Warning: this post is made by a consumer and is purely a personal comment. The Author assumes no affiliation with any organization, clan, business or other entity, save for being a part of the general Multi-Player community at large. Comments may offend some CA representatives or their wannabees. Read on at your own risk.

I have been a customer from the first release of the series and I too was looking for a similar experience that the two prior versions had offered (Shogun and Medieval). Unfortunately, this did not happen with Rome much to my chagrin, in fact, for me, this was totally unexpected. I usually like to nurture the hope that there is something better to be sought or learned from a bad experience. I had heard various new elements that were to be included in MP, new campaigns and other things that gave me butterflies in my stomach in anticipation.

Rome had been touted as the next great game in the Total War series. Well maybe I misunderstood what that meant so I looked up the word series to be certain and sure enough, it was as I thought: (from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary) Series, noun: a succession of volumes or issues published with related subjects or authors, similar format and price.

Rome is not in the same format, but it is the same PRICE! So okay there are many issues that need to be resolved, we have presented them and are continuing to do so, in fact I think the petition is up to around 400 names now over at the NET. However…

To add insult to injury, it is apparent CA will do nothing to alter the present state of affairs. What’s more, it is overwhelmingly apparent that the CA employees posting here have no authority to do anything about this situation, by their own admission. So why waste time and effort talking to the wall. CA and their staff would do well to at least be honest with their customers. Yet they have proven they use tactics and methods meant to deceive and mislead customers and what borders on false advertising in order to get sales. Good show chaps.

I’ll waste no more time on CA or their employees until such time as they change their policy and views. Similar to what Bachus said earlier, I have spent approximately $850 in total on the Total War series, buying for myself, family and friends so we can all play together and enjoy the online experience. If they want my business and that of my family and friends, they will have to earn it. CA has seen the last cent from me and those I brought into the series. Although Rome will not be traded in or thrown away (I am a collector of games), I will unload it from my computers, pack it away and set in on the shelf with all the other games I do not play anymore.

Instead, I will continue to play other true MP games and enjoy a pleasant online experience with friends and family, no frustrations or anxiety, and be saddened by the ultimate demise and death or the Total War MP aspect of the game. SP is okay the first couple of times, afterwards it is repetitive and boring, no matter how good it looks.

I join the thousands now playing Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War and soon Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle Earth and World of Warcraft. These companies, Relic, Blizzard, THQ and EA are focused solely on the MP community, where I am and want to be.

Like a friend of mine likes to say all the time:

Enough words lost.

Cheers CA and good luck with all your SP endeavors.

SoSo