What Total War do you think is the best and why?

[The Wandering Scholar]

It was an analogy and an entirely plausible one. You are effectively saying that "if it looks good it plays good". This quite simply isn't true. There is no way that any amount of eye candy can rescue an otherwise crap game.

What I said was better graphics make better gameplay ie the Halo series. With this example I am not talking about the campaign which is not what interests people. So therefore people buy the game for multiplayer (stay with me here) and why do people buy 1 then 2 then 3? The answer is simple better graphics, better weapons etc. This does not mean that Halo 1 was bad just the improvement in technology makes Halo 3 more appealing.

Some might say that you've invited ridicule with that statement, simply because it doesn't make any sense whatsoever.

I like you caravel, you structure your arguments in a way which is most pleasant. I have to take it back with that dross. How does my comment not make sense? In effect the TW series are the same game: Campaign map + Battlemap = TW. Much like my Halo example. In effect STW should be TW, MTW should be TW2 etc it is the same game spruced up. Therefore the later titles should be the best and they are but I have not played anything later than RTW (or TW3) therefore IMO RTW is the best game.

I agree that RTW is loosely based upon what is quite arguably the most interesting period - just to make it clear that we agree on that point. What I disagree with is the statement that RTW is the best TW game which it clearly is not.

I agree ETW should be the best.

As far as graphics are concerned RTW has been surpassed by M2TW and for the record I don't think it's low poly clone armies were ever that much to get excited about anyway. In terms of gameplay, balance and AI, RTW is found severely wanting in all three departments. Also as far as historical accuracy is concerned RTW is probably the worst title in the series for this.

Historical accuracy is a difficult subject I think that CA tried (and could well have failed) to appeal more to the casual gamer in RTW who are not bothered about historical accuracy. It is mainly critised on forums for the game like this one where the majority of members are interested in history, casual gamers IMO are not interested so much. The low poly clone armies are much better in RTW than they were in STW and MTW. Although sprites are an issue but are not nearly enough to put Rome last (or for that matter second).

You need to ask yourself why RTW has been the the most heavily modded TW game in terms of historical realism and gameplay mods based on the same era as the vanilla game. Yes RTW is more moddable than previous titles but why is it that the most popular mods are not those based on other eras and settings, but are the realism and gameplay ones? This points to pronounced deficiencies and shortcomings in the vanilla game.

But there are gameplay mods for previous titles. More could suggest a larger following.