So I'm looking into using RTR instead of RTW (Vanilla...)

[AceOfDiamonds]

...and I got some questions for y'all.

First: I have read the FAQ, but it hasn't totally addressed my concerns.

I'm interested in playing a more realistic version of RTW, and I love RTR's expanded map and (in my opinion, based on what I've read) better unit selections. Particularly since I like playing Armenia / Parthia out in the east, and RTW totally nerfs those factions by reducing the eastern fronts. BUT...

1) Will downloading RTR destroy my capability to play both RTW (vanilla) AND RTW: Barbarian Invasion? Would I in effect lose two games for the price of one, or could I play either BI or RTW Vanilla after downloading RTR 6 Platinum?

2) Here's my other significant concern for RTR -- gameplay. Yes, I know RTR is more realistic -- but what's the gameplay like? I enjoy playing smaller or disadvantaged factions in RTW because RTW balances the game in such a way as to allow every faction a chance to compete. But if RTR is totally "realistic" then I imagine some factions are so disadvantaged as to be rendered virtually unplayable.

3) How much more space will RTR take in comparison to just RTW Vanilla and BI on my computer's hard drive?

4) After the full version of RTR VII comes out, will RTR VI Platinum users be able to easily upgrade to RTR VII or will it involve a total rehaul / reinstall?

5) So, no more chariots for Egypt, eh? Darn, those units were fun in RTW. Are chariots anywhere in the game at all, or were they completely nonexistent by 300 BC?

Anywhoo, I love historical accuracy / more cities in my videogames, so I do anticipate eventually downloading RTR regardless. But I haven't quite finished everything I want to do with RTW vanilla and BI, so I guess I'll have to wait until I'm done with all that first, eh? Thanks for your help everyone...

[Brusilov]

1) If you download the mod switch version of RTR PE then you will be able to play all three games. A mod switch version will install into it's own sub-folder much the same as RTW BI does.

If you have the disk space then the alternative is to take a copy of your RTW BI folder (RTW 1.5 and RTW BI 1.6) and install the RTR mod over the top of the copy. This approach can be taken for all mods.

2) The most challenged faction is probably Numidia. Players have managed to win with that faction (it has excellend light skirmisher units which if used properly can make a mess over heavy armies).

3) RTR PE will take up around 3.5Gb of space - that is the full version and not the mod switch version. I am fairly sure that the mod switch version takes less space. If space is a premium you can always move one of the games off-line (onto DVD-ROM), when you want to play it simply copy it back.

4) RTR VII will be a completely different mod to RTR PE. If you've taken a copy of a clean RTW BI (as explained in (1)) then it's just a new copy of the game.

5) Chariots exist for the AI with the rebels in Britain. Pontus has chariots, I think both archer mounted on chariots and spiked/scythed ones.

If you download a mod you may never go back to vanilla RTW. I can say I've not started a vanilla RTW game since I downloaded and played RTR a couple of years ago.

Don't wait!

[florin80]

3) RTR PE will take up around 3.5Gb of space - that is the full version and not the mod switch version. I am fairly sure that the mod switch version takes less space.

You`re kidding. The 3.5 Gb part refers to the whole RTW plus BI game folder and not just to RTRPE. If you install RTRPE into a diferent folder you`ll notice it`s only about 600 mb. The standard, no mod switch version. And a lot of the files(besides the graphic ones for the units and the ui) overwrite the vanilla ones so in the end it`s less than that. Comparing the two folders I think that the simple version of RTRPE adds about 400 extra mb to the vanilla game folder at the most. The mod switch version of RTRPE might add less because while it doesn`t overwrite any vanilla files it also contains less(no videos iirc).

[Brusilov]

You`re kidding. The 3.5 Gb part refers to the whole RTW plus BI game folder and not just to RTRPE.

No, that was RTW 1.5 RTW BI 1.6 with the full version of RTR PE. My install is just that - everything plus RTR PE. The original poster just needs to subtract thr RTW 1.5 and RTW BI 1.6 from the total - I presume that they will be able to do that.

