Note on whinging

[Myrddraal]

but I'm supposed to be opti

mistic that this stuff will be fixed, and if isn't, its not important anyway.

In your last post, you seem to think that I'm saying 'don't complain' which is akin to "you'll eat everything that you put on your plate, including the mushy peas!"

You must realise this isn't what I'm saying... Really Puzz, I don't know why you have to be so aggressive. You sound seriously stressed m8. This is a fansite for a game, let's get things into perspective.

I'm not saying accept bad features, I'm not saying shut up when you think it is. What I am saying, is there are better ways of responding to a feature you don't like than by saying "well I think this feature is bad, I haven't got much hope for it getting better though, seeing as CA don't care for realism/are pandering to simpler minded people than myself/are in a world of their own" etc etc.

I've seen the new radar map including the new world. I think it could be done better. I've discussed various ways I think it could be better. Other members have engaged me with their own suggestions and hopefully a CA dev may notice it. Even if I achieve nothing of it, at least I've had a civil and enjoyable conversation with fellow fans of the totalwar series, which (speaking as an observer) is not the case when reading your posts.



On to a different subject completely - your bitterness over Rome. I know you're very dissapointed in Rome, but there are times when you have to look to the future. Let me quote your post before last:

The AI doesn't know how to use a shield, doesn't know what is causing ranged casualies, attacks with inferior forces and doesn't protect its flanks. There seems to be some problem with the general as well

This is about RTW right? Unless you've played M2TW already.

Your bitterness about RTW permeates everything you post in this forum. You haven't seen the AI of M2TW, but you aren't even willing to give it a chance. If you can't see a problem with that, then I'm wasting my breath (figuratively speaking)


In the meantime, I've got no problem with you. Nothing personal, but it's much easier to read other people's complaints than it is yours, because of the manner of expressing those complaints.

Keep taking the pills

[Orda Khan]

Your bitterness about RTW permeates everything you post in this forum. You haven't seen the AI of M2TW, but you aren't even willing to give it a chance. If you can't see a problem with that, then I'm wasting my breath (figuratively speaking)


In the meantime, I've got no problem with you. Nothing personal, but it's much easier to read other people's complaints than it is yours, because of the manner of expressing those complaints.

Keep taking the pills

Maybe, as a moderator, you should consider the tone of your replies. Warnings are handed out for this type of thing, if you have received one then please ignore this post.
People suggest we should all give CA a chance (yet again) Well all I can say is this......
When one reads the last page of a book, all one knows is its ending. To comment on the book one needs to read its contents

......Orda

[Myrddraal]

Orda... I'm lost for words.

If you take offense at my post, I appologise unreservedly. It certainly wasn't meant that way. If you want me to edit my post, I'll do that too, just point out the bits that need to go.

In your last post, you seem to think that I'm saying 'don't complain' which is akin to "you'll eat everything that you put on your plate, including the mushy peas!"

You must realise this isn't what I'm saying... Really Puzz, I don't know why you have to be so aggressive. You sound seriously stressed m8. This is a fansite for a game, let's get things into perspective.

I thought (clearly incorrectly) that I had managed to set a light enough tone to say what I felt needed to be said.

Just in case it's the 'keep taking the pills' that you're taking offense to, where I come from and whenever I've ever heard it used it has been a lighthearted way of ending a tough conversation. For example, I may be struggling with my work, and someone might say before leaving "See you later, and keep taking the pills"

If it's this that you're referring too:

In the meantime, I've got no problem with you. Nothing personal, but it's much easier to read other people's complaints than it is yours, because of the manner of expressing those complaints.

This was meant to take any sting out of my previous comment, which could be taken personally. As to the comment itself, I'm sure Puzz would be the last person to deny he is bitter about RTW, and when you feel that way, it is very hard to notice or stop it lingering in what you say. Sometimes it takes an outside observer to tell me when I'm being bitter, and I was trying to do this whilst at the same time keeping both of your respects.

I have clearly failed and if you can help improve my communication skills, then please do so.

Now for a bit of pettyness myself - I am very dissapointed that you responded in such a petty manner Orda. Not only have you directly attacked me, but you've commented (in a rather unsubtle attempt at subtlety) on my knowledge of the Totalwar series from beginning to end. I would like an appology for that.

Then, for my sake if not for anyone else's, let's drop the tension level a bit.

[Alim]

At the time of making of STW and MTW CA was a small company trying to break into the games market. In order to survive, small companies need to do something differrent, something innovative, maybe to get a foothold in some niche market. CA achieved that with the uniquely realistic and tactically complex gameplay we've had in STW and MTW. But now that they are owned by Sega, and the TW brand has become much more recogniseable (not least because of the TV series), they have differrent aims. SEGA isn't interested in niche markets, they are interested in maximising their customer base (as an established company should be) and are looking to appeal to younger gamers. Since RTW the accent has been on better graphics and on making the gameplay "cool" and "fun" at the expense of realism and the AI and I think this trend will continue in MTW2 as well as the next titles in TW series.
From the information we've got on MTW2 so far there's been nothing to disprove that - in videos we've seen so far there is always insanely powerful artillery, even though artillery of that period wasn't really that effective at killing people, but mostly used in sieges. The often-mentioned movement speeds do look unrealistically high. In the campagn England has to conquer Rome as an objective to winning the game (and there are Aztecs). The biggest 'improvement' to the diplomatic engine that CA announced so far, is that AI characters will say what they 'think' about your empire when you click on them. The average gamer isn't necessarily looking for realism (or a really challenging AI) though and just because the vets are bored with this gameplay it doesn't make it wrong per se.
I agree with what Tamur said about the volume of complaining: it doesnt accomplish anything at all. Times change, life moves on, and we can only accept it. After all, companies exist to make profits. Anyway, most things in game can be modded (and here credit must be given to CA - the TW games are I think some of the most moddable out there). Of course, the one thing that cannot be modded is the AI and that is a shame. I know you cannot change the algorithms used but perhaps there could be some variables exposed in the text files, e.g. an interger between 1 and 10 regulating the AI aggression, or maybe a way to change the focus of AI spending from military to economic depending e.g. on the amount of florins in the AI treasury, or even something like ArchersJoinInMelee: true (which you can change to false). Making the game more moddable is the best way to appeal to wider masses with cannon elephants and the like while enabling the modders to change the game so it could appeal to the MTW and STW veterans more.
Anyway, sorry for the longwinded post, hadn't posted here in a while.

[Myrddraal]

Times change, life moves on, and we can only accept it.

I'm not sure I agree. I think we can make a difference.



From the point of view of modding, I hope someone steps into what was Jerome's role after the RTW release. I really hope for a more moddable game. I think if I had one request, it would be a better (or programmable) AI. If I had two, it would be a more modable game.