So it came down to us being masters of our own future and the pressure that comes with that. That's simply because creating good Al is really hard and the more complicated your game, the more complicated your Al has to be.
Medieval II is really complicated and thus, we could always keep improving the Al. That's a ludicrous amount of stats to tune, and so more time would translate to better results. It's something we've examined again with Kingdoms. History isn't balanced, and so certain factions are harder to play than others. We balance the game so that when you play in battle mode, each faction has strengths and weaknesses in its unit line-up.
Beyond that, we let player skill and geographic opportunity dictate balance. If you've played any of the Total War games before - most notably the latest instalment of the series, Rome - you'll understand my spontaneous impersonation of an incontinent Michael Flatley. Maybe you're even doing one yourself right now. After all, these pages are dripping with visuals so luscious they'd prompt even a year-old arthritic drunk to rise from his seat and dance around his colostomy bag from sheer delight But as you're about to find out in this, the world's first-ever look at the latest instalment of the all-conquering Total War series, Medieval 2 isn't just a visual feast - it's also packed with meaty goodness in the ganieplay stakes, too.
Having appeased Sefton with flowers, chocolates and enough cash to put down a deposit on a new house in his native Yorkshire 0. And so, with medieval torturing tools at the ready - just in case he wouldn't talk - I met up with said Smith for an afternoon of interrogation and song. Actually, was pretty much just interrogation, though I did have a rendition of Killing Me Softly ready, just in case the thumbscrew didn't work.
We're raising the bar right across the board from the campaign map to the historical and multiplayer battles. The overall structure and gameplay will be similar to Rome's, but it'll also incorporate some elements from the original Medieval such as the Pope and the Crusades. I'm gonna go out on a limb here and guess you've probably already taken a sneaky peek at the rest of the pages of this preview, drooled lustfully on the pages and maybe even contacted your bank manager to discuss the possibility of a loan to cover the cost of a new graphics card.
Well, for starters, you needn't panic if your machine's still packing a 'more mature' 3D card, because just like its predecessors, Medieval 2's titanic battles will be massively scalable to cater to the power of your PC. And even though it's still too early to talk spec specifics, Smith seemed confident that Medieval 2 is set to be every bit as friendly to OAP cards and processors as Rome was.
But what about If you've already taken out a third mortgage for a PC that'll enable you to play Medieval 2 in all its glory?
What's in store for you? Well, for starters, Medieval 2 is doubling, yes, doubling Rome's polygon count "The amount of detail in some of the textures is amazing, right down to the names of programmers inscribed on gravestones in the churchyard," enthused Smith. The methods for building and rendering cities and units is completely new, and the combat animation system lias been heavily revised.
Oh, but wait my slavering friends, we haven't even got to the good bit yet Far from it Y'see, up till now, Total War has been the largest most realistic, adrenal-soaked cauldron of warfare ever to grace a videogame, where gargantuan armies batter each other into fleshy piles until one side stands victorious, knee-deep in every blood type under the sun.
But there's always been one problem with this - all of the soldiers looked the same. All that however, is about to change. On top of this, there are also multiple variants for shields and weapons, so each soldier has character and each unit of men looks and behaves like a realistic group of soldiers. I continued the relentless interrogation and soon uncovered perhaps the single most exciting info nugget of the afternoon, just as I was finishing erecting an iron maiden.
It's almost too good to be true. Gone are the mindless, hacking soldiers of Rome, replaced instead by warriors who attack each other with the brutality of a Millwall fen after closing time. If he gets too close, he could actually throw the assailant back with a shield barge, then run him violently through with a spear. Touches like these make the huge battles so much more realistic and immersing, whether you're zoomed in on the front line or looking on from a distance" And if that's not enough to get you excited.
Smith also revealed that you can look forward to combatants gradually acquiring layers of blood on their armour that's spattered from their vanquished foes. As well as the skirmishes themselves, terrain has always played an integral part in ensuring Total War's gritty realism.
But just when you thought this already monumentally lifelike battle simulator couldn't possibly get any better, another sublime addition comes along to prove you wrong. Through the use of impassable obstacles, Medieval 2 looks like it could raise the realism bar by yet another notch. Up till now, Total War battlegrounds have only ever been seriously constricted by the boundaries of the map.
Whether schlepping over flatlands or rolling tree-covered hills, your armies could move almost anywhere with little or no constriction. But this luxury of being able to retreat without too much thought for your surroundings will now be a thing of the past "In general, there'll be more terrain on the battlefield, with impassable cliffs and banks, walls and hedges and more buildings," beamed Smith.
Mud , could also be a problem for heavily-armoured troops, cavalry and infantry, so well be reflecting this in the game, too. The Creative Assembly's outfit in Australia is also ensuring that the excellent innovations from Rome: Total War - Barbarian Invasion are being translated into Medieval2, including horses and lightly-armoured troops having the ability to swim across rivers in order to attack enemy lines.
