Celebrating the Greatest Total War game ever!

[Aurion]

I celebrate the fact that in M:TW, the AI factions actually honor their alliances, and didn't betray you the instant you aren't staring them down.

I celebrate the fact that instead of worrying about the King's-cousin's-nephew's-son's crazy, lazy boy-loving arse of a brother, I only have to worry about the people who are actually relevant.

I celebrate the fact that there was a well-done heraldry system, and that since each unit was lead by a minor noble, you could identify men of great potential outside of your royal family as opposed to being given the choice to "Adopt" Random Guy X Of Y.

I celebrate the fact that although you couldn't choose your faction heir, the game usually picked the best available heir to rule your kingdom as opposed to some random guy who came into the family because he married the aforementioned crazy, boy-loving arse's baby....er I mean daughter.

I celebrate the fact that the whole damn map dosen't go 100% Catholic like Medieval II's 20 years into the campaign.

Maybe more as I think of them.

[gil-galad]

Don't forget the spearmen in the game who was actually able to do their JOBS and don't get shredded by the CAVALRY!
That really pissed me of in mtw II. I mean c'mon a lancer battallion is able to commit a full frontal charge againist lets say the papal guard the best spearman in the game and yet rape them.
In mtw I however lancers (identical to the ones in the second game) just souldn't charge any spearmen upfront unless it is light armored. Any chance they did such thing againist swiss pikes they lose half their troop with swiss only loosing 4 or 5. That was more realistic.

[therussian]

Lancers are killer. They're the best cavalry in the game (though I also did love those Hospitaller Knights)

[Great Alan]

Maybe let me share my view about MTW1 and MTW2 with the others:

MTW 1 is really a great game,the AI is really smart!You're more difficult to have a chance to outflank the emeny's troops.But compare its graphic and sound,surely inferior than MTW 2.

MTW 2 is also a good game,it's wonderful in graphics and sound,but its AI is really awful!Sometimes the AI army even just stand and let your archer slaughter his troops.

[dogukan]

first MTW had a very different atmosphere IMO. Though I was young and it made a different impact on me. When I opened that game I felt so much different on menı. The music was so cool, everything looked more medieval, I doN't know I can't explain

[dragoon47]

The main thing I liked about it was the fact that the AI would just say "%$&^ THIS!" right in the middle of a battle if they feel they couldn't fight you. I had a fight as the Crusaders and an Egyptian army attacked my province but they only skirmished with my troops with a large force of desert and horse archers against my small force of OFS and Knights Templar. When they ran out of ammo, or just got tired of shooting at me they just left, and made me feel like I just got punk'd...

I like Medieval II though, albeit with the XBAI and XCAI installed to make up for its shortfalls. In my mod for Empire I hope to bring the game more back to its roots, such as bringing things like cohesion back, I really misscohesion...

[Dust Bunnies]

MTW was THE perfect game. I have very fond memories of the hours I spent playing (and now I'm trying to get it to work).

I remember many fond memories, including making my own little family trees on blank pieces of paper, to keep track of the family line. I would also marry my princesses off to family members.

[Krieg_Boy]

Every time i played Medieval total war, i had the sensation that i was playing some kind of medieval chess..
I loved to make those huge armies and then drag the "chess" knights to the neighbour provices..
And every time i was atacked i always crossed my fingers and saying: "win, win, win..." while clicking the "auto-battle" button.. hahaha delicious memories.

THE BEST TOTAL WAR GAME EVER! :')

[TWoxy]

Sometimes the AI army even just stand and let your archer slaughter his troops.

This bug, known as the "passive" AI bug, was largely corrected with the release of the 1.2 patch. I never experienced it again after installing the patch.

[raycharles5]

when playing as England i controlled half the map. and the Pope controlled the other half.
i lost the campaign due to three civil wars.

[xfootballer]

just like to add that mtw and shogun are the best games ever. I almost cried when they stopped working. The new games focus too much on flash and not enough on substance

[Martok]

Sorry to hear neither game runs on your computer anymore; I think I'd go insane if that happened to me. Was it because you switched to an Nvidia card?

[therussian]

Alas, I too have not been able to play MTW. Unfortunately, i lost Disc 1 to MTW (even though I have VI), and can't find it.

Woe is me!