Do you have a problem doing that?

I did not state how much RTR PE adds to the install. So, again I don't know what your problem is.

As posted I can't answer what the mod switch version adds as I didn't install it.

[florin80]

Wow, two times "problem" in a single post. I have none, but you should reflect for a minute and see what was troubling you. I don`t see anything to explain. The info posted previously was clear enough and I hope it helps the guy make up his mind.

[AqD]

2) Numidian is hard at the beginning but it's probably the easist after you took out carthage from north africa. You get a heaven with mostly large/huge cities and nobody would attack them, and no other AI faction is hostile to you.
________
WEB SHOWS

[El_Saracen]

2) Numidian is hard at the beginning but it's probably the easist after you took out carthage from north africa. You get a heaven with mostly large/huge cities and nobody would attack them, and no other AI faction is hostile to you.

I'd have to agree. Carthage betrayed our alliance within 4 turns or so lol. They had a much bigger army than me and kept attacking my cities to the east. I swear it was just a matter of surviving and out witting the AI (which was very easy, I played on medium/medium). It was looking pretty bleak at one point though.

When I had built up a horde of Numidian cavalry it was down hill for Carthage. Things quiet down because no one was attacking me (only Rome attacked me when I had taken half of Sicily). I built up huge hordes of Numidian cavalry and invaded Macedonia and Rome. Then it all became too easy and the fun wore off.

I enjoy the game so much more when I am really struggling, can't wait for AI in games to really improve (instead of graphics which I'm not really fussed about). TIC was definately a small step up for AI in RTW mods, but still leaves a lot to be desired.

[AceOfDiamonds]

Can anyone explain to me the differences between downloading the "mod switch" and "full version" of RTR PE? It sounds like the "mod switch" gives me the opportunity to still play RTW Vanilla with the original data, but mod switch also causes me to lose certain videos / extra gameplay functions? Is the mod switch version "less of a game" because of this?

Also, I just recently purchased RTW: Gold (with BI included) but the version of RTW comes up as "1.3" and not "1.5." Do I have to upgrade RTW vanilla to 1.5 before installing RTR PE?

[GustaiveTW]

Can anyone explain to me the differences between downloading the "mod switch" and "full version" of RTR PE? It sounds like the "mod switch" gives me the opportunity to still play RTW Vanilla with the original data, but mod switch also causes me to lose certain videos / extra gameplay functions? Is the mod switch version "less of a game" because of this?

Also, I just recently purchased RTW: Gold (with BI included) but the version of RTW comes up as "1.3" and not "1.5." Do I have to upgrade RTW vanilla to 1.5 before installing RTR PE?

Yeah if click on suport when the game loads up it should take you to where you can DL the patches.

Or, just google Rome: Total War patch 1.5

I DLed the most recent RTR: PE and it gives me the option to play RTW, RTW: BI and of course RTR: PE

Also, there aren't many videos.

[florin80]

Can anyone explain to me the differences between downloading the "mod switch" and "full version" of RTR PE? It sounds like the "mod switch" gives me the opportunity to still play RTW Vanilla with the original data, but mod switch also causes me to lose certain videos / extra gameplay functions? Is the mod switch version "less of a game" because of this?

I think it is missing the intro videos. You`ll also not have the menu animation in the background but a regular background picture. Other then that I don`t remember something important being removed. They`re basically the same thing when it comes to playing the game. Some have problems with the sound in the mod switch version iirc, but it can be fixed if it happens. The mod switch version installs in its own sub-forum so it doesn`t overwrite the vanilla RTW files. As a result you can play it and RTW or BI from the same game folder. And you can also install other mods that have the mod switch option in the same game folder. They`ll not conflict.

Also, I just recently purchased RTW: Gold (with BI included) but the version of RTW comes up as "1.3" and not "1.5." Do I have to upgrade RTW vanilla to 1.5 before installing RTR PE?

