A game turned into a masterpiece with the patches

CAUTION: Following various updates, the game went from disaster masterpiece !!! Only the final opinion is important ;-)
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First notice --- leaving the game

What more terrible affront to total war fans that inflicts this opus!

A real step backwards (ie even before the first shogun) for a series that had never failed to arouse much fun and enthusiasm among the players.

It is frightening to see that the specialized press speaks of an outstanding game as anyone who has truly played immediately went account of the disaster.

Besides the countless technical pitfalls that truly intolerable rot the "game", conceptual problems which come complete yet promised to be the game of the year.

The series management aspect has disappeared and elsewhere virtually countless. The concept of regions and provinces is an astounding absurdity and gives results nonsensical. Diplomacy is nonexistent and still offers fewer options than before (and in any case has no kind of influence on the parties). The graphics are some very beautiful are in fact very average and artistic choices are unbearably repetitive (always the same light during battles - a reddish sun which gives a faded color to graphics - personally I hate).

But one comes to worse: the real-time battle is part of a total carelessness! Fini strategy or the intelligent use of the land, battles boil down to clashes block and whoever has the most powerful army often prevails. Why? Due to a system of "victory points" that must be defended / conquer. Do not be this "above" is equivalent, even if the opponent or you have a huge army against the three remaining men on the other, the battle to lose miserably. A win (or lose) without danger is to triumph without glory ...

The units also sorely lacking difference and finally have a legion or a phalanx hardly change anything in the way you play. Only the "stats" are different. Do not expect to have fun to use so rare formations in other episodes. Here, these formations exist and are legions (the case to say) from the start but only serve to almost nothing.

The sounds are a tomfoolery without names. The French dubs are arch-null and demotivating and the sound effects are worse than in the first Shogun !!! Immersion is destroyed. I do not mean the usual music so brilliant in TW and depress me by their lack of relevance, tone, correspondence with what we see on the screen, not to mention that they are void.

The few good ideas (which prisoners should be available after a battle - overhaul of what existed in medieval 1 -, gestures highly successful units, the ability to land troops in battle) are negated by the delicate balance of total wars that CA has wanted here - extremely stupid way - challenge. The game is not fun, nor is the lesser challenge. In fact, we are so bored that often ends up before doing anything else.

I highly recommend buying this game which is a nullity which does not even deserve to be categorized as TW. Shame !! This is a series I loved that disappears the classification of good games. The sense of betrayal on the part of CA and SEGA is extremely hard to pass.

MAJ - 17/10/2013 ----------

4 patches have occurred since the release of the game and a little positive was provided so I added a star.

Specifically, here are some significant improvements:

1) the time between rounds has been greatly reduced (at least early in the game). This is positive although overall, after an hour of play, the towers become again very long because of the mass of information to be processed by the CPU. The problem is only partially solved.

2) the shameful system of "victory points" under the pressure of the players, was finally removed. Thus, only the capture of the towns still have massively. Such a system is excellent news and again makes interesting battles in real time (OUF).

3) the campaign against card is still poorly optimized (it uses more than a big battle) and breaks the rhythm of the game even if there is a very very slight improvement since some bugs (blocked camera on a portion of the map, ad vitam armed jammed between two elements of the decor) were eliminated.

4) the graphics has greatly improved since the appearance of anti-aliasing. As in Napoleon and Shogun, adjusting its graphics options "very high", the game is more beautiful and better than ultra running (in any case the battles in real time) - the effects of being ultra low convincing and by draining readability.

5) diplomacy has been greatly improved. More options but still little impact on the gameplay and still aberrant behavior of AI.

Other faults are still there. If the campaign map eventually be optimized and some crazy elements (eg. The infantry who runs faster than the cavalry, the moron pathfinding that forces the characters to do the grand tour of the map, untimely return on windows, found backups etc.) are removed, then I would consider to 3 stars in the game. Shogun 2 still above him in all areas to date (more beautiful, more interesting, more fun to play, better optimized, more varied, best music and excellent voice, etc.).

MAJ - 10/20/2013 ----------

The fifth patch appeared as "free additional content"

Here are the key changes:

1) the campaign map has been optimized (although it is still insufficient, it is no longer unpleasant to find it)

2) diplomacy was heavily revised and begins to be useful (but still insufficient)

3) the new faction (I wondered about her why she had not been included from the start), the Seleucid, is great. More powerful than the Romans, as in the first Rome. It is a pleasure to play with even if the balance is completely disproportionate in their favor (most powerful cavalry of the game including the Cataphract and Indian elephants in armor, the most comprehensive infantry - very good melee and excellent pikemen , top heavy archers, etc.).

