MTW or MTW2?

[Jaguara]

First: I didn't know where to put this thread now, so if you mods want to move it, that is cool with me. I did not see a "General TW" discussion thread, just threads for each particular game in TW, and a thread for non-TW games. Since this question bridges two TW games, I just put it here since this room seems to get the most traffic.

So, the question is, for someone wanting to try a Medieval TW game in single player, would you recommend MTW or MTW2?

Feel free to add comments below about the plusses & negatives of the two.

I have never played Medieval Total War (at the time of release my PC could not handle either - just like now it cannot handle Empire/Napoleon & certainly not STW2), but I grow weary of RTW & BI, so I am looking for a change...

[drone]

If your PC will play it, the original MTW is a wonderful piece of work, and there are mods that improve on the already great gameplay. The Risk-style campaign map makes for a better CAI, and if you can put up with sprites the battle engine mechanics are superior. There are some frustrating things hard-coded in, but it's still a game you can lose on occasion.

[Rhyfelwyr]

I played a little bit of MTW not long ago for the first time in years, and I think it took away the rose-tinted specs a bit. I have to say, navagating the battlemep was a bit of a nightmare, the camera is a lot more awkward than in M2TW.

Although when I played MTW in the past, I never really took it seriously enough to maybe appreciate the AI like others here. Although I still remember the AI being a lot smarter than in M2TW. With M2TW I could practically play battles on auto-pilot, the AI never did anything interesting.

On the other hand, M2TW looks and handles much nicer. Plus Kingdoms was a great expansion pack, I loved the atmosphere of the Americas campaign.

So I'm not voting, I'm just going to say they are different.

[Motep]

rose-tinted specs

It is definitely so. The original has so much the air of nostalgia that my mind makes it more godly than it is, I am sure. My computer wont play it, I am too lazy to get it to work, and for some reason this box crashes for M2TW, so that advantage was lost. And since it has been a while for that, I feel that I may adequately compare memories. One simply provided more entertainment.

[Monk]

If you have an nvidia card you, very likely, will not be able to run MTW. My 9x nvidia card simply cannot render the 2d sprites properly with both stw or mtw, as such i can't either on my desktop. I never heard of a 100% fix for that issue so i gave up. My laptop has an ATI graphics chip in it however, and it can run the old total war games just fine. But nevermind that for a second and let's just answer the question.

Out of box MTW is the better game provided your hardware doesnt conflict with the engine. The modding scene however makes M2 so much better with efforts like Stainless Steel and Broken Crescent (to name a couple). If you choose to get M2 stay away from the steam version. I say this as one of the minority on this board who enjoys steam. The steam version of M2 has serious conflicts with mods that require you to run the game through a different exe (like stainless steel does). If you have a mind to play m2 grab a retail version.

[Zim]

I started playing tw games with MTW (bought it at the same time as RTW, actually...). Out of the box in SP campaigns I found it better, and at the time I especially enjoyed the reduced scope of the Viking Invasion campaign. Don't think I ever finished a grand campaign, but I conquered the isles with just about everyone. MTW2 has a few advantages, but the fact that I could play on mtw and have more of a challenge on Medium than MTW2 on VH/VH was nice.

However, even if I could play MTW on my current computer I think I'd barely play it for two reasons. MTW2 has a far more extensive modding scene with mods like those mentioned above (and also an outstanding Lord of the Rings mod, something I'd never have expected, among others) and hotseats. Playing with/against other people really is a completely different experience, and I never had any interest in mp battles.

[Strike For The South]

I will follow MTW to the gates of hell

That game got me through high school breakups....I love that game

[Jaguara]

I will follow MTW to the gates of hell

That game got me through high school breakups....I love that game

STW almost caused me an adult breakup...

[caravel]

If you have an nvidia card you, very likely, will not be able to run MTW. My 9x nvidia card simply cannot render the 2d sprites properly with both stw or mtw, as such i can't either on my desktop.

You can't run the game on the 8xxx/9xxx series Nvidia cards - though I think the later cards are now ok.

[Cute Wolf]

well, both definitely runs fine in ATI Radeon cards... I personally suggest you to skip the vanilla M2TW, but try mods such as BC and SS

[edyzmedieval]

MTW to the gates of hell and beyond. Amazing game, my favourite game of all time. Still play it like mad today.

[lars573]

M2TW>>>>>>>>>>>>MTW.

[Csargo]

I voted MTW because that's the game I spent the majority of my time on in the TW series. M2 with mods was good though, I couldn't really play it without them.

[Double A]

I never got the chance to play MTW (or STW). I came in at Rome. So I guess M2, which I have spent hundreds of hours devoted to.

If anyone can tell me if I can buy MTW via download I'd greatly appreciate it. I've already looked on Steam and GOG, but no dice.

[drone]

If anyone can tell me if I can buy MTW via download I'd greatly appreciate it. I've already looked on Steam and GOG, but no dice.

