Civ 4 or Empire Total War
- Thread starter dasratt
- Start date
conception
Warlord
- Joined
- Dec 26, 2008
- Messages
- 193
I don't know much about the other game, but you really can't go wrong with Civ, especially with Beyond the Sword (which adds so many dimensions to the game it almost completely changes gameplay). There's a reason why Civ is one of the most popular games of all time, and studies show that it may be in fact the most heavily played game in terms of gamer hours of any game. It's incredibly addicting yet you can adapt it so no two games are ever the same. Also, the customizable options for custom games, as well as the different difficulty levels, mean that you can always provide a challenge for yourself yet make it a different challenge every time.
Its your choice, but if you choose Civ, you won't regret it.
Its your choice, but if you choose Civ, you won't regret it.
_alphaBeta_
King
It's difficult to compare the two right now since Civ4 is a much more mature game. E:TW is a mess right now, but not so different from Civ4 when it first came out. Civ4 took years of patching and two expansion packs to get to the solid game we have now. Therefore current bugs aside, here's my take:
- Every Civ4 game is randomly generated meaning that no two games will ever be totally the same. This is huge for me since you get the maximum re-playability possible. E:TW has many campaigns to play, which can probably be played numerous ways, but it's still not the same as a randomly generated map.
- The battles of E:TW are most certainly more exciting. Ship warefare as well. It's gives the player a nice break from the unit vs. unit combat of Civ4. E:TW doesn't seem to follow the usual unit/counter-unit setup that games like Civ4 do, however. In Civ4, it's possible to overwhelm the enemy with less numbers if you bring the correct type of units with you. E:TW's units are all a little too similar ATM, but they're working on it supposedly.
- Civ4 is well documented via the Civlopedia. E:TW features a mouseover system of holding your mouse over something you wouldn't understand and having tiny info tooltips flashing by. It stinks. Obviously I'm not counting the fact that Civ4 would also be better documented externally since it's been around a lot longer.
- Civ4 diplomacy is much more advanced. By this I mean both the interface itself and the AI.
- E:TW is not as research-based as Civ4. You don't have to be so obsessed with always being ahead in tech. It also means that your units do not become obsolete in the same way.
- E:TW requires much less micromanagement of cities. You have some buildings to build, but it's easily to max out a city that will stay that way until the end of the game. With Civ4's research, you're always going back to older cities to build the newest buildings. E:TW is, by its name, more about war as expected.
- Civ4 is easier to mod at the moment and more mods exist for it. Again, that's probably because Civ4 has a multi-year jump on E:TW.
- Overall, I'd say the strategy is much more in-depth with Civ4. E:TW has a different spin, but in the end you're making large armies and conquering regions. Civ4 has a number of victory conditions that require you to fight no one.
Redcoat Captain
Leader of the Redcoats!
Easiest question ive been asked for some time!
Civ 4 all the way
Civ 4 all the way
De Begerac
Chieftain
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2006
- Messages
- 76
I've always been a total war fan, right from the beginning but I've not rushed out to buy this latest installment, despite the hype and the fact it's a period of history I love. Comes down to three reasons for me; 1 - I hate the fact you have to register it and have internet access to play it, (steam 
) 2 - it's expensive vs civ being the newer game, 3 - as alpha said, the shear number of different permutations of gameplay that civ offers, even if you were to reload the same world mean it has far greater replayability than any of the total war series. (And this is from someone who loves them)
Cyrano
) 2 - it's expensive vs civ being the newer game, 3 - as alpha said, the shear number of different permutations of gameplay that civ offers, even if you were to reload the same world mean it has far greater replayability than any of the total war series. (And this is from someone who loves them)Cyrano
pop daddy
THE DUNGEON MASTER
First, I would say, go to an E:TW forum and ask the same question.
Also, as a fan of the Total War series, I can definitely see the benefit in either. I personally feel that Total War takes a much great time investment than CIV and actually don't play it as much any more due to the fact that I am a full-time student going on to grad school.
So, if you're busy and need something to fill your free time, CIV is the way to go. I would say that if you're looking to jump into the turn-based genre, however, Total War is most certainly a more entertaining game to immerse yourself in for a while.
EDIT: If you do end up going the CIV route, don't forget to join the Civfanatics community!
Also, as a fan of the Total War series, I can definitely see the benefit in either. I personally feel that Total War takes a much great time investment than CIV and actually don't play it as much any more due to the fact that I am a full-time student going on to grad school.
