What improvements in M2TW do you like better than in previous TW games.

[Budwise]

There was a post a while ago about what people miss and what people can change but I haven't seen one yet about what improvements people love or rave about. (Not saying that their isn't one.)

So, what improvements do everyone like?

[Budwise]

Okay, I guess I should start because I am the one posting the questions.

Some improvements that I do enjoy better is of the following.
1. No Civil Wars or Massive Rebellions that I know about
2. Graphics, but this is a no brainer.
3. Seige Engines, I never really played RTW so I can't comment on it.
4. Building Build times are now reasonable, for a fortress in the previous MTW game, it took 20 years, now its more realistic.
5. Archers and Artillery are more effective now.
6. Different formations and special attacks in common units like Scilltron for spearmen.
7. Even knowing that Alliances are still a little off, I feel that they are better.
8. To move my troops onto someone elses land without it being a formal attack or break alliances to do so.
9. Pope feels like he has more power to me.
10. Artillery is more than just one "Engine" to a unit.

I have some more to add later but I kinda want to see what others post first.

[JCoyote]

1- The map. Despite the need for AI improvement (it needs that everywhere anyway!). It's just better.

2- Merchants. I like control over my economy. Micromanagement needs reduction is all.

3- Graphics. Nice to be able to get up close and personal to the fights.

4- Sabotage! Got to love derailing enemy economies.

5- "Organic" formations. The slight natural variation in formations feels better. Looks less like chess pieces.

6- More complex castles/cities. I like the new larger fortifications. They look like people live in them!

7- New world. Aztec bugs aside, how fun is it to invade the new world with longbows?

[KHPike]

1. Map. It's bigger and is dynamic with many battlegrounds based on where you are attacked, unlike in MTW where each province has a predefined one.
2. The Pope. He's now easier to control and more unpredictable in his behavior. Plus he won't threaten to excommunicate so soon.
3. Fun spy and assassin vids that are repetitive but always keep you on the edge. (Like the one with the spy in the bush and the one with the assassin behind the door as he may get hit)
4. Battles don't end abruptly as in MTW. In MTW I was chasing a routing king with cav and was about to kill him when the scoreboard came up...
5. Missions that add depth to the game.

[Slug For A Butt]

1. Graphics. Like you said, no brainer.
2. Campaign map. Such an improvement on that patchwork Risk campaign map in MTW.
3. I'm going to be accused of heresy here... but sometimes the AI is better, sometimes worse. One thing I don't miss from MTW is having to chase an outnumbered enemy round and round a big field before I corner it so it will fight.
4. Overall feel. I think it feels much more fluid than MTW. Maybe down to the campaign map, maybe down to the graphics, maybe down to god knows what. I can't put my finger on it but I just prefer the overall feel of M2TW.
5. M2TW has some great sounds too... "I'll bring the house down, eh Sire?" etc.
6. M2TW is better supported than MTW in respect of patches. Can't be bad.

My twopenneth.

[rosscoliosis]

^ I'll second that part about chasing units all over the map! Holy hell that got irritating quickly.

[Budwise]

6- More complex castles/cities. I like the new larger fortifications. They look like people live in them!
longbows?

I forgot to mention that one. Yes, the game is more lifelike and enjoyable.

[Slug For A Butt]

^ I'll second that part about chasing units all over the map! Holy hell that got irritating quickly.

That annoyed me more than almost anything in any other TW game since.
It felt like this

[Razor1952]

The city building rationale and control is much more logical IMHO, especially squalor impacts on city size and hence tax, but doesn't require the massive effort ot stop rebellions as in RTW.


Provacateur type activity by spies which allow covert city attacks.

[stealingjoy]

While the AI has a long way to go, I think it's much better than RTW. In RTW, it was no problem to decimate an army with missile fire then charge and rout. It feels less passive to me and I end up taking more casualities than I did in RTW when it was not too hard to end up with less than 150 deaths in a 2000 person army vs an equal army. Occasionally they'll still stand around and take fire (especially when you sally forth) but overall I think it's better.

I like the use of priests and merchants as they add an extra way to conquer the world, so to speak and gives the peaceful approach more variety.

[Forward Observer]

I'll also put in a "well done" on the graphics. The cities and castles are amazing and so are most of the landscapes. In just about every field battle or siege assault, I spend almost as much time gawking at the scenery and taking screenshots as I do conducting the battles.

I am not going to go into some to the other improvements that have been repeated several times, but I will mention siege engines and siege assaults.

Making siege engines mobile has added a whole new dynamic to the game.
In first Medieval game because they were immobile once placed, they were simply difficult to use effectively in a siege, and all but useless in field battles.

Occasionally in a static defense or a bridge battle in the first game they might score a few long distance hits, but otherwise one was probably better off using the slot for an extra missile unit.

