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Total War Saga: Thrones of Britannia

  • Thread starter A horse of course
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Self-Ejected

RNGsus

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Apr 29, 2011
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if I were in charge, I'd realize that campaign AI is going to be shit, so i'd simplify the map to nodes connected by lanes. free campaign movement is nice but you hardly left the roads anyways and this way makes it easier for the AI to know what routes to defend and prevents the one unit stack traffic jams the AI likes to do
http://store.steampowered.com/app/24480/King_Arthur_II_The_RolePlaying_Wargame/
I wonder why would you want to have even larger simplification.
This wouldn't be a bad simplification in the sense content is lost or diluted, because Warscape only selects from handmade, pre-rendered battle maps. Any given campaign region is divided into 1-4 bounding boxes, which vectors correlate to the map the engine loads at startup. The previous engine used procedural generation for battle maps, so you could choose advantageous terrain from the campaign map, but in Warscape your army can be several miles inland fighting coastal battles. Point being, the incentive for marching off-road just isn't there, least of all when the AI is allowed to cheat spawn stacks in the wilderness, if they pass certain thresholds.
 

mikaelis

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Codex 2013 Codex 2014
if I were in charge, I'd realize that campaign AI is going to be shit, so i'd simplify the map to nodes connected by lanes. free campaign movement is nice but you hardly left the roads anyways and this way makes it easier for the AI to know what routes to defend and prevents the one unit stack traffic jams the AI likes to do
http://store.steampowered.com/app/24480/King_Arthur_II_The_RolePlaying_Wargame/

Have you played this shit?
If yes I wonder why would you want to have even larger simplification. Considering first game was decent. It's incredible how can a sequel be killed by oversimplification.

I would actually like to see CA releasing spin-off of the TW series with simplified strategic layer but well developed tactical battle layer and nicely developed story arc. Preferably taking place in various moments of ancient/medieval history. Something that Neocore tried to do after King Arthur I with The Kings' Crusade (which was a rehash/polished version of Crusaders: Thy Kingdom Comes).

I mean, Neocore failed horribly with Kings' Crusade, but it was mostly due to those game-breaking bugs that were fucking your game (crashing to desktop at the end of the battles - really annoying - no proper solution till this day as far as I know). Also poor marketing. I mean King Arthur 1 should sell at least similar to CA games if it was hyped properly.

King's Crusade was also quite poor in tactical department, but I hold the concept very dearly. Can't think of similar game unfortunately.
 

LESS T_T

Arcane
Joined
Oct 5, 2012
Messages
13,582
Codex 2014
Update on the historical projects: https://www.totalwar.com/blog/update-on-historical-releases

- Campaign expansion and big free update to one of their older games. These will be released before the Total War Saga game
- Total War Saga game: despite its focus on a short period and smaller region, it has a campaign map that's the size of Shogun 2. And beware the crow
- Next big historical game that sets in a whole new time period: the development is going well and they've ramped up the production recently


With Mortal Empires released last week, there’s a hotfix on the way for that Chaos Invasion issue some people are having, plus the Foundation and Norsca update too. We want to make sure that’s sorted out before we add more Total War: WARHAMMER content.

However, in this week’s blog we wanted to take a moment to look at our Historical projects; because you’re about to hear a lot more about them.

The next year is packed with new stuff and, as we ramp up for some big announcements, I took a moment to chat with our history project directors; Maya, Jack and Janos..


Maya, I’ll start with your team as we’re going to hear from you guys first, and soon too. Without giving the game away, what are you up to?

Maya: Well we’re working on a campaign expansion for one of our older games, probably the biggest historical one CA’s done we think. We’ve been working on our project for the best part of a year, and with not long to go we’re well into testing now with nearly all the content in. And yes, it’s going to be the next Total War announcement, which is exciting for us!


We can say it’s for one of our slightly older games though?

Maya: Yes, and the first time we’ve gone back to a game so long after release. That in itself is very new territory and something we’re keen to explore as a studio, because it opens up lots of exciting future projects if it’s successful.

