Anyone else disappointed in the low number of cities in RTW?

[TinCow]

How so? As long as they have the same quality of battles (why would they downgrade the battles?) the more politcal the better. And it beats trying to go to the RTS crowd...

My concerns come from the realities of software publishing, not what I would actually like to see in a perfect world. The next TW game (full, not XP) will almost certainly be yet another game engine build, this means from the ground up. The more time spent on improving the campaign map, the less time spent on perfecting and tweaking the battle system. I am simply afraid that due to time and budget constraints, any resources spent on these improvements would actually harm the battle system. This might result in the TW game doing a poor job at both aspects and I would rather have it do an excellent job at one.

Of course if CA is able to get the resources and support from publishers to allow it to expand further into the civilization simulation market, I would be very happy. I guess I'm just a bit cautious about TW reaching for the dream and falling on its face.

@TinCow,
I haven't played alpha centauri or civ 3, but you describe what I envision well. Cities will have spheres of influence based on their size and surrounding areas. And my opinion is , yes we want that in TW games. Sure it will make it more of an empire building game. That does not mean the tactical aspects are lessened. In fact, the main reason I want more cities is to enhance the tactical aspect of the game. Which route do you take into a province? Do you bother with the small border forts or try to bypass them? etc... I think Steppe Marc answered your point on that one.

Here are a few screenshots I found on the net that show Civ 3 with the borders:

[A.Saturnus]

As I understand it, it was at first the plan not to implement provinces in RTW. Some of the older FAQs pointed in that direction. Obviously CA has decided against it and they had probably a reason for that. If it was justified we will only see if we have played the game.

[Encaitar]

The difference is that in MTW/STW, units and agents were just generically in a province, but for RTW they are actually at a specific point on the campaign map. It seems to me that really all that the 'provinces' are likely to do in RTW is to signify the faction borders (so that other factions can't just waltz armies up next to your cities without you being able to tell them off for it). I doubt they'll have any other notable impact on the game. It's the settlements/cities that matter.

[Lord Ovaat]

If it was justified we will only see if we have played the game.

Couldn't agree more. Since the game's due out in less than two weeks, I think I'll sustain passing judgement until I can play the game. I remember playing MTW for quite some time before I reached a point where I was SURE certain changes would be beneficial, and enhance all aspects of play, rather than just make a particular annoyance more tolerable. Kinda hard to mod something ya ain't seen.

[Encaitar]

Here's a list of all the provinces and their city (taken from the provinces and cities tags in the pak files). There are 103 all up.

Province - City
Britannia Inferior - Eburacum
Tribus Saxones - Bordesholm
Locus Gepidae - Domus Dulcis Domus
Hyperboria - Themiskyra
Tribus Sakae - Campus Sakae
Hibernia - Tara
Tribus Alanni - Campus Alanni
Tribus Silurii - Deva
Locus Gothi - Vicus Gothi
Tribus Sarmatae - Campus Sarmatae
Britannia Superior - Londinium
Germania Inferior - Batavodurum
Tribus Chattii - Damme
Pripet - Vicus Venedae
Regnum Marcomannii - Vicus Marcomannii
Belgica - Samarobriva
Maeotis - Tanais
Agri Decumates - Mogontiacum
Armorica - Condate Redonum
Germania Superior - Trier
Boihaemum - Lovosice
Scythia - Campus Scythii
Tribus Iazyges - Campus Iazyges
Central Gaul - Alesia
Dacia - Porrolissum
Noricum - Iuvavum
Tribus Getae - Campus Getae
Pannonia - Aquincum
Bosphorus - Chersonesos
Aquitania - Lemonum
Lugdinensis - Lugdunum
Colchis - Kotais
Atropatene - Phraaspa
Cisalpine Gaul - Mediolanium
Venetia - Patavium
Transalpine Gaul - Massilia
Illyria - Segestica
Thrace - Tylis
Gallaecia - Asturica
Dalmatia - Salona
Armenia - Artaxarta
Narbonensis - Narbo Martius
Liguria - Segesta
Pontus - Sinope
Celtiberia - Numantia
Paionia - Bylazora
Etruria - Arretium
Taraconenis - Osca
Umbria - Ariminum
Media - Arsakia
Lusitania - Scallabis
Sardinia - Caralis
Latium - Rome
Macedonia - Thessalonica
Propontis - Byzantium
Bithynia - Nicomedia
Galatia - Ancyra
Cappadocia - Mazaka
Hispania - Carthago Nova
Epirus - Apollonia
Apulia - Tarentum
Campania - Capua
Assyria - Hatra
Baetica - Corduba
Phrygia - Pergamum
Cilicia - Tarsus
Thessalia - Larissa
Baliares - Palma
Bruttium - Croton
Ionia - Sardis
Syria - Antioch
Babylonia - Seleucia
Aetolia - Thermon
Attica - Athens
Elymais - Susa
Peloponnesus - Corinth
Lycia - Halicarnassus
Sicilia Romanus - Messana
Sicilia Poeni - Lilybaeum
Mauretania - Tingi
Regnum Palmyrae - Palmyra
Cyprus - Salamis
Phoenicia - Sidon
Numidia - Cirta
Africa - Carthage
Sicilia Graecus - Syracuse
Laconia - Sparta
Coele Syria - Damascus
Rhodos - Rhodes
Arabia - Dumatha
Byzacium - Thapsus
Crete - Kydonia
Nabataea - Bostra
Judaea - Jerusalem
Gaetulia - Dimmidi
Tripolitania - Lepcis Magna
Cyrenaica - Cyrene
Nile Delta - Alexandria
Sinai - Petra
Libya - Siwa
Middle Egypt - Memphis
Sahara - Nepte
Thebais - Thebes

[biguth dickuth]

Locus Gepidae - Domus Dulcis Domus

So the main city of the Locus Gepidae is called...."Home Sweet Home"??

Those Gepids must have had a sense of humour...

[Aymar de Bois Mauri]

So the main city of the Locus Gepidae is called...."Home Sweet Home"??

Those Gepids must have had a sense of humour...

ROTFL

[Basileus]

So the main city of the Locus Gepidae is called...."Home Sweet Home"??

Those Gepids must have had a sense of humour...

heh good one mate

[Kraxis]

So the main city of the Locus Gepidae is called...."Home Sweet Home"??

Those Gepids must have had a sense of humour...

Interesting... It was noted back when the province profiles came up that there was such a place. Naturally people with experience with CA humour explained the novices that it is a joke, now it seems serious. I'm puzzled. I still hope it is a joke.

Steppe Merc. you haev noticed that there are several other camps right? Any why is that so funny? Am I missing something?