I have a problem.

I love the Total War series. I love Shogun and it's expansion, I love Rome and it's expansion.

However, for the life of me I just cannot get into Medieval. I start to play it, I get my nation up and running, I get bored and quit. I don't understand why. What's more alarming is that most TW enthusiasts I speak to rank Medieval as their favourite of the series!

So I'd like to hear some of your opinions as to why Medieval deserves to remain part of my video game collection. I'd appreciate it if someone would share some inspirating stories that made me take another chance with the game, tell me tales of greatness that I should be lucky to emulate, or just why in their minds Medieval: Total War is the greatest game they have ever played.

And if all goes well, I'll have welcomed the game back into my fold like the unwanted son it currently is ;)

I can only say that I somewhat agree with you. I played Rome total war and absolutely loved it (It was my first experience with the Total War series), so I asked for Medieval: Total War for Christmas. Well, I got it and immediately installed it and started playing. After having played for awhile, I started to feel like I was more of a spectator in the game rather than truly being in control as I had been in Rome: TW. I thought the tactical battles were alright, but the strategic map didn't have that same level of control that was present in Rome's strategic map.

Anyway, despite my little rant I would tell you to keep the game, as it is good for some Total War fun for those rare occasions you might get bored with Rome.

Why ? Cause your playing on the same tactical map
While on Shogun you were playing in Japan, shorter and tighter game play

I had that problem with rome at first, everything seemed boring and pointless. But now its addictive as heck

Why> MTW have better tactical AI.

Compare to RTW, MTW AI will try to out manuever you on higher setting. The harder settings in RTW will just make the AI tougher(higher morale, not easy to rout), but it's still stupid(standing still while my archers is peppering them with arrows.)

Play harder setting in MTW and you'll notice the difference, the AI will even try to wear you down, hiding in forest, and setting up ambushes.

Now, if only RTW's AI is the same, it'll be perfect.

Well I started knowing the TW series through RTW and found that game superb. It had all that Civ III lacked (the tactical perspective in battles).

So I bought MTW, STW and there expansions.

I've been playing MTW for the last weeks and find it great. But after been used to RTW I automatically resolve battles in MTW because I find the graphics and the whole control unit system defective ( I did play over 30 battles but find it way too frustrating in comparison with RTW). I just don't feel I'm in control.

Playing MTW is like playing chess really. It's not about the graphics, it's all about your strategy. So I play all the time in the campaign map and don't resort to tha battle map at all. I guess you need some time to get useD to it. But it's a TBS game really in the campaign mode and RTS in the battlefield map. I'm only playing the TBS part really.

I haven't played any of Total War games but Medieval2: Total War seems tempting. I believe it comes somewhere end of this year.

I've been playing MTW for the last weeks and find it great. But after been used to RTW I automatically resolve battles in MTW because I find the graphics and the whole control unit system defective ( I did play over 30 battles but find it way too frustrating in comparison with RTW). I just don't feel I'm in control.

Playing MTW is like playing chess really. It's not about the graphics, it's all about your strategy. So I play all the time in the campaign map and don't resort to tha battle map at all. I guess you need some time to get useD to it. But it's a TBS game really in the campaign mode and RTS in the battlefield map. I'm only playing the TBS part really.

Yeah, except for the odd battle I've been doing this too. Don't think it's because of the control system - though I much prefer RTW's methods, I still play through the Shogun battles.

I think my problem is that MTW seems to be trying to do to much with a weaker game engine - something that will hopefully be rectified with MTW:2. I managed a good game this week - carved out a small Italian empire - before losing interest again. Will probably reinstall it in a couple of months time and do the same thing again :p

I wanted to play it through a couple of times to compare it with MW2: TW when it comes out in xmas.

You can probably find it quite cheap nowadays (including the expansion pack.) I'd wait until the sequel though.

I know this :(

Take an example, ask someone that playes Civ 4, loves it and that it's his first Civ expirience how he rates Civ 3?, he will say it sucks.

That's not my problem though, I first got into the Total War series with Shogun and bought Medieval when it was released. I just never managed to get into it in the same way I did Shogun and then Rome.

That's not my problem though, I first got into the Total War series with Shogun and bought Medieval when it was released. I just never managed to get into it in the same way I did Shogun and then Rome.

