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The Shogun
11-24-2000, 17:40
As I have stated recently there are some major projects in progress at the moment. The main focus of the community seems to be around the Multiplayer campaign and the need for downloadable content and mods. I am not able to confirm much at the moment other than to say we will be producing a multiplayer campaign available in the near future (which is some thing I have stated before), and we will be making a press release in January to confirm how this will come about and what Shogun fans can expect to see early next year.

As I have stated before we have been constantly monitoring the forums to ensure that what we do with regards to patches, add-on packs, and future titles, is in line with the wishes of the Totalwar community. So hang in there till January guys -I'm sure you won't be disappointed.


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The Shogun
Bringinng wisdom in an unwise world

[This message has been edited by The Shogun (edited 11-24-2000).]

Rob
11-24-2000, 18:02
I don't want this thread to degenerate into the ranting of the 'In reply' thread, but is this news anything new?

You say a multiplayer campaign will be available in 'the near future'. Are you referring to the campaign based on Obake's idea, being organised by Erado-San? Or is this a separate development? It seems odd that, since the MP campaign idea has been around for some time, that only when the community comes very close to setting it up for itself that you come out in favour of the idea.

The same goes for the editor. You may or may not be aware of the work already underway in developing a third-party editor and development of tools to assist in the use of the Demo Editor. But this work is already being undertaken independently, because people in the community had presumed that it was not going to be developed for them.

I applaud you for listening to us, especially when some people in the community seem to have been more interested in ranting than making serious points or suggestions. But it would be really nice if you gave more clarity that 'I am not able to confirm much' and 'hang in there'. I trust you and if you say that these things are being developed then I will believe you. But I have read interviews with people from CA about their plans for a new map editor. So far this has failed to appear, in fact there is no word at all on its progress, to the point where most of us have given up expecting to see it.

I know that there are reasons you can't tell us everything, but your statement causes more confusion for me. Are you telling us to stop working on our own MP campaign because an official one will start 'in the near future'? Ditto for the map editor.

Magyar Khan
11-24-2000, 19:02
Rob your reply is like the same level as my mongols on totomi!
With or without the developers help we should continue our own work to be sure we have really something in the future. I hope my logfilereader programm will help people creating some campaign of their own.

Erado San
11-24-2000, 19:04
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

Rob,

Quote
I am not able to confirm much at the moment other than to say we will be producing a multiplayer campaign available in the near future (which is some thing I have stated before), and we will be making a press release in January to confirm how this will come about and what Shogun fans can expect to see early next year. [/QUOTE]

So, they will be producing a multiplayer campaign game. And we'll hear more about when and how and why in january. And no, that is not our initiative, or my other efforts, they are doing it themselves. As indeed they have announced previously.

I'm very glad it's been reconfirmed. I look forward to it very much. This doesn't mean we should quit the effort on our initiative, because that focuses on clan vs clan campaign play, which I doubt will be in the official MP Campaign.


Good News! Thanks again.

The Scourge
11-24-2000, 20:48
Well im really happy for those of you who have free net access,or at least don't mind paying for all that time on line time for a campaign.
You lucky lucky gits.

The Shogun
11-24-2000, 20:52
Exactly Erado!

OK guys we need to get some better feed back going here concerning the following issues!

Tournaments.
Honour Calculation.
Stats page

The other issues are in hand I will be releasing more info in January as I said. However we need to get some more consise feed back on the honour calcualtion, I have posted the formula for this on the forums and you can find it on the online play page on the community site.

If you feel there is a better way then get some threads going decide on what you feel is best and post the top ideas. then I'll look at these and talk to he guiys here.

Also with the tournaments we need to know what you really want so I can try and work out the resources for the scripts we will need to intergate the database and for the ASP pages. If you guys are happy to work with me more closely on the clan tourneys instead then great, just let me know.

With the stats page, is this some thing you feel is worth doing, what do you want to see on it.

We have had a lot of gryping here lately but little well structured feed back so lets get organised and get some more useful threads going.



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The Shogun
Bringinng wisdom in an unwise world

The Black Ship
11-24-2000, 21:50
On the stats page, I asume you mean the ability to see an opponents honor without going out of EA play to check the website? If so it is vital for the good players, and marginal for the newbies, and helpful for the intermediates. Not sure how involved you gus can get but honor i vital, and last 5 games record would be nice too.

