This game still has so much potential...

[Hockey85]

Since I haven't had any major graphical issues (other than optimization and some odd frame rate spikes) or crashes, I would like to point out to CA the things that are currently turning me off to this game. I was so excited for the release and now I have no interest in even firing it up.

-Unit cohesion/absence of guard mode- Blobs, blobs, and more blobs. Unit behaviors need to be tweaked so that battles don't turn into massive mosh pits. This is not visually pleasing or realistic. You had this perfect in the first RTW! The lack of unit cohesion and the blobs of men (professionally trained Romans for example) leave no room for tactical maneuvers, don't allow you to zoom in and enjoy watching the fighting. You implemented an awesome unit camera that gets you right up into the action, facial expressions and combat animations, we want to be able to watch them!

-Battle speeds- This feeds directly off my last point. The blob battles with no unit cohesion leads to men being exposed, and even the largest battles are over in minutes. Why add features like a unit cam, facial expressions and combat animations (which are totally awesome btw) when we can't even enjoy them? Increase moral or health of units, so the battles are actually entertaining and worth zooming in for. Watching units with 110/120 men remaining routing 4 seconds after being engaged is just plain stomach churning. Should battles last an hour and a half? NO. Again, you had this balance right in the first RTW!

-Melee units with ranged attack- Why is this no longer controllable by the player? Why can this feature only be used when charging? Why can I not use it defensively? The whole look and feel of this is clunky and frankly, makes no sense. Again, you had this feature right in the first RTW!

-Cavalry- Whats with them completely refusing to disengage an enemy unit? You send a unit of cavalry to attack an exposed unit of enemy skirmishers and they refuse to back off no matter how many times you click away. Also, whats with cavalry when you send them to kill routing enemys? They just merge into the group of routing enemies and kill like one ever 300 yards of following them....

-Capture points in open battles- This idea is fine for the center of a town in a siege battle, but not for an open field engagement. This idea completely negates strategic positioning of armies on good defensive points on a map (aka high ground, bottlenecks ect) which really takes away from any form of tactical decisions. Also an enemy unit of plebs can win their side a losing battle by sneaking over to a capture point? Really?

-Magic unit abilities- Little needs to be said about this.... I want to spend my time focusing on my units positioning and tactical maneuvers, not clicking magical abilities.

-No more captains- Why can an army not be split up and commanded by a captain? This severly limits troop movement and the ability to send reinforcements where they are needed on the campaign map. Silly.

-AI army composition- This is something that has always been an issue for me in TW games. I field a well balanced 20 stack of units with elite forces only to face enemy armies with 16/20 units of slingers. I want to face major elite well balanced enemy armies that put up a good fight, not 16/20 slingers and a couple units of peasants.

I really feel like there was just a lack of thought put into the development of this game. We like new features but stick with what works. If you consider yourself a "Total War Veteran" and you think this game is fine, you are either in denial or not paying very close attention.

[Hockey85]

Why the hell did my post show up in white? And why can I not edit this lol?

[agent 47]

Agree with all of the above, except maybe the no captains thing.

Ive yet to make my mind up on whether its good or bad. No guard mode and javelin implementation are game breakers though.

[Der Phönix]

This is for the most part spot on. If CA could address all these issues within short time we have a game that can compete with Rome I.

The capture points feature on open fields is insanely stupid. It removes the whole cocept of flexible defense and renders all ranged weapons useles.

[Dan113112]

Never had blobs of soldiers in my game. All units maintain cohesion fairly well. The AI doesn't seem to use strategic formations, though. However, on VH I've noticed that the AI does know how to flank and exploit the player. Especially with skirmishers.

I think battle speed is what makes units appear to be less cohesive.

There are captains and standard bearers. Just like ETW and NTW they are in the middle of the first rank. If phalanx pike men form a pike phalanx these officers move to the back of the formation.

Cavalry does seem to be a little unresponsive at times. I think this is more of a glitch, though. It seems that the game doesn't recognize some of your mouse clicks unless those lcicks are really firm.

Haven't looked into the melee infantry with ranged attack problem yet but I think it's toggle-able.

Capture points are only for defensive battles. The reason they are there is to show that the player is trying to defend a piece of ground. If they lose that ground they have realistically lost the battle. Personally I think they should only be used in things like fort battles or other stance battles.

I have yet to encounter a magical unit ability.

[Der Phönix]

Capture points are only for defensive battles. The reason they are there is to show that the player is trying to defend a piece of ground. If they lose that ground they have realistically lost the battle. Personally I think they should only be used in things like fort battles or other stance battles.

The whole point of engaging in battle on open fields, for both opponents, is flexibility. I don't know on what occasion IRL you would have to stand your ground in the midst of a desert.

[agent 47]

Capture points are only for defensive battles. The reason they are there is to show that the player is trying to defend a piece of ground. If they lose that ground they have realistically lost the battle. Personally I think they should only be used in things like fort battles or other stance battles.

Ye its pointless in a defensive open battle. Why should we be told what the key point to defend is. In previous total wars you'd find the best place to defend yourself and the enemy would have to attack it. I don't see how its necessary.

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