I played TR some time (great mod) and tested EB out for a while, but I just couldn't handle the loading times and the game seemed a less fun to me. Changed a bit too much for my liking, but there's one avid EB-fanboy here (can't remember his name though), so he'll probably tell you all about it.
Also, you deleted the topic while I was writing this, and you went with RTW but I'm still going to post it!
I think it depends a lot on which time period you prefer. Both are very good games so either choice is fine. Rome has more unit and faction variety, and I found the combat to be more fun. But then again, I don't really like rifles in Total War, which probably had to do with that. I could not get into Empire because of that. (Okay, fine, that was because I couldn't, and still can't, run it.) Anyway, most factions in Medieval II appear the same with a couple of unique units. Dismounted Feudal Knights and Spearmen, coupled with some kind of standard cavalry and archers seem to be the norm. Whereas in Rome, there was a larger difference between most factions/cultures. You had the Romans (Legionari), the Greeks (Phalanxes), Barbarians (Warband), Carthage/Iberians (Swordsmen/whatever mercenaries you could find), Steppe People (Horse Archers) who used these units as there main backbone, ensuring that you had to deploy at least some different strategies throughout your quest for glory and justice and all that. It's still there in MEII, but just less pronounced. MEII is better on several technical aspects (not to mention the graphics) and gameplay additions though. Especially the increased variety in and focus on agents is a good thing, as the expansion of the map. There is more to do in MEII, and there are more game changing events which really spice up the campaign.
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I'm but a simple companion in the pack of gurus whereof SuperNiceDog is the pack leader!
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The box says "Online Gameplay not rated by ESRB", I should be able to trade my phallic named Wobbufetts to a bunch of 8 year olds. - MarvelousGerbil
I'd rather have a Fantasy: Total War, or Silk Road before they make another remake. Though after Rome, no more remakes are 'needed' so they might as well get it done first.
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I'm but a simple companion in the pack of gurus whereof SuperNiceDog is the pack leader!
From: AfroSquirrel | #009 Look up a game called 'Crusader Kings'. It's basically a Song of Ice and Fire set in early medieval Europe, and it already has a Westeros mod.
Is that the one that has no instructions but is supposedly awesome if you figure it out?
-- ##Alec Congrats to Guru champ SuperNiceDog! All hail our Guru overlord.
From: AlecTrevelyan006 | #011 Is that the one that has no instructions but is supposedly awesome if you figure it out?
No, it comes with a manual if you order a hard copy of it through a source like Amazon.
The basic idea of the game is that you play as a family/lineage rather than a country. It's a bit obtuse, but not too hard to figure out and does indeed become awesome.
-- This isn't 1950. Girls develop way later than they used to because human lifespans have increased - Lavos_Fanboy
Third Age total war is the coolest f***ing thing ever
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The box says "Online Gameplay not rated by ESRB", I should be able to trade my phallic named Wobbufetts to a bunch of 8 year olds. - MarvelousGerbil