Vikings Addon - New information

[Lord Romulous]

Kraxis just posted this in the main hall.
thought id repost so everyone can comment.
Its todays press relase on Vikings Invasion

taken from Blue News (http://www.bluesnews.com/cgi-bin/articles.pl?show=510)


ACTIVISION'S MEDIEVAL: TOTAL WAR™ EXPANDS NORTHWARDS WITH VIKING INVASION™ EXPANSION PACK

The Longships Of The Norsemen Cast A Shadow Over Europe As Activision's Historical Strategy Game Franchise Gains A Savage Expansion Pack

Santa Monica, CA - January 7, 2003 - Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) today announced an expansion pack for Medieval: Total War™, the critically acclaimed PC strategy game which was honored as the top PC game of all time by PC Gamer (UK). Developed by The Creative Assembly, Medieval: Total War - Viking Invasion™ turns the clock back to 790AD, when the Viking hordes descended from their Scandinavian strongholds to pillage their neighbors.

Medieval: Total War - Viking Invasion challenges players to control eight new factions, including the Vikings themselves, the Saxons, Scots, Irish, Welsh and Picts, and embark on a campaign to dominate the British Isles. With a wealth of new historical heroes, players can lead a range of new units into battle, including Viking Berserkers, Saxon Huscarles and Fyrdmen, while conducting sieges enhanced by the introduction of flaming arrows and boiling oil.

Medieval: Total War's mixture of epic battles, historical accuracy and brilliant design put the game in a class all its own, states Larry Goldberg, executive vice president, Activision Worldwide Studios. Medieval: Total War - Viking Invasion adds to this incredibly formidable mix in what is sure to be one of the best expansion packs of the year.

We felt the era of Nordic raiders offered the perfect opportunity to add new flavors to the Medieval: Total War experience, explains Tim Ansell, founder, owner and managing director of developer The Creative Assembly. Players can now sweep west from Scandinavia to raid, pillage and conquer just as they did over 1200 years ago.

Medieval: Total War -- Viking Invasion introduces new features that will be welcomed by fans of the franchise Players can now plan reinforcements and scout enemy formations before taking to the field from a new pre-battle screen. In addition, there will be new playable factions and a new heavy weapon in the shape of the fearsome Organ Gun. Medieval: Total War - Viking Invasion is slated for release in the Spring of 2003 and has yet to be rated by the ESRB.

For more information on Medieval: Total War™ visit the website at www.totalwar.com. For more information on The Creative Assembly visit the website at www.creative-assembly.com.

[Knight_Yellow]

well as i said before


YAY YAY YAY BLOODY YAY YAY YAY

Finaly u will all die becos the most violent hell bent scottsman in the world gets to command even more violent hellbent scottsmen.

MUHAHAHAHA MUAHAHHAAHHAHAH MUHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHA

I can picture it now 1500 hundred english men assembling when suddenly

the scotts appear out of the tree line and charge

WAR

can u tell im excited???

gotta change my signature now grrrrr

[Gregoshi]

Excellent Thanks for posting that here Lord Romulous. I don't get out too much lately. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/frown.gif

I don't like the sound of that Organ gun. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/dizzy.gif

http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/joker.gif Knight http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/joker.gif When you wish upon a star...

[Knight_Yellow]

well gregoshi my next wish has gotta be to win a million pounds???

but since that aint gonna happen its gotta be an early release of Scottish woops i mean nancy viking invasion

[Mr. Juice]

The Scotts will rule all.

[Quid]

still...what about the Swiss.... http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif ...am deeply disappointed cause after all we did kick French, Austrian, German and Italian backsides...muuuahahahahahaaaa...but I suppose the Scotsmen aren't too bad of a choice either...lol. want mooooooore

Quidster

[Hold Steady]

Lol Greg: Organ Gun http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/dizzy.gif

Well, am I reading this correctly in that we're going to be battling on a new map? You can hardly expect to fight with eight factions on a 5-province set of islands.

[GilJaysmith]

Quote[/b] (Hold Steady @ Jan. 08 2003,04:07)]Well, am I reading this correctly in that we're going to be battling on a new map? You can hardly expect to fight with eight factions on a 5-province set of islands.
There is a new campaign map (of England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland) which has fortysomething provinces on it.

