RTS Fans: Medieval 2 Total War Announced

[Guard Dog]

(w00t) Creative Assembly has announced the upcoming release of it's latest Total War title. It's a remake of the original Medieval Total War in the new RTW engine. If you have played both the original Medieval/Shogun Total War games and the newer Rome Total War you cannot help but be excited. And if you haven't, and love RTS get off your tail and buy one of them. Estimated release date is Q4 2006. This should work out perfectly. With NWN2 released around June I should have plenty of time to finish my NWN2 module and jump into Medieval 2.

 

Check put the details below:

 

http://www.totalwar.com/community/medieval2.htm

[karka]

Actually, i never think Total War series as RTSs.

[Guard Dog]

Actually, i never think Total War series as RTSs.

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Really? What would you call them? Gameplay on all 3 titles is similar. What title would you call an RTS. Age of Empires? Civ? Just curious.

[karka]

Well, actually i hate RTSs But i don't hate Total War series. So, they are not RTS.

 

Seriously, Total War games are much more about strategy, not clicking faster. And, Map screen is totally turn based. So when i play one of those games, i never feel like i am playing RTS.

[Leferd]

Actually, i never think Total War series as RTSs.

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Really? What would you call them? Gameplay on all 3 titles is similar. What title would you call an RTS. Age of Empires? Civ? Just curious.

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I'd call the Total War series a Turn Based Strategy game with a Real Time Tactical component.

 

This M2:TW is definitely on my Top 3 list of games that I am looking most forward to.

[Musopticon?]

It looks great and the Total War series has always sounded and played great.

[Leferd]

What I'm really looking forward to are the inevitable high quality mods that are going to come out after its release.

 

MTW has MTW XL.

RTW has Rome Total Realism. Europa Barbarorum also looks promising.

[Guard Dog]

It looks great and the Total War series has always sounded and played great.

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I'm with you there. I even bought the Rome TW soundtrack. And I NEVER buy soundtracks. Definitely psyched about this title. The one thing about Rome TW, I could never win playing the Greek Cities. Always wind up fighting Rome and Macedon at once and that puts me in an unwinnable bind. Playing BI now, trying to revive the Western Empire. Excellent game.

[Musopticon?]

I can't play it. It sitting on my shelf, glaring at me, and I know if I started now ther would be no end to the playing. Time just doesn't allow it.

[Guard Dog]

I can't play it. It sitting on my shelf, glaring at me, and I know if I started now ther would be no end to the playing. Time just doesn't allow it.

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Play a short campaign. I wrapped up a Juli short campaign in just 3 nights. Granted 3 very long and sleepless nights.

[kumquatq3]

thank the gods their doing this instead of more hack n' slash games

[alanschu]

Well, actually i hate RTSs But i don't hate Total War series. So, they are not RTS.

 

Seriously, Total War games are much more about strategy, not clicking faster. And, Map screen is totally turn based. So when i play one of those games, i never feel like i am playing RTS.

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It's just a different type of RTS then.

 

No need to stereotype.

[Llyranor]

Go go genrification of gaming.

 

Just because something happens to be real-time and to be a strategy game doesn't mean it has to play like any other game labelled 'RTS'.

 

There's a big difference between a company which tells itself 'hey, let's make a strategy game, and let's make a design so that real-time is most appropriate for it' and one that says 'let's make a RTS, let's base most of the design of stuff that's already been done, add a few modifications and pretend it's a whole new game'.

[Nick_i_am]

Agreed with Llyranor, arguing over 'if it's RTS or not' is completely and utterlly irrevlient, esspesally if you've all played the bloody game. Talk about it's features and flaws, not what pointless pigeon hole it falls into.

 

Total War games have always been enjoyed for me for their 'realisitc' combat mixed with risk style terretory maps. A good mix of tactics and strategy, but not to everyones tastes.

[Guard Dog]

Agreed with Llyranor, arguing over 'if it's RTS or not' is completely and utterlly irrevlient, esspesally if you've all played the bloody game. Talk about it's features and flaws, not what pointless pigeon hole it falls into.

