Do You Still Play TW?

[Strike For The South]

With the new faces round these parts it's time to resurrect an oldie but a goodie.

As per me.

I haven't played TW in over a year and I haven't touch a video game in 4 months. My sibilings kept our consoles and my roomates don't have any.

Add in school and other hobbies and I just haven't had time.

I do plan on getting a near constant fix of HOI2 and NCAA 10 (the only 2 games I play) over thanksgiving break.

[CountArach]

Nah, and I haven't for a good year and a half to two years. I've moved on to various Paradox games, and plan on going to HistWar:Les Grognards as soon as that is finished.

[Crazed Rabbit]

Nope. I bought ETW, and I hate myself and CA for it.

CR

[Azathoth]

I'm waiting for EBII (there isn't much point in playing EB right now), though I might try out some more RTW mods. I plan on getting the rest of the TW series at some point in the future.

[pevergreen]

Yes. ETW and to a lesser extent, RTW and M2TW.

I love roman period, so RTW is like a drug.

[Monk]

No.

I enjoyed my time in M2TW with the help of mods. Same goes for RTW. STW and MTW could stand on their own.

[GeneralHankerchief]

I still hit up M2 because of Throne Room games, and occasionally go back to Rome. One of these days, my answer will finally switch to "no" in this poll, but not yet.

[Andres]

I recently started a M2 campagin with the Egyptians, but kinda lost interest.

Still have S:TW, M:TW and R:TW installed on my PC and I do start a campaign sometimes, but hardly ever finish one once I reach the point of "victory is inevitable".

[caravel]

I still play STW, but very seldom nowadays, can't play MTW due to graphics card, so voted Gah!

[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

[KukriKhan]

Downloaded the Empire:Total War demo and played through it; then waited to see the opinions of other org players. Didn't see overt enthusiasm - instead folks with troubles, so I didn't buy it.

Rome was the last product I bought, and was disappointed. I still have STW & MTW, and fired up STW last month. But it was really for old times' sake, to hear the old music, and remember old playing pals. So I don't count that as "still playing".

So: No. But that could change in the future. Meanwhile, I play mindless FPS's to blow off steam.

[miotas]

I still play EB occasionally, but I'm waiting for either Asia ton Barbaron or EB2 to finish.

[Louis VI the Fat]

I do actually still play M:TW. I simply like the game, the mechanics. I pull it out and play a nice, long campaign once or twice a year.


I love the combination of strategy and tactics, so my main interest is in full games. The AI unfortunately lacks any strategical sense, so I keep it interesting with setting myself challenges, trying new approaches, using mods. The game is not yet exhausted for me.

[Whacker]

Nope. S:TW was the best, M:TW was good but I was heavily interested in other stuff when it came out, R:TW is probably my favorite though, and by far the most time spent playing. M2:TW I regret buying, even mods didn't really save it for me. E:TW is utter garbage. I'm simply not in CA's target audience anymore. There are some good people here, that and the chat room are the only reasons I stick around.

[Ronin]

No...I only played shogun...and even that one I haven´t touched in years.

[Aemilius Paulus]

Not quite.

I never bought ETW and M2TW was a major frustration for me.

I played Empires: Dawn of the Modern World, Opposing Fronts, then Cossacks II (MUCH better than ETW - which I tried but never actually bought), and now I am going back to Mount and Blade (unbelievable game).

Eventually, I plan on going back to Europa Barbarorum though. The first one. I may try Sins of the Solar Empire. Also, I already have Hearts of Iron II and EUIII (both with all the expansions). Eventually, after reading the whole manual and scouring through the official forum, I will tackle the two games.

[Reenk Roink]

I still play EB and vanilla Rome from time to time. Also am trying to get through M:TW but it bores me (I never was a fan of the Medieval setting). Didn't get E:TW.

[TinCow]

Nope, haven't played in about 7-8 months and probably never will again. ETW was the end of the line for me on TW games. Paradox own my soul now for strategy games.

[Samurai Waki]

Nope. Bought ETW back in April, hated it, haven't played any TW since.

[Crazed Rabbit]

What's going to make EBII an improvement over EB? I'm sure it'll be a great mod, as the first EB was, but won't it still have to deal with CA's underlying game? Is MTW2 improved in some key ways that will make for an improved game?

CR

[gollum]

Originally posted by Crazed Rabbit
Is MTW2 improved in some key ways that will make for an improved game?

As you say they will always have to deal with the hardcoded limitations of the core game, however in terms of the campaign M2 has a number of extra features that can add to the game if they are intgrated with how the AI plays, the rosters etc. From a modding perspective they mean poential.

As far as the battlefield is concerned balance and challenge can be achieved within what the game has to offer, as they did with EB - and as other mods did such as the MP semi official balance mod by CA and the Celtiberos clan for kingdoms (Retrofit).

Vanilla releases lack in optimasation in both the campaign and battlefield maps as well as in binding the two. Mods can always achieve far better results in these areas through extensive playtesting and feedback and longtimes of development that vanilla releases lack.

[Martok]

I still play STW and MTW, but only very sporadically. I'll play for a 3-4 hour chunk, and then not again until a week or two later. I've been planning to fire up a new MTW campaign as Aragon this last week, but haven't actually gotten around to it yet. (Busy busy at work; little time to game on actual workdays, and have been spending time with friends on my rare days off.)

Empire sickened me to the point that I'm ashamed for having purchased it in the first place. The era holds little interest for me, but I was lured in (yet AGAIN) by CA's lies promises of a vastly revamped & improved strategic/diplomatic AI. Unless/until this (the AI) is truly fixed -- and there's no way in hell I'm forking over another $50.00 for Napoloeon the new patch -- it will stay uninstalled and in one of my storage boxes down in the basement.



So....Gah!

[Ramses II CP]

I play hotseats and KOTF in MTW2 but I see nothing appealing in Empires... in fact I see just about everything that's wrong with PC gaming going on with ETW. Quite honestly even if they fix the worst of the problems, as they did before I bought MTW2, I probably will never pick it up.

[Thermal]

I play hotseats and KOTF in MTW2 but I see nothing appealing in Empires... in fact I see just about everything that's wrong with PC gaming going on with ETW. Quite honestly even if they fix the worst of the problems, as they did before I bought MTW2, I probably will never pick it up.

it was ok, but honestly (despite lag) i never got into it like any other TW game, it just bored me and overall had no big effect on me AT ALL :P

[Tellos Athenaios]

What's going to make EBII an improvement over EB? I'm sure it'll be a great mod, as the first EB was, but won't it still have to deal with CA's underlying game? Is MTW2 improved in some key ways that will make for an improved game?

CR

A very large part of the technical appeal of M2TW is that it allows for ‘co-constraints’. E.g. if you use a 4 turns per year script, you can throttle recruitment based on ‘season’. Similarly you could have an ‘event counter’ which tracks, say, the faction leader's popularity with the masses that make up the ranks of his army; and if it exceeds or falls below certain thresholds you could have this reflected in the availability of units.

The really good thing here is that event counters are ‘persistent’ which means that they are part of the saved file; and this means that we can get rid of a lot of the witchcraft that goes on in deducing event counters from certain tracked settlements.