So when this game was announced i was super excited! I watch all the rally point YouTube videos, downloaded all the screenshot, kept tabs on the new DLCs etc etc. I know im a few years late to the party but i finally saved enough money to buy a new computer in order that i could finally play this game. Super super excited.
However...
Just bought the game today for Ł29.99 on Steam and i have to say i am hugely disappointed to the point im a quite upset
I had been playing a modded version of Rome 1 for years (with the help from many of this community) and love every aspect of the game apart from the point that it doesn't have the visuals that Rome 2 does. Rome 2 simply looks gorgeous and historically and aesthetically very pleasing. Some of these battles look so historically correct that they look like they have come right out of a Peter Connolly illustration!
But for me the game just does not play well. I find it hugely unappealing and confusing. I pride myself on my strategic abilities in both Rome 1 and in strategy games in general, but the battles just seem a complete mess - very hard to have any control what so ever and have any idea what is actually going on. The camera is awkward and clumsy - i cant zoom far enough in to see the details of battle (the director camera thing just isn't practical) or zoom far enough out to get an overview. And when you do zoom out is hard to identify the units anyway! I find the map un-useful, and the displays in general too large, the information on them too confusing / not clear enough, and that they get in the way of what you're trying to see on the main screen. And then the unit cards... the less said about them the better!
As for the campaign map - again gorgeous! But again, miss the main control panel as in the battles and the city management is as confusing as heck! No idea what is going on with these technologies things, far too confusing, and not clear enough what these buttons do / how long they take, whether they are already developing something and a dozen other questions. I have little to no idea what building is being built and which have already been built, how to set these to build, no idea what the city mood is, how far i can push taxes - etc etc - in short i try to get away with not developing cities at all because of these points which is utterly absurd!
All i wanted was for a Rome 1 with all its basic features, its user control panel, building tree, family tree etc etc and the basic controls, unit cards and clear information so that you knew when a unit was running and not running, firing and not firing, would hold their ground or pursue the enemy when victorious etc etc but with the visual of Rome 2 - the historical armies, the animations, those awesome looking cities, that campaign map etc etc.
Im not sure which mods are out there or if there are any that can even address some of these fundamental problems, but is it too much to ask!?
Im considering asking for a refund from Steam if i cant get this game to make any sense
Thanks for your help,
-Bright.