We wish, if they did they would have to update the game to fix the various problems some systems have with it. I think you are stuck getting hardcopy.

[Double A]

My computer is from 2007. I doubt Shogun or Medieval are compatible. AoE II was barely compatible, and the startup for that only worked twice out of about 100 times.

What about Eras?

[Motep]

My computer is from 2007. I doubt Shogun or Medieval are compatible. AoE II was barely compatible, and the startup for that only worked twice out of about 100 times.

What about Eras?

An easy way to get it, but it works no better (much to my dismay).

[Double A]

Gah!

Maybe it would work on an inadequate Mac?

[Motep]

I think there is a way to tinker with the drivers of your video card to make it work.

That having been said, I have never gone to such extremes, so I can do nothing to verify this.

[Double A]

I'm not a very good tinkerer.

Maybe I'll just use my dad's computer. It's somewhat older than mine. It played Rome and BFME, but not Oblivion, so I hope it's "bad" enough. I'm just glad that DRM is only a recent crap up invention.

[Motep]

Well...try these anyways, if you are determined.

[caravel]

If anyone can tell me if I can buy MTW via download I'd greatly appreciate it. I've already looked on Steam and GOG, but no dice.

If you can post your system specs, I can give a fairly good idea of whether it will run or not.

Maybe it would work on an inadequate Mac?

The version in eras, is v2.01 - the same as "Gold Edition" and the same as original MTW with VI installed.

The game won't run on a Mac.

[Raz]

MTW TO MY GRAVE AND BEYOND!
M2TW TO THE GRAVE TO STAY!

Vanilla M2TW held barely any challenge in both the campaign and the tactical battles, even on VH/VH. Compared to the hardest setting on vanilla MTW there is actually no challenge. Bringing mods into it throws the balance of challenge and fun and enjoyment and atmosphere out of sync. Whilst you can do much more with the somewhat-polished M2TW engine, even the most challenging and fun mods available for it still fall well short of the original MTW.

Plus I there's a whole load of nostalgia behind MTW with me. :P

[edyzmedieval]

The response for MTW is quite overwhelming.

[Jaguara]

Well, the fact that MTW is old school tokens actually appeals to me.

IMHO, the AI in RTW was never very good at handling the movement of its armies. The simplified Strategic component should make it easier for the AI and thus lead to more interesting tactical battles. In RTW, sometimes it does just fine, but all too often you run into a general crossing dangerous grounds alone, or a stack full of archers. Mostly though, I am sick of a million battles per turn against pathetic rebel armies that seem to pop up no matter what. They are just annoying and a waste of time.

I don't know if they fixed this in ETW & NTW & STW2, but large empire-management needed work in RTW - there were almost no tools to deal with it (I don't mean settlement auto-management, I mean movement of troops etc). Like could we have had a "take no action this turn button"? Or a "Set to garrison"? So that we did not have to cycle through the same units 20 times in the same turn? (Each time you have a unit enter a city it resets the queue). My point is that at least in MTW1, this should be simplified again.

So, now comes the hard part, I will have to try to get myself a copy...

[Double A]

If you can post your system specs, I can give a fairly good idea of whether it will run or not.

The version in eras, is v2.01 - the same as "Gold Edition" and the same as original MTW with VI installed.

HP Compaq dx2200 MT
XP v5.1.2600
Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 3.00GHz processor
1GB RAM (maxed)
NVIDIA GeForce 7600 GS video card (2006 model)

[Monk]

I don't know if they fixed this in ETW & NTW & STW2, but large empire-management needed work in RTW - there were almost no tools to deal with it (I don't mean settlement auto-management, I mean movement of troops etc).

ETW:

ETW had no AI. Don't believe reports to the contrary.

NTW:

You're now facing a three year old in charge of the enemy army.

Shogun 2:

why did I just lose so fast?

[Jaguara]

Shogun 2:

why did I just lose so fast?

Hmmm...sounds interesting. I can't remember when I played a game when losing was even a possibility...so sign me up...

Oh yeah, I need a new computer first...as usual I will get to try it only after everyone else has forgotten it.

[Monk]

Hmmm...sounds interesting. I can't remember when I played a game when losing was even a possibility...so sign me up...

Oh yeah, I need a new computer first...as usual I will get to try it only after everyone else has forgotten it.

Well in the meantime, why not read some Orgah impressions of Shogun 2? Might shed some light on what I just said.

[caravel]

HP Compaq dx2200 MT
XP v5.1.2600
Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 3.00GHz processor
1GB RAM (maxed)
NVIDIA GeForce 7600 GS video card (2006 model)

This computer should run the game without issue - the caveat is that you may need an older driver. Considering any newer drivers for that card are likely to yield no real benefits (i.e. they will be optimised for 8xxx/9xxx, GTS and newer GPUS)) that's not much of a problem. If you have the disc that came with the card install the drivers from that, if not then install anything older than Forceware v100.x