Favourite strategy games?

Despite my recent obsession with puzzle/action/shooter games, my first love is strategy games and there are few that I haven't tried out. The best series IMHO is the Total War series. In order of release they are Shogun: Total War, Medieval: Total War, Rome, Medieval II, Empires, Napoleon.

These games are the very pinnacle of military strategy where you are able to control individual units on the battlefield. The one I was most addicted to was Rome for which I downloaded a mod (Total Realism) developed by historians to make the map, battle conditions and units more reflective of Rome. There is an add on for the original game called Barbarian Invasion that deals with the period surrounding the fall of Rome.

Anybody else played these?

Not me. My uncle here in town plays Company of Heroes (WWII game) and Age of Empires. Both of those are strategy games like the one you showed. I tried CoH one time and didn't care much for it. I like shooter games because it's the 1st person thing going on.

The battle strategy system of Total War is mind blowing and apparently they get even better after Rome (neither my desktop or laptop is powerful enough to run any games after Rome). Next investment, spanky new high end desktop so I can play Medieval II: Total War (and the others that follow), Doom 3 and the new AvP game.

Getting a good Motherboard and Graphics Card is essential. I upgraded my system last year (right before i lost my job). It opened up a new world in gaming.

Well unfortunately I just bought a system good enough for my university needs when I bought my current desktop in 2004. There aren't enough slots to upgrade sound, video, VRAM, processor as most of the multimedia was in an all-in-one system. It has done me well to last 6 years but I think as soon as I get a job, I'm going to invest in a more powerful machine.

What you're talking about in regards top what you don't have is that you'll need as newer motherboard. That will have RAM slots and a graphics card spot for one. My computer case is the same one i bought back in 2004. Only the wiring and the case are original. I put a new motherboard, dvd drive and a graphics card in for $350.... or 228 Pounds.

Yeah, I could get a brand new system for a little more than that so that's probably what I will do.

It's worth it instead of spending more money for a total new system, imo. I wasn't prepared to shell out $500-plus for a new system.