finishing campaigns

[KiOwA]

No, it's not just you. This is a common gripe among us seasoned RTW players, the endgame just doesnt hold as much challenge & excitement as the beginning. This has existed since MTW (and possibly STW, I'm haven't played it), but is somewhat more obvious in RTW. In MTW, at least there were such things as Crusades & Jihads, faction reappearances, and definitely better battle AI.

[Didz]

This has been a common problem in all three TW games.

STW was probably the worst affected especially during the era of the Hojo Horde. But in all three games the early game challenge is far more exciting than the mopping up period at the end.

[Alexandr III. Biges]

I agree. I think MTW is less afected by this burn out effect. Less moving armies and new units periodically (?).

[jimmyM]

the roman civil war bit was supposed to break the monotony, though i've never bothered playing with rome to that point...i'd have liked other factions to be capable of the joy that are civil wars..but, oh well...

[Red Harvest]

I finished quite a few STW/MI campaigns, a number of MTW/VI campaigns, and so far only two short RTW campaigns. I doubt I'll ever finish a long campaing, it takes much too much time with many monotonous battles where the AI is never a threat on VH/VH. I start quite a few campaigns and once I eliminate my most bitter rivals and begin expanding at will, I tire of the campaign and start another. I do need to play through to a civil war some time, but so far I get bored far too soon.

Yes, all TW games have had a point at which there was little "fun" left in trying to win. RTW gets to that point earlier. With MTW we had enough different era's that we got a flavor for most of the units, although it was rare that one ever got to tech up fully before the elite units were not even needed anymore.

[jbguev]

I did not play S:TW, but still do enjoy M:TW. I always play an early campaign and, thanks to the wonderful modding community, have played as and against some very interesting factions. My goal is to try playing all the available factions in XL, MedMod, and BKB.

As for R:TW, I have finished one long campaign as the Brutii. I performed all the Senate missions assigned (except two) and then came the request for the suicide of my faction leader, which I declined. The Senate outlawed me, the other Roman factions declared war, and........then nothing happened!!!!!!

I quite deliberately and slowly built up several stacks of high-end troops in Italy and then marched north, hoping to draw some notice from the Julii, at least, but noone came to play. The Julii had the largest army in the game, and many of their full stack armies just sat there, watching me steamroll through Arretium, Ariminum, etc. Not once did any remaining Roman faction mount a counter-offensive or even try to stop me. The only real military response from the other factions was the Scipii lining Sicily with ships so that it would have been difficult to invade.

I guess this is a long way of saying that the campaigns in R:TW don't hold as much juice for me as M:TW did. It is also a way of responding to the questions about the civil war; waiting for it does not increase the suspense/enjoyment one bit.

I am in the middle of a Seleucid campaign right now, and am wondering if not taking Rome (which seems to be a victory condition, according to the text in the capaign selection screen) will allow me to conquer all of the provinces as long as Rome still stands.

jbguev

[soibean]

I usually get bored playing long before a campaign is over
it usually comes along the time when I have the best units for each faction and after that Id just be using the same strategy for the rest of the game... it just doesnt hold any appeal for me
and for the romans Ive also never gotten to the civil war... I rarely last to the reforms actually because I usually get bored with them by then.

Right now Im waiting for a mod to come out to bring some excitement back to the game