There’s a lot of people still playing this particular game, but there’s also lot more we haven’t even touched in that era yet, some really incredible stories and events that defined history.


What are you looking forward to most about the release?

Maya: Well of course we want players to get a big kick out of the new expansion, but I think seeing people’s reaction to the big free update we’re making to the main game at the same time will be really interesting. It’s great to be able to go back and look at a whole area of the game and make some changes.


Jack, your team is working on our first Total War Saga game, we’ve had one work in progress screenshot from it, that people seemed to decode pretty quickly, can we expect to see any more soon?

Jack: Maybe we weren’t as obscure with that as we could have been… We’re coming out after Maya’s project, so a little while till release yet, but we’re hoping to announce relatively soon, so everyone will see a lot more then. Or at least know for sure what we’re making.


And the idea behind Sagas is to spin off from a previous game?

Jack: Yes. The idea is to take those flashpoints of history that make for great geo-political set-ups for TW games, but are more focused in scale than a new tentpole Era game. Doesn’t make them ‘small’ though, we’re working on a campaign map that’s the size of Shogun 2. And that focus allows us to create greater depth too. A tighter focus means a higher resolution of detail.


But it is a follow-on title, not a new game entirely?

Jack: It’s a new game in that it’s substantial and stand-alone sure, but it’s like Fall of the Samurai following-on from Shogun 2. We’re taking the base from a previous game, overhauling it and adding new content, but not reinventing the wheel. It’s an extension or magnification of the previous game’s time period, so of course there’s some cross over. And that allows us to add even more new content. Fall of the Samurai is a great example really.


And it’s new territory for your team too, not just being a Saga game, but given your previous project?

Jack: In a way yes, we’ve all worked on all sorts of TW games in the past, but I guess our last official release as a team was the Age of Charlemagne expansion for Attila. So it’s certainly different to be working on a self-contained game, that will be in a box on shelves. I’ve been chatting with the marketing guys recently about packfront designs, which is novel!


Anything you can tell me about the subject of the game to tide us over and generate endless speculation?

Jack: It’s a period and place I’ve wanted to make a game about for years, so yes I’m excited. As I came from the community as a modder originally, I know there’s going to be some hardcore fans out there who will like what we’re doing. And then enjoy pulling it apart and modding it…

Oh, and beware the crow.


Last but not least, Janos, expectation is going to weigh pretty heavy on your team, being responsible for the first new historical Era title since 2013? And a whole new time period we’ve never been to?

Janos: Expectation is high, but so is the excitement amongst the team here. A brand new era brings a completely different look and feel to this Total War game.

We’ve ramped up to the final team size in the past few months, so things are moving along steadily with daily visible progress. For example, it’s nice to see, after having researched historical city-layouts for months, it all coming together in the game. There are still placeholder grey boxes here and there, but the atmosphere is already outstanding and gameplay feels strong.


So things are really moving at the moment?

Janos: They are indeed. We’ve been in the mocap studio a lot recently, it’s in a big warehouse here in Horsham, just a short walk from our studio. A good portion of the team have been down there, because our stunt men are drawing quite a crowd with what they’re doing. We always work with professionals, but this time around we’re taking a much more ambitious approach to mocap than we have with previous historical total war games. We invested extra time, effort, and external experts to get the maximum impact. I’m sure fans will be impressed when they see these fully realised animations in the actual game.


A brand new Era though, got to be easy to guess?

Janos: There are plenty of eras Total War’s not been to yet, so I wouldn’t say that. But sure there’s some more obvious ones we see people excited about, and we’re going to be excited too. We have a big list, it’s easy to come up with a big list. We have our favourites, some of them are relatively obscure. And we have eras on that list we’ve already been to, that we want to go to again.

Mike Simpson gave an interview years ago that we see fans quote all the time, where he says he doesn’t think we’ll do a “3”. That is a long time ago. We’ve changed our minds a hundred times on that since, so all bets are off when we’re thinking of our next game.