For the Honor system revamp I'll establish a new thread if that's alright.

And lastly, the tournaments threads are already well established...if not overcrowded, so perhaps Obake, Erado, and Magy can write up a synopsys for Richie?

The Shogun
11-24-2000, 22:22
Excellent much better. But you are a little confused as to what I meant by stats page. We have already put the honour display into the next patch and you will be anle to see this on the chat server.

I was refering to a statemnt in an earlier thread, when I suggested an extra page whic would contain varuoius stats for the top players, please check out the thread for more info

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The Shogun
Bringinng wisdom in an unwise world

Erado San
11-24-2000, 22:33
Black, Reading The Shogun's earlier replies I already decided I would send a synopsis. Like I said in the thread, deadline for new ideas there is early monday morning next week. Based on what's there I will make an initial rules system, which will also be the basis of anything that needs to be done to get it working. And yes, The Shogun can expect that in his mailbox as well.

ShadowKill
11-24-2000, 22:56
I like the stats page Idea about the person who has raised the most in the ranking the only thing i see as being bad about that would be new guys coming on and going up 4000 positions but i guess that is not so bad as they would deserve the creit for not getting stompt on be the vetrens. oh and i would like to see my name at number 1 on all the list exept the one about who has lost the most honour http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/smile.gif ok other then that i have nothing to say BUT keep us informed and we will be alot happier even if there are some that can never be happy. I conmend you on your effort to give us a better and more exciting game and remember plz don't forget us here.

From the one who love's to be heard but never has anything to say. ShadowKill

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Fear not the sword to your front, but the blade at your back.

ShadowKill
11-24-2000, 23:50
just to keep this on the top as it is very important for everyone to read and understand that everyone is trying to work togther on this

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Fear not the sword to your front, but the blade at your back.

NOW KNOW AS ShadowOfChaos

IRONLUNG
11-25-2000, 08:01
No mod tools for the community?! Sounds kinda like a backward ass strategy to me. With all due respect to the guys at CA/DT I belive you guys are making a fatal error. I would think at this point in the present state of games that game companys would see the critical need for 3rd party mods and programs that work with their game.

I dare you to look around the net at various games. Games that are more than 6 months old and are still have a strong community and are still selling well. Then try to figure out what they are doing that you guys aren't. Maybe its just something the UK companys still havent figured out.

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IRONLUNG http://smiles.kpd.ru/icon2.gif

Methabaron
11-25-2000, 14:11
Amen Ironlung,

Maybe you want to start out a different thread to "provide" The Shogun with concise feedback on MODS. Maybe describing more exactly what kind of tools you would like to see released?, or shall we direct him to the MOD section in this same forum?, maybe he has not got enough time to check it in his busy schedule http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/wink.gif , oh well, just an idea.

Metha

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"...Violence is the last resort of the incompetent..."

[This message has been edited by Methabaron (edited 11-25-2000).]

[This message has been edited by Methabaron (edited 11-25-2000).]

Darth Wart
11-25-2000, 14:38
Some suggestions for a future patch:

1. There should be a way (on the battlefield) of getting one unit to simply FOLLOW another, like there is in STARCRAFT.

2. The computer keeps telling you "you've got the largest armies in Japan" over and over again. Is this a bug? Once is enough. Only let me know again when the situation changes.

3. Once the Shimazu reach, say, Wakasa, there's a giant horde of about 17,000 Hojo --from then on the game's totally impossible, even on "easy." This needs to be addressed.

4. You should be able to control weather and initial morale in the custom battles.

5. You should be able to march an army through an ally's land without having to declare war on him, the way real allies can. We have thousands of troops in Germany, for example, but neither side thinks anything of it since we're allied. You guys keep claiming your goal is to make the game as realistic as possible...

6. (Doubtless I'm not the first to mention this) There should be some sort of penalty for breaking alliances, say, -1 morale to all your troops for the next two years. Which is precisely what would happen in real life: think of the spirit of the English army if they were asked to just suddenly invade France out of the blue. Additionally, it should be harder to have your own alliance proposals accepted if you're burned others in the past. Finally, if you manage to finish the FULL CAMPAIGN without having broken a single alliance, the end-game animation should say something about your legendary character.

