Is anyone else bored?

[Adrian II]

The- smash army/seige town/rinse/repeat syndrome seems even more..'highlighted' shall we say, in this game than it did in MTW. And that was a 'simpler' game..?

I feel your pain. I played RTW a couple of times on a friend's computer and I think it's not a great improvement over MTW. It's a speed game, really not much more than a shooter. The graphics are horrible (I can't stand those phants in funny pants or the pristine white city walls) and the absence of "real" diplomacy as well as on-screen naval battles and decent MP really clinched it. I'm not going to buy it. I think I'll wait and spend my 50 bucks on Pyro's upcoming game Imperial Glory which is scheduled for the first trimester of next year. It's just past the alpha stage and the first reviews are very promising. It has sophisticated on-screen naval battles, robust diplomacy and a war engine that handles soldiers individually, lets them hide behind buildings and trees, etcetera. Besides I like the way the Pyro developers interact with their (prospective) fans and buyers, it's a welcome change from the arrogance displayed by CA developers on this board. Now that they're no longer the only outfit with a good war engine, I guess they'll be learning the hard way. I think MP is the wave of the future anyway, particularly in view of the possibilities to integrate it with MMORPG's.