[einar]

Quote[/b] (GilJaysmith @ Jan. 08 2003,04:41)]
Quote[/b] (Hold Steady @ Jan. 08 2003,04:07)]Well, am I reading this correctly in that we're going to be battling on a new map? You can hardly expect to fight with eight factions on a 5-province set of islands.
There is a new campaign map (of England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland) which has fortysomething provinces on it.
Could we play with the new factions and the old factions in the old map of Europe from MTW????. Or do we have to play the old game and the new game in different maps, are they two different games??

[einar]

Quote[/b] (GilJaysmith @ Jan. 08 2003,04:41)]
Quote[/b] (Hold Steady @ Jan. 08 2003,04:07)]Well, am I reading this correctly in that we're going to be battling on a new map? You can hardly expect to fight with eight factions on a 5-province set of islands.
There is a new campaign map (of England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland) which has fortysomething provinces on it.
Could you confirm now if the expansion pack will fix all the bugs that the community have detected??.

Thanks.

[Knight_Yellow]

ha ha ha ill be able to show every1 where my house is

muhahahaha

dunno why that deserves an evil laugh but it does

muhahahaha

[Hold Steady]

Great GilJay (about the provinces I mean, that we all get to see the Yellow Knight shack IS an added bonus, I must admit). http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/joker.gif

Well, as Einar, I am too very curious about the inter-changeability of the game versions. Will units and features like flaming arrows, oil and the horrible Organ (probably a drunken dude composing eardrum-killing music) be available on the 'old' map, in the 'old' game?

[Alrowan]

grrr... there goes my campagin ive been modding... ahh well, ill still continue it for the vikings relase, at least now there will be a better focus for my factions.

but my map has 100 proviences, and covers denmark and northern france/germany... perfect for the norman invasion mod still http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Captain Fishpants]

I'm reposting this from the thread in Main Hall:

There are quite a lot of rumours and conjectures about the Viking Invasion pack already floating around, so I though people might like to know what's really going to be in the box:

(a) A brand new Viking period campaign with a completely new map of the British Isles and the Scandinavian coast, about 40 regions in total.

(b) A new Viking period technology tree including new buildings and new units for each faction in this campaign.

© 8 new factions for the Viking campaign map - the Saxons, Wlesh, Mercians, Northumbrians, Scots, Picts, Irish and not forgetting the Vikings themselves

(d) Special abilities for Vikings allowing them to raid their enemies and make a profit by doing so.

(e) Three new playable factions for the main periods of the game - the Aragonese, Sicilians and Hungarians.

(f) new units for the main period for many factions, including a new anti-personnel artillery piece, the Organ Gun.

You won't be able to play as the Vikings in the original Medieval campaigns, but I think you'll agree that everything adds up to a huge expansion to the game's excitement Even though we've not finished balancing the game I can promise you that you will really enjoy turning berserkers lose on your enemies

Just remember to scream ODIN as you order a charge http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

MikeB ~ CA

[einar]

Quote[/b] (Captain Fishpants @ Jan. 08 2003,11:41)]I'm reposting this from the thread in Main Hall:

Just remember to scream ODIN as you order a charge http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif



¡¡¡Yessssss.

¡¡¡¡¡¡¡OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOODIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

[Naagi]

Cool Knight_Yellow, ill be able to burn your house as the English. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/tongue.gif Now maybe I'll actually purchase the addon, that organ gun looks cool. Already have thoughts of 5 of them set in a v formation laying waste to oncoming units.

Naagi http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/joker.gif

[Sjakihata]

Who was the Picts?

The Longships Of The Norsemen, gah.

[Sir Alexander]

In the Viking Expansion I may play a Muslim Faction to get the Faris w00t http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[Vertigo10]

Sicilians Ha-HA Wooooo Finally, no more getting my ass KICKED by these little minor-faction bastards and time to kick THEIR ass with em And Aragonese, yay And boiling oil and flaming arrows (although that somewhat detracts from my excitement of RTW) Yay Anything more specific than Spring 2003 (although it's hard to judge a release date well in the gaming industry)? Woo, can't wait

-Vert

[Knight_Yellow]

This is wat i dont understand though i asked my dad who the hell the picts where and he says they where the scotts.

so is he wrong or am i getting two diff scottish factions???

also my house will never fall

[Sir Black Raven]

well it seems that spring brings more than flowers this year. But i'm really a bit disapointed as Portugal once again was forgotten. Well at least i have time to prepare my portuguese mod and replace it into the add-on. About scouting the enemy before battle that will be great. In real war no wise general will forget the use of scouts to prepare the battle ahead. Pretty nice.

