The "is R2 worth it?" thread

[frenchyvinnie]

Hello fellow TW fans.

First of all, this is not another "I hate CA" thread. I am not here to discuss R2TW's flaws. Many other threads are taking good care of that. I am simply asking for some advice as a customer.

So I'm about to get a new gaming laptop!
One of the first games I wanted to play on it was Rome 2 TW. Yet, this game seems to be plagued with various design and gameplay issues. So I wanted to ask those of you out there that have already tried out R2TW: In your opinion, should I bother buying R2TW?
From my perspective, I can make three different decisions about Rome 2:

1°/ Buy it straight away! It's great and epic!

2°/ Game is currently broken but CA is working hard to fix it! Just give them some time and then buy it!

3°/ This game isn't worth a nickel. Save your money or go buy GTA V!


So what would you guys tell me to do? Do you regret buying Rome 2?
Any advice would be most welcome!

[cevap]

Hmm... when patch 2 was released Id go with the second option but after patch 3 Id go with the third. Id recommend waiting a few more months of patches and gameplay fixes, I dont know how many features CA means to expand but a lot of the game is placeholders right now.

[Metallistic]

Isn't worth it right now. Wait for 2-3 months.

[Praetorian349]

Option 1, it's awesome. It has its issues and I have my complaints, but every game is like that.

On the whole, it's amazing.

And, to be honest, I had more technical issues with vanilla Rome with the SPQR mod than I do with Rome 2. xD

[Drowsy]

Not for the retail price imo, and certainly not if u haven't tried some of the other TW titles yet. Though for it's many many many many many many many flaws, bugs and missing features it's still a fun game if u like the time period. Sacking Carthago works and their are many Gauls to enslave, what else can a honest Roman want?

[Dunadd]

I'd say 2 - not worth it right now but patches fixing the worst bugs and it will be worth buying in a few months by the time people have worked out how to mod more of it. Not really worth it even if worst bugs fixed atm as still needs many things modded.

I've only had Steam updates so far , so don't have patch 3 beta installed yet (needs to be downloaded and installed manually) but so far i still have battles in which some enemy units turn invisible except for their banner and become invulnerable to attack, which means you can't finish the battle.

[Anna_Gein]

Between option 2 and option 3.

I don't consider myself as suffering overly massive bugs and optimizations issues but to give you an order of idea of what R2 experience can be.

- The first battle I fought, I suffered zero casualties. The AI advanced its troop toward mine troops. I even ordered melee engagement but apparently the AI failed or forgot to tell its units to fight.
- The first time I faced an assault against my walled settlements, the AI did not built any siege equipment, it simply burned the iron gates with torch and then sprint through my troops in direction to the city plaza to finally start to fight once some of its units reached the plaza.
- The second siege I fought, the historical battle of Carthage, I encountered the siege tower bug : first rank troops reach the enemy wall then the tower mysteriously decide to turn 90 degree and the rest of my soldier tried to reach the enemy wall but flew down to the soil. Result : siege tower and unit lost for the battle.

Conclusion : it was a good idea to let an hyped friend buy the game and try his copy rather than immediately buy one for myself.

If things finally go right (and it is about time for this game) it may possibly be playable in 4/5 months but nothing sure. At this time the game would be probably 30/40 percent less costly. In the meantime you could occupy yourself by playing Shogun 2. R2 is just an S2 reskin with about every gameplay area terrible balanced while S2 was overall good and can approach perfection with your favourite mods. Lot of others games, strategy or not, if you want something else. Alea Jacta Est can provide you your Roman fix if you are a veteran strategy player who don't need shiny graphics.

[Humble Warrior]

The Patch 3 is in the right direction, but in the right direction like pushing a nice-looking car with a busted engine in the right direction. Much yet needs to be done.

[frenchyvinnie]

To answer some of the questions raised by you guys, I have actually played all TW games since rome 1. And I loved every single one of them, even ETW or S2TW, which seem to be so controversial with some people.
So yeah, if R2TW turns out to be really really really bad, I could be really really really disappointed.