Also making a welcome return from Rome's debut expansion pack are the nighttime battles, which Smith promised would be even more spectacular this time around thanks to fearsome cannons that'll be able to cripple cities and ravage them with flames. Artillery is also less effective under a blanket of darkness. If there's one disappointing piece of news about Medieval 2, it's that it'll still be bereft of real-time naval battles.
However, from what Smith told me, this isn't so much an omission as a determination to ensure that when Total War does eventually incorporate sea-based battles into its already towering arsenal of war modes, it'll be every bit as captivating, thrilling and entertaining as its on-land counterparts.
Creating them to a standard that befits the Total War series is an even bigger one," he explained. Naval combat will be handled similarly to the system employed in Rome, but it'll be polished and tweaked.
Writing articles about Total War games often feels like a two-part process. That's because these titles are actually two games of equal quality - 3D real-time battles and the campaign map - wrapped up in one sublime package, and Medieval 2 is no exception.
So without further ado, let's move on and see what Smith had to reveal - with a little medieval-style coaxing - about the second section. To compensate, there's a new recruitment system and castles will require less management than cities. As the game develops, cities will become more important but re-developing castles will be costly, so the transition will need to be carefully managed.
Of course, the medieval period wasn't only notorious for its bitter land disputes, humongous fortresses, subterfuge, betrayal, brutality and inhumanity, but also for its religiously-motivated wars, most notably the Crusades. And while this feature did play a part in Medieval, it seems that it'll play a far more prominent role here, with the Pope himself calling a crusade that w all catholic factions can choose to join. The faction that captures the target first gains considerable prestige and wealth, and you'll also need to keep on the Pope's good side.
However, whet the old codger dies - for whatever reason -you can don your religious robes and vote in the election of a new one - and getting one of your own cardinals elected will help in securing good relations.
One of the pitfalls of making a sequel to a game as comprehensive as Medieval is the prospect of making the two games campaign maps too similar, but CA Australia is clearly doing an admirable job of avoiding a prevailing sense of deja vu in this follow-up. Medievalfc hugely expansive campaign map, which encompassed Europe, North Africa and Asia Minor, will now be even more impressive thanks to the addition of South America to Medieval 2.
Initially, these far-western lands will be hidden from you and the squares of the Atlantic Ocean will be impassable. However, later in the game, you'll be able to develop the technology to cross the ocean, discover America and battle with the Aztecs. You have to watch your back though - what the Aztecs lack in military technology they more than make up for in bravery and sheer numbers.
So, while the Americas are there to be conquered, the Aztecs aren't likely to welcome unwanted visitors. Like a prom queen covered in jam and swimming in a vat of money, Medieval 2 looks almost too good to be true, yet given The Creative Assembly's pedigree, it's close to impossible doubting it can deliver a supreme RTS experience.
With the careers of Richard the Lionheart, Saladin, Robert ratted out Mel Gibson' the Bruce and Henry all set to feature in standalone historical battles, along with a reprisal of Shogun: Total Waft video clip assassinations - each carrying multiple outcomes - and natural disasters and plagues threatening to cripple even your most well laid plans, we can't wait Add to that the all-new yet to be announced multiplayer features not even an impromptu rendition of the Roberta Flack classic could break Bob Smith's granite-like resolve on that one and revamped trading elements that'll include monopolies and hostile acquisitions, and Medieval2 is looking like it could take another giant leap forward from its predecessors and maintain the irresistible momentum of a series that never ceases to amaze.
And if Medieval 2 does fully live up to its promise, then the Total War series could be on the brink of becoming totally untouchable. Towns and cities are set to take on an even greater strategic importance in Medieval 2, with CA determined to make full use of the hulking fortresses of the period. Unlike the previous games, where cities were almost always stuck in the middle of giant fields, Medieval2's settlements will be built around the environment meaning you'll be able to incorporate cliffs and slopes into their layouts.
This'll also have a major impact on siege warfare, as attacking an elevated stronghold will create a whole new strategic dimension to the bloody proceedings. And as if that wasn't enough, castles will have multiple rings of defence, with each obstacle needing a different approach. So you might well find yourself blowing a hole in the main wall all structures will now crumble far more realistically , then using a siege tower to penetrate the second one, before sending your pluckiest or most stupid unit to capture the gate, in order to breach the third barricade.
Bring it on. In a series as comprehensively impressive as Total War, it'd be all too easy to overlook the massive contribution that Jeff Van Dyck's masterful soundtracks have played, with each tune perfectly capturing both the context and atmosphere of each game's period. Rattier than taking the easy option of simply re-using his BAFTA-winning soundtracks from Medieval and its expansion packs, Jeff is composing a completely new set of tunes to keep time to your slaughtering exploits.
