Total War

[Jacob]

Having previously ignored the total war series, I recently bought and started playing Total War: Shogun 2. It's pretty good.

How do the other games in the series compare? Are there any of them, or expansions, that are particularly good?

In Shogun 2 I'm on the cusp of taking Kyoto and finishing my first campaign on one of the easier starting positions. I kludged along okay with the economy, dicked around a bit with the various agents - I'm certainly not efficient in their use, but I get along okay. I can reliably get decisive victories against opponents who outnumber me a bit (I haven't fought any battles where I was badly outnumbered yet); I presume that's not particularly impressive.

Does anyone have any tips - on battlefield tactics, on economic management, how to get the best out of the agents? On how to get my damn soldiers to march across the battlefield and keep their fucking formation? So far that seems to be the hardest part of the game.

[PRC]

Shogun 2 is good.   I found the "Realm Divide" bullshit though and so I started playing with "the Rights of Man" mod which was great.

I prefer Napoleon: Total War over Empire but have only played vanilla so mods might change which of those is better overall. 

[Jacob]

I know nothing of the different mods... for any of the Total War games. What are the good ones? What does the Rights of Man mod do?

[Pedrito]

Some good suggestions about older TW games here: http://languish.org/forums/index.php/topic,6044.0.html

I've only played enough of Rome to say that's great fun, the others are still almost terra incognita to me.

Have fun, it's a great series

L.

[PRC]

I know nothing of the different mods... for any of the Total War games. What are the good ones? What does the Rights of Man mod do?

From TWCenter Wiki it says Rights of Man does the following (but I find that pretty vague, I was skeptical when I downloaded it but after playing it I was impressed):

    Increased game length: short campaign ends 1590, long campaign 1620 and domination campaign 1640
    Added additional garrison troops to the archery dojo, yari drill yard and sword school building lines
    Fixed a vanilla problem with the Rice Exchange, the Merchant Guild and the Kanbukama: Since they reduce the food surplus that otherwise provides a growth bonus in EVERY province you own, they create a negative income curve on the long run if you own many provinces. The mod adds a global growth bonus to compensate for the loss of the global food related growth. The local growth bonus was reduced.
    Adjusted many building effects regarding units (Thanks to 'crazyman fromrussia' for his suggestions!)
    Reduced the global agent success penalty for the player from -10 to -5
    Made survival skill of the monk more usefull
    The AI will use their monks more offensively.
    The AI has a higher agent cap for ninjas and metsukes (+1 each) to spice up agent gameplay (in my games the player is too dominant) (new campaign only)
    Several improvements to the CAI of the "monk" factions (Uesugi; Ikko Ikki): better build orders and better tech selection ( they are now able to recruit monk units)
    Additional scripted help for AI Shimazu and AI Uesugi to increase their survival chance
    Added a description to thenew Daimyo trait and chnaged some units names.
    Attack by Fire is needed to enable fire by rank for matchlock units

[DGuller]

Total War games are really frustrating.  They have so much potential, and yet usually are so poorly implemented.  And Creative Arts is no Paradox, they don't exactly go crazy patching up the initial releases.  I have sworn off buying Total War games for good, unless it's Medieval TW 3, and the reviews that are not paid for are excellent.

[Ed Anger]

I still think Medieval I and its expansion is better than the newer ones. The province maps make for a faster game than the current bloat maps.

Plus the viking expansion is faboo.

[Berkut]

I am kind of confused by the distinction between Empire and Napoleons TW games.

I liked Rome Total War, with the strategic part and stuff, which of those is more like that?

[Ed Anger]

Empire felt bleh. Plus had the India shit, which was fun as the Indians but was a chore as the Europeans.

Nappy has sort of the flavor of the Napoleonic wars, but the battles fall flat. It just don't feel right.

[Caliga]

Plus the viking expansion is faboo.

IMO that's the best Total War game/expansion.  My second favorite is M:TW2 when you conquer Mexico from the Aztecs.

[Ed Anger]

If they would have done a viking expansion for #2, I would have creamed my pants.

[Razgovory]

I had a riot with Empire and Rome but found Medieval lackluster.

[Monoriu]

I always try to get the enemy to attack.  It is much easier on the defensive.  Then it is always the same in all Total war games.  Pick high ground.  Form defensive line.  Wait for enemy to come.  Soften them up with ranged weapons.  Infantry hold the centre.  Cavalry flank enemy.  Roll up enemy line.  Pursuit. 

[11B4V]

I played Med 1 and 2 and Rome Total war. Loved them all.

[Jaron]

I'd really like it if they made a Rome II.