RTW multiplayer review

[d6veteran]

I've played a handful of battles. But am probably going to wait for a patch (which addresses the connection issue) before continuing to play anymore. Trying to connect is often a long long frustrating process.

Lag is a symptom of improper settings on the host and client boxes. Additionally there is a memory leak that shows itself after a couple games in a row.

Ignoring the memory leak, and assuming you play with settings suitable to your PC, the game plays smooth just like in single player (i.e., no lag).

The battles are fun and interesting. The maps are huge and the deployment zones allow for smarter deployment among teams.

It is not a rush game as the maps are huge and the 'turbo charged' speed that some people are griping about is refreshing imo. When you charge, the untis really look like they are charging. When you opponent charges you, and you hear the horn and see the waves of infantry coming running at you -- it gets your blood pumping and you feel the panic rising. This is great stuff imo.

Units do move more quickly than in STW/MTW. And as I point out above, I am growing very fond of this. The unit controls, once you learn them, are very effective and robust. You can wheel you formations now!!! (use the period or comma to wheel left or right). You can blend your lines now (use the minus or equals to increase or decreas you ranks).

Elephants are not all powerful as people feared. The different factions seem to pair up well. There are a lot of units to select from and mind you this isn't even with a VI like expansion!

You can play historical battles (very cool imo). And I imagine this could be modded so people could host custom battles with preset units. VERY COOL.

Once they connection issue is fixed. The multiplayer will be great fun.

The only bad thing left imo is that the games can be extremely long and boring if you get routed first or early. Here's why: with a restricted camera and no route command you can easily get stuck on a corner of the map with say 3 archers left who are rallied, but you are stuck with them and cannot view the rest of the battle being fought in the distance.

This will have the side effect of driving lots of players to disconnect early, and the problems associated with that.

I would grade the multiplayer currently as a D-.

Once the connection problem/server limit is remedied I would then give it a B.

If they enable route in the game and allow players to pick the same faction (currently two or more players cannot pick the same faction), then I would give it an A.

[Puzz3D]

"When you opponent charges you, and you hear the horn and see the waves of infantry coming running at you -- it gets your blood pumping and you feel the panic rising."

You feel panic because you know you don't have time to coordinate all of your units? If the run speed was slower, your blood wouldn't get pumping as much? How does faster increase your ability to coordinate and issue commands to your 20 units? Got any replays you can post?

[d6veteran]

You feel panic because you know you don't have time to coordinate all of your units?

I do have time to coordinate all my units. I may not have time to assess the situation and make the right decision. Ever played speed chess? Speed chess isn't hard because you don't have time to move a piece ... speed chess is hard becuase of the pressure to make quick decisions and the panic caused by your opponents quick decisions/responses.

If anyone is looking for a realistic tactical simulator, then I think RTW delivers more than MTW. And that is due to the enhanced controls, the new general's rally ability and the realistic speeds.

The game is immersive.

If the run speed was slower, your blood wouldn't get pumping as much?

Not as much. STW and MTW caused plenty of panic and excitement ... but I think RTW has improved on that aspect. If you define improvement as *more* moments that will cause you heart rate to sky rocket ;)

How does faster increase your ability to coordinate and issue commands to your 20 units?

I can't help but feel like you're attempting to set a trap. You are nervous about the faster speeds right? You should be ;)

They will test your tactical decision making.

I never said faster speeds increase the ability to coordinate!

I said the robust controls of RTW make it easier to control/coordinate your units. Just as it took awhile to learn the controls and shortcuts for MTW, there will be a learning curve with RTW. The controls are improved imo. You can do things much more quickly and easier in RTW than you can in MTW, and with precision. I was bummed about the RTW controls after playing the demo, but after getting more aquainted with them I am pleased.

I do not have any replays handy (I'm at work). I'll upload some to my clan forum and post a link later.

[Puzz3D]

I do have time to coordinate all my units. I may not have time to assess the situation and make the right decision. Ever played speed chess? Speed chess isn't hard because you don't have time to move a piece ... speed chess is hard becuase of the pressure to make quick decisions and the panic caused by your opponents quick decisions/responses.

I've played plenty of speed chess, and there is no way it allows you to play chess to it's full potential. Shallow thinking and cheap shots is what wins almost all speed chess games. Also, the starting position in chess is always the same, so you can use previously analyzed lines in the opening to save time. You also only have to move one piece at a time, so of course it doesn't test your ability to physically move the piece. I can move a piece on a chessboard faster than I can move a mouse pointer to a unit, click on that unit, move the mouse pointer to another place on the map and click again. I also don't have to scroll around when I play chess because I can see the whole board.

The game is immersive.

