Difference in RTS historical games?

[9mak9]

So I bought Medieval 2 Total War (I have Kingdoms on its way), and I love the game. It makes me wish I played the series earlier but I will just have to continue with Empire when it comes out.

My brother got me Age of Empires 3 from work. I was looking at the game and they look similar.

What is the difference between, AOE:3, M2:TW, Rise of Nations, Empire Earth, etc.?
Or what is the major difference that seperates the games because they are very similar concepts and time periods.

 

[QuantumPion]

They are all RTS's but have completely different gameplay. The total war series is characterized by turn-based world management over years with realistic battles that occur in real-world time. AoE, RoN, and EE are all real time game play, with more focus on economy management but more abstract combat (e.g. a few dozen to a hundred units at a time signifying an entire army, which can move across the entire world map in a minute or two of play).

Of all those games RoN was my favorite, as it has the most balanced and fun gameplay mechanics. I never liked the AoE or EE series.

 

[HeXploiT]

I'm sorry but there is no other game like total war. It bares no resemblance whatsoever to the other strategy games. There just is no clone whatsoever.
Rather odd now that I think about it.

 

[9mak9]

I own a lot of strategy games and none are like total war. Its a combination of real time and turn based strategy as well as managing an empire