[Vertigo10]

The picts are, more or less, a derivative of the Scots. They do, however have their own differences. I really don't know too much about them, other than that they were a very large power in the 700s. Perhaps some of the more historically-educated folk on the board could help out?

-Vert

[Greeny]

If i remember rightly the Picts were a Celtic people who occupied what is now Scotland (then called Pictland) douring Roman times and at some time or other the Scots invaded from Irland and took over. So by 700s probably a declining faction in Scotland.

[Sir Black Raven]

well i'll try to cast same light in this picts sitution. As far i remenber but i'll look in history books, the picts are the ancestors of the Celts and they were a very old nation and proud nation. There are tales about relating them with the atlantis people.Nevertheless it seems they lived in Britain along time ago.When the Roamn Empire invade Britain they were conquered by the Romans and force to live in mountains. They were essentially a clan nation with many branches and normally they fought each other for gaining territories.
I'll look for more information if you need it. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Brother Derfel]

Quote[/b] (Sir Black Raven @ Jan. 08 2003,17:07)]well i'll try to cast same light in this picts sitution. As far i remenber but i'll look in history books, the picts are the ancestors of the Celts and they were a very old nation and proud nation. There are tales about relating them with the atlantis people.Nevertheless it seems they lived in Britain along time ago.When the Roamn Empire invade Britain they were conquered by the Romans and force to live in mountains. They were essentially a clan nation with many branches and normally they fought each other for gaining territories.
I'll look for more information if you need it. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
I don't think that the Picts lived in the whole of Britain. When the Romans invaded it was the Britons that enhabited the southern area and the Picts i believe were a clan that ruled in Scotland.
The Britons were then rules by the Romans until the Saxons arived. the saxons drove the britons into what are now Wales and Cornwall. The Picts i believe survived both roman and saxon invasions in Scotland as neither managed to conquer Scotland properly.

[Sjakihata]

Thank you all who answered my question

I think that would be enough, if I need more I will try and do it myself http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wave.gif

[The Marcher Lord]

Yaaaaay - THE WELSH - practically unknown to everyone but fearsome nonetheless (when they were not busy fighting each other, singing or playing rugby) - bloody brilliant - bring 'em on................... http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[lancer63]

If my memory doesn´t fail me, and it often does,the picts were a celtic tribe which lived in a region called Calledonium by the romans (actual Scotland).
They were a fierce irreductible tribe which gave the romans a lot of headaches, so the romans built a series of fortifications called Adrian´s wall to hold them off their brittish settlements. I understand they were called picts because they painted their bodies in a bluish dye to make them more fearsome ( since then baby blue color sacres the Italians http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/shock.gif ) and are the ancestors of the scots.
Cheers.

[Alrowan]

ignorance... all of you... well a little anyway

the picts...

The Picts means painted people, and these were the original inhabitants of what is now knows as Sctoland, however they ARENT SCOTS They were a tribal group, thought to be celtic, and were know for theier blue tatoos of animals and such. They were also fearsome warriors. The Caledonii of the roman times were a pictish group that the romans civilised, but nothng more.

After the romans left britain there were two irish tribes that raided the brittish coasts, there were the Demantae, and the Scotti. The Scotti lived in the northern part of ireland and on some of the islands along the scottish coast, yet they were pirates. The Demantae (i tihnk thas how you spell it) raided the welsh coasts, particualry southern wales arround Dyfed. Anyway, the scotts and the picts are not the same people, they were radically different. The Scotts eventually settled in scotland and intermarrige between picts ad scotts basically led to what was then called Scotts by the middle ages. The people of orkney however still are more closely related to the original picts, but generally through conquest and interbreeding the race seemed to vanish.

hope this help you all

[Nord]

You know, I've heared somewhere that the Vikings didn't have those horns on their helmet which they're so famous for. Doesn't bother me though... looks great http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Elwe]

Correct, the Vikings did not have horns on their helmets... http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[Alrowan]

nor did the vikings wear pyjamas (see screenshots from the exp pack)

[Hold Steady]

HMM I wonder if the game will be available everywhere and for all ages:

MTW Horny Pyjama Party

[Quid]

Quote[/b] (lancer63 @ Jan. 08 2003,20:40)]If my memory doesn´t fail me, and it often does,the picts were a celtic tribe which lived in a region called Calledonium by the romans (actual Scotland).
They were a fierce irreductible tribe which gave the romans a lot of headaches, so the romans built a series of fortifications called Adrian´s wall to hold them off their brittish settlements. I understand they were called picts because they painted their bodies in a bluish dye to make them more fearsome ( since then baby blue color sacres the Italians http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/shock.gif ) and are the ancestors of the scots.
Cheers.
Just a little correction...it's Hadrian's Wall...lol http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

Quidster

[Papewaio]

Well I'm happy as I'm of Swedish and Welsh ethnic origin http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

BTW Does it feature Seasons?