The game is immersive until something starts running at unrealistically fast speed.

STW and MTW caused plenty of panic and excitement ... but I think RTW has improved on that aspect. If you define improvement as *more* moments that will cause you heart rate to sky rocket ;)

There is a trade off of other aspects to achieve that.

I can't help but feel like you're attempting to set a trap. You are nervous about the faster speeds right? You should be ;)

I'm not nervous.

They will test your tactical decision making.

I make my tactical decisions as fast as anyone playing the game today. Because my reflexes are not as fast as my opponent I'm supposed to loose?

I never said faster speeds increase the ability to coordinate!

I didn't say you said it. So this is an area where the gameplay has deteriorated especially since we have more units to coordinate than before.

I said the robust controls of RTW make it easier to control/coordinate your units. Just as it took awhile to learn the controls and shortcuts for MTW, there will be a learning curve with RTW. The controls are improved imo. You can do things much more quickly and easier in RTW than you can in MTW, and with precision. I was bummed about the RTW controls after playing the demo, but after getting more aquainted with them I am pleased.

Does this increase in control compensate for 25% more units and 50% faster run speed? I couldn't protect a skirmisher from being decimated to 4 men by an enemy cav unit charging from something like 100 meters away with a spear about 20 meters behind the skirmisher, and my attention was focused on my two units at the time, so I reacted as fast as is humanly possible. It wasn't a case of me not seeing it coming. The cav attacked from the side, so the skirmisher didn't automatically fall back behind the spear. I'll have to keep the spear within 10 meters to protect the skirmishers.

[ElmarkOFear]

Puzz: I am glad we see things in the same light. That's not often happened before! :)

I find the new controls counter-intuitive, the short-cut keys have always been there, and I am hard pressed to see anything that has enhanced the controls, with the exception of being able to "wheel" your units. All of the other things were more easily done by clicking and/or dragging. Now it is back to using hotkeys again, when MTW had a perfectly good solution with the mouse.

[Morindin]

The faster speeds have absolutely nothing to do with reflex.

This is not quake.

Having played quite a few multiplayer games (not online) I somewhat agree with the original poster. The faster speeds actually encourage you to think much more carefully about your deployment (which is far more improved in RTW than MTW) because when the battle starts all hell breaks loose (as it should be).

Also, most people don't run until the last moment so there really isnt that much running at all. Run at your own peril as your units tire VERY quickly. Also playing as Roman factions its prudent NOT to charge (pila anyone?) but rather march steadily towards your enemy.

Hysteria over faster kill rates are a bunch of bollocks as everyone has the toughest units which withstand a LOT of punishment and cavalry is pretty weak for the same reasons. Elephants are still VERY powerful but not overpowered due to their cost.

Both me and my regular lanning partners agree that multiplayer RTW is far far above MTW in terms of FUN and our games have lasted longer despite the 'killing speeds' and 'rts style aimed and short attention spanned kiddies'.

Some of my issues:
Can't group units that are alone, grrr
Game goes out of sync (nothing to do with playing single player then going into multiplayer like MTW)
I wish you could set different levels of Denarii for different teams.

All the nitpicky things that people seem to be flaming CA seem to be born out of some resitance to tradition, such as only 3v3 heavin forbid (have any of you played multiplayer and seen how laggy it gets with all the units?? 4v4 would be impossible even if it WAS in there), only set Denarii levels OH MY GOD I WANTED TO PLAY 13245 Denarii, and only one player per faction which might SPICE the game up by seeing a wide variety of factions in a game.

[tootee]

I make my tactical decisions as fast as anyone playing the game today. Because my reflexes are not as fast as my opponent I'm supposed to loose?

yea i think you should otherwise it makes no sense that you win someone clicking faster than you when both make the right decisions

[PaolinoPaperino]

"when both make the right decisions"
Who wins has done the right decision.

I am preatty happy to have a fast game, Med was so disappointing compared to Shoggy, but on the other side, I like to play battles where the two opponents has enough time to control the units before the clash, and create several fake moves and counteractions.
If the units speed, added to the factor there are 20 and no more 16, reduces this features from the games, then add me in the list of players that are unhappy about the speed.

[Puzz3D]

yea i think you should otherwise it makes no sense that you win someone clicking faster than you when both make the right decisions

It makes no sense to loose to someone clicking faster than you when they are making inferior tactical decisions. The best tactics should be what determines the winner. The whole point of tactical depth is that the decisions over the course of the battle will rarely be exactly equal. The more speed is emphasized, the less tactically deep your decisions have to be in order to win. The two things are at odds with each other.

Control will improve as a player gets more accomplished using the interface, but is there enough there to compensate for the 25% increase in units and 50% increase in running?