Bravo CA, you got me

**Acousticx** · October 19, 2012, 06:33 PM

Long time poster here on TWC, and I felt like it was the right time to chime in on RTW II after seeing the latest actual gameplay video.

I started playing Total War when I bought Medieval II. Very good game, brought aspects from turn based and RTS into one complete game. Just as it's predecessors had done of course. With every revealing of a new TW game I never really was completely sold on a product ,and never felt that I needed to buy the next game to get a better experience then I already was having with the current or past products.

I bought empire because of it's largescale map and time period that I really enjoyed. No gameplay feature made me think "I have got to buy this game immediately!". In fact, I waited a couple months after release to finally pick it up. The game was certainly different from Medieval, as it had some decent improvements and also had some decent shortcomings as well. All in all it was a good game but if it wouldn't have been for the time period, the game would have never bought.

Next came the big Napoleon Total War. The game that was basically taking Empire, shrinking it in size and adding lots of fixes/improvements to it. Solid game, didn't buy it until about 6 months after release though. Gameplay was no different then previous versions, time period was lacking of interest imo, and it generally didn't grab my attention. Like I said though, solid game..especially for online.

Then came Shogun Total War II. First thought that came to mind upon hearing it's announcement :"I hate samurais." Some people said the gameplay improvements were worth the buy but I couldn't get past the time period nor the small size of the map. Never bought it, don't intend to either.

Rome Total War II blows up the TWC after being announced and everyone goes crazy. I can only think to myself, "Ok, RTW was a solid game back in the day. Not one of my favorite eras, and I am sure it's gonna be the same thing with Shogun II graphics and naval battles...no biggie."

^WRONG^

After watching the latest RTW II gameplay, I can say I was certainly quick to judge. After seeing that footage I can honestly say I don't care what era the game is set in. We can be cavemen lining up to throw stones and sticks on fire at each other for all I care. With all of the improvements to the engine from just what I have seen this game is a guarantee buy for me. The combat looked so alive , the micromanaging opportunities looked amazing, the naval inclusion with land infantry was breath taking to say the least. It really made me want to play a battle in the game, no matter how large or even where it took place.

Seriously though, CA your stepping in the right direction with this game. The one thing that makes this game so intriguing is that if most of what is expected to come from this game actually happens, then I will feel as if I will be playing an obsolete game with previous titles. The engine improvements are very apparent and I can only imagine what we will see in the future not only on the battle map but also on the campaign map. Anyways, long rant over.

Bravo CA, you got a secure buy from me

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**Ne Obliviscaris** · October 20, 2012, 07:26 AM

Amen to that, but I love Roman history.
Carthago delenda est!

**Destraex** · October 20, 2012, 08:14 AM

You actually kind of sound like you have a very narrow set of periods you like. I think that's the real problem.
You need to be inspired before you will buy anything. I have a few mates like you. I have to get them excited about different theaters and wars.

Generally its just ignorance on their part about how awesome things are in a given period.

Reminds me a little of why we have so many ww2 movies and games about America and not any other ww2 army or period.
People just do not know any better. Spoon fed.

**rogergargantua** · October 20, 2012, 08:34 AM

Well said, Acousticx! The gameplay trailer definately looks awesome. But I agree more with the guy below.

Originally Posted by Destraex

You actually kind of sound like you have a very narrow set of periods you like. I think that's the real problem.
You need to be inspired before you will buy anything. I have a few mates like you. I have to get them excited about different theaters and wars.

Generally its just ignorance on their part about how awesome things are in a given period.

Reminds me a little of why we have so many ww2 movies and games about America and not any other ww2 army or period.
People just do not know any better. Spoon fed.

I think you should invest more time in some periods....if you like Medieval 2, Acousticx, you will love Rome period for sure. So much different nations. All of them their own unique fighting style, it's gonna be a blast!

**Acousticx** · October 20, 2012, 10:15 AM

I do like the Roman era, along with other eras in the TW games ,but my main argument was that the Era alone didn't drag me into the game. So that basically puts my focus on actual gameplay, which I stated never really improved that much for me to think "I have to get this game". With RTW II, no matter if you like the settings or not, I think it will be a must buy.

Big historical buff here, but some periods don't interest me as much as others. If it would have been up to me, the next game would have been set in the Victorian Age. Does that mean I hate all other eras and am ill informed about them? No, just means I prefer one over the other.

**rogergargantua** · October 20, 2012, 12:25 PM

Yeah, i'm with you on that! I also didnt buy Shogun2. Mainly because the map is way too small for my taste....and most clans are too similar. I like diversity. Medieval2:total war is good in my opinion. Though some European factions are quite similar, there's still some nice differences.

But to me, the period of Romans gives the most diversity of em all. But I dont like playing R:TW again. The AI is just not fun anymore. It feels too much like playing against a CPU (sending stack after stack to your cities, not giving in on diplomatic stuff, etc.). So more reason to look forward to Rome2! I mean, the CAI is quite good since Napoleon (I also dont own this game so i cant be sure, but from what I read, Napoleon and Shogun2 Campaign AI is really nice).

I hope Rome2 gives us enough great gameplay with some fun options in military, construction, political, diplomatical stuff, etc.