Cavalry simply run up to the enemy, stop, and start slashing away (Rise of Nations at least tried the flanking theme... but they just gave a 50% bonous to hitting from behind and a 100% bonous to hitting from the side, which only represents reality while in R:TW having your cavalry can plow through an enemy formation from behind - which is good, but it will put your units in front of the enemy, so slamming through their line from the flank is even better) If there are any counter-units at all, they are really artificial, with just damage bonouses or more resistance (Um.. a skirmisher takes ten arrows to die because apparently its a counter unit to archers? Hoplite or pikeman units just get a damage bonous against cavalry and take reduced damage from them, with no mention of the spear-walls that made them effective?) Your troops can be constantly healed during combat (sweet, my arm grew back!) Arrows and javellins never run out. Your units never get tired... to make it realistic the animators have them all walk everywhere (sprinting around all the time would look wierd) but that also means if you order them to attack during combat, they will stride over to the enemy and chasing a running opponent means your guys have to out-walk them.
And of course my very favourite, you attack an enemy town and they have units popping out of their barracks/archery ranges/stables every 45 seconds to join the fight!
Seriously, compared to this game, the only thing the others have is real time building and managing resources which can be fun, if you dont mind the concept of harvesting 40 units of food and spending it to train a swordsman in thirty seconds, who magically walks out of the barracks.
[This message has been edited by Harpoon (edited 10-25-2004 @ 04:54 AM).]