Do You Still Play TW?

[Kralizec]

I reinstalled MTW about a month ago and played some campaigns. That's about it.

[Boohugh]

Played a couple of ETW campaigns since 1.5 came out but not sure if I want to start another. Didn't play M2TW all that much, even when it came out, and didn't bother getting the expansion so haven't done much with that recently. Don't have my MTW discs with me but don't think it'll work on my PC with it's modern Nvidia card anyway and have somehow managed to lose my RTW discs so can't play that .

Doubt I'll get Napoleon so not sure I have much more of a future playing the Total War series, although I may be tempted to buy RTW (and it's expansions) again because I always enjoyed that era (loved the various Roman mods for MTW orginally, they were the main reason I first started lurking at the .org).

[gollum]

Occasionally and with intervals of TW inactivity that keep getting longer. STW and MTW with a passion and up to this day, although i have played RTW too for quite a bit with home mods and mods back in the day.

M2TW i played the little that was needed to get me convinced that it wasn't worth my time.

ETW had potential but in the state it was released and most importantly the state it was left in, is a disaster without precedence. Any little hope remaining that CA could win me back vanished with that.

Its not so much the work they do as for whom they do it for; i am certainly not among the fans they aim their latest games at, and unfortunately it seems that is true for many other orgahs too judging by viewings and participation in teh Parliament. Apparently the .org is disassociating slowly but steady from TW, which means essentially that it is the only tw mainstream fansite not frequented by fanboys.

And yes, for those disenchanted with TW and looking for a good SP experience, i too suggest to give a try to Paradox games. Its not that they are the best thing that happened after sliced bread, but that PI gives actually a thought to the people who play regularly their games as opposed to the phantom "casual" gamer, both in terms of design/concept as well as long term execution.

Patching policy is top notch and goes on for years; Crusader Kings (2004) received its latest (beta witch means there are going to be more) patch 2.1 last automn/winter (2008). CA in comparison has left MTW to its fate in terms of compatibility with newer systems despite indication that there is still (relatively) strong interest in it, and despite the game still being sold in retail (with "Vista Compatible" stickers on!).

In addition the direction Paradox games evolve into through patching, takes into account what forum frequenting fans ask/suggest. It really makes you feel so much better, to not being treated like an idiot, as opposed to CA; the .com is infamous for its "kind" moderation in full knowledge (and perhaps even support) of CA that drove a number of dedicated and knowledgeable long term TW fans away to other fansites like here and the twcentre.

In any case if NTW becomes a flop, as it will most likely deserve, CA may turn even more mainstream or drop TW altogether. From many respects this will be fair, perhaps catharctic even. If you keep piling up lie upon lie year after year, it will come back and haunt you someday.

[Ice]

I'll play EB2 when it's released, but currently don't play any TW Games. I didn't even buy ETW.

In other news, I've started playing starcraft again. Talk about an underrated gamed. Ten years after it's initial release it is still fun to play.

[gollum]

Originally posted by Ice
Talk about an underrated gamed. Ten years after it's initial release it is still fun to play.

Its actually far more fun to play now due to the multiplayer scene which Blizzard supported and listened to. Starcraft was conceived as a fairly standard RTS and on release was a little better than that. It was by listening to the people who played the game competitively and patching for balance, while ironing glitches and bugsout that Blizzard brought the game to the standard it is now, that is the first pc game for which there is a University Course:
http://www.counterfeitculture.com/ne...rse-is-a-hoax/

Shogun:TW had far better balance on release in my view and a numerous, very enthusiastic and competent MP scene that was used for its skills as long as CA deemed it necessary and subsequently abandoned to its fate as CA turned its scope on the civilisation/historical buff SP crowd.

The same happened with the second generation of mpers that came about the time of RTW and were treated in RTW:BI, that for many of them was the peak of the series in terms of competitive mp gameplay.

STW also had a better pacing than Starcraft that did not prohibit people that didnt want to put up with vast amounts of micromanaging practice to still become fairly good at it; in that sense it was far more accessible than Starcraft ever was.

CA lacked the vision to play to the strengths of their work, namely the superb battles with the realistic parameters/factors, good gameplay with excellent pacing, controls, environments and atmosphere and instead watered it down by inflating the SP part and destroying the superb battlefield gameplay in the name of accessibility and 3D graphics.

TW is now to the point of being a hybrid of hybrids. It suffers from a lack of focus, and part of the bugginess of the new releases is probably due to the spread of resources that such a state of affairs in the design department requires. On the other hand such an approach brought them the vast commercial success they are so proud of.

Sadly, the buggy, unstable mess that was Empire reminds me that inscription in Scrooge McDuck's Money Building (the Money Bin!): "it was built with your money"

http://thescreamingfish.com/wp-conte.../money_bin.png

[Hooahguy]

i really liked ETW and im waiting to get my laptop back to play it again.

[Viking]

I played the Seleucids well beyond the 50 province requirement some months ago, and prior to that I played M2TW extensively. Haven't tried anything related to ETW. Currently not playing PC games at all.