Empire: Total War on sale for $13.59, Total War Megapack $20

[Serafina]

You know, i actually like the command system in M&B.
Sure, it is pretty damn limited - but i like to work with that, especially since it has a certain amount of realism in it.

But yeah, i mostly like M&B because it has a nice mounted combat system and i like to ride down enemies

[Alyrium Denryle]

Maybe you should try the stainless steel mod. Most of it consist of improving AI, adding a bigger map, more empires and a few new features.

Anything I need to do on it to get it to work with Steam?

[Dominus Atheos]

Go to the Stainless Steel forum and follow the instructions in the "Running Stainless Steel with Steam" sticky.

[weemadando]

Finally Steam is used in a way which I'd hoped. STALKER - Call of Pripyat is at a special discounted price, providing you own at least one of the other STALKER games.

Now, if they'd only give you "spare" copies of games which you own multiples of due to getting in a big bundle, then I'd be even happier.

[Edward Yee]

I'm told that that was the case? When I asked what if I got the Total War bundle...

You'd still be paying $20 but IIRC Empire will show as a gift pass that you can give to another person who has Steam, so they can install Empire for free.

[Dominus Atheos]

I know that that's what they did if you bought the orange box and already had one of the half life games.

[Steel]

I know that that's what they did if you bought the orange box and already had one of the half life games.

Unfortunately, that is the exception. As far as I know no other game pack does that. So if you buy a pack which contains duplicates, you cannot either give your original copy to someone else or give them the new pack copy. This smells like bullshit to me. If you buy a pack containing a game you already own you should get another copy, you just paid for it after all.

As another aside, what what mods would people recommend for Mount and Blade? I now have the steam version of the game from the sale and have never played the basic version, so what would people who have played it a lot recommend to start with? Mod it straight away or play the vanilla version?

[Bakustra]

I know that that's what they did if you bought the orange box and already had one of the half life games.

Unfortunately, that is the exception. As far as I know no other game pack does that. So if you buy a pack which contains duplicates, you cannot either give your original copy to someone else or give them the new pack copy. This smells like bullshit to me. If you buy a pack containing a game you already own you should get another copy, you just paid for it after all.

As another aside, what what mods would people recommend for Mount and Blade? I now have the steam version of the game from the sale and have never played the basic version, so what would people who have played it a lot recommend to start with? Mod it straight away or play the vanilla version?

Generally, I would suggest playing vanilla for a little while, to get a feel for the game and how it plays, before starting into mods.
I can recommend these mods:
Onin No Ran- Muromachi-era Japan mod. Unfinished, but even the current version is excellent. Allows you to become a ninja.
The 1257 Edition- A historical realism mod, changing equipment and troop types to be more in line with those of 1257, and editing the factions slightly.
Hundred Years War- Changes setting to France in 1371 and edits troops and equipment as well.
The Eagle and the Radiant Cross- Moves setting forward to the Renaissance, adds new factions and edits units and equipment heavily.
There are some older mods as well, but I'm unfamiliar with Steam and so don't know if you can download the older versions. Those include a LOTR mod (which is apparently being slowly ported to the finished version), and a number of other interesting mods, including two different Rome mods.

[Commander 598]

Of the mods I've played, Prophecy of Pendor is the one I'd rate highest.

[Arthur_Tuxedo]

I'm currently playing and loving the 1866 mod. Very well done Western mod.

[Stark]

Don't hold your breath on the LOTR mod; they've claimed to be porting to the last 4-5 versions for literally years. It was neat though; they hacked in faction warfare which was interesting.

[Bakustra]

Don't hold your breath on the LOTR mod; they've claimed to be porting to the last 4-5 versions for literally years. It was neat though; they hacked in faction warfare which was interesting.

Yeah, the first two versions were simply stunning. (But they added in stealth segments too). They appear to be making ever-so-slight progress, but I'm not holding my breath. A lot of mods have fallen by the wayside altogether, it seems.