I`m guessing you have the edition that has RTW and BI on separate discs. What happens with this edition is that while RTW is v1.5, BI is v1.4 and it downgrades RTW to v1.3 when installed. The solution is to download and install the BI v1.6 patch. It will upgrade RTW to v1.5 and BI to v1.6. The links are in this guide:
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=58290
(note that the RTRPE install section of the guide and its dl links are refering to the simple, no modswitch version)
Also, we have a FAQ thread for RTRPE that may prove usefull:
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=121118

[AceOfDiamonds]

Are we talking about the same exact videos used in the intro sequences for RTW, or does RTR (the full no modswitch version) have its own unique intro video sequences?

[Brusilov]

Are we talking about the same exact videos used in the intro sequences for RTW, or does RTR (the full no modswitch version) have its own unique intro video sequences?

I think in RTW there was a start movie when the game was loaded but there is also a faction movie played at the start of a campaign which was specific to the faction you selected to play.

In RTR there is a start movie but no faction introduction movie.

See this post (it's about RTR 6 Gold but RTR PE was ported from there) it shows the start sequence of screens for RTR.

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showp...22&postcount=1

Edited: There are two start movies in RTR - the first is the action between Rome and Macedon and the second is the titles.

[phoebusapollon]

yeah the movie isnt there in the mod switch - which is great because when i want to play i just want to get to the action - not have to bother with pressing escape to stop the movie

[Brusilov]

yeah the movie isnt there in the mod switch - which is great because when i want to play i just want to get to the action - not have to bother with pressing escape to stop the movie

Well, you could always use the -nm switch to skip the movie if you wanted to.

[AceOfDiamonds]

So let me see if I have this straight.

With the mod-switch version of RTR, I can play all three versions of the game (RTW, BI and RTR.) I imagine RTW and RTR are both accessible with the RTW vanilla disc and BI is still accessible via the BI disc. Would I access RTR from a different icon on my desktop then I'd use to access RTW? There are no opening videos for RTR with *factions,* but still a unique opening video for RTR in the mod-switch version when you open the *game.*

With the full version of RTR, I get faction videos (are these the same faction videos as those already in RTW, or unique ones?) I lose the ability to play RTW vanilla but *not* the ability to play BI if I enter the BI disc, right? And other facets of the game are essentially unchanged between the versions.

Are there any additional bugs with either version I wouldn't find with the others? I mean, is the mod-switch version more or less "stable" than the full version of RTR? The way I see it is I'll download either version of RTR -- but I'd prefer to have the one that tends to work better, ie less bugs, less chance of crashes, et al.

It'd also make a huge difference for me if the full (non mod-switch) version of RTR didn't eradicate BI. If I could keep BI I'd almost consider going for the full RTR experience anyway: I prefer BI over vanilla RTW (BI strikes me as ever-so-slightly-more-realistic, what with no Brutii / Julii / Scipii factions.) But I'd hate to risk losing BI playability -- at least until after I beat BI with a few factions, at which point I could probably upgrade to RTR VII, which I hear works on the BI engine.

[Brusilov]

With the full version of RTR, I get faction videos (are these the same faction videos as those already in RTW, or unique ones?)

There are no faction videos.

[Sphere]

Just get the mod-switch one. Its 100% the same game 99.99% the same files.

Better yet, install RTR VII: The Iberian Conflict and get yourself rocked.

[AngryTitusPullo]

The full version (non-mod switch) will also effect BI since BI will access some files from vanilla RTW which was changed with the installation of RTR.

[phoebusapollon]

is it possible to play TIC with RTR platinum? i dont have RTR 7

[AceOfDiamonds]

So where and how do I download the mod-switch files I'll need? Sounds like the mod-switch version of RTR PE is what I'm looking for, as I'll still get to play RTW vanilla and RTW BI for whatever reasons I might want to. (Though RTR PE sounds like a far better game IMO.)

As for Iberian Conflict, I'm intrigued, but Spain is one of the least interesting areas of the ancient world for me historically, and I hear you can only play there with Carthage and a few Iberian factions. How's about I'll wait til RTR VII full comes out -- that sounds like a real party.