Is any other Total War game as addicting as this one?

[Tato Baptista (BBMP)]

This is my first TW game and I had no idea how addicting this game is. Waiting for the next turn to see how things will pan out is close to the feeling i had when i was watching the GOT series.
I wonder if the character traits, intrigues and politics was as deep or deeper as CK2... The battles are awesome and the sounds and music are great. Maybe i am biased by the history/location /period, i don´t know. This is close to a masterpiece. Thank you very much!

[Reece Draygan]

If you like ToB you will certainly love the other titles; ToB is good but not the best TW.

Personally I think Empire is better then probably Napoleon Total War, but I like the era. I think a classic great is Medieval Total War 2; can't go wrong with that one.

[Gunfreak]

Of the warscape games Shogun 2 is the best, still looks great. And the total war gameplay fits very well with sengoku period.

Or you could go with rome 2, huge variety if that's your thing.

Stay away from empire and Napoleon.
Those games just doesn't work in the total war style and both require mods to be half playable.
Empire is also the laziest total war game.

But enjoyment of total war games is partly down to what periods you like.
If you can't stand Japanese history you're not getting the same enjoyment out of Shogun 2 as someone who loves that period.

[Ed]

Originally posted by Gunfreak:

Stay away from empire and Napoleon.
Those games just doesn't work in the total war style and both require mods to be half playable.

I disagree - I think NTW is just great as it is. It's certainly a lot more than just "half-playable".

[Gunfreak]

Originally posted by Ed:

Originally posted by Gunfreak:

Stay away from empire and Napoleon.
Those games just doesn't work in the total war style and both require mods to be half playable.

I disagree - I think NTW is just great as it is. It's certainly a lot more than just "half-playable".

Total war AI is bad at the best of times, and can bearly handle blocks of soldiers matching onto each other to hit each other with swords and axes.
It totally collapses when dealing with the horse and musket period.

In Rome 2, you can fix the enemy at the centre and flank attack with cavalry in the rear.
A historic tactic of the period.
Empire and Napoleon just can't simulate the historic combat at all.
Also it's rather depressing playing tiny tiny Napoleonic battles in that game.
The historic battle of Borodino in Napoleon had like 2500 soldiers in it, the real battle had close to 300 000.

They should have adapted the engine for empire and Napoleon to have more troops.
If you at least could have had some 30-50 000 sized armies it would have been better.

[Berserk Belta]

All of the historical Total War games are good and addictive. They also all have the odd issue. It's a matter of which setting floats your boat and which era's combat quenches your thirst for battlefield tactics, these are the things that will really make the difference.

[Mile pro Libertate]

Originally posted by Gunfreak:

Originally posted by Ed:

I disagree - I think NTW is just great as it is. It's certainly a lot more than just "half-playable".

Total war AI is bad at the best of times, and can bearly handle blocks of soldiers matching onto each other to hit each other with swords and axes.
It totally collapses when dealing with the horse and musket period.

In Rome 2, you can fix the enemy at the centre and flank attack with cavalry in the rear.
A historic tactic of the period.
Empire and Napoleon just can't simulate the historic combat at all.
Also it's rather depressing playing tiny tiny Napoleonic battles in that game.
The historic battle of Borodino in Napoleon had like 2500 soldiers in it, the real battle had close to 300 000.

They should have adapted the engine for empire and Napoleon to have more troops.
If you at least could have had some 30-50 000 sized armies it would have been better.

Agreed.

NTW can be deep and engaging in MP, but yeah, other than that, it is pretty mediocre.

ETW is even worse, both sp and mp. I will say that relatively speaking, the NTW sp is much better than ETW's, but that isn't saying much: compared to the other TWs, NTW sp is very lackluster.

I would also recommend Shogun 2 after Thrones, no doubt.

Then Attila, along with the Age of Charlemagne expansion for Attila.

Med 2 is highly overrated. It always was, even in its own time, and nearpy 15 years later, it just doesn't hold up at all. Same with RTW.

Rome 2 kinda fits somewhere in the middle of all this. It really depends on which module (and there are many) of Rome 2 you play, and how much of a fetish you have for Romans or Roman history.

[Scorch]

From my extensive experience - I can highly recommend Medieval 2 and it's expansion packs - amazing (britannia DLC is technically an older version of Thrones)
Warhammer I (ONE, not TWO) - I really enjoyed the depth of strategy that was offered, if you don't mind the Warhammer setting though.

[Jurand of Cracow]

Originally posted by Mile pro Libertate:

NTW can be deep and engaging in MP, but yeah, other than that, it is pretty mediocre.

ETW is even worse, both sp and mp. I will say that relatively speaking, the NTW sp is much better than ETW's, but that isn't saying much: compared to the other TWs, NTW sp is very lackluster.

I would also recommend Shogun 2 after Thrones, no doubt.

Then Attila, along with the Age of Charlemagne expansion for Attila.

Med 2 is highly overrated. It always was, even in its own time, and nearpy 15 years later, it just doesn't hold up at all. Same with RTW.

Rome 2 kinda fits somewhere in the middle of all this. It really depends on which module (and there are many) of Rome 2 you play, and how much of a fetish you have for Romans or Roman history.

In my experience the ETW is the worst - because of the AI. Even Darth Vader couldn't fix it.

If you want a good game with gunpowder - then go for the Ultimate General.

I find Med2 with mods to be the best TW game. But it's essential you get the mods as they fix the AI, the battles, the campaign logic, and visuals. Without the mods it's not so good.

Attila TW might be overwhelming while AoC gives it a good twist. There're no good mods though.

