M2TW, does anyone like the original better

[tomrayner]

I've been toying with the idea of buying M2TW but am not sure how it would run on my computer - I've heard it can be quite so slow and choppy if your processor isn't up to speed (like any game).

I've got an AMD Athalon XP2400 (2.0gz) with 128mb RAM and Nvideo Gforce 4 graphics card... am I in for a chop-fest? If it'll even run at all.

[caravel]

I will run very poorly on that machine, if at all. The lack of shader 1 support would likely be the show stopper.

Minimum System Requirements:

* Microsoft® Windows® 2000/XP
* Celeron 1.5GHz Pentium 4® (1500MHz) or equivalent AMD® processor
* 512MB RAM
* 11GB of uncompressed free hard disk space
* 100% DirectX® 9.0c compatible 16-bit sound cardand latest drivers
* 100% Windows® 2000/XP compatible mouse,keyboard and latest drivers
* DirectX® 9.0c
* 128MB Hardware Accelerated video card with Shader 1 support and the latest drivers. Must be 100% DirectX® 9.0c compatible
* 1024 x 768 minimum display resolution
* Internet (TCP / IP) play supported; Internet play requires broadband connection and latest drivers; LAN play requires Network card.

You could get a better entry level graphics card and a decent amount of RAM and give it a try - though you can still expect choppiness. They're called "minimum" system requirements for a reason.

(to be honest even if you don't get M2TW, you still could do with more RAM in that machine)

[caravel]

Scratch that - just remembered that your CPU won't run it due to the lack of SSE2 support. It's a new PC I'm afraid.

I had the same CPU myself and upgraded for the same reason... M2TW was not worth upgrading a PC for, but in hindsight I suppose the thing needed upgrading anyway. The problem is that now I can no longer run MTW1...

[tomrayner]

Thanks for that Caravel, it's as I suspected.

Maybe I'll just download Redux or Tyberius for a new challenge instead... any recommendations. i'm sick of the AI attacking me with vast peasant/arquebusier/crossbow armies (or whatever other combination of crap troops they've tried)

[caravel]

It's difficult to recommend mods as everyone gets something different out of this game.

If you want more challenge and you like the Shogun Total War theme, then I would recommend the Samurai Warlords mod. Bear in mind that I'm highly biased when it comes to this mod however, but I think it's the best MTW mod ever. The SW mod aproaches the game from a more purist standpoint. All factions have the same units (as in STW) and this gives the best play balance and balanced armies (you won't get attacked by the AI fielding only one type of unit etc). Make sure you download the patch and the sound add on.

The Tyberius mod is an add on for Viking Horde's XL mod. If you want more unit, faction and province variety then that's probably the one for you. Tyberius did a very good job revamping the graphics in the XL/Tyberius mod. Many of his improvements are on the battlefield sprites themselves - which are exceptional. I think there is a version of the Tyberius mod that includes the XL mod, but not sure.

You could also try the Medmod. It tries to be more historically accurate and restricts units to homelands and it mostly succeeds at this. This approach has it's pros and cons however as strict homelands restrictions also affect rebelling troops - giving some very unusual rebellions. The Medmod is probably more suited to hardened players and those that don't mind further tweaking it (i.e. a bit of DIY modding).

If it's the Medieval era you want, as I suspect it is, then go with the XL/Tyberius Mod. It's the most popular and widely played also. XL also removes peasants and adds many more units so those peasant armies should be a thing of the past.

-Edit: Straying a bit off topic here, so if Mithrandir or bamff want to split this to a new thread?