Poll: Your Favorite Total War Game

[Exocet]

Empire

Probably because I have very fond memories of my first campaign, with one general and a couple of units permanently in his army, rampaging across the globe undefeated.
Kicking Prussian ass on decade, then conquering the south of India, and fighting his way North, through Pakistan and Afghanistan, then back to Baghdad. One region at a time, recruiting cannon-fodder units on the way, while the permanent units gained enough experience to rival elite guard units. Good times.

That and muskets and cannons are fun, and the sound of them firing synchronously really livened up the battles.
It's probably why I just can't see to like other TW games as much as Empire and Napoleon. They just don't sound as powerful.

That said, I'm really hyped up for Rome 2. My war piggies shall terrorize Northern Africa and Gaul once more!

 

[SckizoBoy]

Jeez... no love for Napoleon?

OK, I'll be honest, N:TW is my second favourite, though probably my favourite if un-modded as it's a much smoother flowing campaign, especially mid-game (best part of the main campaigns regardless of which title) and the battle AI is... not as insufferably bad.

Top though is Rome, like so many others, with mods. I've played most of the big mods going, except RSII... though I'm still chomping through Hegemonia City States 'cos I get too much of a hard-on for hoplites... ¬_¬ Something about six thousand plus men in linothrax holding spears and standing in formation... does something for me...(!!)

 

[srm79]

Rome by a long shot. It wasn't the first Total War game I played (Medieval was my first), nor was it the last (working slowly on a Shogun 2 campaign) but Rome hit all of the right buttons and the modding community really kicked off for that game. Since, due to it being on Steam before they allowed modding, many games have faltered because we get the vanilla editions. I have nothing against those who play vanilla but when I want a real Ancient Roman campaign, I go for the the mods.

Are there any mods you'd recommend? I went through Rome a year or so ago but it was just vanilla, would love to go through it again before Rome 2 and feel like trying some mods with it.

Rome is probably my favourite, it's the first one I played and it's probably my favourite time period of the four they've explored. The only one I haven't managed to get into is Empire/Napoleon.

See my previous posts - I would recommend Roma Surrectum II.

Linky: http://www.twcenter.net/wiki/Roma_Surrectum_II

Follow the link to the TWC forum for the actual download.

 

[Saladfork]

Well, here's how I'd rank the ones I've played.

Spoiler: Medieval 2

My personal favourite. I feel like I don't really need to justify this one as it hold up extremely well on its' own. I would have liked a more deep campaign map though. I'm imagining some kind of cross between Crusader Kings 2 and Medieval 2: Total war and my god, is it glorious. Why hasn't this been made!?

Spoiler: Empire and Napoleon

I know a lot of people hate these ones but personally I liked them a lot. The introduction of 18th century naval battles was really really cool and I was quite absorbed by the games in general. The gameplay in Napoleon was a lot better, I think, but I prefer having the larger map and more factions in Empire. Maybe there's some kind of mod to combine the two? must search for one later.

Spoiler: Rome

The first one I played, and it was great. I had endless amounts of fun with it when I was a kid, and it taught me more of my historical knowledge of the time than I'd care to admit. For some reason I really liked playing as Carthage, but I wasn't very good at strategy back in the day and I'd always overextend myself before wondering why my treasury was hurting so much. I also remember the first time I figured out that firing ranged weapons into a melee was actually hurting my guys as well.

Yeah, I was kind of stupid when I was younder.

...Anyway...

Spoiler: Shogun 2

I still like this one, but for some reason I don't find it quite as engaging as the others I've played. Perhaps it's the setting, I don't know, but I haven't sunk as much time into this one.

Then again, perhaps after my last SHAMEFUR DISPRAY I was too ashamed to pick it up again. Either way.

 

[Thunderous Cacophony]

I'd say Medieval 2, due to a heavy amount of nostalgia. Looking back, the heavy cavalry and English archers were stupidly overpowered, but it was just so much fun!

Empire is probably second for the way they redid the campaign map: naval routes that mke you give a damn about protecting them, better diplomacy, many smaller factions to work with rather than the bland "Rebels", and outbuildings for armies to raze (which as far as I can tell didn't actually seem to bother the computer at all, but it was still fun to do while I was besieging a city and waiting for them to sally forth).

 

[BlumiereBleck]

As much as I love Empire my vote goes to Napoleon. It was to me, a cleaned up version of Empire with more Prussian bad-assery.

 

[Saviordd1]

Medieval 2 for me, I love the setting ten times more than the others plus it has a lord of the rings mod for extra greatness.

 

[TheRightToArmBears]

Medieval 2. I only own that and Empire (which I've never really sunk my teeth into, I don't know why), but I've spent so much of my life playing that. I actually like using the non-military tactics, it makes the game feel much deeper than a standard strategy game. I spend just as much time manipulating the other factions as I do with the actual military side of things, I'm sure. I remember once killing off the Pope loads of times until my candidate was voted in, it was a bit of a dick move. Of course, it all goes to pot when they go and do something utterly retarded, like when your allies betray you when you're far-and-away the most powerful faction. Seriously, who the fuck is going to think 'Hey, you know our massive, wealthy, powerful friends who defend us all the time and give us money, basically saving our asses all the time? Yeah, lets blockade one of their ports. With two ships. Genius!'

 

[New Frontiersman]

Probably Medieval 2 for two reasons:
1. the Hyrule Total War mod for it, which is awesome. I think the creator is a bit of a douche but I adore the gameplay. Leading an army of Zora against a swarm of Gohma and Stalfos, hells yes!

2. Because it covers the (grossly inaccurately termed) Byzantine Empire.
The so-called "Byzantine" Empire has always been favorite period in Roman history, reading about how the last vestiges of the Roman Empire held out against Barbarian invasions from the north outlasting the Western half of the Empire, holding out against Muslim invasions from the south finally outlasting Persia; fighting off invasions from the North and South, being sacked by Crusaders only to rise again, only to fall to the Ottomans in 1453. I've always found the history of the final period of the Roman Empire (that is to say the Byzantine Empire) to be both inspiring and tragic.
I've always thought the Eastern Roman Empire got a raw deal being denied it's Roman status by historians, they themselves didn't see a distinction between themselves and the classical Roman Empire, simply being a continuation of the latter. I find it somewhat insulting to deny their status as a part of the history of the Roman Empire by talking about how the Empire "fell" in 476 when it was very much still alive in the East or calling this still living Roman Empire the "Byzantine" Empire.

But enough of my ranting. Point is, Medieval 2 is my favorite Total War game.

 

[Xdeser2]

I loved Rome Total War, but Medieval 2 takes the cake. more than 500 hours on Steam, loved every moment