I guess I will wait for Medieval 3 .....

[Mono Ribeiro]

Long time lurker only after this debacle of Rome 2 have I felt the desire to post. I love the Total War series like many here and have played since my mate lent me shogun 1 and said I might enjoy it after being a fanatical AoE 2 player and not looking forward to Starcraft/C&C cornering the market. I don't have a favourite era per se as I have favourite campaigns. In Shogun it was always Shimazu or Uesugi, Med 1 and 2 it depended on the kind of army I felt like playing an infantry power like HRE a cav power etc. I was awestruck at the first trailer for Empire although I knew little of the period.

I preordered it and was vastly disappointed like I am now with Rome 2. I loved the Rome period not more than other eras but as it was so different to Med or Shogun it was a new fresh scene to conquer. I have probably played over a 1000 hours or more on Rome 1 and thoroughly enjoyed it modded and unmodded. However I feel that even after 170 hours on Rome 2 trying various factions and trying to make it work with a mixture of mods that I have reached my limit. I stopped playing Empire after a similar timeframe and never loaded it ever again. As the very thought gave me a huge feeling of lethargy and to this day I cannot equate fun with Empire Total War. I ended up playing a mixture of different Med2 mods like Third Age total war and others in the meantime.

I bought Napoleon about 6 months before Shogun 2 came out as I heard it was a massive improvement but alas I couldn't bring myself to play more than 20 mins as the game simply brought that sad tired feeling again just by looking at it.
Shogun 2 however was a refreshing new title that massively restored my enjoyment of Total War and I sunk well over 700 hours playing it and another 200 playing fots. I soon forgot the bad taste Empire had left in my mouth and eagerly anticipated its release. I assumed just like the siege video for Shogun 2 displaying AI tactics, that the siege of Carthage was enough of a demo I needed to pre-order. Woe is me for that mistake. There is only so many times I can watch the enemy refuse to attack me because I dared move my troops.

Unfortunately that feeling from Empire has returned and firmly lodged itself within my psyche so that even if with a Napoleon like release as an improvement of Rome I will not be playing and this time I will not buy it. If CA and The that must not be named, (T.H.), continue with this kind of work ethic and product quality then I am afraid they will have lost a long time near permanent customer who, was incredibly vocal as to the outstanding games that were Shogun 1 and 2 Med 1 and 2 and Rome 1, going so far as making at least 5 other people fanatic players of said titles as well. And just as I have said now of my own position all of those friends of mine agree with my current opinion of the game. Now I know you care little of what one person says on the internet but this is no way to run a business.

As someone who grew up actively aiding my parents in their small business that was entirely kept afloat by their reputation you are running yourselves into the ground. I would not be surprised if in 2-3 years or so after your next big release you go the way of THq and others and collapse or sold piecemeal by Sega. The idea of making a game based on the critic scores when you have a niche market is not just moronic but from a managerial standing, is negligence.
I will not be buying your dlc as I will probably never play Rome 2 again. I can only hope your next title is not this technically broken horribly coded piece of crap. It really is a shame but alas despite my affection for the original Rome this is nothing more than Empire 2.0

Please, please, CA, at least rebuild and learn from this as you seemed to for Shogun 2. There is only so many times people can post threatening to cease being customers. This is not a threat. I thought 2 months ago I would be deep into a campaign enjoying my all time favourite series instead I am writing this.

Anyways I hope everyone realises the game can not be *fixed* as it is fundamentally flawed from a design standpoint and at best can be made playable, maybe. But you need only look to Empire Total War to see the best state Rome 2 will be in, 6 -12 months from now.

[Szlachta]

You'll be waiting a while then as they said the next TW was not going to be a third of any title.

[Praetorian_BGX]

Rome this is nothing more than Empire 2.0

Dont wait, Medieval 3 will be Empire 3.0.

[Bethencourt]

With this siege sytem when the city has walls? and most of the settlemets without walls? that would be a strange Medieval III game, although seeing this Rome II anything can be expected. I gues it will be one that does not need walls at all, like Empire, XIX century, well they arleady have done part if it in FOTS.

[SirPeacemaker]

I dont want to kill your dedication mate (mine is dying I am afraid because of this total fail), but I am afraid if there will be Medieval TW 3, it will be another fail. And probably epic fail. But if you preorder, you will get Templar unit pack + Swiss pikemen unit pack for free...

[wulfgar610]

Anyways I hope everyone realises the game can not be *fixed* as it is fundamentally flawed from a design standpoint and at best can be made playable, maybe. But you need only look to Empire Total War to see the best state Rome 2 will be in, 6 -12 months from now.

I wouldn't say that, it's the best strategy TW so far. And it's quite playable, according to my suspect steam count I'm over 300 hrs in. And all I got is a Core 2 quad and a gt 640. The trick to making the game playable is turning down the graphics to what your hardware can take.

[Lord Blackfyre]

I wouldn't say that, it's the best strategy TW so far. And it's quite playable, according to my suspect steam count I'm over 300 hrs in. And all I got is a Core 2 quad and a gt 640. The trick to making the game playable is turning down the graphics to what your hardware can take.

Making the game playable is the very least that they should do, but like the OP said even if they do it still wont be a good game. There are far too many design flaws, its not rome 2. Its a whole new game that plays like an arcade/console game

[tungri_centurio]

Dont wait for med3. better wait untill CA builds a new game engine and breaks with sega. I had no tecnical issiues so far,but its unplayeble just because its boring,Easy and dumbed down micromanagment.its moving in the same direction like most games,speedy,arcade,short lifespan kiddy games. In the niche market that rts/tbs is they shoud listen to the hardcore fans and not look in what direction the games industry is moving.

