Just a question

[Nutranurse]

Yea, you can tell what I want by the title.

I was wondering if I should invest in buying MTW. I mean I love both RTW and MTW2, so I was wondering if the game was just as good (or even better) than those two. Right now the only thing really stopping me are the graphics...I admit that prettiness is always a definite plus for me...so aside form that what are the major features that the game has that you guys enjoy?

[Lord Condormanius]

Some people will argue with me, but I think if you have M2TW, you definitely don't need MTW. In my opinion, this game excels overall. If you want it that bad, I'm sure you can find a copy on eBay for $5. I saw the battle collection (w/viking invasion) new at Target for $9.99. So if you have to buy it, you won't be spending too much.

[Arciel]

Yep, I'll argue. Nutranurse, if what you want is an overall challenging game and better AI, go for MTW. Graphics for RTW and M2TW might be a big plus factor but the AI in MTW is more than an equalizer. Add to the fact that there are plenty of excellent mods out there, I say for 5 bucks you have a great deal on your hands!

[Ludens]

I haven't played M2:TW, but I do have R:TW and M:TW, and when it comes to the battles, M:TW is superior. True, it looks ugly and the interface is clumsy compared to R:TW, but the battles are slow and tactical, and the tactical A.I. is challenging. The campaign game is also less of a pushover than R:TW's, although the strategic A.I. still isn't very bright.

However, have you tried any of the major modifications available for R:TW? Several of these (e.g. R:TR, Darthmod, EB) will also give you a challenging game, and you don't even need to leave your chair to get them.

[King Kurt]

One more point - there is a wealth of info and advice on these boards about MTW, so your experience of the game is definately enhanced. No doubt in a few years time the same can be said for MTW2 - but MTW is so cheap now that it has to worth while. It might not look so pretty as MTW2 - but was considered cutting edge when it came out - but it is one hell of a game with stacks of repeat playability - I have played nothing else since I got it for Christmas 2 years ago. Think of it as chess - might not look so preety now, but still a wonderful, rich game.

[caravel]

I haven't played M2:TW, but I do have R:TW and M:TW, and when it comes to the battles, M:TW is superior. True, it looks ugly and the interface is clumsy compared to R:TW, but the battles are slow and tactical, and the tactical A.I. is challenging. The campaign game is also less of a pushover than R:TW's, although the strategic A.I. still isn't very bright.

I don't think MTW is that ugly, just very dated. The unit sprites are pretty ok as sprites go, except, for some reason, the cavalry who appear to be alot more pixelated and blurry than the infantry. The main thing is that MTW, and STW especially, have alot more atmosphere than RTW and M2TW. This type if atmosphere cannot be recreated with eye candy alone. I also don't find the MTW interface clumsy (a bit clunky and awkward in places). In fact when I play RTW battles it's with an inferface as close to that of MTW as possible.

[Adrian II]

The main thing is that MTW, and STW especially, have alot more atmosphere than RTW and M2TW. This type if atmosphere cannot be recreated with eye candy alone.

Well said. After M:TW's superior tactical AI which has already been mentioned, its superior atmosphere is the second main reason why M:TW stands out and will continue to do so for years. The third reason would be the existence of a big, experienced gaming community plus huge documentation and guide system available on this site (and some others, I should add) which will make your game twice as enjoyable.

Saddle up and buy it, Nutranurse.

[Martok]

Well you guys have already covered the main points (the AI, atmosphere, etc.). I would also add a few more things, however--things that maybe aren't as quite as central to MTW, but still add to its appeal:

1.) Eras - I think most of us agree this is one of the game's most brilliant features, and a major reason why it's so replayable. The ability to play in the Early, High, and Late period allows people to try various strategies, tactics, and units. It allows each of us to play in a style that suits us.

2.) Titles - The ability to bestow titles on your generals (and removing them, as necessary) adds a nice bit of strategy, and can really affect the affairs of your empire.

3.) "Hero" generals & agents - We get real-life generals such as El Cid, William Wallace, Strongbow Fitzgilbert, & Joan of Arc; and also real-life agents such as Thomas Beckett (a Bishop) and Guy of Gisbourne (an assassin). All these characters definitely add flavor to the game, along with a nice touch of realism. (Yes, I know that Guy of Gisbourne was probably only fictonal. Silence! )

4.) Civil wars - How cool is it that you can actually assassinate/burn your own king, and then choose to back either the Loyalists or the Rebels? Or deliberately drive down the loyalty of a high-ranking general and get him to lead a rebellion against the crown (and with any luck, he'll sieze the throne for himself)?

5.) Units - In MTW, units are more intuitive and (at least partially) more realistic. Many troop types get a bonus from being trained in a particular province (Longbowmen in Wales, Vikings in Norway, etc.). Also, a number of units can only be trained in certain areas (desert archers only in North Africa & Middle East, Spanish Jinnettes only in the Iberian provinces, etc.). If you retrain a veteran unit to replenish its losses, the unit's average experience goes down, reflecting that it had to incorporate raw recruits into the regiment.

6.) Mods - I'm sure that in time, Medieval 2 will spawn a host of different mods for it. In the meantime, however, MTW already has a ton of them available for download. Whether you're talking about mods that expand on the medieval setting (BKB, MedMod, XL, etc.) or total conversion mods (Hellenic TW, Pike & Musket, Napoleonic, Samurai Wars, etc.), you're almost guaranteed to find a mod that enhances the original game and/or greatly extends its replayability.

[caravel]

IMHO the most major differences between the first generation of TW games (STW/MTW) and the second generation (RTW/M2TW) is the campaign map. You will either love it or hate it. The MTW map is a kind of Risk type provincial map. With counters that are dragged and dropped from one province to another. If you drop your army into an enemy province, it's an invasion, and an act of war, simple as that. There is no strategic manouvering on the campaign map in STW or MTW, it is for movement of entire armies, construction, training, management and diplomacy (movement of agents) only. If you've come from RTW and liked the RTW campaign map game, and also played RTS or Civ type games prior to that, you may find the MTW Risk style map rather disappointing.

[macsen rufus]

I haven't tried M2TW - (might think about it as a Xmas present to myself maybe ), but I did give RTW and BI a go, and I found going from MTW to RTW was quite disappointing. I feel there's more tactical depth to MTW battles, they take longer to resolve, combat will ebb and flow, manoeuvring seems to be more critical. The overall impression I had of RTW battles was "10 mins marching, 10 seconds fighting, 10 mins running away/chasing". OK, so you can zoom right in and look at the guys' faces, but in the end the eye candy just doesn't cut it for me. I never really felt as though the "Risk-style" map was a drawback, but in RTW I did like the way you attack armies rather than invade provinces. That was about the only point I would like to be able to bring into MTW. In fact, going from MTW to the older STW was a lot less disappointing than going "forward" to RTW (but hey, you can get Samurai MTW mod now!)

And Martok's point 6 is a very big plus for MTW -- all those available mods really extend what you can do, making it incredibly replayable. RTW got stale very fast, but I've been playing MTW + mods for over three years and I still have a list of factions and eras etc I want to try out "after this campaign".

So for $5 and a few minutes downloading, what have you got to lose but your spare time

[naut]

All the above reasons.

I have 20 GB worth of MTW files on my computer. Just a symbol of what a good game it is.