But this one, will be brand new, and that means we can explore interesting new concepts while still bringing what makes it ‘Total War’ to the game.
 

kris

Arcane
Joined
Oct 27, 2004
Messages
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Location
Lulea, Sweden
My head is spinning about what this could be. slightly older is such a hard term in this business and then we have to add what games it is easy to think out an attractive expansion for.

Empire?
 

LESS T_T

Arcane
Joined
Oct 5, 2012
Messages
13,582
Codex 2014
FAQ: https://www.totalwar.com/blog/thrones-britannia-faq

Is this the next historical Total War game?

Thrones of Britannia is historical and is next to be released, but it’s a Total War Saga game. The next era-spanning historical Total War game is being worked on by a separate team and is yet to be announced.

More details on our historical releases here:

https://www.totalwar.com/blog/update-on-historical-releases


What is A Total War Saga?

Total War Sagas offer the same additive mix of turn-based campaign strategy, real-time battle tactics with hundreds if not thousands of hours of gameplay as a regular Total War game, just focussed down on a distinct moment.

They will be concentrated games which will put you right in the middle of a dynamic point in history, where the outcome could have gone in a huge number of different directions. Such moments also tend to be constrained to a tight geographic area as well.

Sagas won’t introduce brand-new eras; they’ll follow-on from previous Total War games and inhabit the same time-period, or at the very least relate to it.

Fall of the Samurai is exactly the kind of thing we’re talking about here. It was a standalone spin-off from Total War: SHOGUN 2, focussed on the pivotal event of the Boshin War.


Is it like a Campaign Pack? Will I need to own another game to play it?

No, Thrones of Britannia is a standalone game, you don’t need to own any other game to play it. Also, you can expect much more new content and new gameplay than comes with a Campaign Pack. The game will be based around a rich new setting (the British Isles of 878AD, just after invasion by The Great Heathen Army) with ten new playable factions, new mechanics and a new, highly-detailed map. Some elements will be brought across from Total War: ATTILA since they still fit the time period but Thrones of Britannia will have its own unique look and feel. Again, in terms of scale, Fall of the Samurai is a useful yardstick.


What is the date range of the game?

It starts in 878 AD, and like other Total War games it’s over once you win! There is no set end-date, though the content in the game covers up to around 1066.


What geographical area will it cover?

The map is the whole of the British Isles, we’ve gone for such a focused map to allow for us to put a lot of detail into it.


What are the playable factions?

We’ll be confirming all ten of the playable factions over the coming months but for now we can tell you that you’ll be able to play as Anglo-Saxons, Viking settlers and certain Gaelic clans.


What are the key features?

The game will offer a super-detailed campaign map, with more regional distinction. You can also enjoy new, unique faction and culture mechanics with deep narratives and character development, and we’ve worked hard to introduce all sorts of tweaks to various campaign systems to enable the player to make more powerful and impactful choices. These are things we’ve already announced, though more key features will be announced soon!


What engine is it built from?

It will be based off the Total War: ATTILA codebase, though not without some changes so we can make the game run as smoothly as possible.


When will it be released?

It will be some time in 2018 but we’re not ready to announce a release date just yet.


Will it be available on Mac/Linux?

We only have a release on Windows in our current plan.


Will it be available as a physical product or is it digital only?

A Total War Saga: Thrones of Britannia will be available as a digital download and there will also be a physical boxed product available in some territories from selected retailers.


How much will it cost?

Details on the price will be confirmed by retailers a little closer to release.


What is the min. & recommended specs?

Again, it’s a little early to confirm but if you follow us you’ll be the first to know.


Is it available for pre-order?

It will be in due course. You can add it now to your Steam Wishlist to be notified when it’s available.


When will we see gameplay?

Soon™

Springtime 2018 is when you’re likely to see gameplay.


How can I find out more?