[Hold Steady]

I heared someone from CA (I think Mike) say that the winter battles will return, but not the seasons (which probably means that time will progress in years).

[kataphraktoi]

I knew it I knew it I knew a Viking beserker .
Alas if I can get some beserkers combined with my varangians what a deveastating combination it would be.

Pillage, Rape and Destruction....meat and potatoes of the average medieval viking.

Any chance of a warrior saint hehehe like a kensai sword saint from Shogun????

[DarknScaly]

Unfortunately the use of welsh is somewhat ahistorical and confusing.

Welsh was a derogatory term coined by the Anglo-saxons to refer to those tribes left after the succesful overun of most of the rest of Briton. What are termed welsh here are actually Britons... indeed the Powysians were one of the largest Briton tribes witht heir lands strtching out to the massive fortress of Ratae which is near modern day Leicester.

At the time of the Viking Invasions there were really only Britons, welsh and the idea of a wales was yet to come after the fall of the major Briton tribes.... up until then welsh could only be thought of as a generic dereogatory phrase describing any and all Brythionic tribe (and thus excluding the Picti who weren't Britons)

[Papewaio]

Yes but most of the unwashed masses wouldn't understand Cymru now would they?

I'm going to have to learn that language one day... along with Mandarin and Japanese and Swedish and Java and http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[Nord]

Quote[/b] (Hold Steady @ Jan. 09 2003,07:32)]I heared someone from CA (I think Mike) say that the winter battles will return, but not the seasons (which probably means that time will progress in years).
How can that be? The distances between provinces are alot smaller than in the normal campaign, yet the time progression rate will be the same?

(someone mentioned this in one of the other Viking Invasion threads aswell)

[Hal9k]

I'm sure LK or Wellington will get the new viking units to work in the main game:) Cant be that utterly impossible:)

[Geoffrey_FiztRogers]

HMm any chance that with the expansion will we be able to play the regualr campaign and juse start it in the 700's?

[Stephen Hummell]

i'm so happy, cant wait to kill with the vikings when they were truly great. BRILLANT


FORZA ROMA

[Elwe]

Papewaio
Quote[/b] ]Yes but most of the unwashed masses wouldn't understand Cymru now would they?

Cymraeg. The place is Cymru, the language is Cymraeg.
http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

Cheers.

[alby]

hehe great news....love to know what kind of units you train in the drinking hall?

500 drunken scotsman come charging down the hill with no kilts on lol

[Alrowan]

An Seol De Gaeldige???

anyone???



i chuckled when i saw the welsh flag.... made me wonder where they got the idea that they used the same flacg back then from

[Knight_Yellow]

bloody welsh....

all there famous for apart from bows are that daft f****r fae time team.

ohh thats a corcker is probably his fav line.

bloody accents. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/joker.gif *

* compliments of Gregoshi

[Gregoshi]

Knight, you clumsy boy. I found this http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/joker.gif laying on the ground and realized you must have dropped it and forgot to add it to your post above. Right? http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[Piper Starkhorn]

I've read on the main hall which has been confirmed by Captain Fishpants from CA that VI will still be in years and not seasons.

I'm a little disappointed with that as I really enjoyed in STW having to plan my attacks depending on the season, i.e. if I was going to attack a province with a huge enemy force, I would attack in the summer to ensure that I had enough time to finish off the army.

Looking at the map, it's going take 6 years or so to get across the map. I would consider that to be inaccurate....even for that time period. Didn't Harold of the Saxons force march his army from a bloody battle at Stamford Bridge in the North-East of England (no not the one in West London where Chelsea play) south to Hastings in a matter of days ?

I can only assume it was to artifically make the game longer due to the map containing 40 provinces or so. At least CA promised more winter battles.

Out of interest, does anyone know how many provinces were in MTW ?

Also will the boiling oil at a castle gate apply to the VI map or just the MTW map ?

Cheers
Piper Starkhorn

[Kraxis]

Until we have confirmatin that the rate of progress is the same please don't assume it is as a fact.