[Mono Ribeiro]

I wouldn't say that, it's the best strategy TW so far. And it's quite playable, according to my suspect steam count I'm over 300 hrs in. And all I got is a Core 2 quad and a gt 640. The trick to making the game playable is turning down the graphics to what your hardware can take.

My machine runs the game even with heavy clumped up troops min 30fps which is fine. Thats not the issue. The issue is nearly every time I am the defender the enemy will NOT attack. Maybe one unit will skirmish thats it. Sieges are also wait fests (ie the clock) I don't care about family trees and other aesthetics though I miss them. Sure its stable and I can move my units around. As a TW game it is barely serviceable.

Dont wait for med3. better wait untill CA builds a new game engine and breaks with sega. I had no tecnical issiues so far,but its unplayeble just because its boring,Easy and dumbed down micromanagment.its moving in the same direction like most games,speedy,arcade,short lifespan kiddy games. In the niche market that rts/tbs is they shoud listen to the hardcore fans and not look in what direction the games industry is moving.

The issue is not that they are moving with the "industry" It is that rather than make the best game they can make, instead they made what they thought would increase their market share and get the most awards ironically causing the complete opposite unless they value the obviously lopsided gaming press, who have less self respect than hookers. Then I say job well done they could of spat out a 2d scroller called it Rome 2 and only showed the Carthage Siege and still won industry awards.

[RZZZA]

They just need to do something to make the game not boring.

boring is the worst thing a game, especially a strategy game, can be.

[Ataegina]

i can't wait for medieval 3 ^______________^ hating rome 2 is getting old, CA needs to release a new game ASAP and btw i hate medieval 3 in advance

[daelin4]

Not even going to buy Med3.

CA needs to start talking and stop advertising. And by talking I mean how they actually intend to make things better, and not how things are so great.

[Dago Red]

. I had no tecnical issiues so far,but its unplayeble just because its boring,Easy and dumbed down micromanagment.its moving in the same direction like most games,speedy,arcade,short lifespan kiddy games. In the niche market that rts/tbs is they shoud listen to the hardcore fans and not look in what direction the games industry is moving.

It's truly astounding that a game aimed at history buffs and wargame fanatics would be so arcade, yet so boring, and dumbed down to tablet app levels.

[GnaReffotsirk]

A critical part of the game is damaged. Unless this is addressed, any hopes of future release with regards to quality will be questionable. Graphics-wise you can trust they would push further. Make you want to build a new system only to have it run smoothly and in the end still have lag with massive battles since the code is not built for it.

This release (ROME II) was hinted by the company as the "next step" both graphically and gameplay, but they failed. At least for now they're patching things up. But how far will they go for Rome II, remains the central question. Certain core gameplay elements and systems are broken, and totally out of place.

At this rate of patching and results, I doubt they'd endure a year or more required to bring up this game to expectations. Or if they are able to meet the very expectations they tickled up out of people, is high up in the air.

My suspicion is they would draft in minor "fixes". Insignificant ones, "obviously should have been there in the first place" ones, until they get their engine dev goals up to a certain level, and release a title with it.

It's harsh, dark, and gloomy, but this is my fear. Worst case, we'll get to play the next total war with an updated version of this engine, which by then we would say, "this would have worked for Rome II".

I say this only because of experience with TW games from med2 up to now. I'm here because I like to watch what they'd do this time around. But that's it. I'm not going to take the "wait for the next title release" attitude anymore.

If they can't bring this game up, I'm going back to the "buy the the game if you like it" route. Simply because it makes more sense, and a whole lot less painful.

[wulfgar610]

My machine runs the game even with heavy clumped up troops min 30fps which is fine. Thats not the issue. The issue is nearly every time I am the defender the enemy will NOT attack. Maybe one unit will skirmish thats it. Sieges are also wait fests (ie the clock) I don't care about family trees and other aesthetics though I miss them. Sure its stable and I can move my units around. As a TW game it is barely serviceable.

That's strange because I don't have that. The only exception being a lone general unit landing by ship inside the city. Yep, that one just sat there. Seems to be a path-finding issue. Might vary depending on which city design.

[Ishan]

@RZZZA
Agreed.

M3 can become famous, if performance wise it is like shogun 2 and has some new RPG elements and don't scrape off the most vital things like family tree, royal bloodline, bastard sons and things like that.

Anyways right now i think the next thing we will be seeing is an expansion pack for rome, here hoping it's barbarian invasion with huns and stuff with good improvements and additions.

You'll be waiting a while then as they said the next TW was not going to be a third of any title.

Can anyone provide a source to what this guy is saying? Is it true?

[beckyolt]

It's truly astounding that a game aimed at history buffs and wargame fanatics would be so arcade, yet so boring, and dumbed down to tablet app levels.

Because Total War games totally were hardcore/realistic games LOL.

Total War is the Battlefield of strategy games, please. More realistic than arcadey games of the same genre, like AoE ( or COD, for BF ) but far, FAR from being "games aimed at history buffs". Those are Paradox games.

[Dago Red]

Because Total War games totally were hardcore/realistic games LOL.

Total War is the Battlefield of strategy games, please. More realistic than arcadey games of the same genre, like AoE ( or COD, for BF ) but far, FAR from being "games aimed at history buffs". Those are Paradox games.

"and wargame fanatics" ...who are pretty damn particular about how their battles work. Working at all is a good first step.