However, unlike Rome, where the musical accompaniment depended on your faction, Medieval 2 will mould its aural output to the location you're fighting in, meaning that even towards the end of a long campaign, you're unlikely to be reaching for the iPod.
We've said it before and we'll say it again, 'If it isn't broke, then don't fix it'? Boasting an impressive selection of 'historically accurate'? Now that is saying a mouthful and those nice folks over at Sega and The Creative Assembly have managed to produce a game that can play on a wide berth of systems and still make it relatively easy on the eyes.
In other words the graphics are probably not going to knock your socks off as there is nothing new and so visually impressive that it will become the benchmark standard for real time strategy games, no, it's a game that produces very adequate graphics considering what it must do. Armies of hundreds if not thousands can be seen rampaging on screen as you attempt to move beyond an opponents defenses. Take out the strategically important parts of a castle first like the towers and you can cripple a defense.
Paganism is negligible in the Old World but is the religion of the Aztecs and is the only religion present in America by default. Paradise Lust. Kingdoms presents players with all-new territories to explore, troops to command, and enemies to conquer. Kingdoms is the most content-rich expansion ever produced for a Total War game, with four new entire campaigns centred on expanded maps of the British Isles, Teutonic Northern Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas.
All-new factions from the New World are also now fully playable, including the Aztecs, Apaches, and Mayans. Base One. Along with the new maps in the Britannia, Teutonic, Crusades, and New World Campaigns, there are 13 new factions to play, over units to control, and 50 building types, adding up to 80 hours of new gameplay. Kingdoms also offers new multiplayer maps and hotseat multiplayer, a first for the Total War series, allowing you to play one-versus-one campaign games on the same computer.
Phasmophobia Phasmophobia is a 4 player online co-op psychological horror where you and your team members of paranormal investigators will enter haunted locations filled with. Delivered by FeedBurner. It's shortly after William the Conqueror took England by force, the Moors occupy half of the Spanish peninsula, and most of Europe is parceled out into mini-states and small fledgling kingdoms. The game progresses through several centuries of history, beyond the discovery of the New World, the European discovery of gunpowder, and the Mongol invasion from the East.
The campaign map is divided into provinces, each of which is governed by one main settlement. It's up to you to decide what buildings or improvements to build in each settlement, what the tax rate should be, how many troops to garrison, etc. Longtime Total War players will note the biggest difference here is that settlements can either be developed as cities or as castles. Cities can grow huge and are primarily economic drivers, allowing you to build improvements to the region's trade and productivity.
But castles are where serious military units like knights or heavy infantry are built, and the population is easier to manage under the shadow of a fortress. It's possible for castles to be rebuilt into cities and vice versa, but this can be expensive and you'll lose high-level buildings in the process. While this change doesn't redefine the gameplay most Total War players built specialized cities anyways , it definitely forces would-be conquerors to plan ahead.
Once you get used to the change and the frustration of trying to figure out which buildings can be built where , it adds some depth to the game. Religion was a major factor in the development of nations during this period, and it's represented in-game. Religion is especially important for the Western-European Catholic factions, always under the watchful eye of the Pope.
Every region has its own blend of faiths, the people divided among Catholics, Pagans, Heretics, Muslims, etc. Kings of a particular religion who try to control a region consisting mostly of a different faith will find it more prone to rebellion.
Players can build Priest units and religious buildings to convert the population. In the Catholic kingdoms, Priest units can eventually be promoted to Cardinals, which is important because there's a new papal election every time the Pope passes away.
Since the Pope has the power to excommunicate factions or call for crusades, he's one important hombre. The wheeling and dealing to gain favor with or control of! Priests are inexpensive, so there's no real decision involved -- players would be stupid not to crank out an army of 'em.
Only five factions are playable in the campaign game at first almost all Western-European rivals, such as England, France, or the Holy Roman Empire. Each time you win a campaign, a new faction is unlocked -- given that even the "short" campaign is around 15 hours of gameplay, this restriction is really limiting.
Fortunately, people have already discovered codes that allow you to unlock the full array of 17 different playable campaigns. The variety of kingdoms is one of the game's strengths, as the starting positions all offer unique challenges. Trying to play the smaller kingdoms such as Portugal or Scotland is a great test for any would-be monarch.
You can also download Anno Dawn of Discovery. And it includes the historical battles of the famous primitive Factions which ruled the world. In this game you can choose between battles and Single mode campaign. Also you have the luxury to play it online with other players around the world. In the campaign mode you have to select a specific Faction.
Then you have to grow them economically and militarily to win the battles which come forward. There are different families and royals.
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