FRIDAY Love Song

[Martok]

WHAT!!!

:/

I know it's been a while, but I used to rant on a pretty regular basis over on the old Wargamer forums (and maybe here too -- I'm too lazy to go back and check) about how much I hated CA for what they did to Rome 1, Medieval 2, and Empire.  After the masterpieces that were Shogun 1 and Medieval 1, those three games felt like the devs had just completely s*** all over their own franchise. 

At least Empire was widely (and justifiably) panned.  But why Rome 1 and Medieval 2 get so much love -- even/especially after all these years -- I don't think I'll ever fully understand. 

[MetalDog]

I'll tell you why I love Medieval 2, it's because this was the time period I first delved into when I started reading history.  So, the map and the players just hit the sweet spot.  Are there some f'd up things about it?  Yup.  Can't tell you how many times I have had the same thing happen: neighbor declares on me, I build armies to take cities, then the Pope says, "Cease hostilities or risk Excommunication."  So now I have these expensive armies and have to twiddle my thumbs for x amount of time.  Another thing is packing the College of Cardinals so there is a constant procession of Popes that are against me.  Another is how I never win Merchant takeovers.  Attacking or defending. 

[al_infierno]

WHAT!!!

:/

I know it's been a while, but I used to rant on a pretty regular basis over on the old Wargamer forums (and maybe here too -- I'm too lazy to go back and check) about how much I hated CA for what they did to Rome 1, Medieval 2, and Empire.  After the masterpieces that were Shogun 1 and Medieval 1, those three games felt like the devs had just completely s*** all over their own franchise. 

At least Empire was widely (and justifiably) panned.  But why Rome 1 and Medieval 2 get so much love -- even/especially after all these years -- I don't think I'll ever fully understand. 

I agree with you wholeheartedly.  The entire series is unmitigated dogshit.  It's the posterboy of stapling a shallow map-painter onto a decent multiplayer RTS.  I tried getting back into the series with Britannia for its potentially interesting supply mechanics, but bounced right off of it when I realized it's just the same old turd with polished graphics.

[/drunkrant]

Warhammer II: Total War seems pretty good, I picked it up on a sale recently with the DLC in hopes of playing some multiplayer but havent' been bothered.

[Anguille]

WHAT!!!

:/

I know it's been a while, but I used to rant on a pretty regular basis over on the old Wargamer forums (and maybe here too -- I'm too lazy to go back and check) about how much I hated CA for what they did to Rome 1, Medieval 2, and Empire.  After the masterpieces that were Shogun 1 and Medieval 1, those three games felt like the devs had just completely s*** all over their own franchise. 

At least Empire was widely (and justifiably) panned.  But why Rome 1 and Medieval 2 get so much love -- even/especially after all these years -- I don't think I'll ever fully understand.

I remember how you, me as well, used to be upset about the change of strategy map, from a board type of strategy map to a map where we could go everywhere. The main reasons being the AI not being able to use the strategy map as well as in the first two games and i didn't (still don't) like the fact that i had to micromanageme the agents (diplomats, spies etc) on the main map (difficult to spot etc.).

However, given the support you've shown for R.T.Smith over the years, i was indeed convinced that you had Medieval Total War 2 (as he was the lead behind it).

Still, you do have different TW games post change of strategy map, so i really do wonder what is the difference between, say, Medieval Total War 2 and Rome 2?

I think that Napoleon is much superior to Empire (having played both just lately for the first time). The AI in Empire is just beyond bad and the worst i've seen in the series so far.

[jamus34]

Well I managed to "beat" Disgaea 5 this weekend. Much Monster Hunter that just starts the post game grind.

Really starting to get into MTG: Arena had some brutal matches yesterday but overall I've been trying to play 5-6 a day.

Beyond that any and all free time has been spent with Shadow Empires. I hope it does well for Vic as it seems like the perfect blending of the free form play of ATG with the depth and characterizations her was able to create with DC:Barbarossa.

[MetalDog]

Well I managed to "beat" Disgaea 5 this weekend. Much Monster Hunter that just starts the post game grind.

Really starting to get into MTG: Arena had some brutal matches yesterday but overall I've been trying to play 5-6 a day.

Beyond that any and all free time has been spent with Shadow Empires. I hope it does well for Vic as it seems like the perfect blending of the free form play of ATG with the depth and characterizations her was able to create with DC:Barbarossa.

Good on ya', Jamus!!  A couple of quick (totally unasked for) suggestions:

1) Try to get your daily 500 Gold/XP bonus.  It's usually something simple like, "Cast 20 Red or Green spells."  Sometimes the bonus is 750, but, damned if I can figure out a pattern of when they occur.  The Gold allows you entry into tournaments as well as buying Booster packs from the Store.  The XP unlocks Bonuses which can range from Boosters, XP and Gold, to Mastery Orbs and Gems (although buying the season pass to unlock all of the Mastery Bonuses is cheesey (you can grind for them in tournaments by paying Gold to get in and winning Gems depending on how many wins you get in the tourney, but, it's an arduous process (Unless you are good at drafting a deck which I am apparently shite at))).

2) There are different ways to build your card inventory but the two main are entering tournaments and buying Boosters.  Gold is used for both, 1000 for a Booster and 5000/10,000/20,000 to enter a tournament.  Just depends on what kind of tourney you want in to.

[Sir Slash]

Having gone back to Medi 2 TW myself I will tell you what I think's the best thing about it. It's the...pacing. There's almost never a turn where you don't have something new to do. A new unit to recruit, a city to upgrade, another faction's Assassin sabotaging your city to deal with, Crusade by the Pope, on and on and on. There's very little down time. There's always something new and shiny just ahead of you. The game doesn't overwhelm you with stuff to do but keeps you busily entertained. I don't know who deserves credit for this but it's near perfect.

After some wrangling I got Stainless Steel 6.4 to run and it's great but because it's a slower version, it takes much longer to build things and recruit units, there's some long periods of turns where there's not very much to do--- kind of boring at times. Medi 2 doesn't suffer from this at all. Historically accurate you ask? Look someplace else I say, but it's FUN.

However the Old Girl is starting to show her age a bit. The graphics look very dated to me now, especially the Battle graphics. But the AI is still good and will give you a real fight.

[Gusington]

I loved the merchants in Medieval 2 - if I was playing a European Kingdom I would really enjoy sending a lone merchant to Timbuktu (literally) and make a killing on incense or some such. To each his own. Going to eat my hat now for lunch, with some bbq sauce.

[Sir Slash]

Remember that Odd Prince or Son-In-Law you would sometimes get. The guy who would develop a, 'Love For Butterflies' or some such that would make him infertile while giving him increased Piety or something, you could never tell.  :pullhair:  You wanted to assassinate him yourself, but just stick him way-off in some dead-end province instead. Then later he becomes the only guy you could use to lead an army without getting killed by the Papal Inquisitors.  :bd:

[Gusington]

That happened to me often :/

[Sir Slash]

I have, 'Simon Cowles' as one of my spies. He's VERY critical of the French cooking. 

[Gusington]

 :D