I think it's safe to say that I'm a bit of a Total War fan. I've played strategy games before, but RTS always turned into getting up an army to defend yourself ASAP, then upgrading your army to a point you were allmighty and zerg the oponont.
Turn based strategy made it unforgivingly hard to make mistakes, one bad move could lead to your downfall.

And then, 10 years ago, I played Shogun: Total War. Turn based campaings, so you could think out your strategy and take your time to build your empire, and real time on the battle field were you commanded your troops in all their glorious 3D detail (well OK the troops were sprites, but you get my drift )

Since Shogun I've played Medieval and Rome Total War, and then Rome 2, where both the campaign map and the battle field got a major overhaul, oh how I lusted after this game watching Time Commanders. Medieval2 was the last game I've played in the series, and I still regularly re-instal it on my PC for another bloody campaing.

Empire just didn't fetch me, the concept just not appealing to me. But now they've anounced Shogun 2: http://www.totalwar.com/shogun2/gameinfo
And I'm allready sold
I can't wait to be a Daimyo again and to lead my clan to victory while I conquer the isle of the rising sun, or die trying.
And watch funny videos, of ninjas failing an assasination of course :D

CA is wetting our appetite with claims of an engine that can support up to 56,000 men on the battlefield, that they will fix the BAI and CAI for good this time, professional animations, 100,000 general speech variations, and finally working fort battles. What I've seen of their art work looks very nice. Shogun 2 was announced best game at E3 by GameSpot and IGN iirc, but this is only after a smattering of screenshots were released. Players are bitter about Empire flopping, and without mod tools. CA might be watching the forums at twcenter. What's left is the music, will it be good, okay, or bad? Will geishas wipe out entire factions again? Will the Dutch and Portuguese be included? There is doubt, and more players wanted Rome 2, but this is CA's baby! They have made bad mistakes in the past, but gained some credit with Napoleon. We'll just have to wait until more info becomes available.

Things that better be fixed:

*CAI and BAI
*Sea invasions
*Fort Battles have good pathing
*No more suicidal generals
*No more melee chicken dance bug
*Gunpowder and cannons
*Heroes better not be invincible