Rome Total War II

[Trash]

I was always baffled by how that Darth Vader dude managed to con everyone into thinking his mod did anything to alter the AI in TW games. Life imitates Star Wars, I guess.

For Rome he was the first guy to do something with the battle AI. Namely give it lots more starting formations to use. It kinda made his reputation. Together with it came him adding his avatar into every game as an advisor and increasingly megalomaniac statements.

I noticed that after reading the description of radious's campaign mod for this. Basically it's more gold (lol wut, even a small time empire is swimming in it) and a nuking of the squalor mechanic to where he might as well just remove it entirely.

When you read the descriptions for his stand-alone mods for Shogun 2 it's all incredibly retarded shit. It wasn't even the ninja assassin musket wielding cavelery that did his overhaul mod in for me, it was the utterly broken mess he made of the game through it. Seeing the descriptions for his mods in the Rome 2 forum make it pretty clear he took his retardation with him when he started modding that game. I'd avoid anything with his name on it.

It's been a few years but I found TROM3 excellent.

That's the mod from the same guy (Yarkis) who made the AI cheating disabler and Realm Divide nerf mods. Both excellent. Thanks for bringing this one to my attention. I'll give it a try. The modder also returned and has started modding Rome 2.

 

[Tigranes]

Rome 1 Darthmod was very good for the reason Trash states, and it was also good because it was a simpler mod - just fix the AI, nothing else, which made it a no-brainer for those not going to total conversions. Now, of course, he turns the entire game into some sort of Star Wars fanboy's geocities page and the AI is just as spastic as CA's, just differently. Truly useless.

I really am off TW at the moment, it doesn't excite me enough to suffer the inevitable problems. Maybe because I'm still in EU4 mode...

 

[commie]

It adds features that the AI doesn't know how to handle and thus won't use. Basically creating a veneer of depth and complexity for the player by adding basically meaningless additions. In the end it is still the same old 'new building unlocks new units' mechanics. It's defenitely an impressive feat in modding but not my thing. I prefer mods like Viking Invasion II that stay close to the core mechanics but offer a different gameplay experience. With VI2 being it an extremely difficult campaign as certain factions and a whole reimagining of the old VI expansion for MTW.

It's larpy but who cares? I like the 'complexity' and don't care that it's just the player that can take advantage. The whole point is that TW AI needs all the help it can get, so to make things a little more difficult for the player is welcome. Besides it's much like the realism mods for EU, in that it kind of guides the player to act a little more historically such as not being able to raise Imperial legions in Africa. I like the constraints in having to fight with more mercenaries and local troops that in vanilla I would get rid of at the earliest opprotunity.

 

[Trash]

I get why people might like it. It's simply not for me for the reasons stated. The best TW mods for me are the ones that work within the constraints of the engine and core mechanics and add to those aspects. Think VI2 that offers one of the hardest campaigns around or Somnium Apostatae Iulianii for the amazing things it does with units, battle map enviroment graphics and factions. RTR was a siege grind and for me EB was much the same with added larping added. To each his own.

Rome 1 Darthmod was very good for the reason Trash states, and it was also good because it was a simpler mod - just fix the AI, nothing else, which made it a no-brainer for those not going to total conversions. Now, of course, he turns the entire game into some sort of Star Wars fanboy's geocities page and the AI is just as spastic as CA's, just differently. Truly useless.

In his first iterations of his mod he did not include that shit avatar of his as an unavoidable advisor. When the mod took off he added it. Things have gone downhill ever since.

 

[commie]

I get why people might like it. It's simply not for me for the reasons stated. The best TW mods for me are the ones that work within the constraints of the engine and core mechanics and add to those aspects. Think VI2 that offers one of the hardest campaigns around or Somnium Apostatae Iulianii for the amazing things it does with units, battle map enviroment graphics and factions. RTR was a siege grind and for me EB was much the same with added larping added. To each his own.

I actually just installed VI2 a few hours ago. Strange that I never paid attention to it before but I think that's due to the fact that I was more interested in getting a more complete 'ROMAN' experience and mods for other time periods I've ignored. You are right in that it's a fine mod, focused and without padding. Makes for a quick, brutal game. Liking it a lot so far. Doesn't mean that I don't like larpy goodness as well. I remember getting greedy in Hispania in EB, overextending my lines and running low on cash and having to fight off stacks of angry Spaniards with an ever dwindling army, trying to husband my few key Roman veterans to stay alive as long as possible, while buying up the cheapest local fodder to take the brunt. Great fun. By the time the threat was finally over, I had barely 10% of the original force, but I survived just long enough for a relief army to finally arrive from Rome.

 

[Santander02]

Any good mods for FotS? Figure I should give it a go again to relieve me of the need to care about RTW2. Thinking about a VH Tsu playthrough going for muh freedoms.

I'd like to know this one as well, the usually competent AI from Shogun 2 turns completely retarded once large amounts guns and (even a few ) artillery units become standard, in both the camping map and battles. Also some technologies are completely useless, I am approaching the end of my camping and never once have even considered building a star fort or tower defences, because of how long they take to research, build and are ridiculously expensive. Well I did try tower defences once and they are pathetic, even Gatling Guns towers fire at a lethargic rate, at the very least they shouldn't take up a building slot.