So, if you're busy and need something to fill your free time, CIV is the way to go. I would say that if you're looking to jump into the turn-based genre, however, Total War is most certainly a more entertaining game to immerse yourself in for a while.
EDIT: If you do end up going the CIV route, don't forget to join the Civfanatics community!
_alphaBeta_
King
It already has dropped. It's down to $29.99 in some stores.
r_rolo1
King of myself
Civ Iv is a game with some years and it is most likely in it's definitive form. The core game is stable, the AI is pretty decent and is really a hindrance in tactical terms ( ok, it is not THAT smart, but it is enough of a chalenge ). You can play every leader there is in the game without messing around modding ( except Mr Sid, OFC, but Sid is a Easter egg 
)
Empire Total war has some months and it was released in a state I would be embarrased to call beta if I had done it. The core game is not stable, it CTDs for every possible reason if you don't have the last patches ( delivered via steam
), the AI is crappy in every level ( it tends to melee before spending the ammunition..... even MTW II one didn't done that. Not mentioning that it is highly adverse to make naval invasions ( i only saw one so far.... The Maratha taking Brussels 
) and has a unreasoble love for religious buildings ) and you can't play all the factions without modding, and even there the game will bork down if you try to play a emegert faction ( because, by some perverse reason, all the colonies "vice kingdoms" ( New Spain , Lousiana, Thirteen colonies.... ) are programed to give up of the game and give their land to the motherland in turn 16 if the motherland is not being played by a human ... not mentioning the fog of war issue for every non-major faction 
)
Take your conclusions
)Empire Total war has some months and it was released in a state I would be embarrased to call beta if I had done it. The core game is not stable, it CTDs for every possible reason if you don't have the last patches ( delivered via steam
), the AI is crappy in every level ( it tends to melee before spending the ammunition..... even MTW II one didn't done that. Not mentioning that it is highly adverse to make naval invasions ( i only saw one so far.... The Maratha taking Brussels ) and has a unreasoble love for religious buildings ) and you can't play all the factions without modding, and even there the game will bork down if you try to play a emegert faction ( because, by some perverse reason, all the colonies "vice kingdoms" ( New Spain , Lousiana, Thirteen colonies.... ) are programed to give up of the game and give their land to the motherland in turn 16 if the motherland is not being played by a human ... not mentioning the fog of war issue for every non-major faction )Take your conclusions
ston
Warlord
I absolutely loved the first in the series, 'Shogun Total War', but the (broken) battle camera control in later versions made the game unplayable for me. There was a really weird mouse latency bug in the Rome TW version too (affected logitech mice mainly I think) which is what first put me off the series.
I've tried out demos of every version since Shogun, but just can't get on with the camera control issues.
Those fanatical Buddhist Monks in Shogun TW were awesome though
I've tried out demos of every version since Shogun, but just can't get on with the camera control issues.
Those fanatical Buddhist Monks in Shogun TW were awesome though
De Begerac
Chieftain
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2006
- Messages
- 76
And don't forget the Geisha's. Game over as soon as they appeared virtually.
Cyrano
Cyrano
ston
Warlord
Good call! There was no stopping 'em 
Presenting...the Shogun Total War, Geisha Assasination Collection!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibAdi-q_EHA
(back on-topic)
Get Civ IV if you're after a 'pure' strategy game, one of the TW series if you want a bit more 'action'. Demos are freely available for both, so you can try before you buy!
Presenting...the Shogun Total War, Geisha Assasination Collection!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibAdi-q_EHA
(back on-topic)
Get Civ IV if you're after a 'pure' strategy game, one of the TW series if you want a bit more 'action'. Demos are freely available for both, so you can try before you buy!
phungus420
Deity
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2003
- Messages
- 6,296
TW is great. But since Rome: Total War the creaters have released buggier and buggier products, and sloppier and sloppier AIs. Peronally I wouldn't get Empire Total war, I haven't played it, but everything I've read says, it's a great concept, it's fun, but it crashes or buggs out all the time, and the AI is just horrible... Really too bad, I hope people just boycot the next TW itteration if it goes further down this path so that the TW series gets it's act together and actually creates a stable product with a decent AI.
LegionSteve
Motörhead
Completely agree with this. I loved the first 2 games, in fact I think MTW is still the best in the series. It all went wrong when they went to the more detailed campaign map, without creating an AI opponent that could move its armies around the map competently.