Because of this difficulty and the fact that a good many castles were going to fall in 2 or less turns, after conducting one or two siege assaults in MTW, I rarely bothered with them any more, but simply waited out the enemy until their stronghold fell. If I got a message that it was going to take a long time I usually just auto-resolved.

Now in M2TW with fully mobile artillery, and the fact that the time that a settlement will fall is almost alway 6 to 8 turns there is simply more of a reason to conduct an assault. Auto-resolving is also less attractive since it can result in a lot of expensive property damage that one has to pony up to repair later.

Anyway, I really look forward to the assaults now, I actually get some of the most fun out of the game by planning exactly how I am going to take the fort down with the least casualties to my men and the most casualties to the enemy while doing the least damage to the structures.

I also enjoy pulling off heroic defenses of a settlement against seemingly overwhelming odds.

Of course I still prefer exciting well matched field battles, but now having the addition of intricate siege battles has just doubled my fun.

Finally, I am also glad that the event movies are back, and I like to think that I show my appreciation by continuing to watch them time after time.

Cheers

[Quickening]

Everything.

Especially:

1. The campaign map. A Risk-like map with the same battles in every province versus hundreds of different battlefields all across Europe? Hmm, tough one.
It also presents loads of tactical opportunities with your forts and watchtowers, ambushing etc. It's just plain better.

2. The battles. Aside from the fact that they clearly look a million times better than ever before, I find the pace of them to be just about right. Also, like others have said, no more chasing guys around the map to end it. And, no more stupidly tough generals.

3. I love the units you get like Priests, Merchants, Princesses etc. Some are new and some are just more useful than they were before. I don't have a problem with the micromanagement. None of them are essential to success anyway, Im just glad they're there.

4. The music is great. The music has been consistently great throughout the entire Total War series mind you.

5. The New World. To be honest I thought this was a pointless addition to the game and didn't have much interest in it. But I finally managed to get there last night and Im having great fun. New music, architecture and of course units. Great stuff.

6. The whole atmosphere is just "medieval" somehow. I love it.

[holycow]

1. multiple unit que
2. seige weapons much improved, both gunpowder and non
3. merchant/resource income
4. guilds, although wish they weren't random
5. much improved graphics
6. inclusion of new world maps - wish they'd create TW: the World - I want to invade Antarctica!!!
7. defenders that fly off walls when wall is attacked
8. flying casualty - lol, I think this is the best part of cannons
9. multiple wall rings, althoug it seems a little bugged at the moment
10. some castles have moats/inaccessable areas that deny wall access to ladder/tower
11. flying cows

[TevashSzat]

I have to say, I just love the crusade/ jihad. In RTW, I generally just went around with one elite army slowly taking over the qorld, but now with good use of crusades and jihads, I can easily blitz and take one region per turn for 20+ turns.

[pike master]

multiple layered defences. battlefield stakes. cannon and gunpowder units

[Budwise]

OH, no more borderforts. Its so much nicer to have spys and assassins actually reach their targets instead of dying instantly when they leave your lands.

[Darkarbiter]

The graphics... thinking hard on this one...

[Whacker]

I'm going to pick on our bovine friend here.

1. multiple unit que
2. seige weapons much improved, both gunpowder and non
3. merchant/resource income
5. much improved graphics
6. inclusion of new world maps - wish they'd create TW: the World - I want to invade Antarctica!!!
7. defenders that fly off walls when wall is attacked
8. flying casualty - lol, I think this is the best part of cannons
11. flying cows

Definitely agree with all of this.

4. guilds, although wish they weren't random
10. some castles have moats/inaccessable areas that deny wall access to ladder/tower

These were in MTW... And actual moat defenses would be an outstanding feature. (Hint hint!)

9. multiple wall rings, althoug it seems a little bugged at the moment

This I gotta disagree with, I think the castle layouts have taken a turn for the worse. RTW had the best wall mechanics IMO, in that it had capturable towers that automatically shot at anything in range without the need for some lame unit to be in "proximity" to activate them. MTW was the pinnacle though in terms of different style castle layouts, including the interlocking concentric and non-interlocking concentric. We have interlocking concentric in M2TW, but my all time favorite is definitely the non-interlocking concentric. I strongly suspect that the M2TW engine and code just couldn't handle the non-interlocking concentric layouts, so they forced it to what we have right now. All you have to do is get all your infantry on the walls, and you have a clear shot to run all the way back to the inner wall ring, bypassing the other 1-2 gates in your road. What's the fun or challenge in that?

In terms of features (not taking into account bugs), I think this and the lack of dismounting really put a sour taste in my mouth for M2TW. It's lessening over time and as I said before, I shelved the game over a month ago waiting for this next upcoming patch. Hopefully the game will be in a better state and I'll be able to honestly enjoy it then... I really really want to like this game.

The other thing I'll add that's not really a "better than the other games" because it's always been well done is the music. Each TW game to date has had it's own unique flavor and feel, and they've all been outstanding. I'm sure this trend will continue.