I guess because I've been there since MTW and not STW I am in a different boat. If you exclude the glorious achievements and titles (mostly I just miss titles for personal feeling, it was just cooler if a guy was a Earl of Wessex). Otherwise I see pretty well what Rome had, and many features of MTW and some features of shogun. Do I think it's a improvement to the past? Yes, but then again this is individual based, if you don't think it's better your always welcome to play old games.