 

Total War games have always been enjoyed for me for their 'realisitc' combat mixed with risk style terretory maps. A good mix of tactics and strategy, but not to everyones tastes.

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Actually one of the best improvements introduced in Rome over Shogun and Medieval was the absence of the Risk style map. In Shogun/Med you marched an army into a territory and automaticly fought whatever army was there in a terrain fixed for that whole territory. If you won, the entire territory was yours. In Rome TW map borders are just lines on a map and you can march in armies to block trade by blocking roads, harbors, or prepare for a defensive fight by choosing your ground. The terrain on the campaign map is the same as the terrain on the battle map.

 

Case in point. Playing as the Greeks I know that the Romans will attack Syracuse within the first game year (2 turns). To buy time to prepare I send 160 Hoplites and 81 Peltasts to take up station over the road to Messina on the slopes of Mt Etna. They were attacked the next turn. Holding the phalanx on high ground backed up by peltasts my 160 hoplites broke a Roman army of around 400 Hastati and killed Quintus Scipio in the bargain. I was able to take Messina 4 turns later because I goaded the Scipii into attacking me on ground of my choosing.

[kumquatq3]

To be fair, generally the terrain has minor effects on the battle, imo

[alanschu]

I disagree. Especially on defense.

[Jumjalum]

Much as I respect the emphasis on strategy I find it hard to enjoy a game when even the tutorial kicks my ass. :D Seriously I have Shogun and couldn't get past the final tutorial mission, am I dumb?

[alanschu]

Just inexperienced.

 

The tactics of the game are very important, and you want to do whatever you can to try to hit the flanks of your opponents.

 

Routing is great, as it spreads. One squad panicking causes other squad's morale to sufffer, and once they've routed, it makes life easy on you as you mop things up.

[Guard Dog]

Much as I respect the emphasis on strategy I find it hard to enjoy a game when even the tutorial kicks my ass. :D  Seriously I have Shogun and couldn't get past the final tutorial mission, am I dumb?

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When you get right down to it, there are two things you must do to win any TW battle.

 

1st and foremost is unit match up. Use spearmen against cavalry, support light infantry with ranged attack, heavy infanty against lighter infantry, etc.

 

2nd do all you can to break the morale of your enemy. Do all you can to kill the enemy general ( but not at the expense of your plan of attack or defense). You should attempt to flank the enemy, use light cavalry to attack an engaged enemy formation from the rear, use heavy weapons like ballistas, onagers, flaming arrows and scorpions as the enemy is at march. Once the enemy has broken, if there are no othere engaged formations, pursue, do not let him reform. If there are, use your free units to attack. If there are reenforcments, reform and do it again.

 

That is all there is to it. Its like chess. Coordiante your movements. Don't attack unless you use all of your pieces.

[Jumjalum]

Cool, I'll give it a shot, thanks!

[alanschu]

Once you get the hang of it, you'll love it (and hate it! sucks when YOUR guys freak out! :D)

[Deraldin]

Once you get the hang of it, you'll love it (and hate it!  sucks when YOUR guys freak out! :D)

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I've only had my guys routed once and that was because I had a 2000 man stack that had to contend with 4 others of the sames size. I could have won if I had unlimited ammo for my archers/onagers who ran out during the third wave. The 4th group was allowed to approach my battered Legionaires without coming through a hail of arrows. <_<

[alanschu]

Hmmm.

 

If you play on higher diffculties, I bow before you.

 

Is this in Medieval?

[Deraldin]

Hmmm.

 

If you play on higher diffculties, I bow before you.

 

Is this in Medieval?

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I played vanillia RTW on Very Hard/Very Hard. I just never fought a battle unless I knew I could win it. I think I exaggerated a little. I meant that I never had an entire army routed except that once. Every couple battles I'll have a unit or two decide to rout but I usually gain control of them again before they leave the map.