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[ExarKun]

I just bought this game, haven't tried it as of yet, am installing as I type, but was curious if anyone has played these games in the past. The game got very good reviews, and reminds me a lot of the Civ games.

[ExarKun]

Okay been playing the game for a awhile now. Very good game when it comes to mixing real time strategy and turn based. The game's main map plays almost just like Civ, instead of though being able to build cities from the ground up, you must conquer to gain ground.

The game is based in between 1700-1799. You pick you country, France, Great Brittan, Prussia, Russia, Austria, so forth each country has unique starting vantages, and some at first may seem very drastic.

Great Brittan for instances has a huge army and very wealthy, but that army is needed for every piece of land cause they are merely an island nation for the most part, and are very easy to attack.

Go on to a smaller country like Prussia, not powerful as Great Brittan, but the people are easier to keep happy, and it is surrounded by hapless people just dying to be conquered.

You got to control happiness and diplomacy and government just like Civ, but of course the biggest change is even if you go to the full end of the game, it is always 18 century technology, no tanks, jet's just muskets and cannons.

Turns are a little different too, cause while at first 100 years may seem short, each year is 4 turns, for all the seasons.

Battle is a little different too, you can if you want just build an army, make it attack another army, and see if you win, but if you want the more strategic side you can go into the real time strategy. You go to the battlefield and control your men yourself, flank, charge, and attack how you think best to stop the enemy.

There is a better chance you can win in the real time mode, mainly cause you can try and out wit a perilous situation. Unlike just letting the computer decide by a variable who has the biggest army and throw in a bunch of coin tosses.

So if you are interested check it out, this game has made me want to try the Rome and Medieval Total War games now too.

[CharlieBrown]

I've been playing these games since Shogun and I am very disapointed in this one. First off it requires you to install Steam to your computer which is something that I have avoided for quite some time. I find this very intrusive because it requires you to dl all the updates without your say-so and if Steam goes down then I can't play my game.

Which is what happened to me. It took me two weeks for me to finally get the game installed on my comp. And when I finally play it I find that the whole AI system is the worse it has ever been in any Total War game.

I like a challenge when it comes to me dominating India.

I beat the game the first time with half of my turns remaining which is kind of lame because usually it take me the full 200 (255 in some of the games) to win. And when I do win I was given the worst reward for it. Not even a cool cutsene. Jackshit.

I don't think I'll buy one of their games again and I'm soon going to uninstall it and all the bullshit Steam brings.

[JuntaJoe]

I won't play any game which has a Steam requirement.

[ExarKun]

Or you could just use the don't install updates button and the play offline button. I sometimes don't even have the internet on and it doesn't matter if I tell steam to play offline.

Seriously everyone bitches about Steam for those two reasons yet I never use either of them, I don't have auto updates on and I usually play offline. I never have any problems.

[CharlieBrown]

My internet connection isn't that great and the Steam requires you to download the first update for the game. A game that is mostly single-player shouldn't require the user to have broadband. I shouldn't have to download a program like Steam to be able to play my game that I bought.

Just like DRM, it is like you don't even own the game and all you are doing is buying a glorified rental.

And besides Steam, the game isn't that good and I have been a fan for a very very long time.

[ExarKun]

Well that can be a problem, and I am enjoying it, though sadly I have yet to play the others. I believe I will enjoy them greatly cause I always like the medieval feel to games better. Rome and Medieval total war look more up my ally, this just happened to be my first foray into the series.

Now do I agree with steam? No, I think it should be optional. In theory it is a decent idea, and I don't get to much over a fit about it right now, maybe I haven't had enough experience. In practice though the idea of having a software to cut out the whole install limit I like.

You know how pissed off I got at games like Spore, Crysis, and Mass Effect PC for doing that stuff?

[JuntaJoe]

If the game requires Steam then I just pass on by.

[CharlieBrown]

JuntaJoe wrote: If the game requires Steam then I just pass on by.

You already said that.

[ExarKun]

I think he is trying to make the point that no matter what he will never use Steam, I was attempting to get people to overlook steam to a degree... though I may just be over reading into his post.

[JuntaJoe]

Yep, repetition for effect.

I hate them and like to say it as often as people will listen.

If my venom cuts into your bottom line then it's worth it.

[CharlieBrown]

Just making sure you're not getting dimentia.