Looking for a game like RTW...

**doc_bean** · 05-23-2005, 11:08

Have you actually played a full IG campaign already ? I haven't even seen it in stores yet.

In response to the original question: if you like empire building and don't care as much about the battles : Civilization III.

**Mongoose** · 05-23-2005, 12:05

I played the IG demo and the battles seemed tiny compared to RTW/MTW, are they bigger in the full game?

Thanks for all the replies

**Fragony** · 05-23-2005, 13:10

Most will disagree, but STW and MTW are superior games compared to RTW. I would try those.

**Mongoose** · 05-23-2005, 20:05

O.K, i have narrowed it done to:

MTW
CIV3
Knights of honor

IG sound good but im looking for something set from 1000 BC-1500 AD

**econ21** · 05-23-2005, 22:18

Originally Posted by mongoose

O.K, i have narrowed it done to:

MTW
CIV3
Knights of honor

Never heard of Knights of Honor, but Civ3 and MTW are chalk and cheese.

Civ3 is a building game, strong on exploration, expansion, economics, research, diplomacy etc but not a historical wargame. Early warfare is about inching 30 or so crappy units one square at a time across a strategic map. It has no semblance to any war in history and no tactics. My impression is that it has a rather superior AI, but it never sucked me in. (Civ2 did, but even then, it was more like an addiction to "one more turn" than a very pleasurable experience.)

MTW is very like RTW. The strategic layer, building and diplomacy etc, are much less refined than Civ3. The campaign map is less fluid and less realistic than that in RTW - more Risk-like, if that means anything to you. Perhaps as a consequence, it manages to pose some interesting strategic dilemmas and challenges - more than in RTW. But where Total War shines is in the tactical battles. They are, in my opinion, an object of wonder not matched in any other historical wargame I have played. MTW battles are rather better than those in RTW - the pace is slower and I think the AI is better. But basically MTW is RTW in a later era with less chrome and more solid, challenging gameplay.

**Templar Knight** · 05-23-2005, 22:41

www.knights-of-honor.net

nice game

**Mongoose** · 05-23-2005, 23:04

Meh, battle mode only for MP is O.K for TW games but just dosen't work with games that are based around their campaign map, IMHO.

Thanks for the help, BTW

**Volstag** · 05-23-2005, 23:42

Personally, I love Civ III. Trade, diplomacy, research, city building, exploration -- you name it. When it comes to tactical battles, however, Civ III can't touch the TW series. Warfare is abstracted to a huge degree.

The "Combat Mission" series is definitely worth looking at if you have any interest in WWII tactical battles. It's the definitive treatment on the subject, IMO.

**econ21** · 05-24-2005, 02:18

Originally Posted by mongoose

Meh, battle mode only for MP is O.K for TW games but just dosen't work with games that are based around their campaign map, IMHO.

I have no idea what you are saying here. But anyway, as I said before, if you are choosing between Civ3 and MTW, it should be easy as they are utterly different. Do you want to spend your time fighting medieval battles or building up a civilisation from the stone age to the stars? They are both fine games, it all depends on your tilt.