Your favourite new features in m2tw?

[Hepcat]

I am looking forward to the cities and towns and the SOUTH AMERICAN NATIONS!

The number of units on the battlefield don't worry me so much.

[Ituralde]

I'm really looking forward to the merchants and the improved Diplomacy options/system.

Concerning the AI, they did mention that they will improve the Strategical and the Tactical AI in one of the interviews. Another CA guy even mentioned that they're well aware that the Rome AI was somewhat lacking, so I wouldn't be too pessimistic about that issue just yet.

[Kralizec]

There aren't any real groundbraking new features that I would buy the game for alone, so it depends on the whole package just like Monarch says.

If CA came out saying that the AI would be the greatest in any TW game, that would definitely be something.

[Geoffrey S]

I'm particularly looking forward to the improved terrain of the battlefields (looks more varied, and bigger), and to the reintroduction of prisoners; I really hope we'll again have the option to execute the whole army, just the leaders, or no-one at all.

Also like the look of the combat, the new animations look excellent. Hopefully the won't make combat results too random.

[Furious Mental]

The Mongol horde.

[Cebei]

More realistic battles; I don't want the front line fighting and the back lines standing still like idiots.

[caspian]

I want to see how the new features (princesses, merchants, etc.) affect the campaign map. And how 'invincible' the Papacy will be this time around.

[CBR]

More realistic battles; I don't want the front line fighting and the back lines standing still like idiots.

What should the rear line then be doing?


CBR

[Ituralde]

Scrap what I said earlier!

My new favourtie feature are the Guilds, they're gonna be really awesome and I'm really looking forward to playing the game. Even if the battle AI was bad I would still play the game for the Guilds alone, the missions they give me and the things I have to do to get them in the first place. Really my favourite feature by far, so far!

[Alien_Tortoise2345]

For me the main draws are:

A: Great-looking and more so than Rome.
B: Seems to be more factions than Rome.
C: New non-combat units i.e. Princesses, Merchants, Cardinals, Witches, Heretics.
D: Option to make towns Fortresses or Castles is interesting.
E: The presentation seems nice in the trailer i.e. lots of nice movies.
F: Cannons on Elephants!

[Tiberius maximus]

i think i love all thats been told about it except i dont believe the whole "if you can play RTW then you cn play MTW2" that has to be a bunch of

[Fwapper]

It's very hard to advertise the AI. The graphics are upfront, in your face things which make you go "Hey, that's pretty damn cool" (More like "Uuurgh... yummy gore... blooood... mmmm..." *faints with pleasure*)

Anyway... graphics are easy to advertise compared to AI. While AI mentionings seem to be getting more frequent, CA, and the makers of any strategy game for that matter, still won't, and really can't give that much away. We'll need to wait for a playable demo to come out before we can get our first sample of the AI, but it will be our 10000th sample of the graphics. People really give CA a really hard time over this... I'm in full support of constructively critisizing the AI flaws in current games, but senselessly bashing the AI in a game that isn't even out yet is just harsh.

Just my five good British pennies...

Fwapper

[Furious Mental]

Well in all fairness the AI in RTW wasn't exactly Einstein, and unless CA says "The tactical AI is going to be much better than it was in RTW" people will assume that it is going to be the same old. As the inevitable release date approaches and the emphasis in press releases etc continues to be on things other than the tactical AI, people get crankier because it seems all the more likely that the AI is indeed the same.

[sunsmountain]

None.

Maybe glory goals, if they're in.

[danfda]

None.

Maybe glory goals, if they're in.

Gods, I wish GA mode was in... I would upgrade my PC just to buy M2TW if that were the case. Unfortunately, I believe I heard somewhere that CA has already said no GA, and therefore I am a sad person.

That said, the major feature that would really interest me would be improved campaign AI (I know, saying that is like beating a dead horse, but what the heck). I'd also be interested in diplomacy that actually functions, but that is inevitably tied to improved AI. In short, I'm not going to be holding my breath.

[Horatius]

Of what has been anounced I am seriously looking forward to actually getting use diplomacy for something other then "The senate requests for the good of the people of Rome for you to get a trade agreement with" and bribing.

[amadkiwi]

My favourite new feature will be the brilliant graphics, and the units as individuals. 10,000 soldiers in an army, all looking different from the person next to them, and they all look fantastic too.