Total War

[Sereyna]

Ive been enjoying Medieval: Total war for the past couple months and just went out to Wally World and bought Rome:Total War. So I was just wondering on any ideas you all might have on what is next from the fine folks at Creative Assembly? They've done Feudal Japan, the Roman Empire, and Medieval Europe. Any guesses/rumours on what is next? Total War: Native America? Total War: China? Will they ever move into more modern warfare, like WWII? Just wondering what you thought, as I've had a good time with their products so far.

[Monte Carlo]

This is an excellent question, and well worthy of discussion. I am a tremendous fan of Total War.

 

Personally, I'm quite leery of what the CA might do next. After all, they've made three excellent games using the TW format.... and history teaches us that developers love dry-humping a winning format and/ or engine to death (the Infinity Engine springs to mind).

 

The Rome engine is superlative, especially concerning detail/ gameplay versus system requirements. There is easily a hefty XP there waiting to be exploited. I've been watching Time Commanders on the TV (the TW engine is used in a gameshow format where teams play out famous historical battles) which gives us a clue as to where an XP might go. Either a prequel (Alexander springs immediately to mind, the re-skinned Companion Cavalry on the TV programme are especially cool) or an early Byzantine/ pre-Dark Ages theme seem to only viable ways to go.

 

Personally, as for TWIV I'm a bit nonplussed. A WW1/WW2 game? Hmmm. Would fast-paced combat with artillery, tanks and firearms suit the format? Would the relatively short timespan work without the game turning into a Sid Meier style effort with a cool combat engine attached? The market is flooded with those type of RTS games.

 

Another tempting avenue might be fantasy...but that would alienate the grognard fanbase who dig the historical aspect of it as well as being a bit, well.....cheesy.

 

Therefore this is genuinely a really tough question. The TW format relies on that blend of turn-based strategy/ empire building and the fast-paced tactical excitement of the battles. Perhaps a period covering the 1600's to the Napoleonic era to the rise of the great European powers before WW1? The Imperial aspect means that you'd move the map to Africa and India (cool) or even to America for a civil war theme. Imagine playing a Neocon George Washington who decides to invade Europe in the early 1800's! The combination of old-school warfare (cavalry, pikemen etc) giving way to muskets and cannon and so on would be neat. A new, politically-based faction system that represents the different types of government would be cool too.

 

So, as a starter for ten, I'd say Empires: Total War.

You can play as one of the great European powers or even as a fledgling America with the Pilgrim Fathers (imagine landing your auxiliary Native American horse archers in Wales or Scotland) and follows world history through the rise of Imperialism (British Recoat infantry duking it out with Russian lancers on the plains of Southern Africa, or US Minutemen skirmishers plinking away at French Imperial Cavalry in the Crimea) through to the mechanised slaughter of 1914-1918?

 

Whatever happens, I think a Rome:TW XP is next, and that'll do me for a while.

 

Cheers

MC

[Llyranor]

Total War: China? 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I want that NOW.

[DemonKing]

Whatever happens, I think a Rome:TW XP is next, and that'll do me for a while.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Agreed - either an Alexander game or one covering the Imperial period from Tiberius on (14AD+) seem logical.

 

A side question - is Medieval:TW worth picking up if your only experience of TW is Rome? Or will it seem too much like a backward step?

[chemchok]

Actually, I've heard that the next Total War will be a rework of MTW for the RTW engine. Just rumors and innuendos, of course.

 

As for the Rome expansion, I dunno. Maybe be a prequel like MC said, Alexander or earlier. Of course, maybe it will cover the fall of the Roman empire; Hunnic invasions and the Constantinople - Rome split.

 

Whatever CA (or in this case Activision) decides, I hope their next releases give modders an easier time.

[Monte Carlo]

Medieval's graphics are workmanlike but basic compared to Rome's.

 

Nonetheless, the gameplay is extremely enjoyable with an excellent variety of factions and units. The Papacy replaces The Senate and there are Crusades and Jihads available to the respective factions to use as a strategic tool. There is also much less micromanagement of settlements but you can give your faction generals titles that boost their stats (i.e. Archbishop of Canterbury or Chancellor). Strategic marriages between your daughters and other factions are another feature that add to the Medieval flavour.

 

The game map is beautiful, albeit less "realistic" as than the detailed terrain of the Rome:TW equivalent. It looks much more like a stylized game of Risk. And, as with all CA titles the music and VO is brilliant. Sean Pertwee does the Christian faction voices, and the battle music for the Muslim factions is genius. As good as Rome's.

 

The idea of playing Medieval in the Rome engine is sublime....if only.

 

To answer the question: I'm biased but I don't think that for the discerning gamer Medieval is a "step back" if you enjoyed Rome. Saying that, Rome's battle graphics are breathtakingly good.

 

Cheers

MC

[Rosbjerg]

I've been wondering the same thing! I have been a big fan of the series ever since Shogun ..

Since we have covered both Japanese (asian) and European history I think they will look for something else! perhaps a Middle Eastern game next time? focusing on Egypt, Mespotania, maybe Persia or India, or some of the other oldest cultures?

 

It would be a shame if they made a game with a timeperiod after the inventions and widespread of gunpowder .. the weapon of focus should be melee, not guns .. since seeing 5.000+ soldiers/horses charging down a hill is more fun than 100 shooting each other up! at least for me ..

 

Agreed - either an Alexander game or one covering the Imperial period from Tiberius on (14AD+) seem logical.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Yes those were my ideas as well .. they would seem to be the most logical step!

