Barbelith Underground > Games & Gameplay > What video games 2

Having built a new machine that can handle new games (finally!) I'm working my way through Thief: Deadly Shadows at the moment

Just out of interest, Grey Area, are you finding yourself plagued by the problems which beset PC owners of Thief 3, or are you running the various patches/editors that turn it back into a game resembling the previous two in terms of difficulty? Or are you finding it quite difficult enough as it shipped? I'm just curious as to the feedback of another player of Thief 3 on PC.

how is total war to play?

Well, if you've not played either of the previous two games, Total War is a strategy game comprising two main sections: the strategy map (where all the troop movement and politics are played out), and the battle map (so named for obvious reasons).
Although the Rome demo only lets you play on the battle map, and only one particular battle at that, the improvements over the last two games are vast (see my previous post). In terms of mechanics, the battles are little more than selecting a unit and telling it where to go or who to fight. However, unit type and strength need to be taken into consideration, as do terrain and troop morale.
But the Strategy map is where these games really shine. It's a little like playing risk, with the known world (in Shogun this was Japan, in Medieval it was Europe and North Africa) spread out in various countries and/or states. Everything is correctly named depending on the year of play, and each area has its own bonuses (in Medieval, for example, the Welsh longbowmen were considered the finest in the world, so Wales grants a bonus to bowmen created there). You create troops in various areas, whilst simultaneously building up those areas with various economic, political or military improvements, and then shift troops from area to area, eitehr defending your own territory or invading new areas. Diplomacy plays a massive part, especially in the second game, with religious units and extended royal families being thrown into the mix. There are a wealth of reviews on the net, so I recommend reading a couple of those to get a further feel for the game(s).
If you're interested, and given the impending release of Rome, the previous two games are now retailing at next to nothing, so my advice is to get one of those (Medieval especially) and see if the game appeals before splashing out on Rome.

What video games 2 - TEH MEGATON!!1111!!!!11 etc.