Things to Improve

[lars573]

Here's my list of fundamental play issues that need to be addressed in any sequel:

1) Expensive units are not worth the investment.
Elite units often can’t be retrained in captured cities. Their initial training generally requires two turns, without creating a unit that’s twice as effective. Elite units are not only more expensive to build and maintain, but require expensive infrastructure. Thus historic units such as Companion Cavalry or Sacred Band play no role whatsoever.

That is why ou have to rotate a depleted army back to a training center. Or merge it with another depleted army and leave the left overs as a city garrison

2) Cavalry has no effective counter.
Even pike phalanxes are easily disrupted by headlong charges. Armies built entirely of light cav (or chariots) can crush anything.

Phalanxes don't work right that is not news. Plus no all somethig army can crush anything and everything, that's a myth.

3) Seige engines are not worth building.
They appear too late in the game and move too slowly to bring on campaign.

You obviously have no ides how to use them properly. Which is sad really.

4) Bandits are too prolific and too damaging.
And they have no counter.

That is what a city garrison is for. Too many RTW player guard a city with peasants, not what you should be doing.

5) Espionage is tedious, distracting, and endlessly annoying.

You obviously have no ides how to use it properly. Which is sad really.

6) Naval battles are indecisive, and timewasting.

Which is the most realistic thing about naval battle in RTW

7) Battles are small and repetitive, never epic and decisive.

They can be. But the AI has to assemble a force to attack you. It tends to move an army in 2 or more parts then assemble it at a rally point then attack.

8) Defenders can win battle by running the clock down.

Which is a good thing.

9) Hand-to-hand fighting is resolved too fast.

Any slower and it would be boring

10) Units must be micromanaged in battle.
No simple orders such as "advance", or "guard the left flank".

And selecting a unit and telling them to move somewhere is what you telling them to dance a jig?

11) Useful battle formations are unavailable.
Available formations are line-based, and easily flanked. Where are box formations, such as Alexander used at Gaugamela?

You never use group formations like column?

12) Land seige alone cuts supply to coastal cities.
Historically those cities would have been supplied by sea anyway.

No city in RTW is it's own port. They are all seperate. Hence you siege a city you are cutting it off totally from the outside.

13) Limited unit types such as cavalry are unlimited.
Hence the occasional bizarre appearance of all-cav macedonian armies.

Macedonian "all-cav" armies only happen because they are only half an intended army. Plus Macedonia's recruitment parameter makes them field half cavalry armies. Also limiting cavalry would royally screw horse peoples like Parthia and Scythia. Bad idea never mention it again.

14) Ports can be blockaded without defeating adjacent fleet.

If they were close enough you'd have to fight them first.

15) Field fortifications are a deathtrap, not protection from surprise attack.

You obviously have no ides how to use them properly. Which is sad really.

16) There is no effective defense vs bribery, and it can’t be disabled.
When fighting Romans the game turns into "Total Bribery", as they bribe one or more cities each turn.

The best defense vs. bribery is a spy. But spy's can be bought by a high level diplomat. So assassinating them is the best option.

17) Naval movement is too slow.
A powerful navy should reward players by speeding up their campaigns.

No it's not naval speed it faster than foot movement. But only about the same as horse movement. It just take coordination to use it right.

18) Enemy zone-of-control is ignored by fleeing armies.
If anything, fleeing armies/navies should disband if forced to flee through enemy ZOC.

Stupid idea, never mention it again.

19) No penalty for withdrawing from battle.
This is not only unrealistic but frustrating, particularly when the AI withdraws time after time, when they could have fled before the battle screen loaded.

You sally/attack before they are ready and they run. Not always mind but sometimes.

20) Characters are too complicated.
There are really only a three attributes worth tracking: stars, acumen, and dread. Anything more complicates the game without making it funner. It’s a huge time-waster to wade through constantly evolving and lengthy lists of self-contradicting attributes and personnel. Every VnV should translate into one or more of the three basic attributes.

Characters are not complicated at all. You only manage the ones who are worth it. You also only get contradicting traits if you have a no-going back level in one trait and then pick up another trait that cort of counter it.