Since there is many people who like ancient Rome and Hellenism here at
Stirpes, I think it only prudent to start a R:TW thread here. I was quite surprised not to find one here already. We had a thread going on the subject at another forum, that I
used to attend, but I'd like to get a discussion going at this great place.
For those that aren't familiar with Rome: Total War,
here is a place to check out.
There is also a good, new version of a
realism mod, that you should try if you like to have it more like it would've been circa 200 BCE in Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, and Western Asia. This mod adds more towns/provinces, more units, takes some units out, changes names, makes campaign map bigger (from Gibraltar to Afganistan or there abouts). In the next version they promise the map will stretch to the Indus Valley, so one my re-create Alexander's Empire if one chooses. The Mod lets one play previously unplayable civilizations, like the Macedonians, Thracians, Sarmatians (previously called Scythians), Dacians, ect. The patch 5.1 is out and it correct and added some stuff from 5.0. One must download the official Rome:TW patch 1.1, then the Realism mod 5.0, then the patch 5.1, and if one disires, the UNUR Patch (Un-Unified Rome patch), which adds back the different families and Rome is slipt - for those that aren't aware, the mod originally combines the families into one Rome, and then the Computer controled Senate. The originial game divide Roman into 4 factions, the Julii, Brutii, Scipii, and the Senate (unplayable). They new patch for the original game 1.2 will bring about another Mod patch 5.2 for the Realism, soon (they say weeks, but who knows).
There is the basic info provided on the game and realism mod for those that didn't know about it. Now I'll talk about what I like about this game and why I'm addicted to it, as well as think it is (as a French-Canadian friend of mine said) 'God-damn Jesus-Christly Nice'.
You can pick from a number of ancient civilizations, that were in the period of 270 BCE. And the game is turn based, and every turn is 6 months. So you make your movies and do you things with your towns/armies in your turn and then end your turn, then the computer does it's thing with the other factions (cultures, civs.). The battles are awesome, once you build your forces you can command thousands of troops (depending one your troop types the numbers will be different), and have the ability to call on an nearby ally for aid, in a battle or step in a battle yourself and aid an ally. The graphics on for the battles are some of the best I've seen. I especially like sieging a town and bombarding it with Fire Onagers, Scorpions, Ballitae, and Arrows from Arches, to set the town, and armies behind the walls, a blaze, then undermine their walls using engineering (digging under the ground and collapsing the walls. It is good for having calvary charge in and desimate unexpective troops, or crumbling the stone walls which enemy soldiers on in formation atop of, then they come crashing down. I also like siege-towers and the fights on the walls themselves, people get knocked off and fall to their death. The use of elephants in some of the civilizations helps too. There is a huge varity of units depending on civs and the game tries to make it evenly matched but I found flaws in the original game, like for instance the Egyptians (Realism mod changed their name to "Ptolematic Empire," and realistically hellenised them) wipe out their northern neighbors, the Seleucids too quickly. The Seleucids are a great combination of units, when they are advanced enough, but never seem to last long when the comp plays as them, atleast not in the original game (the mod fixes this). In the game they have custom battles if you want a quick battle without campaigns, where you choose any civilization and pick your men and face off in custom terrain or city/town siege battles. The Historical battles are fun too, I certainly liked the one of Arminius, but I won as the Romans, so I feel bad about that. I root for my own people, but unfortunately It'd be too easy as the Germanics in that battle.
Basically if you love ancient history, cutlure, etc. and you like strategy or games in general. I think you will like this one, pick it up and try it. Don't forget to try the downloads above, and post comments if you play.
If you play the game and want someone to play with online, I will be open for a try.
My favourite Civilization so far, besides the Romans, is the Seleucids, and I am starting to like the Ptolemaics, with the realism patch, that made them more historically Hellenistic, instead of New Kingdom Egyptian - which was a fault of the original game. I will also say I like the Germanics, even though it is very difficult as them. The Britons are fun too, and a bit easier, because they can always retreat back to their Islands, and be isolated - the computer as Britons is way too aggressive on the mainland of europe though. That needs to be fixed. Anyway, I'll post some screenies of me kicking butt sometime soon.
Prost