Total War games...

[caravel]

One of the best things about STW/MTW is the decreased level of micromanagement involved. When playing an RTW campaign you're babysitting your armies and agents as they make their way across the map and continually building structures that for the most part do little more than offset squalor or improve public order. In fact every RTW campaign centres not around battles or warfare but micromaging settlements. MTW is much more "drag and drop" in it's approach. STW/MTW's approach is much simpler in that most buildings have an obvious role as a means to train units and any population loyalty boost is a bonus. STW/MTW also lacks the overcomplicated settlement statistics of the later games. This connects you more to the battles themselves instead of having the battles as an extra, almost optional, bit of eye candy, which is the case with later titles.

[Spongie]

Having recently moved to (original) MTW from STW, I would say that even MTW's level of micromanagement compared to STW's is straining my patience a bit, as it's taking the focus away from the battlefield. The smaller timeframe of STW is a plus point, too - for one thing, you're not tempted to wait 30 years to get a certain unit before you feel you can attack someone.

[Lord Chu]

Thanks for responding!

Shogun sounds like it's a little different from RTW...

But, I would like less micromanagement and better battles, so it sounds great.

[caravel]

I always felt with STW that the campaign map AI kept me on my toes. With MTW I sometimes feel as if I've got off lightly when not defending a province too well and risking the AI being silly and not invading. With STW you don't get this. If you fail to defend your provinces adequately expect to see the AI stacks sliding in.

[Parallel Pain]

I say if you have a lot of patience try EB

along with the AI formation mods.

That way the battles would be a lot more challenging.

And I've also ordered TW Eras so I can see what the older ones are like.