[Maizel]

It's sad though, that the TW series has been at it's zenith with it's second game. Almost 7 years, (almost) 3 games and a bunch of expansions later, the TW series has yet to reach the quality of the original Medieval:Total War again. I doubt very much that Empire: Total War will.

[DaVinci]

Alas, I too have not been able to play MTW. Unfortunately, i lost Disc 1 to MTW (even though I have VI), and can't find it.

Woe is me!

MTW is that cheap to buy in the meantime, i recently saw it in supermarkets in the electronic-departments (in Hamburg at least) for about 5 - 7 Euro.

[Thermal]

add this to the list
the AI build lots of buildings! shogun rome and medieval 2 AI stupidly barely build a thing, on MTW 1 regions are actually developed and in some cases to more of an extent than my own

[DaVinci]

add this to the list
the AI build lots of buildings! shogun rome and medieval 2 AI stupidly barely build a thing, on MTW 1 regions are actually developed and in some cases to more of an extent than my own

Therfore you can get mods that correct bad AI, for example try Chivalry TW (requires RTW or BI installed).

[Thermal]

Therfore you can get mods that correct bad AI, for example try Chivalry TW (requires RTW or BI installed).

yes, i was just pointing out a good MTW feature, i figured that was the point?

[Wei Qing]

when playing as England i controlled half the map. and the Pope controlled the other half.
i lost the campaign due to three civil wars.

This "Civil War" and "Re-emergence" is the best and unique features that RTW and MTW 2 could never have. That makes your enemies much more formidable. In one instance, my first campaign in MTW is France. I have reached the apogee when the country was able to expand eastwards by annexing northern provinces of Holy German Empire (Brandenburg, Prussia and those near the sea) and securing a western corrdor. The next 50 years saw a major struggle between my kingdom and Poland, the mightest empire on the map, had expanded to the east against the Rus and occupied Hungary as well as Serbia. By destroying their capital Poland and annexing Volhynia, the empire fell into Civil War amd dissapeared. That is when France became the mightest for the next 20 years, until the England blew a deadly massive assault on me. The Western Corridor was cut off from the motherland. My mistake of not annexing Aquitaine and Normandy paid great prices. The empire fractured and divided, while England attacked and occupied all the northern part. The Western Corridor now faced the powerful Holy Roman Empire and the emergence of Swiss, and was cut off totally from France. The only place I retained the control in the East is Poland, while Volhynia lost to Russia. Then at around 1415, a major event happened, I won decisive victory over England and recovered the control of Ile-De-France, and yet wars fell to stalemate for none of the sides could score any other victory. And then Burgundy revolted, emerged as Burgundian new faction. The next 20 years saw an uneasy relationship between France and Burgundy (whom I call the Eastern France Kingdom). Then France won England in Acquitaine, annexed Britanny and in 1435 destroyed her major army in Flanders. England now fell to chaos and Civil War devastated their kingdom. I took this opportunity and launched a quick attack on British Isles and occupied their souther territories. Turning to the Burgundy my deteriorated army scored a victory in their land and 5 years later recaptured the province, annihilated them. The economy was recovering and I attempted to expand to the east, trying to connect Poland with the rest of the kingdom but at this time, Hungary fell to Civil War and the nightmare Poland once again re-emerged. They fought my exhausted and outdated army in Poland and successfully took it, while Swiss made sure that the Western Corridor had permanently lost. The campaign ended in a full hexagonal France with southern England. Poland became a powerful kingdom again but not at their heyday, while Eastern Europe now witnessed the powerful Rus destroyed the Mongols. The England reduced to be a minor faction, while Holy Roman Empire was harassed by the powerful Swiss. The most celebrated event is on the eve of 1453, France became Swiss' alliance. This is the greatest campaign in all series of Total War I have ever played.

Therfore you can get mods that correct bad AI, for example try Chivalry TW (requires RTW or BI installed).

That still means RTW was backward as compared to MTW on this issue, while you have installed a bunch of patch for your game, you do not have to do anything while playing MTW.

[The Great Caliph]

MTW & of course, STW both are worth revisiting. Better gameplay, mecahnics & most of all, the characters you come to love & hate.

Seeing your heirs bickered & went to war devastating your hard earned Empire, is something to behold. The burden of executing the traitors (knowing they are your own bloodlines) are something else. Achhhhh ....