Total War : Shogun 2 - Fall of the Samurai announced.

[Andres]

The Creative Assembly have just announced that they’ll be releasing a huge standalone expansion for Total War: Shogun 2 called Fall of the Samurai. It will be set in the period leading up to the Boshin War, in which European and American forces introduce a new wave of military technology that threatens to wipe out the Samurai.

You can read more HERE.

EDIT: link to the official totalwar site.

[Sp4]

Awesome, just awesome. I want this now.

Ships to be able to bombard land based stuff =D Torpedoes =D Gatling guns \o/

[Nowake]

The initial wording of the announcement made me frown a wee bit, yet, after reading the article and despite some mental caveats about the possibility for this to go very wrong unless it will be highly polished, I must say:

[Veho Nex]

I'm wary about the first person modes. But Im enthusiastic about the off map bombardments that you can call in. I think they are paving the way for a WW game in the future. Maybe not the next big release, but sometime soonish.

[A Nerd]

What is this first person mode you speak of?

Looks interesting otherwise!

[Hamata]

Cool! this like unexpected moove by CA

[Veho Nex]

What is this first person mode you speak of?

Looks interesting otherwise!

http://www.totalwar.com/shogun2/fall-of-the-samurai/

39 new land units
Including modern ranged units - such as the Gatling gun and Armstrong gun - controllable in a new first-person mode.

[Nelson]

Will this be DLC for Shogun2? It sounds like FotS is to Shogun2 what Napoleon is to E:TW.

This (surprising) period sounds good to me. I didn't think CA could find a way to get mid to late 19th century warfare to make sense on a small scale. This could be it. And if they can get the naval to work well, they could do a lot with the Russo-Japanese War and the Spanish-American War. I like the naval battles in TW so far and am looking forward ironclads. I want to see ancient naval warfare, too.


As for the first person perspective, I'd like to see them take it to naval gunnery. It would be fun to manage the muzzle loaders and breach loaders of this period, not to mention the quick firers and early torpedos.

[Hamata]

[Nowake]

frog
Hmm, if I remember one of your (mild) rants a while back, I am pretty certain we see eye to eye.
At least, I very much prefer the titles that focus on a small period of time (a century at most). The way Medieval used to traverse four centuries of European history set the game for failure in my opinion, as the eventual tech de-synchronisation between different kingdoms would screw every hope of a consistent world.
And in view of that, I’ll allow myself a bit of off topic as well and write that, in my opinion, the perfect European total war would be situated in the XIIth century. The Mediterranean commercial rebirth with the Norman kingdom of Sicily at its centre, the actual crusades and the kingdoms they spawned at the height of their power, such as it was, the last great Holy Roman Emperors, Henri the 2^nd and the Capetian kings which prepared France for the victory of Bouvines, the last whiff of Byzantine splendour and the Balkan kingdoms at their most vibrant. You can even squeeze in the Mongol invasions with a bit of alternative history in there. Basically, the one true century of Medieval Europe, the limited timeframe allowing for solid, well-anchored gameplay.
Would also love a 1150-1250 Mongol-themed title or anything Chinese below 1000 but the chances of that are so slim sigh.



frog & Nelson
Now that we got that out of the way, even in these circumstances I believe FotS might prove a small gem as long as it is a one-time only stray. Japan in the period is such a perfect theatre to put on a contrasting display between the neat savagery of the modern tech and the last hurrah of the ancient ferocity of the old ways.

What Total War cannot due is to properly replicate the state apparatus and dynamics past the 18^th. Anything beyond it must be so overly simplified that it becomes silly. Yet here it might work, because the pre-modern tech is delivered to a basically feudal social structure; realism is thus saved to a large degree.

Moreover, its railroads are being built “as we speak” so to say, thus the player is able to accurately, from a historical point of view, develop an infrastructure to its liking; the clash between the very latest firearms and nostalgia for steel blades feels real; the navy and artillery were being built by Japanese warlords from scratch, just as the player will have to build them as well; it’s a pre-modern expansion and yet, there will still be genuine melees. And of course, the game will also benefit from the historically accurate portrayal of a few European regiments and what not, you know this series’ fandom is crawling with odd-balls who like to collect pedantically painted soldier figurines and such, so it will probably be quite profitable for CA as well.
So I can only welcome it with an open mind.

[Intrepid Sidekick]

Sorry I cant go in to details but lets just say there is loads more juicy stuff to come that will keep all sorts of folks happy. For example: there is something TW related happening later today that might get people excited.

[Furunculus]

frog
And in view of that, I’ll allow myself a bit of off topic as well and write that, in my opinion, the perfect European total war would be situated in the XIIth century. The Mediterranean commercial rebirth with the Norman kingdom of Sicily at its centre, the actual crusades and the kingdoms they spawned at the height of their power, such as it was, the last great Holy Roman Emperors, Henri the 2^nd and the Capetian kings which prepared France for the victory of Bouvines, the last whiff of Byzantine splendour and the Balkan kingdoms at their most vibrant. You can even squeeze in the Mongol invasions with a bit of alternative history in there. Basically, the one true century of Medieval Europe, the limited timeframe allowing for solid, well-anchored gameplay.

very much agreed.

would like four turns per year tho.

[Vladimir]

Disagree; well, sort of.

While it it the ideal time frame for a game TW can't present it well. It would do a poor job representing the economy and politics of the time. While I'd love to see a pre-plague game this isn't the right game for it.