Title Change

[Spartan198]

I know starting a thread for this seems pointless,but there really isn't anywhere else appropriate to ask: What's with the title change? :inquisitive:

[Taranaich]

Ah curses, I was hoping I'd get The Big Shocking Update done before anyone noticed... I was even making a nice big splash image to accompany it! Oh well.

The title change is one of a few pretty big changes in the mod which have been planned since cherryfunk came on board (so blame him! Yeah, it's his fault! He overpowered me with his business acumen and persuasive pitch!):beam:

While The Hyborian Age: Total War is an accurate and perfectly adequate title, it isn't exactly instantly recognizable as a setting as, for example, Middle-earth. By contrast, everybody knows Conan, or at least the comic/film adaptations of the character. It's a pragmatic decision to make the mod more readily accessible and identifiable to people who may like the idea of what we're doing, but not know what the Hyborian Age is. By renaming it Conan: Total War, more casual fans would look in, be it the "hey, I loved the comics!" crowd, to the "how can they make a whole mod of Conan when it's just Arnold, some vikings and Thulsa Doom?" newcomers. They'll be in for a surprise. :eyebrows:

I'll be drinking to the shade of The Hyborian Age: Total War as it was poetic and basically the closest title to my goal (render The Hyborian Age essay into a wargame), but Conan: Total War's a good one too: sharp, punchy, more accessible, and you still know what you're getting. If nothing else, The Hyborian Age will remain as a subtitle on any art involving the mod.

Sorry to spring it on you like that, I didn't expect the moderators to be so prompt with the changes. :oops:

[cherryfunk]

It was my idea... :idea2:

While the purist in me prefers The Hyborian Age, I'd like the mod to have as large a fan base as possible, and the number of people who recognize Conan has to be several magnitudes larger than that who recognize Hyboria... so it's basically a marketing decision. We'll easily double or triple our downloads just by changing the name...

Plus, we'll have a subtitle, so Hyboria will still be part of the name:


Conan: Total War
The Hyborian Age

But no pictures of Arnold. Promise! :beam:

[Spartan198]

Ah,I see. Yeah,to tell you the truth,that does seem a little more recognizable. Plus,I kinda like the idea of new Conan fans getting this mod expecting it to just be centered on everybody's favorite barbarian,then discovering that there's a gritty,realistic "fantasy" world behind him.

Ah curses, I was hoping I'd get The Big Shocking Update done before anyone noticed... I was even making a nice big splash image to accompany it! Oh well.
Oh,come on now. As long as I've been following this mod,you had to have expected me to be the first to learn of something as big as this,didn't you?
So when will that splash image be ready? I'm looking forward to seeing it!

[Taranaich]

Oh,come on now. As long as I've been following this mod,you had to have expected me to be the first to learn of something as big as this,didn't you?

Not at all, it was more I was hoping to get the preview done before the name change went into effect. :beam:


So when will that splash image be ready? I'm looking forward to seeing it!

Soon is all I'm saying. :sweatdrop:

[cherryfunk]

Spartan, the biggest change is that we're making it a Solomon Kane mod...

:2thumbsup:

[Spartan198]

Not at all, it was more I was hoping to get the preview done before the name change went into effect. :beam:
Oh,that's what you meant.

Spartan, the biggest change is that we're making it a Solomon Kane mod...

:2thumbsup:
:laugh4:

[Cadwalader]

I sort of didn't like it at first (looked for "Hyborian Age" in the list of M2TW mods, but found Conan!), but it was for a good reason. Maybe I feel negative about it, because of the memory Middle Earth Online getting the more populistic name Lord Of The Rings Online. And at the same time getting completely fucked up into a dumb, generic MMORPG.

[Taranaich]

I sort of didn't like it at first (looked for "Hyborian Age" in the list of M2TW mods, but found Conan!), but it was for a good reason. Maybe I feel negative about it, because of the memory Middle Earth Online getting the more populistic name Lord Of The Rings Online. And at the same time getting completely fucked up into a dumb, generic MMORPG.

Well, hopefully the legion of REH and Conan fans will keep us in the right: though some of our decisions might be controversial, I would certainly hope the mod will be neither dumb nor generic! :beam:

[Spartan198]

Well, hopefully the legion of REH and Conan fans will keep us in the right: though some of our decisions might be controversial, I would certainly hope the mod will be neither dumb nor generic! :beam:
And as we REH fans know,there's nothing generic about the world of Conan!

[cherryfunk]

Spartan, not only is there nothing generic, but the amount of detail that Taranaich has worked out is truly amazing -- I keep coming up with obscure stuff from the stories, saying 'hey maybe we should include this,' and he's not only already thought of it, but he's got a detailed plan for it. You should see his post on the different types of elephants that will be in the game!

[Spartan198]

Spartan, not only is there nothing generic, but the amount of detail that Taranaich has worked out is truly amazing -- I keep coming up with obscure stuff from the stories, saying 'hey maybe we should include this,' and he's not only already thought of it, but he's got a detailed plan for it. You should see his post on the different types of elephants that will be in the game!
Yeah,and the fact that AFAIK he's done everything on his own makes it all the more impressive.

Truly exceptional work from a truly exceptional individual. REH would be impressed. :2thumbsup:

[Irishmafia2020]

Well... This is an awesome idea for a mod! Howard presents a much more interesting model for a fantasy realm than the whole LOTR style simple Good vs simple Evil thing. I am so glad that you are implementing this mod, and I will be following it to its completion... I'd even offer to help if I had any skills beyond modding my text files to make all factions playable... I will try to mention it in forums and such and maybe increase the recognition of your work at least. I only learned of this mod today after someone in the EB forum mentioned it... Good luck, :balloon2: :balloon2: :balloon2:

[Taranaich]

Cheers irishmafia2020! (is that a prophecy or an ultimatum? :beam: ) I'm glad you're interested, and please spread the word!