Also the trade system seems to be bugged, I was never able to import machines from the foreign powers and thanks to that I couldn't build the top tier military buildings.

 

[Jick Magger]

Any good mods for FotS? Figure I should give it a go again to relieve me of the need to care about RTW2. Thinking about a VH Tsu playthrough going for muh freedoms.

Is FotS any good? I'm interested in the period (though I guess they will have given it the Tom Cruise/Last Samurai bullshido treatment) but the price tag for what is ultimately just an expansion pack puts me off.

It basically revamps the naval combat (your whole economy is dependent on naval trade, one enemy fleet blockading your capital's port will effectively cripple you), actually plays much differently to vanilla game with a greater emphasis on line battles, artillery, etc (unlike Rise of the Samurai, which was basically vanilla game lite with a couple of somewhat useful units for multiplayer), and has a Realms Divide system that doesn't make you feel like tearing your hair out.

I for one have a soft spot for the ole' smoke and musket era myself (it's why I'm willing to not completely write Empire off), so I'd recommend giving it a shot.

 

[Average Manatee]

Unlike RoTS, FoTS is basically a whole new game. It's the most modern (in terms of the period) TW game to date. Even the map is expanded. You'll still have your old bow and horsemen units though, if you want to play Last Samurai and charge through artillery, Gatling guns, and massed infantry formations. Tech tree is obviously revamped and tiers based on your "modernization" level, where you get modernization from certain techs but mostly from building certain buildings (and modernization buildings tend to cause your population to become unhappy and revolt).

As Santander says, AI is really inept about Artillery. Both using them and against them. If you want a challenge either go full traditional army or at least modern without artillery, else it will be far too easy. AI isn't too bad about gun lines, though fortress design makes it too easy to setup kill zones that decimate the enemy (again, AI won't use artillery to pummel your fortress for 15 mins straight before attacking like a player would).

Realm Divide is definitely cool. At the start your clan supports the ruling shogunate or restoring the Emperor. Provinces have to be converted to your cause to reduce revolts, and you can switch sides yourself. Clans on your side tend to play nice and just trade/alliance, though on harder difficulty they are still opportunistic bastards who will often attack unless you are strong. When you hit Realm Divide, the war escalates and you have to finalize your side. If you choose Shogunate or Imperial the rest of your faction falls into line behind you. Or you can choose to declare independence from both and become a republic, simultaneously pissing off your entire population that supported one of the other two and making every other clan a permanent enemy.

Ohh an you can call in Orbital Bombardment from nearby fleets in the middle of combat. Shits cool.

 

[Silva]

 

[Cursed Platypus]

 

[InspectorRumpole]

I like Angry Joe, but damn..those distorted screams :/

 

[DeepOcean]

I didn't knew they wanted to make a fantasy game on a roman setting, miracles like boats moving in the sands and men jumping from a wall and not dying. You can even see the AI doing ritual dances in the middle of the combat, that is awesome.

 

[Cyberarmy]

Whoeever thought making "Capture the Flag" main objective in all battles should be fired, from earth or even our solar system...

Won lots of battles against overwhelming odds (300 vs 2500, tonight we dine on FLAG!!!1!) with just rushing to flag with cavalary... Also the thing AI do when trying to capture it...

 

[kris]

After Reading comments here I expected something bad. But playing yesterday I instead saw a game that was fun and with an AI that was competent. i once divided my army in two to pinch the AI and the AI changed to a wedged formation to counter me and then rushed my one side. That showed something i have not really seen from the AI before.

The game also works well in delivering those bigger battles as raising an army is faster than ever. and not really that expensive either.

the little I seen from naval battles don't fill me with confidence. It even seems like units on transports bear the early naval units and that despite the fact that those naval units costs more in upkeep.

while the battles ain't that easy early on, it is still quite easy to take cities and the AI at the same time dont expand much, which would mean you will quickly run away in power. I would also agree with whoever claimed that the better/elite armies feels overpowered, unless you can pound them with missile troops. by the way, the ballista is just awesome.

 

[Steve]

The passive CAI completely kills the game for me, you eat a province after province and nobody seems to care. I checked how many more I needed for military victory and instantly quit the game. It really felt like a chore to play.
Will keep the game installed as I really think there is a decent strategy game underneath all that shit.

 

[Rahdulan]

He has the right idea, though. Creative Assembly has cruised along for far too long with fans justifying their mistakes with "they'll patch it". This is unacceptable and I said the same thing about Paradox. And that's not even mentioning obviously cut out factions held as pre-order ransom and sold as DLC.

 

[kris]

The passive CAI completely kills the game for me, you eat a province after province and nobody seems to care. I checked how many more I needed for military victory and instantly quit the game. It really felt like a chore to play.
Will keep the game installed as I really think there is a decent strategy game underneath all that shit.

Seems like it...

Someone played on insane to see if it is any different there?

 

[Crevice tab]

The passive CAI completely kills the game for me, you eat a province after province and nobody seems to care. I checked how many more I needed for military victory and instantly quit the game. It really felt like a chore to play.
Will keep the game installed as I really think there is a decent strategy game underneath all that shit.

