Originally Posted by Mirfee

I've played both previous Total War games, and I have to say that I prefer the strategy portion more than the tactical combat (so much so that I routinely resolved battles automatically, rather than play them out). Not that the combat is bad... not by a long shot!... but with Medieval: Total War in particular, I thought the strategy gameplay was awesome.

Having tried the demo of Rome, I am further impressed with the tactical game... just incredible. But the reviews of the strategy portion sound even more exciting. For that alone I look forward to picking this up. Sadly, the multiplay doen't support the strategy game... just tactical battles (which I admit, I tend to be less adept with... hence my lower enthusiasm for it).

I tend to agree with you on this Mirf. I've played a few of the online battles and it's fun, but it's not the pixelated crack that the strategy part of the game is, which is all single player. I haven't played any of the really big battles on line though. They might be more of a challenge. The battles are a nice addition when it's part of an overall experience. For example, there's nothing better than an hour long battle where you barely beat an army twice your size. Especially when you spent another hour planning how and where to build your army, who is going to command it, how to get them there and how your going to support them after the battle, and where your next move will be. It would be awesome to play MP with it, but it would take months to get anywhere I think.