Rome: Total War

[VetLegion]

Yeah, I know that there is the other games subforum. But this is not a thread about the game, this is a thread about my recommendation of the game.

I recommend it. Excellent game. Last Sunday I must have played 12 hours straight and I thought I was cured of gaming.

So, what is so good about it?

It has many aspects of Civ. A sense of Empire building. It's lacking a technology tree, so it's not quite Civ. However if you look at the strategic map it not only plays like Civ IV, they even look the same. 3D did it to the strategy genre.



The meat of the game is the excellent company-based fighting system. I have some bacground in those, I've played Warhammer: Dark Omen, Shogun: Total War and a couple of other less familiar titles. Rome has the best system so far. Making war has never been this enjoyable.

Anyway, I don't want to describe the game in detail, there are specialized sites for that. I just give it

[Will9]

I used to play Rome Total War a lot, but then my computer stopped working, and the computer I got to replace it wouldn't play R:TW. I just got a new computer over the weekend and have yet to install Rome.

BTW, I still think this goes in other games.

[BlackCat]

Ehrm, just out of curiosity - why do those horsie people want to commit suicide ?

[VetLegion]

BlackCat - those in front of them are their guys, with spears facing away towards the enemy. Cavalry are presumably being held in the reserve. I have no idea, it's just a screenshot I found on Google Image Search.

[BlackCat]

Ok, then it makes sense

[Riesstiu IV]

I prefer the original Medieval: Total War. The battlefield AI in Rome :Total War is pretty bad and enemy armies tends to route very quickly. I got so good at exploiting the poor battle AI, it was getting to the point I was defeating entire armies (even if they had spear units) just using my general unit with 20 horsemen.

I like the gritty feeling in MTW and battles last a lot longer since the killing rate isn't as fast as RTW. You can formulate meaningful strategies and the Battlefield AI is pretty good at holding it's own.

It think part of the reason is the differences in map layout. MTW uses a RISK board style were units simply move to different provinces while RTW uses a very detailed map that allows individual army movement and is unlike a board game. The problem is the AI can't handle it very well and tends to split up armies (especially early on) into small groups that are easily mopped up by the human player.

I will give credit to an improved siege engine though. In the original MTW, the enemy AI rarely opts to attack walled cities with siege weaponry and instead just waits to starve out an enemy.

[EPW]

Rome total Realism is very good

[VetLegion]

Any hints how to defeat the dreaful Egyptian Chariots? They're making a mess out of my beautiful Roman infantry AND cavalry, I simply have no cure.

[Riesstiu IV]

Use plenty of archers. You'll see them go down fairly quickly.

[VetLegion]

I'll try that. I've been using just the infantry + light cavalry combo so far. It works well, I'm winning and this is on Hard. Maybe I'll try Very Hard next.

[LordShiva]

Shogun: Total War

[Reiko]

Rome Total War was a great game. Now I want to play it again.

[Japher]

It's the only other game I have bought in the last 14 years other than Civ and Sim based games... and Dominions

I like Rome Total War, but when I bought it my video card wasn't up to snuff. It's better now, so maybe I'll give it another shot.

[Wiglaf]

I played the expansion barbarian invasion. If you want a masters course on getting it in the ass then that is the expansion for you. It will expand all right, expand your ass.

[Cyclotron]

It has its downsides, but becomes much better with either Rome: Total Realism or Europa Barbarorum.