4) power of agents strongly downward review

The game wins his 3rd star as promised. Too bad it's so heavy and so little nervous (I preferred to all other total war for that), shame about the ridiculous system of provinces and regions that destroys micro and greatly limits the possibilities for damage the GUI and the campaign map that despite clear efforts are really incomparably less beautiful than in Shogun 2. Too bad the general aging so fast that we can not merge without general armies, shame there no more changing seasons. The rigid aspect of this total war makes each part too similar.

A game we will not play without very significant change (structural?). Too bad AC and Sega have wanted to question what made the success of the series without proposing new to this valuable item / accomplished they justify the changes. If "regions / provinces" disappear, as roads and other modifications of the land reappear, the appearance rpg returns and micromanagement, if the seasons return, and if the naval battles are improved, then I would put 5 stars to this play.

Conclusion: the first Rome remains better than its sequel.

MAJ - 02/23/2014 ----------

Many changes were made by 9 consecutive patches and the game was very largely improved.

- To start: training are finally useful !! A phalanx became very difficult to break through and above all, the legionnaires turtle training is finally effective and realistic way. A pure joy to find such training that truly change the way you play.
- Music: since the release, the tracks have been modified in depth and effects have been added. From the sound point of view, so finally the show I expected. Pure happiness and bursts assured. I fear for my men and I love their multiple comments.
- The difficulty as to its output, the AI ​​was non-existent, as it is appropriate here to think carefully about their choice of conquest and enjoy the other divisions without much weaken the parties who hate until there way to crush all. Snacking is required. The game is really harder. Wanting early to embark on the conquest of the poles (if you play Rome) with inadequate military (the conquest becomes easier with professional soldiers) and a wobbly diplomacy can lead to an international coalition against his faction will become irreversible and impossible to stem.

The game therefore earns its five stars and has become a key strategy for the PC. It became a true total war. Phew.

Some shortcomings persist:
- You can not always build no roads or walls which is extremely frustrating and sorely lacking compared to Rome first name.
- Why can not you order the more troops are equipped to launch their javelins at will? It was a very useful element in the first Rome.
- Why can not we give the region / province to another faction?
- Greek style icons present and too ugly for troops

I must say though that CA back very far and I am extremely satisfied with the result! I recommend this game to all!

The best TW with Shogun 2 (for its atmosphere), Empire (for variety) and Napoleon (for epic battles).

MAJ - 11/14/2014 ----------

The game has experienced more than 15 patches if I followed the countdown. The last shall be the emperor edition.

Both say right away, this edition emperor is not bad BUT it brings an overhaul of the civil wars of aberrant system. CA / SEGA has decided that there would be "only" Automatic civil war but many depending on managing your empire.

I am an old hand of the total wars since the first shogun and I must say I find this catastrophic system. I do not understand how it works and whatever I do, I always civil wars without end. It is disgust to play because we end up losing the game. I find it amusing or anything interesting. CA / SEGA has tips to take home PARADOX when you see the excellence of a Crusader Kings 2 include this view.
Fortunately, and obviously not the only one to regret this missed redesign, a mod available on the workshop allows steam to completely remove these civil wars repeatedly. OUF and live the gaming community.

The + since my last comment:
- The units can finally launch their javelins at will !!
- There is more varied enough units
- Seasons have returned and are interesting
- Game fun
- The extraordinary creativity of the community players who did a fabulous job in the workshop including CA / SEGA would do well to emulate. At least they made the right choice by allowing players to easily modding their game.
- The interest of ancillary units which expand as and when the Roman army conquests (shame also that the latter itself the only benefit to the death)
- The characters as heroes, scholars and super spies to use
- Some models are really beautiful and animations are often glaring truth

The less definitive:
- The too poor diplomacy. We can not give province to another faction for example. Sometimes it is not without reason to ally with one faction. The AI ​​is questionable choices
-. The regions that represent a hollow and stupid choice of developers and that spoil the fun part of the game The idea is not bad in itself but its implementation leaves much to be desired
- Naval battles are very average (I always have in mind the fabulous empire of naval battles and Napoleon).
- The Greek models for unit icons
- Optimization is much better than at the beginning but still not fabulous (for the record, with a gtx 970 sli of 4G and gsync screen, I can not play beyond 1600p (2560x1600) - 40 IPS average but fluid through GSync - and this is the only game that wonder so many resources where BF 4, COD advanced warfare, assassin's creed black flag, far cry 3 or civilization are ultra fluids 4k and meet or exceed all 60 IPS).
- Civil wars
- Poverty Carthage units which we really wonder how it could be a danger to Rome
- The construction of the walls and miss with them the ability to choose which city is important
- A play on Rome without roads is depressing
- Why can we not circulate armies without generals? Why we can not have an army with two generals ??
- What a pity that the RPG aspects (continued general that could interact, character traits have a strong impact on the action, etc.) has disappeared