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter to get all the latest updates and sign up to our forums to join the discussion.
 

Rahdulan

Omnibus
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Oct 26, 2012
Messages
5,105
I don't mind it, but it'll depend on execution. Interesting they're not wording it as an "expandalone" even though it sounds like a potential buzzword to market the title with, yet they'll draw FotS comparisons to get the point across.
 
Joined
Apr 3, 2006
Messages
1,386
Map and faction reveal:

https://www.totalwar.com/blog/thrones-campaign-map-reveal

TWS_Thrones_parchment_map_factions-768x960.png
 

mbv123

Arbiter
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Apr 1, 2017
Messages
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Lettland
I don't want to be that guy but Dark Age Britain is one of the most boring settings they could have picked. It's Shogun 2-tier in variety except you lack all the exotic nippon shit
 

Rahdulan

Omnibus
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I'm still hopeful. Messing with British Isles was always a thing for me since the first Medieval.

I still can't help but imagine

ali-g-1.jpg


when I think of Southern England, though.
 

Young_Hollow

Liturgist
Joined
Nov 1, 2017
Messages
1,104
PSA you can get a Rome 2 DLC for free if you sign up for Total War Access (basically, CA trying to deliver news by themselves with occasional free stuff like this so people don't go anywhere they're reminded that the TW devs are sweeping stuff under the rug).
 
Joined
Apr 3, 2006
Messages
1,386
I don't want to be that guy but Dark Age Britain is one of the most boring settings they could have picked. It's Shogun 2-tier in variety except you lack all the exotic nippon shit
One area that there's potential for variety is the siege battles. In this period there's hill forts, promontory forts, newer saxon burhs, viking longphorts, and legacy Roman fortifications. Anything is a step up from Warhammer's awful "assault one line of wall" sieges.

Some examples:
Hill fort:
Reconstruction__Maiden_Castle.jpg


Promontory fort:
dun-aengus-illustrated-100255067-orig.jpg


Saxon Burh:
Burh.jpg
 

Fedora Master

Arcane
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Edgy
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Messages
27,819
You can see the odd battle behavior from Attila even in the trailer, I'm afraid. Lines of men standing a meter apart and doing little 1on1 duels.

Us5OmnK.png
 

Rahdulan

Omnibus
Patron
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Messages
5,105
40€? Interesting. I wonder what's the logic behind comparing this essential spin-off title versus next full-fledged game like Three Kingdoms in terms of pricing. Future DLC wringing potential?
 

LizardWizard

Cipher
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Feb 14, 2014
Messages
991
Looks way more interesting than any of their recent shit since MTW1 tbh. Supply system where settlement raiding might actually matter. Fresh recruits not starting full strength, upgrades require tech instead of buildings. And removing agents completely is simply incline for a TW game.

Hopefully CA does a Deus Vult saga after MTW3

 
Last edited:

Beowulf

Arcane
Joined
Mar 2, 2015
Messages
1,963
Combine tactical combat from Field of Glory 2 with Total War's strategic layer and you have a winner.
One can always dream.

I watched some impression videos on YT, and what do you know - they indeed worked hard on improving the diplomacy.
Do you remember when the AI refused countless times the very lucrative trade offers that you've send?
No more of that nonsense - apparently now trade agreements are automatic, if you are not at war :cool:

I bet they have even more similar "fixes" in store ,like already mentioned removal of the agents (which is a good thing in my book, as the agent spam was tragic, except for maybe MTW).

It seems like the buildings are coming back, a'la Shogun 2 style. I wonder how it will work - will the armies will still be limited, and therefore it will prevent the single unit stacks spam from the AI; or will it really have any impact on the AI, as it gets so many bonuses, that raiding industry/farm building might not matter for the player at all.

Anyway, in my opinion they are asking way too much for something that will undoubtedly be broken an buggy on release, as they prove with almost all their titles.

On a + side, I like the art-style, and the unit cards (but I liked them in Charlemagne as well, so...).
 

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