Well than, i can only say: Medival 2: Total War will ROCK ROCK ROCK!!! :D

I certainly hope so :)

IDK, I think Shogun was horrible compared to Medieval. The unit formations and grouping, there was just something about it that didn't quite fit.

Well than, i can only say: Medival 2: Total War will ROCK ROCK ROCK!!! :D

I bet it will ! The Creative Assembly latest release always outshines the previous games in the TW franchise (except for the awful expansion packs :mad: ). I really cannot wait 'till xmas. :crazyeye:

That's interesting, because a lot of people found Rome very disappointing compared to Medieval. I agree to some extent; I haven't finished a full unmodded Rome campaign; I just get bored with it. The battle AI is just so lousy. I played medium AI on medieval and felt good if I inflicted 2-1 casualties; on Rome, however, that would be a horrible failure. Many times I've inflicted over 1000 casualties on the enemy with a loss of about 30.

Yeah I have the same problem with RTW. I did reinstall MTW recently and I think perhaps I was a little unfair on RTW since a few factors have changed that make it easier for the user. The graphics are better so that it easier to select the correct unit, you can select units with a drag box which tends to be quicker, its easier to see how many troops are left in a unit, the lowest speed seems to be slightly slower in RTW and finally its possible to pause the game easily if things are going wrong.

The second challenge is that in some ways the Roman period is not that well suited to gaming. Historically it seems that tactics were very inflexible so its accurate to have massive infantry formations but these just get flanked by the human player and the AI never adapts. Unique generals was a suggestion by Xen which makes a lot of sense. Occasionally the AI would get an amazing general who splits away from the normal troop composition and perhaps has a lot more cavalry.

Hopefully MTW will return to more mixed AI armies and thus the game will become difficult again.

Also I've grown to like the RTW campaign map and after playing EU2 extensively I no longer like the MTW campaign map since there are too few provinces. The problem that I have is that for a small empire every province has a border with a potential enemy and the AI is so fickle that the game becomes deadlocked as if you attack then everyone else will attack. More cities/provinces should result in some provinces not having a border.

Also I've grown to like the RTW campaign map and after playing EU2 extensively I no longer like the MTW campaign map since there are too few provinces. The problem that I have is that for a small empire every province has a border with a potential enemy and the AI is so fickle that the game becomes deadlocked as if you attack then everyone else will attack. More cities/provinces should result in some provinces not having a border.

Ah, good point. I played EU2 well before I got a chance to play MTW. I had the same issues, along with the fact that I felt there too few nations in MTW. I also had issues with the 'conquer europe' aspect, when I much prefer seeing the rise, fall and creation of empires like in EU2.

Yeah I did think there should be more nations in MTW but then I played a mod that increased the number of nations and it just compounded the border problem where provinces always have borders. In EU2 its much more about the war rather than battles as you are able to build up new armies and attack so you don't have to worry about losing some core provinces as soon as the war starts. Not to say that the EU2 AI is particularily an improvement as it doesn't care about attrition even in winter.

That's interesting, because a lot of people found Rome very disappointing compared to Medieval. I agree to some extent; I haven't finished a full unmodded Rome campaign; I just get bored with it. The battle AI is just so lousy. I played medium AI on medieval and felt good if I inflicted 2-1 casualties; on Rome, however, that would be a horrible failure. Many times I've inflicted over 1000 casualties on the enemy with a loss of about 30.

I agree that some things are lacking when you compare the two, but I think that the overall game is slightly better. I also have not finished an unmodded RTW campaign. I either get bored with it or I just plain get sick of the Senate and their endless demands (though I have been playing with other factions lately). The AI is lousy, I once had a single unit of Urban Cohorts that was ambushed by about 300 Rebels led by a family member (of a faction I destroyed, I think they were Gauls), they had mainly spear warbands, a few swordsmen, and the general's bodyguard. My cohorts annhiliated them. They came into battle with 300+ men, and left with about 20. They also inflicted only about 3 or 4 casualties (when their cavalry charge hit my line).

These cohorts were not veterans, they just left Patavium to join an army that I had plans of invading Egypt with (though their weaponry and armor were pretty good). Oh, and this army took Alexandria in 2 turns (because I forgot about them).

I've very rarely completed a RTW campaign, though to be fair I usually quit early on a lot of strategy games with long-length campaigns - Civ, EU2, Hearts of Iron...there comes a point when you know you've one.

Though yes, the weakness of the AI can play a part.