I disagree. I believe the essence of Total War rests in the relationship between "action" and strategy.

Only in TW is the player afforded the oportunity to have the best of both without losing the heart of either.

What you, I, and the rest of the TW community dream of is the CA peak of effort; the day that these two concepts ("action" and strategy) can be synchronized perfectly as if each alone were worthy of a title, but the two together make an epic.

With Shogun, they succeeded.

With MTW, they succeeded.

With RTW, they succeeded.

We wait only for perfection.

But gentlemen please remember: Excellence requires the pursuit of perfection. The CA team aspires to perfection, fails, but leaves excellence in the wake for our pleasure.

It can only get better. My hat to CA.