The "feel" of the game(s) / A brief foray into RTW:BI

[Roark]

Sadly, I don't have internet at the moment, bro. Otherwise, I would have definitely taken your advice. Hell, if you think it's playable, then it must be. Just not for poor old unmodded me...

I really enjoyed getting down into the battlefield action with the camera. Very pretty. I just can't see how my skills as a general added value amongst the mess. In 2 out of 3 battles, I was sending my archers charging in for the crescendo, just because I knew it would rout the enemy troops due to numbers and/or surround penalties. That just ain't right... Oh well.

[caravel]

I really enjoyed getting down into the battlefield action with the camera. Very pretty. I just can't see how my skills as a general added value amongst the mess. In 2 out of 3 battles, I was sending my archers charging in for the crescendo, just because I knew it would rout the enemy troops due to numbers and/or surround penalties. That just ain't right... Oh well.

Yes when I first got the game I also went through the phase of watching my cavalry collide with the enemy infantry. Nowadays I rarely zoom right in as it makes no sense whatsoever from a tactical viewpoint.

Another important step is to read at least the first part of frogbeastegg's guide and turn off the crap that makes the battles look a joke: The horrible interface and the green arrow markers. Once you've done this It's also a good idea to hit F6 when a battle starts to give you the line of familiar icons along the top of the screen that we all know and love (or something similar to them). These do appear when you mouse over the top of the screen but it's very annoying and they often appear by accident when you're trying to select a unit. I also disable all the voices and all of the movies and enable the classic TW style camera controls (disables the awful RTS style controls that many of the RTW players love and highly recommend). Making all factions playable is also vital unless you're happy with CA deciding that you need to win a campaign with the Romans first? For those of you that are as sickened by the default setup of RTW as I was, this makes a big difference. Maybe not enough to sway you to like the game but perhaps enough to make it tolerable enough to spend a few hours on every once in a while.

[Axalon]

Hey Roark,

I’ve done a little something for MTW called erhhrrm…… hrmm……….................……… Yes and perhaps you could try that?!? Maybe that would make you happier?

- Cheers
(Is it ok to do what I just did here? I am bit uncertain. Anyone care to share some guidelines with me here for the future?)

[Martok]

Axalon: If you're referring to your Redux mod, feel free to start a new thread here.

[DisruptorX]

Rome: Total War is pretty much a disaster for the reasons listed above. The game plays in fast forward, and cavalry is pretty much as broken as you describe. More time is spent re-sacking your own cities to prevent revolt than is spent fighting the enemy.

If you want MTW in 3d, check out MTW 2. It misses many of the great things MTW 1 had, but it brings back the strategic combat and is a pleasure to watch the armies in action. It restored my faith in the series, which I had given up on with Rome. Most of the main problems (unit movement occasionally bugging) are simply related to re-using the Rome engine.

[Koga No Goshi]

Rome: Total War is pretty much a disaster for the reasons listed above. The game plays in fast forward, and cavalry is pretty much as broken as you describe. More time is spent re-sacking your own cities to prevent revolt than is spent fighting the enemy.

If you want MTW in 3d, check out MTW 2. It misses many of the great things MTW 1 had, but it brings back the strategic combat and is a pleasure to watch the armies in action. It restored my faith in the series, which I had given up on with Rome. Most of the main problems (unit movement occasionally bugging) are simply related to re-using the Rome engine.

I'm both shocked and relieved to see so many people saying the same thing. I regained a positive attitude about Total War, at least somewhat, after MTW2. I didn't like some of the aspects of RTW's changes it kept like I hate the walk system with the progress bar and having to practically handhold your units across large distances because the thing doesn't let you tell them to just walk to x destination unless it's a short distance. I got really worried when RTW was first out because it attracted a huge fanbase to the series who neither played nor cared about the earlier games, and really just came because of the graphics and the buzz/hype and the fact that it was set in OMG ROME. I hope that Total War stays somewhat in the pre-modern eras because the creeping towards modern settings that so many strategy games do somehow seems to turn every series into Rise of Nations sooner or later. I pretty much find post-gunpowder warfare/tactics to be boring and uninteresting to follow, let alone command. (Subjective, I know, but I feel like so many "modern" war games are out there that the ones that excel at simulating ancient warfare styles should stay there, and not go make a "Napoleon Total War" or whatever.

Sigh... that's what I get for staying away too long. I peak in the next TW forum and see that it's exactly what I hoped they wouldn't do. ;)

[Roark]

I’ve done a little something for MTW called erhhrrm…… hrmm……….................……… Yes and perhaps you could try that?!? Maybe that would make you happier?

I'm deeply confused...

[Axalon]

Hi again Roark, (and everybody else as well)

I will be a little bit clearer for you. I have done a major mod for MTW (MTW-Redux) and its free and available right here at the Org. The only thing it will cost you is your attention and some 20-30 min of waiting for the download(s) and it is compatible with all the usual versions of MTW. Since it’s quite different from the original game it might very well offer you some new fun for a few months to come. Perhaps you should try it out? And maybe this will cheer you up some?

All the info and stuff is available over here:
https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=106497


Sorry for the side-jumping in this thread.

- Cheers

[Roark]

Cool! Thanks man!

[Axalon]

My pleasure, Roark.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Feel free to join the discussion regarding redux over at it's regular thread with questions or anything else you might want to share about it.