 

A side question - is Medieval:TW worth picking up if your only experience of TW is Rome? Or will it seem too much like a backward step?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

graphic wise, well you won't believe how crummy those 2d blocks actually look compared to Rome TW's 3d rendered units .. :D

 

gameplay wise .. I know quite a few who likes Shogun and Medieval much much more than Rome!

 

So I would say yes it's worth playing, because it really is a great game which still has alot to offer! like Monte Carlo explained ..

and Shogun is great as well, and should be experianced! they have alot of very funny clips showing how your assasins kill a target (or fail) .. which I thought was a shame that Medieval didn't include!

[Whitemithrandir]

Pokemon: Total War.

[Jumjalum]

Army Men: Total War

[Dranoel]

America: Total War - You have to import all your units from Europe before some ungrateful in-bred rednecks (allied to the french - shows just how undeserving they are!) rebel and commit genocide as they massacre the locals of the region!

[Whitemithrandir]

Rock Paper Scissor: Total War.

[Fairplay]

Other than World War or other modern settings, I think they've used up many of the obvious choices.

 

I guess a China: Total War could be a possibility. A lot of its history has been well documented and would allow for a variety of factions as well as neighboring tribes and nations to play/fight. The setting could allow for some variety in units, terrains, as well as suitable quotes for those loading screens ;p. Plus, the ever-present Mongols could make yet another appearance depending on the era.

 

I wouldn't be opposed to something set in a fantasy/sci-fi/post apocalyptic world though. It isn't like the Total War games have been totally devoted to realism anyway.

[Pidesco]

Napoleon: Total War is an option

[Dranoel]

Crusade: Total War (though touched on already in Medieval)

Africa: Total War (colonialism)

Greek: Total War (with Sparta, Athens and the other warring cities plus Persia and others!)

 

and don't rule out...

 

Mythology:Total War (Age of Mythology but with Total War!)

[Jumjalum]

Middle-Earth: Total War :D

[EUIX]

Each Total War has so far been a prequel of the prior. I propose the period from the the collapse of the Zhou, into the Spring and Autumn period to the final victory of the Qin in 221 BC. Covering the entirity of East Asia - including all of China proper, the northern hinterlands of Mongolia, Korea, Japan, as far out into the Pacific as the Ryukyu chain, down into Vietnam and west as far as Burma, Tibet and the Tarim Basin in Xinjiang. The central theme of the game will be the splintering of China into thousands of small states in the Spring and Autumn period to the destruction and mayhem, that finally consolidated it into an Empire. The game can be started from any one of several time periods. Notably states will be played Qin, Wei, Chu, Yan, Qi, along with Korea, Japan, Vietnam, the land south of the Yangtze that was not yet part of China, the Tibetans, Xiong Nu, etc.

 

Where Tacitus was the historian of Rome, this game can have Sima Qian - the eminent Han Historian play the role of the Narrator and advisor to the player.

 

Of course for marketing and public relations purposes this game will never sell and thus never be made.

[ScottishMA]

Napoleon: Total War is an option

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

That would be my vote. Any later and the tactical level of warfare will primarily be restricted to battalion commanders and below, which to my mind is too small for the Total War theme. Plus it would just be really cool to have your rifle companies form square as cavalry charges down on them.

[Gorth]

China has been mentioned a couple of times... English civil war (might be too similar to MTW), Ancient America (Aztecs, Incas, Mayas etc.), Africa (Kush or Zulu empire anybody), Ancient Mesopotamia (Egyptians, Assyrians, Hittite) heck, could even be the Special Bible edition. Still some possibilities.

[Dranoel]

English:Total War (civil war) could only work as an expansion like Viking Invasion did and even then the scale would be wrong. After R:TW it would all be very small scale. I think that only Edgehill, Marston Moor and Naseby featured armies of over 10K.

 

To be honest I can't see EUIX's suggestion be taken up either cos it is a conflict that noone in the west has really heard of or is particularly interested in. I think a Greek one might work cos there is some interest in ancient Greek society and culture (even outside the militant gay lobby groups), they stood up to and defeated (on occasion) the armies of the greatest nation of the time (persia) and there was a lot of infighting among the states. The other potentially viable one (imo) that has been suggested is the egyptian campaigns versus hitites numidians etc. However there are already a lot of Pharoah games etc out there.

 

I think it is difficult to predict precisely where it is headed. Personally I want to see Maya:Total War! (or Aztec - it's all good!)

[Rosbjerg]

Well it covered Japan, and some of it's feudal history .. why not some of ancient China? the only reason Japan was interesting was because of Samurais! I don't think most people knew of, or were particulary interested in, Japanese history ..

now that it's an established series I don't think it really matter what time period they do ..

 

I would however (as mentioned before) prefer an Egyptian game, or other ancient cultures! or a Chinese .. it would be pretty neat to follow in the footstep of Qin Shi Huang and unite China (hopefully for a little longer than he was able to) or something similar ..

[Musopticon?]

Middle-American or Empiric China would rock some worlds. And not all of them mine. Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Teotihuacan, anyone?

[Monte Carlo]

Only a few of the suggestions here span the required timescale for a full TW game. By comparison, the English Civil War is a mere blip. Or a fraction of a blip. A blipette, even.

[Rosbjerg]

^ well remember that Shogun didn't span over several hundred years .. but only a few decades!

[Aaron Contreras]

I'm hoping the RTW expansion is all about Alexander and Macedon. As for the next total war game...I suppose I'd like to see the period between the fall of Rome and where Medieval picks up.

 

I'm just not a big fan of the Napoleonic era.

[BuckeyeRowe]

I think to get the content TW packs into their games, they need to go to a whole new era. I think the Napoleon idea could work, but gun battles are vastly different then what they've done up to now.