RTW vs. M2TW

[Nero666]

The last few weeks I've noticed that the community (still?) has more interest in RTW/BI mods than in M2TW mods, looking at the subforum views.

I've bought and installed M2, but found myself playing the game for about two days. After that, I've payed little interest in TW for quite some time, and now I see myself going back to RTW modding.

I was wondering if more people experience this, and, if they do, I wonder what makes Rome better than Medieval2.

My own answer to this question is:
-PC can't handle M2 as good as RTW
-More difficult to mod units etc (isn't it impossible to modify the unit models atm?)
-I can't identify myself with the era very well

[Dunecat]

The last few weeks I've noticed that the community (still?) has more interest in RTW/BI mods than in M2TW mods, looking at the subforum views.

I've bought and installed M2, but found myself playing the game for about two days. After that, I've payed little interest in TW for quite some time, and now I see myself going back to RTW modding.

I was wondering if more people experience this, and, if they do, I wonder what makes Rome better than Medieval2.

My own answer to this question is:
-PC can't handle M2 as good as RTW
-More difficult to mod units etc (isn't it impossible to modify the unit models atm?)
-I can't identify myself with the era very well

Well, I know for me at least, I have just as much interest in RTW as M2TW time periods, but I think M2TW presents the era in a more enjoyable way.

I just find more enjoyment, plain and simple. I would play the original MTW instead of RTW, simply because I though it was more fun.

Personal preference, really.

[William the Bastard]

On purely vanila versions, when Rome came out it as a much more polished and innovative product whereas I think Medieval was perhaps rushed a little. CA also have to contend with a vast assortment of fans to keep happy who prefer specific aspects to their game whether it be historicity, graphics or gameplay and so for the vanilla release they must go strait down the center for the mass market.

[Reiver]

On purely vanila versions, when Rome came out it as a much more polished and innovative product whereas I think Medieval was perhaps rushed a little. CA also have to contend with a vast assortment of fans to keep happy who prefer specific aspects to their game whether it be historicity, graphics or gameplay and so for the vanilla release they must go strait down the center for the mass market.

I agree that when Rome came out it was the more innovative in the sense that there was a bigger leap between MTW and RTW than RTW and M2TW. Other than that I didn't find it very innovative or polished at all. Infact i'd say it was broken, buggy and almost unplayable. In a straight choice between unpatched M2TW and unpatched Rome it's easily medieval that is the more functional and enjoyable game.

[badapple]

I'm back to playing RTW DarthMod because M2tw is just to darn easy to win even on the hardest settings. I tried some mods for M2TW that make it harder but they do this by giving you less money. I want a mod that makes the combat harder so you don't win almost every battle. Also my computer handles RTW much better than M2TW. I hate when you get the message that a army can't enter the map because your computer can't handle it.

[Pyrrus]

I think the big difference in Rome was that nearly every culture was unique and offered a better variety of enemies in each war you fought. Also, for some reason i only really enjoyed the Roman and Parthian campaigns and would continue playing unitl i had made either into a historically accurate empire. For some reason whenever i sacked Rome and the Carthaginians it just didnt feel right, and the same applies for MTW2 - when whatever nation i am expands in a way that is unrealistic. So if by the 150th turn i have conquered half of the map, the campaign loses its excitment for me. Call me a sucker for re-enactment, but thats what makes me enjoy this game.

[Arbaces]

For me, in the last few weeks, RTW slowly started loosing ground for Medieval, it's because of my interest for Medieval period increased (again), even begun listening Medieval music once again as I did once, changed my avatar as u can see... and even preparing a nifty little mod.

Arb

[Commander_Vimes]

for me med2 just takes so much longer to load nad to play each battle and i think has more bugs rtw also has more diverse factions and i just prefer that era

[Germanicus75]

I'm playing a RTW mod right now, and I must admit it's a little hard to go back to in some ways after M2. M2 is simply better overall. But RTW is still a damn fine game, and yes the factions do feel they have more variety than M2. Problem is my C2D seems to run Rome a little *too* well and I now have to hit the Rome forum with some queries...

[Goffik]

Although I enjoyed M2TW for a couple of months, I've now gone back to RTW with the DarthMod. M2 has promise, but there are too many issues with it that reduce my enjoyment.

One of my favourite parts of RTW is the battles themselves. While not particularly difficult most of the time, I think they look great. Charge your front line into theirs and chaos ensues. It looks like a movie with hordes of men slamming together, mixing it up and hacking each other down. In M2, the way units spread themselves out when engaging and wait patiently for their turn to have a crack at the enemy makes it feel more like I'm watching a well rehersed battle reinactment than a chaotic and brutal fight to the death.

Also, as others have mentioned, RTW runs far better for me. Going from huge unit sizes in RTW to medium in M2 feels like I'm taking a step backwards. The biggest battle I fought in RTW was a siege on one of my cities made up of over 12000 men. In M2 I'm lucky to see battles of over 3000.

