Rome: Total War is Out

[The diplomat]

I am such an idiot. I am laying siege to a Spanish settlement. I crush all opposition. My troops reach the center plaza where the enemy just has about 20 light infantry making a last stand in the plaza. I have an army of about 100. I charge the plaza. Of course my general charges first. In the melee, my general gets killed. To makes things worse, he was my faction leader. I still wiped out the Spanish to the last man of course since they were so outnumbered. It would have been so easy to keep my faction leader behind the troops and let them crush the remaining Spanish. ARGHHH!!

In another battle, I send a fleet of triremes loaded with a full army to Palma to attack the Carthaginian settlement. I expected a big fight because just a few turns back, I tried to attack Palma and the Carthaginian Army was so large that I was forced to withdraw.

So, I get to Palma with about 1000 men, expecting the fight of my life. To my surprise the only Carthaginian garrison protecting Palma was the Carthaginian faction leader and his 20 heavy calvary bodyguards!
I easily took Palma and wiped out Carthage as a faction. As it turned out that was the last region Carthage had.

[Stuie]

Originally posted by General Ludd
Yeah, on the huge setting you get 160 in each one. Makes the battles quite a bit more spectacular.

Problem is that your population (and the AI's) gets eaten up twice as fast, making it harder to grow your cities.

[Kassiopeia]

Yeah, that's a bit of a bind. I was expecting that it'd be more a graphics modifier and that the size of the cities would change accordingly. Strange solution IMHO. I had to take Carthage to be able to get some better toys - Samnite gladiators, Legionary cavalry, those Gonads (or whatever you call them catapults).

[Cookie Monster]

Originally posted by SpencerH

With RTW its more like 50:50. I'd guess that you could easily play RTW at the strategic level, auto-resolve all combat, and still have an interesting game.

I do this often as my gaming time is extremely limited, two kids to take care of can ruin a gaming night! However I am still enjoying the game only because the strategic map has so much going on in it. The only battles I do play out tend to be the real important ones that I can't afford to take a chance on with auto-combat.

[Traianvs]

onagers you mean?

[Kassiopeia]

Yes! Onagers. They kick butt. Siege ladders and towers are for wussies, without taking down the walls you can't use your cavalry. This assuming you are assaulting a city with stone walls. Unless of course you go for the gateway and manage to take control of it.

[SpencerH]

Originally posted by child of Thor
thanx for the info Kassiopeia+SpencerH

I've been having a good look at their website, but as always hearing from the people who have gone out and bought it gives the best idea of whats really going on

Strangely i found Shogun a better game than Medieval, when i was expecting the extra levels of complexity in Medieval to win the day - oh well, maybe more isn't always better
Still RTW looks amazing - if the other part of the game is as good as the battle screens then i might be forced to upgrade my pc, which i've been fighting against for a long time

A lot of people liked the battles in STW better than MTW. I preferred MTW cos the strategic situation was more complex.

Without a doubt, the battles look awesome. Zoomed in, its like looking at movie animations.

[Gamecube64]

Nice screens Kas, did the puppies ever get their meal? I assume the dogs are for chasing down running enemies. Was that Gaul with armor the leader?

[Kassiopeia]

Dogs are indeed for fleeing enemies, I tried to terrorise some warband infantry with them but I had to quickly bring in the cavalry to keep the Gauls from turning them into provisions. They're awesomely (is that even a word?) quick and chase down the enemies even across the battlefield lines (you don't lose them, luckily).

The Gaul with the armour was the leader of that particular unit, but the Gaul general was long dead. I always go for the enemy general ASAP, the best way to rout an army.

The barbarians are not too protective of their generals, but then neither am I - the general and his bodyguard are great shock chargers and bringing them in lifts morale a lot. Plus it looks pretty when the horsies stampede on the barbarians, you can even hear the squishy sounds the trampled bodies make. I really have to try some elephants in the historical battles (haven't even tried them yet!), that or unlock the Carthagenian campaign.

I've noticed that the Macedonians look after their general much more, however. They are also more willing to make a tactical withdrawal if it's obvious that I'm winning.

[Gamecube64]

This is probably a getter once I update the finest 6 year old technology my computer is made of. My mighty 16mb Voodoo3 and 550mhz p2 should not be underestimated.

[reds4ever]

Originally posted by Gamecube64
This is probably a getter once I update the finest 6 year old technology my computer is made of. My mighty 16mb Voodoo3 and 550mhz p2 should not be underestimated.

In the meantime you can practice on Shogun!

[Gamecube64]

I think a friend has Shogun, maybe I will mooch off him

[Jonny]

This game is absolutely amazing... especially with the new graphics card I got a couple of months ago.

I started a game as the Bruti, took the rebel held cities on the east shore of the Adriatic, then defeated the Greek Cities. Now I'm entangled in a war with a quite powerful Thrace, who had earlier conquered Macedonia.

I haven't had much time to play yet, but I'm already addicted.

[General Ludd]

Dogs of war can be good in melee aswell. I think they would be especially good at disorganizing formation reliant troops, like some roman legions or hoplite units, and such.


They are completely useless against cavalry, though.

[Flip McWho]

Generals are rather powerful aren't they. It's awesome how the battle between even numbers can hang on the general. I have this uber general who's also the faction leader. Man, nothing can stand in his way, he's pratically a one man army all by himself.

What do others think about the general side of things?