Seems like it...

Someone played on insane to see if it is any different there?

It's the same thing. The AI does have some smart moments but they're rare compared to the usual stupidity. There are simply too many new features or old features done in a new way that the AI just doesn't do properly regardless of the difficulty setting (the capture points are one of those things). Also I wouldn't complain about the AI being rather passive- making it more aggressive would just increase the chance of something going badly wrong.

 

[Jick Magger]

AI simply cannot siege-by-sea. They'll come up to a settlement with a huge rebel garrison, blockade it, then keep blockading it perpetually. In my Sparta campaign, Rome has been sieging Syracuse from sea for well over three dozen turns. I can't do shit about it because the game won't fucking let me attack it from land so long as they have the blockade going.

Speaking of Sparta, I was told that Creative Assembly said this would be one of the hardest campaigns in the series, one which would challenge even the greatest Total War veteran. With this AI, it's arguably one of the easier campaigns I've played thus far. Sure, you start out in a somewhat awkward position (next to Macedon and Athens, who are allied with one another, with the only other way to branch out being through Epirus), but once you get the tech which churns you out Spartan Hopilites, who are simply qualitatively superior to anything the other Hellenic factions have to offer, and even give Roman Legionnaires a run for their money, it's not too difficult to blitzkrieg through Athens and Macedon before they even realize what's happening, take over most of Greece, and get a stable economy going, from which you can basically go anywhere you want. Their passive ability to reduce slave pop decline also makes slave rebellions much less of a headache as they were with the other factions I've played.

Think the main problems for me right now are that the Champions are just too damn good (just get them to focus on training perks, attach them to an army, and I guarantee that you'll have gold chevron rape trains in a handful of turns), and the unit replenishment times are just too fucking short (the most I've had to wait for an army to replenish itself, even when they've gotten into scraps that reduce units to barely a dozen men, is two turns). I haven't had as much trouble with the combat AI as I did before, now it's just standard Total War fare (they march up to me, start shooting with their skirmishers, then march their troops in when I start shooting back, etc). If the campaign AI were to just get more aggressive, I'd guarantee that I'd be having a much harder time at this than I am right now. At least the battles are nice and purdy.

 

[Cursed Platypus]

Anyone looking at Sega's recent releases would start to have doubt has to why this game is so fucked up.

Them meddling in more than just enforcing a release date is highly likely. The retarded UI, graphical effects, political system and such are probably of their doing.

Looking back at the Carthage video they release in 2012, the city was huge, and much more magnificent compared to the current one. Why would CA decide to throw away content they had already coded?
They initially said they had made different UI for the different factions, or that the Campaign would be full of events and new mechanism tailored for your specific faction.

I blame a more retarded than usual corporate culture at SEGA which meddles and fuck up each game they're involved with, hence all these recent failures, and those having lost so much in the past decade.

 

[Gord]

Looking back at the Carthage video they release in 2012, the city was huge, and much more magnificent compared to the current one. Why would CA decide to throw away content they had already coded?

More likely it was a heavily touched up and altered video that was never really close to what the final game would look like.
Didn't they do the same with other Total War games before?

 

[Cursed Platypus]

Looking back at the Carthage video they release in 2012, the city was huge, and much more magnificent compared to the current one. Why would CA decide to throw away content they had already coded?

More likely it was a heavily touched up and altered video that was never really close to what the final game would look like.
Didn't they do the same with other Total War games before?

There so much you can touch. They had created those models, they had set up the city layout. I don't think half the city was just an added CGI effect, with units running around and fighting in them.

 

[TalesfromtheCrypt]

Anyone looking at Sega's recent releases would start to have doubt has to why this game is so fucked up.

Them meddling in more than just enforcing a release date is highly likely. The retarded UI, graphical effects, political system and such are probably of their doing.

Looking back at the Carthage video they release in 2012, the city was huge, and much more magnificent compared to the current one. Why would CA decide to throw away content they had already coded?
They initially said they had made different UI for the different factions, or that the Campaign would be full of events and new mechanism tailored for your specific faction.

I blame a more retarded than usual corporate culture at SEGA which meddles and fuck up each game they're involved with, hence all these recent failures, and those having lost so much in the past decade.

Sorry but no, just no. Of course SEGAs negative impact can not be excluded, but CAs incompetence stands on its own. These guys couldn't program a decent AI for the battle or strategic map if their life depended on it. The passive/downright stupid AI has been a problem since at least Rome: Total War, yet all CA has achieved is to make the computer enemies even dumber with each new iteration.

O course it doesn't help either that they keep bloating the strategic map with boring and tedious features that the AI can't use properly.

Total War games work when the strategic map is just a stage setter for epic battles while adding some different gameplay in between battles for the sake of variety.

 

[Corporate_Jew_Master]

Didn't all their decent coders/programmers jump shit and headed over to Australia?

 

[Cyberarmy]

Even the worst units can throw torches to siege gates and can burn them down. (which magically open after burned down ...) No need to use any battering ram or ladders when your mobs can burn down Carthage's massive doors...

Games getting shallower with each passing turn....