ObsidianJones said:
You might be the person to ask.
Probably not, but we'll give it a shot...!
Why are these games still popular? Like, my first Total War game with Shogun II. And it was ok. Didn't really grip me. And from there, all I've been hearing is how this game disappoints and how that one fails to live up to the mark. I recently got Warhammer 1 and 2, and I'm yelling at the screen for my units to listen to me.
I thought I was bad, or I didn't understand the game mechanics... But no, it seems to be a thing that your player controlled units will not attack [https://www.google.com/search?client=avast&ei=TariXK-4PI-l_QbUroygAw&q=total+war+warhammer+2+units+not+attacking&oq=Total+war+warhammer+2+unit+attack+&gs_l=psy-ab.1.1.0i22i30l2.3343.4489..6845...0.0..0.216.921.0j6j1......0....1..gws-wiz.......0i71j0.POl6zQ3XUPs].
You started in the wrong place, regrettably... I started at
Medieval 1 which was a solid game, not brilliant, but solid.
Rome 1 and
Medieval 2 was the apex of the series, 12-ish years ago.
Empire tried new stuff, but ultimately failed. Partially rectified in
Napoleon and polished in
Shogun II then fucked over by
Rome II and repaired by years of DLC and campaign packs. Sort of recovered with
Attila and exploited by the
Warhammer series (it's set up as a trilogy, but it's just a series of expansions on 1). And then we have
Thrones of Britannia, largely considered the nadir.
I've raged at missile units in
Rome 2 who, when commanded to shoot, walked into combat.
Unfortunately, I've not got a rig good enough to play
Warhammer on max settings (only as far as
Attila), but it's been patched to the gills and there's only one battle map bug I'm aware of (artillery occasionally fails to recognise towers as legitimate targets). General target finding, I'm not aware of, though I don't speak from experience (I just watch a streamer/YTer who plays a LOT of WH2/ME).
Apparently every game is flawed in someway, but the Total War Series fans seem to grin and bare it all the time. Why haven't people... you know, stopped buying these games until they get it right?
I applaud CA for trying new things, even if they get it wrong, and they have lost customers to Paradox, which I think was part of their reason for making
3K to tap into the Asian market (though I can tell you that the mainland Chinese reaction to the delay was NOT a pleasant one, they're currently as *meh* about it as the western market).
Empire tried to do too much too quickly and without enough experience with the new engine, and games improved steadily until
Rome 2 which fucked up because it was a follow up to a fan favourite so expectations were super high. It took three years after release to become a good game, and things picked up until
ToB, which was an attempt to appeal to the casual strategy gamer, a decision that bit CA hard.
Warhammer II with all the bells and whistles (well, not necessarily the Wood Elves and Beastmen) is the best recent entry, though you do need it to be constantly updated, which you may count against it. *shrug* :/