Who knows if not we might be able to move troops several provinces at a time??? That would make it much more fitting.
But also remember how long it took for the vikings to create Danelagen, they didn't take much more than one of those provinces at a time.

[Big King Sanctaphrax]

The Picts were Celtic people, like the Welsh or the Irish. They reigned in Scotland from 500BC onwards. However, in circa 500AD Fergus MacErc, his five brothers and his tribe arrived in Scotland. They called themselves Scots, after Scota, the Matriach of their tribe. They took some Pict lands and grew to an equal prominence with the Picts. The Romans could not conquer the Picts or Scots, and so built Hadrian's wall. The Scots eventually assimilated the Picts, and this is why Scotland is called Scotland. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif Tricky, eh?

[Gregoshi]

Thanks for joining us and contributing that history lesson Big King Sanctaphrax. Don't be a stranger. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[DBS]

A minor pickup on Sanctaphrax's post....

The Romans did defeat the Picts and other tribes in Scotland - Mons Graupius - but soon opted not to attempt the permanent incorporation of the land into the empire. One of the misconceptions of Hadrian's Wall is that it marked the limit of Roman control. The Romans maintained forts and garrisons north of the wall, had a reasonable degree of cultural and economic influence there, and certainly regarded the area as one that ought to do as they said. However, they were practical enough to recognise that the natives would never be 100% compliant, and, in particular, would be prone to raiding. Hence Hadrian's Wall, and, often forgotten, the Antonine Wall further north. Realistically, neither would stop a few tribesmen climbing over one night between sentry patrols to indulge in some banditry. But getting back north, especially with booty, would be that much harder, particularly once the Wall's garrisons were alerted. Note the relatively high percentage of cavalry and part cavalry units posted to the Wall - the Romans never intended to sit back and leave the land north of it as a No Go Zone, but rather were prepared to mount aggressive patrolling and punitive raids if necessary.

Far a bigger problem for the Romans came from the Irish/Scots raiding the western coasts of Britain and the Saxons et al raiding the eastern coast. As important a set of fortifications as Hadrian's Wall were the Saxon Shore forts - a string of forts along the south and east coasts for naval and land rapid reaction forces to respond to any raiders.

Lastly, even the Picts were never the only inhabitants of Scotland. Up in the far north and Orkneys there seems to have been an even older and quite distinctive culture.

[Rosacrux]

Quote[/b] (DBS @ Jan. 15 2003,02:28)]Lastly, even the Picts were never the only inhabitants of Scotland. Up in the far north and Orkneys there seems to have been an even older and quite distinctive culture.
...not the little people (or small people)???

Kthulhu f'tang http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Masterchef]

seeing the viking became part of the Irish fokelore with Good old Brian Boro and the battle of Clontarf I certainly hope that will be part of the historic battles in the expansion pack. I know I speak for the silent few but ROLL ON THE FIGHTING IRISH. You want to see a battle - Join the scotts and the Irish and ye haventa hope. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/idea.gif

[Red Emperor the Invincible]

this time i promise to conquer british within 40 years and raiding back Scandinavi and raze them to ground....ahaha http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/joker.gif

[Big King Sanctaphrax]

Seeing as the new add-on is about Norse raiders, who made extensive use of amphibious assaults, wouldn't it be great if naval battles could be fought in real time, rather than being computer determined? It's probably not included, but somthing to think about for Rome:Total War. Ah, triremes... http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Gregoshi]

Greetings DBS Thanks for the contribution. It must history buff day at the registration desk... http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[DBS]

Thank you Gregoshi - expertise more on classical and dark ages than medieval.... so more likely to pontificate about RTW and Vikings than MTW per se. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[Captain Fishpants]

Quote[/b] (Big King Sanctaphrax @ Jan. 15 2003,13:08)]Seeing as the new add-on is about Norse raiders, who made extensive use of amphibious assaults, wouldn't it be great if naval battles could be fought in real time, rather than being computer determined? It's probably not included, but somthing to think about for Rome:Total War. Ah, triremes... http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
In theory it sounds reasonable, but, but but...

A Viking longship is not actually terribly well designed for naval combat. It is superbly designed for inshore operations in shallow waters, and for beaching easily. Vikings didn't fight at sea very often - they came ashore to get the goodies and then faded back into the sea mists.

The raiding bonuses for Vikings in Viking Invasion are set up to reflect exactly this method of fighting.

MikeB ~ CA