So it seems that most of you advise me to wait it out. Can I have some more details about the first three patches then? Did they actually fix much? Has CA announced any future additional patch already?

[cevap]

Patches will continue and yes the first 3 patches fixed much, patch 2 improved turn-times and some lag, patch 3 slowed down the units and removed a lot of victory-point battles but did nothing for the optimisation.
Thing is reading patch notes you feel youre playing an alpha theyre incredibly long but sadly not long enough, I think 5 or more patches this size or bigger are needed and like many noticed some features are missing and some are half done so I guess they need to add stuff in places too.

I think CA plans to do weekly patches but you can never be sure, the game is currently in late Beta Id guess despite the missing features and placeholders like the politics system and the UI. The siege AI needs an overhaul and CAI and BAI need massive improvements in places although sometimes they act like they should.

[Maelbox]

If you can secure it for significantly less than retail price and you really want to play, you might as well. However if I were you I'd just wait 2-3 months after many of the bugs have been smoothed out and the price drops even further.

It's not a bad game, but like you already said there are a ton of bugs and design problems. The bugs don't bother me so much as the design flaws. The UI is poor, both aesthetically and on an interactive and informational level, the atmosphere struggles to identify with the period it's set in, cut content such as the family tree and individual settlement management (remember CA: removing content =/= streamlining), and many other design issues that, in my opinion, overshadow the bugs because they will eventually be patched. While on the surface it may look like the size of a lake, in reality it's as deep as a puddle, and the game suffers greatly for this.

So like I said, if you're desperate pick it up now, but if not just wait a while the for the bugs to be smoothed out. Either way, don't pay the full retail price.

[Praetorian349]

I prefer the Province system. Makes everything seem more realistic. There wouldn't be a governor assigned to each settlement, acting autonomously. They would govern a province.

What's more, it makes each campaign for a province feel like its own miniature conquest mission.

[=Vastator=]

Stop wasting time and go buy GTA V...
I am waiting for the PC version

[ShadowMassa]

Entertain yourself with another game, GTA V, Battlefield 4, Call of Duty: Ghost, Metro: Last Light. Now I don't if they game will ever be properly patched, features which were cut implemented again. I think you should probably wait about the time of Thanks Giving (in U.S.) or Xmas and buy it, and you likely get it on a sale by then and it's likely.

[IlluminatiRex]

I'd say go for it. It's not perfect, but I've had a lot of good fun with it since release.

[PlPs]

I was huge fan of Shogun 2 and now I forgot Shogun 2. This game is just fantastic. after a few patches, I believe, all bugs will be gone. anyway, if you love Roman era get this game.

[Strattios]

For now, option 3. I say that because it may improve in a month, or we may have to wait till next year, or it may simply remain a low point in TW history. Don't spend the money on it now. If it does improve, it will be down the road and you can get it for less.

[Little Legionaire]

Isn't worth it... I'd save my Money at least for a six months of period. Wait not only the patches in fact wait for the mods. Large scale mod projects will make that game great not CA' weekly updates.

For example Rome I. Think about playing vanilla Rome or Europa Barbarorun or Rome Surrectum.

CA, imo will just fix the game, polish some AI and balance the battles but i don't expect from them to make any core gameplay alterations. If they real do that i'll appreciate their efforts wholeheartedly and swallow my words but Modders will do that and make that game great as it should be. As gameplay deepness, diversity and quality even the years old Europa Barbarorum is far better than Rome II vanilla.

My two cents,

[SirRobin]

I wanted to buy a new computer for Rome II as well. Now I'm waiting before buying either. Will see how the community reacts to the upcoming patches, but I must admit I don't have high hopes.

Oh well, saves me a lot of money and time I guess

[tom_gr7]

I'd skip it (if i could go back in time) just not worth the pain, having to stalk forums for mods to make the game playable/semi enjoyable/balance features, or even for stupid bug fixes and patch updates.

Right now, I cant even play it. Was working two hours ago, had a little break, came back and started the game again and boom "rome II not responding" now i cant play at all.

Wait till after Christmas/New year.