How long will you wait?

[HarunTaiwan]

until after the expansion is out to buy it?

Express answers in time or patches.

I won't touch it until I see decent reviews in the forums.

[a_ver_est]

I am too much disappointed to buy an expansion, mostly with the CA post-sell support rather than with the game itself.

[Turbo]

until after the expansion is out to buy it?

Express answers in time or patches.

I won't touch it until I see decent reviews in the forums.

I won't touch it or consider it until the first patch is released. Even then I am unsure whether I am ever going to buy another CA product.

[LegolasII]

okay, every1 likes to complain bout the bugs and things that couldve been better in the game but i still think that RTW is one of my favorite games so im gonna buy the expansion right when it comes out, y wait for a patch cuz it will be fun neways then after the patch comes out it will seem better.

[Count Belisarius]

I will probably buy it almost immediately, if for no other reason than to see how it stacks up against the R:TR and/or EB mods. I love the TW series as a whole, and I play R:TW (or R:TR) as much as my wife will allow. NO game is ever perfect, and I have faith that CA will do better with the expasion and/or with their next effort. I tried going back to M:TW, but I missed the more complex strategic aspects of R:TW too much.

[professorspatula]

I'll probably buy it, but feel like a scab - the kind of person during a work strike who crosses the picket line and goes back to work, regardless of the strike conditions. RTW was released in a very poor state. The patch improved things a little, but CA and Activision haven't done a great deal on the public relations things to make up for it. That said, I applaud those at CA who have actually tried to help the community; some of them obviously care. I still love RTW, although only because I've spent so many hours modding it add some kind of fun factor. If the expansion adds enough, then I'll want to get it.

[FURRY_BOOTS]

i'll buy it straight away, thats why im hanging around in the back of my mind i know, CA can redeem themselves, but i'll not hold my breath, but if its not a step forward, then im gone like a cool breeze

[Red Harvest]

Unless I see rave reviews *here* and few substantial bugs, I won't be in any hurry to buy. I'll be waiting for the bargain bin pricing. If the patches or mods don't get it into a workable enough state, I'll pass altogether.

At this point, I'm disappointed enough in the lack of proper support for RTW that I am of the opinion that the XPack should be free.

[BeeSting]

Unless it promises substantial AI development, I wouldn't buy it. Or it would just be another game where you are in for an easy but long drawn out process of conquering the world. I need challenge, darn it!

[screwtype]

First I'll read the reviews, and then I'll wait for the typical fanboy wave to pass ("Oh boy I just got the XP and this has got to be the best game ever. THANK YOU extremely much CA!!! PS Can't wait to actually install it on my hard drive!") and see what the more thoughtful contributors have to say.

[Benny Moore]

I'll wait for the typical fanboy wave to pass ("Oh boy I just got the XP and this has got to be the best game ever. THANK YOU extremely much CA!!! PS Can't wait to actually install it on my hard drive!")

Ah ha! That's rich. And it's exactly the way some players actually behave. I've seen people defending a bug that they had admittedly never seen or read about, giving a very inaccurate description of how it works and stating that the bug couldn't be a problem based on that inaccurate description.

As for how we'll know how the expansion is, I figure that there are a few optimists that are still of the opinion that Creative Assembly will do well but who are not beyond discovering the truth. They are only a little behind us in their quickness to realize what side Creative Assembly's bread is buttered on, and I expect that the expansion will push them over the edge. The resulting reviews will give us the information which we need to know that the expansion is worth buying.

Of course, if this doesn't happen and all reviews are positive, then I can only conclude that perhaps Creative Assembly has amended their evil ways. That will mean that I am an optimist with masochistic tendencies, no doubt.

[Benny Moore]

[edit]I can't edit my posts yet, but the phrase "expansion is worth buying" should read "expansion is not worth buying."[/edit]

[Servius]

I'd prefer to wait until it's reviewed by some websites and some respected veterans on the org. But if they take too long to do so (too long = 2 weeks), I may just buy it and test it myself, especially if it's only like $20 or something.

Honestly, I am in the kinda-pissed-at-CA camp b/c I still enjoy MTW more than RTW, but if the patch significantly improves areas of RTW that I don't like, and/or add in really fun new stuff, it'll probably be worth getting, even if it introduces new bugs.

So much of this is relative.
If bugs = experience-crippling: No
If bugs < experience-crippling: Probably
If cost > improved enjoyment: No
If cost < improved enjoyment: Yes
etc.

I hope the patch...
-SIGNIFICANTLY improves battlefield AI (esp. with cavalry)
-makes RTW battle maps more like MTW maps, i.e. more than one hill and forest
-adds ability to customize shield icons, unit colors, and name them with an easy-to-use ingame interface
-SIGNIFICANTLY improves unit pathing in cities
-Brings back the MTW Alt+click unit-facing feature. Rotating units is too inaccurate
-reduces the negative modifiers for Generals who don't move during turns (for defense is important too!)
-reduces the negative modifiers for Governors when you have too much money (Gods forbid)
-make the wonder bonuses permanent

Sorry, got a bit off topic, but if the above are in the xpac, I'll likely get it.

[Jambo]

Based on the fairly obvious assumption that no further patches are forthcoming, I think it would be very prudent to wait to see if the expansion does indeed fix the severe issues plaguing Rome at present.

I certainly won't spend money on the expansion if the loadgame and protectorate bugs and the overall AI isn't confirmed fixed or improved.

I'm already fighting my moral self about the prospect of forking out money for another CA product to fix the original one.