Shurdus
Am I Napoleon?
I have both and got bored with ETW real fast.
The game has no replayability. Every game is the same basically. You build units, send them to shoot some one in the face, repeat.
The AI is also completely ********. You will end up at war with every one in a few turns, never to have peace again. I am not sure if the latest patch fixes this or not, but it was annoying. The diplomacy is also a complete mess in ETW. Keeping stable relations going is very, very hard. It also is hardly awarding since the AI completes in such arbitrary ways that it is very questionable what good diplomatic relations will get you.
Civ IV otoh is a very mature game that you can lose yourself in for hours and hours. Replayability is amazing since you can adjust pretty much everything. If you do not like the original game I bet there are a few mods out there that will tweak the game just as you like it.
I am sure ETW will be great in a year or so, but eight now Civ wins in every department and it is the more enjoyable game overall.
The game has no replayability. Every game is the same basically. You build units, send them to shoot some one in the face, repeat.
The AI is also completely ********. You will end up at war with every one in a few turns, never to have peace again. I am not sure if the latest patch fixes this or not, but it was annoying. The diplomacy is also a complete mess in ETW. Keeping stable relations going is very, very hard. It also is hardly awarding since the AI completes in such arbitrary ways that it is very questionable what good diplomatic relations will get you.
Civ IV otoh is a very mature game that you can lose yourself in for hours and hours. Replayability is amazing since you can adjust pretty much everything. If you do not like the original game I bet there are a few mods out there that will tweak the game just as you like it.
I am sure ETW will be great in a year or so, but eight now Civ wins in every department and it is the more enjoyable game overall.
Tarkhan
King
Civ4. As with most Civ games, the amount of replay value is just insane. Even if you get bored of the standard game, complete comes with all of the mods, some of which completely change the game, as well as some player created fun here on civfanatics. If it's boring, up the difficulty. If you think the AI is stupid, it's probably because on low difficulty, it's supposed to be stupid.
- Succession Games
- Realms Beyond has some fun variants to try out. I forget the website, but you can search and find someone with the url in their sig.
- Mods (theres a whole pile of forums on em)
- Succession Games
- Realms Beyond has some fun variants to try out. I forget the website, but you can search and find someone with the url in their sig.
- Mods (theres a whole pile of forums on em)
katipunero
Prince
i got curious and checked out what they had to say about civ 4 in ETW forum. i was not all surprised that they had nothing good to say about civ 4. what shocked me however was the fact that the discussions there were totally lopsided 
lols. quite unlike here where you can clearly find intelligent replies and at least some help when you need some.
so if anything, or if you haven't bought either game yet, i'd say buy CIV IV--if only because the community here is simply awesome.
lols. quite unlike here where you can clearly find intelligent replies and at least some help when you need some. so if anything, or if you haven't bought either game yet, i'd say buy CIV IV--if only because the community here is simply awesome.
Balderstrom
Emperor
@ katipunero
Interesting, I wonder if the average CIV player is older? Or perhaps CIV brings out the Cerebral-Side of the gamers more.
Interesting, I wonder if the average CIV player is older? Or perhaps CIV brings out the Cerebral-Side of the gamers more.
katipunero
Prince
i suspect the majority of civ players are relatively older and uh mature? 
i dunno. i guess the quality of the replies i get in this forum is to me a fair indication of the sort of people that play civ. etc etc. in my case, i'm 23, a student of law and a civ fanatic/fanboy through and through. although i did enjoy some of the bizarre forum topics in TW community, I did come across a lot of dumb and indecent comments theere mostly coming from a mob of obvious trolls who prolly have IQ marks below sea level....
I've yet to find posts in this forum that were intended to troll or purely to annoy people. But i guess I'm new to civfanatic so i can't be a good judge of that.
i dunno. i guess the quality of the replies i get in this forum is to me a fair indication of the sort of people that play civ. etc etc. in my case, i'm 23, a student of law and a civ fanatic/fanboy through and through. although i did enjoy some of the bizarre forum topics in TW community, I did come across a lot of dumb and indecent comments theere mostly coming from a mob of obvious trolls who prolly have IQ marks below sea level....I've yet to find posts in this forum that were intended to troll or purely to annoy people. But i guess I'm new to civfanatic so i can't be a good judge of that.
