Quote Originally Posted by doc_bean
I thought you were also a big fan of vanilla BI ?

Alexander sounds like a good idea, but I just can't stand how RTW uses its hoplites/speamen/pikemen. I thought I'd give Rome another chance with RTR but I quit after seeing the AI sending me pikemen piece by piece again, never to start it up again...
Yes, I like vanilla BI - it's a 7 or 8/10, IMO. Mainly because of the embattled Roman strategic position. Just playing the opening video gives me goose pimples. Now you mention it, the absence of phalanxes may be one reason why it seems to play better than vanilla.

Remember you can only play the Macedonians in Alexander, so you won't fight phalanxes. You do get the other downside of RTW phalanxes, though: in the hands of a human they can steamroller nearly all non-phalanx infantry.

BTW, have you tried RTR Platinum edition? What they have done is scrap the phalanx formation. Now hoplites and even phalangites, IIRC, are fast moving, very densely formed, squares of spearmen. The AI uses them pretty well - not great, but infinitely better than the drunken tortoises of vanilla RTW. The hoplites in particular have no secondary weapon, so never switch to sword. Cavalry do not like them.