But thats just a couple of the issues... there are plenty more. I doubt I'll be trying M2 again before the next patch is released, and even then... well, we'll see.

[tommo_312]

The last few weeks I've noticed that the community (still?) has more interest in RTW/BI mods than in M2TW mods, looking at the subforum views.

I've bought and installed M2, but found myself playing the game for about two days. After that, I've payed little interest in TW for quite some time, and now I see myself going back to RTW modding.

I was wondering if more people experience this, and, if they do, I wonder what makes Rome better than Medieval2.

My own answer to this question is:
-PC can't handle M2 as good as RTW
-More difficult to mod units etc (isn't it impossible to modify the unit models atm?)
-I can't identify myself with the era very well

i have to admit i did buy the game on the basis that i had really enjoyed the last 5-6 games from CA whereas usually i woyld look into it a lot. I have found that it is not as good as Rome in the sense that you can't edit units very well and the units are ******* anyway! It doesnt represent the era like it should and the factions are poor. it is purely and updated version of MTW and no more. saying that though the untis on MTW were probably better.

I am desparately hanging in there for 1) a Napoleonic wars mod or 2) god forbid a Napoleonic Total War

[DukeKent]

RTW was a much more finished product than M2TW. I would even call RTW groundbreaking. To be fair RTW was a tough act to follow. With M2TW it was easily apparent that at least one major combat bug was released in vanilla M2TW. It turns out that we had at least 3 major combat bugs in vanilla M2TW. The shield bug, 2hndr bug, and pike bug are all major bugs. We could go on about pathfinding, siege ladders, yada, yada yada as well. M2TW was obviously a management release, not a developer release. Its all about the money, not the customer. GOTTA make that pre Christmas release date (any way we can). I am a very experienced developer myself, and am very familiar with how IT development really works. SEGA is hardly unique, or even unusual in this regard. M2TW will one day be a fine product, but it was and is not a finished product for those of us who are serious historical wargamers. M2TW in its current state is fine as a complicated kiddie arcade game battle ground. The eye candy in M2TW is awesome, but the combat is not up to RTW standards currently Remember the History channel's use of the RTW battle engine for re-enactments. For those who want a serious battle engine RTW mods are the only way to go right now. You get the RTW battle engine, with a tough AI like DarthMod

[taylorj2]

My reasons are;
> I love the Roman timeperiod.
> M2TW needs a monster PC to play it at a good detail. (RTW runs much smoother)
> Romans rock, they were so diciplined and civilised

I can't say that M2TW isn't a really good game, because it is. I guess the reason it is so bugged is CA had to release it before christmas so it sold alot?

[The Good]

I enjoy learning about anything contemporary to the Roman time periods more than the Medieval time periods. I don't know why, but I find that they types of warefare they fought in Roman times were "cooler", you get the Testudo, the Schiltrom, the Shieldwall, the Cantabrian Circle, the Wedge (orginally invented by Scythian cavalrymen).
Medieval II has almost all of those formations, plus maybe more I have not tried yet.

[Wrath]

I think the campaign as the Romans makes more sense as you conquer half the map as oppose to MTW2 where it would not make sense for Scotland to have conquered half the map or any other Medieval nation for that matter.

[Dunecat]

I think the campaign as the Romans makes more sense as you conquer half the map as oppose to MTW2 where it would not make sense for Scotland to have conquered half the map or any other Medieval nation for that matter.

I concur, however exceptions include: France, Spain, Almohads, HRE, BE, Russia, and Mongols.

At least.

So really, why not just have "FSAHBRM: Total War"?

[Pfundner]

I think the campaign as the Romans makes more sense as you conquer half the map as oppose to MTW2 where it would not make sense for Scotland to have conquered half the map or any other Medieval nation for that matter.

true... but isnt this half the fun?
i mean as if sicilly could have challenged france, britain or spain in r.l but thats why its so cool to be able to play it. remember this is a GAME not a history book. im all for historical accuracy, but cumon, give CA a rest.

[Sargon-1]

If you have a powerful comp, then MTW2 will be much more interesting than RTW.
1.The animation is more updated
2.If to run MTW2 several times with the same franction, you get different scenarios, it didn't happen while running RTW
3.The engine of MTW2 is more modern
4.And more is connected with tactical and strategical maps
That is why MTW2 seems to be a further step comparing with RTW

[Dolbster]

I think that it is kind of unfair to compare the two games i mean sure they are from the same series but they are in two completely different eras which makes it down to personal prefference really

[Goffik]

I think that it is kind of unfair to compare the two games i mean sure they are from the same series but they are in two completely different eras which makes it down to personal prefference really

Only for some, not all. I haven't gone back to RTW because I prefer the era. In fact, after playing RTW when I first got it, I said it would be great if they made Medieval Total War 2... which they did. I've gone back because with the patches and a single mod (DarthMod), RTW plays a lot better than the current M2TW and is therefore more enjoyable.

I have no doubt that after the next patch (or three) M2TW will be far better than it is currently, and will replace RTW as one of my most played games of all time.