I read a review about it in a magazine and thought it sounded just what I had been looking for. So far I've been through 3 MTW discs,which says exactly how much I play it,or used to. I'm trying to cut my time playing as it can be a bit TOO addicitive sometimes...

Me too, I have only destroyed one CD with Thief II, and Max Payne tore apart quickly, though I think it was more a quality issue than a usage issue.