Newbie Question

[Marcus Falconius]

I have just been introduced to this site and am very impressed, must admit i am slightly baffled at the amount of mods and updates available, is there a guide or a post which helps a newbie like me decide which mod?, or has anyone any advice as to which is the most realistic and historically accurate version of playing this fantastic game, any advice would be well appreciated.

[thegravytrain18]

I play RTR Platinum 1.9, because it is infact the most realistic you're going to find. The way to install it is install RTW, install patches 1.3 and 1.5, and then launch the full install of platinum 1.9. Pretty simple. I recommend though that before you do all that, copy the original RTW Data folder in your main RTW directory. Apparently its important, like you'll only be able to uninstall RTR if you do this.

I have a question for anyone else reading this thread, and its about the Data folder. I patched RTW fully, and before installing RTRPE, I copied the Data folder. But when I swap it with the Data folder after installing RTRPE, all it does is makes the game crash. But I've heard that if you do that you can play vanilla. So am I missing a step?

[Brusilov]

I play RTR Platinum 1.9, because it is infact the most realistic you're going to find. The way to install it is install RTW, install patches 1.3 and 1.5, and then launch the full install of platinum 1.9. Pretty simple. I recommend though that before you do all that, copy the original RTW Data folder in your main RTW directory. Apparently its important, like you'll only be able to uninstall RTR if you do this.

I have a question for anyone else reading this thread, and its about the Data folder. I patched RTW fully, and before installing RTRPE, I copied the Data folder. But when I swap it with the Data folder after installing RTRPE, all it does is makes the game crash. But I've heard that if you do that you can play vanilla. So am I missing a step?

Which version of RTR PE are you playing? There is a mod switch version available. I presume this could have a bearing on some of the responses.

Personally, I keep things simple. I take a copy of the folder and modify that. I have a folder that is a RTW 1.2 and one that is RTW 1.5 and BI 1.6 - these never get modified. The 'official' folder is also a RTW 1.5 BI 1.6.

I then take copies of these and apply patches to the relevant new folder. The following is the current set that I have.



I have had others in the past as well but I changed my PC in the last six months and didn't reload some of the original ones.

This approach can't be taken if space is a problem, but you could always burn one of the folders. RTW 1.2 takes about 2.28gB and RTW 1.5 BI 1.6 takes 3.13gB.

Most modern PCs have disk space to waste.

If you want to remove a game or have made such a mess you need to go back to scratch - simply delete the contents of the copied folder, copy the relevant 'clean' folder and then patch it.

@Marcus Falconius
I usually play RTR 6 Gold. I have run some RTR PE campaigns but I think the graphics changes with games based on RTW 1.5 or RTW BI 1.6 - watching units continually shuffle around (in place) doesn't go down with me. I have run some EB campaigns but have never really gotten into the complexity of that game, I've been playing RTR games since about RTR 5.4. I have played Troy Total War in the past and enjoyed that.

[ciprianrusu]

This approach can't be taken if space is a problem, but you could always burn one of the folders. RTW 1.2 takes about 2.28gB and RTW 1.5 BI 1.6 takes 3.13gB.

So if i don't have enough disk space, a can copy the entire folder onto a DVD, and then ereas it from my HDD? And when i want to play that certain game i just pop in the dvd and play the game from there?

[Brusilov]

So if i don't have enough disk space, a can copy the entire folder onto a DVD, and then ereas it from my HDD? And when i want to play that certain game i just pop in the dvd and play the game from there?

No, I am quite sure that you need to have the game folder on hard drive in order to play it. Taking a version (or two) of the game 'off-line' is simply a way of saving space.

The contents of the folder could be the version that you want to play at the time. As previously posted hard drive space isn't a problem for me, if it was I would keep at least one copy of the game on hard drive and keep replacing the contents with whichever version I wanted to play.

[Quinctius Cincinnatus]

Well - I understand your emotion completely- there are indeed plenty of mods out there.

The only question is- which is best?

I have my own favorites: but I will list some very historically accurate version below:

RTR Platinum- the latest released version of the RTR team.
Iberia- Total War- epic punic and iberian wars really a good mod with amazing gameplay.
The First Triumvirate and 77BC - two mods of Roman Civil war- challenging.
Europa Barbarorum- if you like in dept campaigning

QC,
RTR: PR.

[thegravytrain18]

I downloaded the Platinum 1.9 full install, over BI. Would that have mod switching? And if so, how do I use it?

[Brusilov]

There is a separate version that is the 'mod switch version'. See the following post;

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=105336

[thegravytrain18]

So wait, what you're saying in your first post is that you install RTW, and then copy the Data folder and paste it somewhere else, and then install mods onto copies of it? And then you can just pick whichever one you want and just put it in the RTW directory and play? Cause when I try to take my copy of RTW Data and replace the RTR Data in my game directory, all I see is the initial vanilla loading screen, and then it crashes. Is that why I need a mod switch version?

[AngryTitusPullo]

So wait, what you're saying in your first post is that you install RTW, and then copy the Data folder and paste it somewhere else, and then install mods onto copies of it? And then you can just pick whichever one you want and just put it in the RTW directory and play? Cause when I try to take my copy of RTW Data and replace the RTR Data in my game directory, all I see is the initial vanilla loading screen, and then it crashes. Is that why I need a mod switch version?

No.. what he means is doing multiple copies of Rome - Total War folder (which contains vanilla data) and install mods on these folders. Since you can't install the game more than once, this is the only way.

However, if you choose the mod switch version of RTRPE (and many other mods out there which uses this style) you can have a single installation of RTW only while still be able to play vanilla games.

This is because mod switch version install the mod on it's own mod folder (within the main RTW installation) and (usually) do not change any vanilla files at all (from the data folder).

[thegravytrain18]

Ooohh okay... I think I'm just going to with Brusilov's technique. Either way, I have to reinstall, dangit.

[Brusilov]

Ooohh okay... I think I'm just going to with Brusilov's technique. Either way, I have to reinstall, dangit.

Yes, I did that several times (reinstall) before someone suggested that copies can be taken of the whole game folder. If you do this just make sure you keep a clean copy of RTW 1.2 or RTW 1.5 and/or RTW BI 1.6. The RTW 1.2 may well be redundant nowadays.

The mod switch version is the cleaner solution (I think from the early days there weren't that many mod switch versions around). It's just what you are comfortable with. Disk space isn't a problem for me so I've taken the copy of the complete folder approach.

When you apply CA patches they usually only work against the 'standard' folder name. Mods will, usually, work against any folder - just make sure of that before you patch.