A Lot of New Info from Gamestar

[SturmChurro]

AFAIK, the only thing changing difficulty in TW games does is it gives morale buffs, stat buffs and lower training costs to the AI and also makes the AI more aggressive towards the player and more prone to backstab.

Umm... how about land and attack the player?

Not using archers during a siege is stupid. What's the point of having walls then if not as an advantage to shower the besiegers with missiles? I think what's even worse here is that the AI keeps splitting its units. Like in Shogun 2 the AI would often peel off one or several units to harass the player for some incomprehensible reason.

If you would have bothered to read my later text I said:

It is trying to find something to fight at sea. Now if it still had its units still on board doing nothing, and not yet landed them, that could be an issue.

Can you still use transport ships after they have been unloaded?

Also:

What the AI doesn't get the two volleys off before it gets rushed with infantry on first assault?

I am not saying not putting archers on the walls is a good thing, I would personally like to see them on the walls and then retreating when they will be hit with infantry. The AI is keeping it's stronger units on the walls, so that when the melee happens it's missile units don't get destroyed so easily, I assume.

[=Vastator=]

Perfect AI is a gamers pipe dream that I've never seen realised. As long as its an improvement, even a slight one, from Shogun 2 I'll be happy.

Who wants perfect AI? I personally would have an AI more similar to SHogun 2 (not perfect, but quite good), instead of the Empire AI

[Eisenhart_IV]

During a siege the ai placed their infantry on the walls and their archers in the middle of the town.

[Marvzilla]

Updated my post for more information.

[SughdianWarrior]

Updated my post for more information.

Thanks. Can you translate the part about AI too please?

[Marvzilla]

Thanks. Can you translate the part about AI too please?

Was more or less done by someone else. Overall it gave an rather crappy impression (though the AI managed to outflank them and take out a ballista).

[Huberto]

No one expects the AI to be excellent. However, I think the hope was that they would build on the BAI's rocks-paper-scissors ability as demonstrated in S2 and give us something at least that good. Then we all saw the Nile battle. This review apparently is further confirmation of weakness.

And no demo, at least for the plebians.

[Huberto]

Awful lot of rationalizing and excuse making going on in this thread.

[PlacidDragon]

Awful lot of rationalizing and excuse making going on in this thread.

hehe, i'd reply with "You must be new here", but as i can see that you are not, surely you would not have expected anything else ?

"What do you expect, the game is in Alpha"
"What do you expect, the game is in Beta"
"What do you expect, its just been released"
and so on and so on...

[nameless]

Awful lot of rationalizing and excuse making going on in this thread.

Had the review come out praising the game we could say the same about others who would go around doing the opposite anyways.

It's better to wait for other previews/reviews to come out to get a better idea of the whole thing.

I think they already said that test version for all events and interviewers was the build 3 months ago which pretty much an out of date version

Well CA would be working on the game so it wouldn't make sense for the interviewers to get the actual build...on that matter how long ago was it? Is this interview they did recently?

oh great, Realm Divide all over again!

You should probably go play Total War games instead of just bandwagon jumping.

This is more akin to Empire Total war where we had multiple classes to appease and if we fail we trigger a civil war and then have the choice of going with the rebels or the loyalists.

Shogun 2 in itself was one massive civil war, Realm Divide occurred when one faction gained tons of power and everyone else (pretty much enemies anyways) ganged up to take on the player. That is in no way related to what this is. This is completely internal and more Empire Total War. Or are you telling me that the player has control of all the factions in Shogun 2 because that wasn't the case so I suggest you go play the actual game first.

[SughdianWarrior]

unfortunately the AI apperently hasn't improved much with the notable exception of one flanking maneuver on the battle map. On the Campaign map the AI likes to send mini-armies arround the map ( we are reminded, that the game is still no finished and that the tester was only able to play the proluge on the easiest difficulty)

The AI often advances directly towards your units even if the can't see them (line of sight)

some of the weird the ai pulled:

- Letting the cavalry run in circles (while being shot at)

- During a attack on a coastal town two transport ships calmly rowed arround the whole map instead of attacking the player

-During a siege the ai placed their infantry on the walls and their archers in the middle of the town.

That's pretty disappointing.
I like what Gamestar does, cuts to the chase without wasting readers' time on hype and subjective opinions on how awesome the game is. If the AI is crap - the game is crap. I still have a hope this is not the case. I was going to say Shogun 2 AI wasn't too retarded, but the challenges that AI faces in Rome 2 are much more complex.

[Eisenhart_IV]

Just as a general note, is a place like TWC liable at all for people sharing these?

Edit: Nevermind. I was wrong.

The problem is that, according to the information provided, the AI appears to be in a dysfunctional, illogical state. A lot of people were already on edge because we haven't been allowed to see anything but scripted battles/gameplay so far, so this could be seen as confirming a lot of fears.

It'd be nice if CA could come out and at least deny what was claimed. Preferably release a video of unscripted gameplay, finally.

Indeed. Knowing CA's track record, I'm starting to lower my expectations. At least i won't be too disappointed then, if it turns out to be c**p.

[vietanh797]

- As in FotS you can manually shoot with ballistas

Yeahoooooooooooooooo
I gonna shot you Roman to pieces

[osros]

I don't know. I cant put too much into a article I cant read for myself, there maybe some wrong wording in the translation. Also playing a build of the game not released yet in force easy mode? Granted does not sound good but lets wait until we get some real info possibly next week when I think the flood gates of info will open and we can read some previews in English.

On the Infantry manning the walls and Archers on a building in town I dont see it as all wrong without knowing all the info on the battle. I would have infantry on walls also if the enemy has a chance to get on the walls I need to fight them off, waiting for the enemy to be inside to fight its already too late! I would have archers on the walls also. It just depends. I would love to have archers inside on buildings to continue to rain missiles on the enemy that are on or inside the walls, nothing wrong with that! AI is going to refuse the enemy the capture points.

[Jester]

no agent videos anymore? come on, this cant be : /

we had them in the latest TW games and now in RomeII with its "biggest budget ever" they re missing again?

it s becoming less and less the 'most complete TW game' that i ve expected. i like all the new content and features, like real amphibian assaults or new victory conditions, but it s sad that all these new features come at the cost of previously established and much loved features.

[nomercysniper]

Also lot of issues being made of the big negative points, and little thoughts about the other points.

[eregost]

Also lot of issues being made of the big negative points, and little thoughts about the other points.

Nothing else matters if AI is crap.

[osros]

And no on here has played it to have a real opinion yet. I say its even both "sides" reacting to limited info.

[-Concrete-]

I hope the AI improves, or there was some reason for the poor performance. 4 weeks is a fairly long time though. I know the doomsayers are smiling right now but I can't see why the AI would take a big step backwards.

Everything else = great.

[Adreno]

where is the article on gamestar? i dont see it, or is it in a magazine or somehting?