=/ So is it pretty much either Civilization esque games or Starcraft Esque RTSs? One is all campaign map, and the other is all on the battlemap?

Maybe you didn't configure it properly.

If you go to the display settings and chose Direct3D with a 1024x768 resolution, the game shouldn't look very bad.

The beaty of Total War is that it's up to you wether you want to play it like Civilization (Turn-Based) or entirely focus on those battles with thousands of units, or something in between.

Other RTS (like Starcraft I guess) will require you to complete an objective a lot of the time involving some sort of building a base and creating an army.

Now Rise of Nations has a campaign map and you can choose which battle to fight but is more focussed on the battle you fight (which involves the base-building again)

It really depends on what genre you want to play.

However, if most RTS games seem cluttered and unorganized to you, might I suggest Kohan 2? It's a great RTS that isn't very well known. It had a lot of good ideas. For example, instead of building individual units to command, you build companies comprised of 4 frontline units, 2 flank units, 2 support units and 1 leader. You don't directly micromanage each unit, but instead focus on company level maneuvering, and ensuring that your companies are balanced to take on a wide range of threats. Also, you don't have to rebuild each unit as they are lost, which is tedious micromanagement. Instead, as long as ANY unit in a company survives, and is placed in friendly territory, they will regain health/respawn any dead units. I would definitely suggest you give it a shot.

Unfortunately the Total War series is the only game that has this type of real time battle mechanic.

May I also suggest some more PC games:

-Neverwinter Nights 1 & 2

-Baldur's Gate

-Elder Scrolls (the 3rd one being the best, but it is a little dated now)

-Planescape Torment (Fantastic RPG, suited to you if you dislike the turn-based styles in Fallout 1 & 2)

-Icewind Dale

-The Whitcher

-Vampire: The Masquerade

-KOTOR 1&2

These are all great RPG single player games, but if you are looking for another genre I'm sure I can list off several more great PC games.

Shit, and I still have to beat the evil side of inFamous... I just got busy due to this thread.

RTS...Yuri's Revenge was the stuff. Starcraft also.

Yes I understand. I hate the isometric view from the bottom of my heart (in all genres) but Age of Empires II is still totally fantastic.

It's so well designed so the isometric 2D grafix actually feel very 3D and just... natural and smooth. Starcraft is nowhere near it, even in the upcoming Starcraft II I get bothered by the isomettric view, it doesnt appeal to me at all. (diablo III semms better though, speaking of Blizzard)

Strategy/Sim:
Shogun: Total War (+expansion)
Empire Earth (+expansion)
Rise of Nations (+expansion)
Stronghold
Stronghold Crusader
Sim City 4 (+expansion)
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004
Command & Conquer Red Alert 2

-Action
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Island Thunder
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Desert Siege
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear
Swat 3 (elite edition)
Resident Evil
Resident Evil 2
Resident Evil 3
Silent Hill
Silent Hill 2
Metal Gear Solid  
Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance
Max Payne
Max Payne 2
Medal of Honor Allied Assault (+expansions)
Hitman 2: Silent Assassin
Dino Crisis
Dino Crisis 2
Unreal Tournament 2004
Serious Sam
Serious Sam 2
Doom
Doom 2
Wolfenstein 3D
Duke Nukem 3D
Splinter Cell (you can only play the first game)

I need to know about your graphics card, so I can verify if you can play another games.

http://reviews.cnet.com/desktops/emachines-t6524/1707-3118_7-31556305.html?tag=mncol;psum

This is the PC I got handed down from my Dad.

So far I tried 2 games, and intitial reactions haven't been wowed, so although I should give games more time, because of the wealth of games I want to try out, I'm gonna stick with the games that start out with a bang and are the absolute best for me.

I already played Doom, Doom 2 I didnt't finish (and don't want to), I don't like the look of Wolfenstein. I mean, I know how revolutionary it was and is such an important/classic game in game history, but I don't feel like I should force myself to play a game that's been outclassed by the likes of Doom. I played Splinter Cell on my PS2, and although I'll love to play it again, I want to try to play as many new things.

Although I loved Medieval, ever since playing Rome, I don't think I can go backwards to Shogun.

Crap, I feel like a bad person since everyone's recomending and I can't play them all.