For the Rome 2 - the Divide et Impera mod does wonders.

[Gunfreak]

If you want realistic games dealing with musket then scourge of war is the only option now.

The games has their share of problems (my biggest beefs are horrible optimisation and way to weak artillery compared to history)
But I still recommend the games.

In empire they gave every soldier the same uniform(a generic thing that looks like a mix between a Prussian SYW uniform and the British warrant 1768.)
Every country uses it from 1700 to 1799.
It would basicly be if every faction in rome 2 looked like Roman imperial legionaries.
So Greeks look like Romans, celt looks like Romans. Asian step people look like Romans etc etc.

In Napoleon at least each nation has unique uniforms that look quite correct. But they still managed to screw up almost every single uniform in some detail.
Like they though the uniforms were copyrighted so had to change some parts of the uniform to avoid being sued.
That's the only explanation I have as it's either free or every cheap to get sources for uniform details for the Napoleonic wars.

[Mile pro Libertate]

Originally posted by Jurand of Cracow:

Originally posted by Mile pro Libertate:

NTW can be deep and engaging in MP, but yeah, other than that, it is pretty mediocre.

ETW is even worse, both sp and mp. I will say that relatively speaking, the NTW sp is much better than ETW's, but that isn't saying much: compared to the other TWs, NTW sp is very lackluster.

I would also recommend Shogun 2 after Thrones, no doubt.

Then Attila, along with the Age of Charlemagne expansion for Attila.

Med 2 is highly overrated. It always was, even in its own time, and nearpy 15 years later, it just doesn't hold up at all. Same with RTW.

Rome 2 kinda fits somewhere in the middle of all this. It really depends on which module (and there are many) of Rome 2 you play, and how much of a fetish you have for Romans or Roman history.

In my experience the ETW is the worst - because of the AI. Even Darth Vader couldn't fix it.

If you want a good game with gunpowder - then go for the Ultimate General.

I find Med2 with mods to be the best TW game. But it's essential you get the mods as they fix the AI, the battles, the campaign logic, and visuals. Without the mods it's not so good.

Attila TW might be overwhelming while AoC gives it a good twist. There're no good mods though.

For the Rome 2 - the Divide et Impera mod does wonders.

Originally posted by Gunfreak:

If you want realistic games dealing with musket then scourge of war is the only option now.

The games has their share of problems (my biggest beefs are horrible optimisation and way to weak artillery compared to history)
But I still recommend the games.

In empire they gave every soldier the same uniform(a generic thing that looks like a mix between a Prussian SYW uniform and the British warrant 1768.)
Every country uses it from 1700 to 1799.
It would basicly be if every faction in rome 2 looked like Roman imperial legionaries.
So Greeks look like Romans, celt looks like Romans. Asian step people look like Romans etc etc.

In Napoleon at least each nation has unique uniforms that look quite correct. But they still managed to screw up almost every single uniform in some detail.
Like they though the uniforms were copyrighted so had to change some parts of the uniform to avoid being sued.
That's the only explanation I have as it's either free or every cheap to get sources for uniform details for the Napoleonic wars.

Yes ^

"Scourge of War" and, "Ultimate General: Gettysburg," are both very good, and highly recommended for people interested in that era.

[Tato Baptista (BBMP)]

Thank you all. Great tips given.

[willderyes]

That was enlightening. I guess I'll have to go and dust off my Ultimate General...and look into some mods for TW.

[Gunfreak]

Originally posted by Mile pro Libertate:

Originally posted by Jurand of Cracow:

In my experience the ETW is the worst - because of the AI. Even Darth Vader couldn't fix it.

If you want a good game with gunpowder - then go for the Ultimate General.

I find Med2 with mods to be the best TW game. But it's essential you get the mods as they fix the AI, the battles, the campaign logic, and visuals. Without the mods it's not so good.

Attila TW might be overwhelming while AoC gives it a good twist. There're no good mods though.

For the Rome 2 - the Divide et Impera mod does wonders.

Originally posted by Gunfreak:

If you want realistic games dealing with musket then scourge of war is the only option now.

The games has their share of problems (my biggest beefs are horrible optimisation and way to weak artillery compared to history)
But I still recommend the games.

In empire they gave every soldier the same uniform(a generic thing that looks like a mix between a Prussian SYW uniform and the British warrant 1768.)
Every country uses it from 1700 to 1799.
It would basicly be if every faction in rome 2 looked like Roman imperial legionaries.
So Greeks look like Romans, celt looks like Romans. Asian step people look like Romans etc etc.

In Napoleon at least each nation has unique uniforms that look quite correct. But they still managed to screw up almost every single uniform in some detail.
Like they though the uniforms were copyrighted so had to change some parts of the uniform to avoid being sued.
That's the only explanation I have as it's either free or every cheap to get sources for uniform details for the Napoleonic wars.

Yes ^

"Scourge of War" and, "Ultimate General: Gettysburg," are both very good, and highly recommended for people interested in that era.

If you haven't played it, ultimate general civil war is very good. Improves a lot from Gettysburg.

[Metadragon]

For someone fresh off TOB go with Rome 2 or Attila and work you way back. Those two had similar systems compared to the old style which may confuse you. Generally campaigns have gotten better in TW over time.

[Freygea]

Originally posted by Metadragon:

For someone fresh off TOB go with Rome 2 or Attila and work you way back. Those two had similar systems compared to the old style which may confuse you. Generally campaigns have gotten better in TW over time.

I agree with this. Throne is one of my favorite TW games. I love Med2 but for me at least, Rome and Attila were easier to learn the basics.

Work your way back and really try Med2 if you like the setting.