7. There should be a population loyalty bonus if you have brought the region several years of peace and prosperity. The way it is now, those asshole peasants will turn against you when the slightest thing goes wrong. It isn't realistic, and it doesn't play well.

8. As in chess, there should be some way of capitulating honorably without having to simply quit a game you know you're gonna lose. Say, requesting permission from the emperor to commit seppuku would be kinda cool... Hey, I like that idea!

Rob
11-25-2000, 16:40
IRONLUNG, I doubt it's a UK thing.

Much more likely that it's an EA thing. EA, despite being the world's leading software games publisher have never, to my knowledge, published a mod-able game, certainly not in the strategy genre.

The reasons are pretty obvious; EA are the world's leading software games publisher because they maintain strong game brands. They have a very well-rehearsed 'launch, add-on pack, sequel' cycle for their games. Adding mods to the equation messes the whole thing up. It probably knocks the add-on packs on the head for a start. I would not be at all surprised if EA strongly discourages any support for mods by their developers, hence the reason we have little or no mod tools.

Backwards thinking or not, EA's status as #1 in the games industry seems to suggest that they're not under any great pressure to change their ways.

I will start a thread in the Editing/Mods/Patches forum to try and get some ideas and suggestions together.

I would say, though, that mods in the style of Counter-Strike or other FPS mods are extremely rare in the strategy genre. Ironically the best example I can think of is Civilization II, a game that is over 4 years old and pre-dates the current popularity of mods.

IRONLUNG
11-26-2000, 15:25
Have you played Tiberian Sun or Red Alert 2?

They have a bunch of user mods. Its not an EA thing. I belive alot of people dont really know what EA does for them (CA/DT).

The only thing EA does is package, promote, and make sure things are of EA "standards".

For a company to tell you they dont have the resources to make editors is lying to you. All they have to do is edit the actual tools they used to make the game. I cant stand BS lies. Shogun please come back here and post. This is nothing personal but mostly a rant please come back and address some of these issues.



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IRONLUNG http://smiles.kpd.ru/icon2.gif

Methabaron
11-26-2000, 16:06
Ironlung,

"The Shogun" will probably answer in a very "unprecise" way. He will probably tell you that you should wait until January when a lot of announcements and press releases will be allegedly made...

What he will probably never tell you is the truth that you and me are suspecting: that they just DO NOT WANT to give us any MOD tools because they want to sell future sequels and other stuff that otherwise will be at risk with MOD's around. Come on, have the guts to admit it and post it.

What they sadly seem not to realize as some of you have pointed out is that by releasing MOD tools they will make costumer much more loyal to the game. This same customer will probably buy any future game add ons or sequels made by the developers since he is already busy and focused with the game. I am not an expert but it seems that other game developers have already seen the potential in MOD tool releases as an opportunity to keep the customers interested in their products.

Just wait for The Shogun answer to this and we will see if our prediction holds true.

Metha

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"...Violence is the last resort of the incompetent..."

[This message has been edited by Methabaron (edited 11-26-2000).]

[This message has been edited by Methabaron (edited 11-26-2000).]

Magyar Khan
11-27-2000, 07:18
sadly i think ur right metha. lets hope they will help me to fullfill the battlerecorder.

Link Shumeisan
11-27-2000, 18:00
Here are the kind of selection of stats that I would like to see :
http://chainclan.ifrance.com/chainclan/top100.jpg

For the Global Ranks/Month Ranks/Week Ranks see the topic http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/Forum1/HTML/000177.html

Attacker/defender Ranking system :
The scores taken into account in the averages are only the scores of battles played as attacker or as defender.

Maps
The scores taken into account averages are only the scores of battles played on this map.

Kokus
The scores taken into account averages are only the scores of battles played with a given amount of kokus. (eg: 0-1000 /1000-2000/2000-3000…)

1v1/2v2/3v3/4v4
The scores taken into account averages are only the scores of battles played with in 1v1 or 2v2 or 3v3 or 4v4.


You can cross all the critere and have a lot of top 100 screens http://www.totalwar.org/ubb/smile.gif