RTW: Worth Buying Yet?

**Zild** · 12-10-2005, 10:10

Thanks for the answers, everybody.

It's a shame to see fans of the series say RTW is 'fun for a month', given I'm still playing MTW about four years after I started it!

I think from what I've heard, I'll wait until Rome and BI are both pretty cheap then I'll buy them for kicks. As much as I appreciate CA's efforts on STW and MTW, I don't want to reward them for RTW - specifically due to the weak AI in both battles and strategy.

I think I have enough games to keep me going for a couple more years yet, without even including MTW! Given the only present I asked for last year is still sitting on my shelf in its plastic wrapping, I'm not sure I'll be buying any games any time soon!

Again, thanks for the answers everybody

**Ciaran** · 12-10-2005, 10:31

The problem for many, as far as I can see it, is that they are too familiar with the TW series. That is, they know how the game mechanics work and that makes Rome less challenging.

**Veresov** · 12-10-2005, 22:59

The patches will make BI and RTW worth buying. Unfortunately most mods out there have completely missed the boat and are still supporting 1.3. Some people persist in playing the old patch to take advantage of the mods, however the play and AI improvements offered by the patch make the choice a no brainer for me.

**Red Harvest** · 12-11-2005, 00:06

Veresov,

Most of the mods were stuck in 1.2 I believe, not 1.3. Wasn't really much reason for them to go to 1.3 since it had some serious defects that made a further patch likely. Modding for 1.3 on a major mod didn't make much sense. Afterall, there were a lot of supporting tools that had to be migrated as well. Many deficiencies in 1.2 that had been compensated for by mods would have to be reworked.

Hopefully, 1.5 will settle the matter by completing RTW as much as can be expected. Then I think you will see most major mods migrate to it. A good patch will be a no-brainer move.

**The Hun** · 12-12-2005, 01:07

Originally Posted by Zild

It's a shame to see fans of the series say RTW is 'fun for a month', given I'm still playing MTW about four years after I started it!

Hah!! What is this 4 years??

**Tyrac** · 12-12-2005, 02:31

Worth it. Worth the full price.

**fallen851** · 12-13-2005, 05:11

I waited a long time to buy RTW, and just recently did.

I couldn't even play 1.3 normal, it was lame (screeching women? Elephants knocking down walls? I've trained animals, there is no way to train animals to do something that will hurt themselves, it is impossible. You cannot reinforce behavior in an animal that physically hurts them. Ask any other psychologist.)

So I modded the crap out of it, and the game is just chalk full of lame bugs. I'd give it like a 70% out of 100.

I wouldn't buy it. Maybe the new patch coming soon will make it good.

**Red Harvest** · 12-13-2005, 06:23

Elephants were used to bash in gates/wooden walls in real life. I've read of that before. I believe it was more of a case of getting several elephants to lean up against the gate and push/rock. I don't have any trouble imagining them trying to knock down palisade walls. Afterall, elephants were used as beasts of tremendous burden. I don't see how this would qualify as training them to hurt themselves?

Wardogs are silly (as they would tend to be rather ineffectual) and the headhurlers are even more so, but elephants were frequently used as weapons of war at this time. Screeching women are more fluff than anything else, since they don't have much combat role other than improving morale.

**fallen851** · 12-13-2005, 08:13

Elephants as weapons of war? Yes. To knock down gates? Maybe if they lightly leaned on them, I can see that. But ramming down wooden walls? No.

I guess what I'm saying (I came off a bit abrasive) is that elephants (like horses) can be trained to listen to the rider, and overcome their instinct to run (fight or flight, elephants and horses will both run if possible, fight only if necessary) so they can be used even in the chaos of battle. However, you can't get an elephant to run and just bust through a wall, that hurts... without perhaps some form of punishment. Perhaps you could use spears and literally force an elephant onto the wall (this is not trained), and perhaps it would run the wall down, but it would more likely just run over your spearman and off to freedom.

**symball** · 12-13-2005, 12:43

but they don't run at them in the game- they push them over. just like pushing down tree's which is a job they do to this day.

I know there are some rather 'interesting' units in the game and that the egyptians are a little anachronistic but overall it is pretty accurate and enjoyable to play. I'm hoping that the latest patch will help with some of the problems that would put me off the game if I were buying it now. there simply is not much else out there to compare with it. and as for 'fun for a month', I am still playing over a year after I got it and have found that with BI I shall probably be playing for another year or so before I have even got close to having had the full range of experiences out of the game