Simon Appleton, if you understand that the heart of the Total War games is the battles, then I don't understand why you can't see what is broken in RTW. There is NO CHALLENGE. What is the point of a game that takes no effort to win. Maybe that is ok when you are 8, but soon after it loses all appeal. I would hesitate to suggest that maybe you are a lousy general, but that is the only way RTW would seem ok.