Gamestar review w/ pics!

[DrHaphazard]

http://www.gamestar.de/magazin/previews/strategie/13394/

Anyone a member of gamestar and can get us some of these new pictures? Some are the same as the ones in the THE PICS (http://www.totalwar.org/cgi-bin/forum/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=19;t=9462) topic, but i see other newer ones.

Unfortunately i dont speak german and so don't have an account. Anyone able to blow up some of those thumbnails?
I'll see if i can find a site that does a decent translation. Please feel free to find a better one though.

[DrHaphazard]

Well what can i say? I failed, here's the best translation i can come up with, its just a Google thing, so don't expect much, such as clear sentences. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/rolleyes.gif

-----------

In one of the most exciting phases of world history you are when desired general, diplomat, owner or consul - nevertheless your actual career goal lies far more highly: Imperator of the Roman world realm

With Gladiator (2000) Ridley Scott revived long deceased believed "swords and Sandalen" category. Millions cinema spectators noticed surprised, how cool the ollen Romans can rueberkommen: iron-flashing putting ions advancing fiese Praetorianer in black and magenta, in the equal step. Several history films are straight in developing (see box), also the play camp rediscover the Roman time with Praetorians and Against Rome.

But only the Macher of the successful Medieval takes up the actual fascination of the historical collecting main: A small city state conquers only Italy, then the Mediterranean and finally more than half of the well-known world. Its career soldiers defy in terms of figures far superior barbarians. And after the putting ions the civilization with cities and roads comes. The ideal starting point for a play, which lets you be all to three: Power politician, field gentleman and building master. We looked at ourselves the megaproject exclusively with Creative assembly in Southwater, England.

Epi scenario

Rome: Was total begins zirka 250 before Christ. Rome combined and interferes the straight Italian peninsula by wars and alliances now into the fate of its neighbours. A Tutorial lets you after-experience on an extra map the stormy events on Sicilies, which introduced the first Puni war (see to box "Rome against Karthago").ich the Legionaere, Roman Kavallerie gives to the barbarians the remainder.

Although in Rome naturally the rather small Latiner stands in the center, you may take over also brown burned Karthager or high-grown Teutons: From that about 20 parliamentary groups (under it four Roman) twelve will be playable, about Gallien, Macedonia, Spain, Britannien and Egypt. Each group of cultures has completely different combat units. Altogether that results in approximately 150 troop types, but no more parliamentary group will employ than maximally 20 of it - a probably tuende focusing after the "which unit build ' I heute?" heute?"-Lotterie of the predecessor.

As a field gentleman in the middle in it

Rome made the largest jump with the 3D-Grafik. Where with Medieval herumzuckeln, the successor antiquity krieger shows unattractive pixel figures in overwhelming detail loyalty. You kommandieren always whole regiments (up to 20 per side, with in each case up to 200 men), but may you at any time to individual soldiers near zoom. Those climb leaders highly, lift the sign over the head, stretch a Ballista, by the opponent are back-pushed, chop, to block or flee.

Even your generals are to be constituted now clearly and individually controllable. To expect like, befehligen it beside all world officers also the completely large calibers such as Gaius Julius Caesar, Scipio Africanus or Hannibal. The popular game of roles element of the predecessor participates again: A selection of 120 virtues and Lastern can collect your faithful ones, for example by emsiges building, escape in the battle - or by purposeful conquering: As "Bezwinger Galliens" has its general more command strength and causes larger fear.

Fascination battle

The 3D-Echtzeit-Schlachten is a class for itself. Only who uses its units and their abilities intelligently, triumphs over the opponent. For nearly each type of troop there is the suitable answer, in the flank of gotten federations takes more damage. From hills elbow contactors http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif, in the forest is invisible Germanic Plaenkler continues to shoot. And during with nearly all other strategy plays your troops soulless that do, you instruct what, you must in Rome the moral of their people installation-count. A Kavallerietrupp already fastened, you want to let which hit chanceless against a Speerwand of Greek Hopliten, will turn rather surely before and will flee. Thus again the exclusive totally being fascination develops: enormous troop masses, which act to everything else nevertheless as. Whole battles are lost, because a strong federation is met the wrong opponent and drug along with its escape the half front line.

Almost each type of troop controls a formation or a special ability. Greeks form a Phalanx (several rows of soldiers with speeren of different lengths), for barbarians reach gladly into hordes/hurdles on (more attack and speed with smaller defense). A Legionaer throws only its Pilum, before he zueckt the Gladius - or he educates the test Udo with comrades (turtle). Elbow contactors from Parthien control a special formation: The foremost in each case rider of a long line shoots, rides then a circle and is after its last comrade again to. The result is a constantly rotating ring with continuous arrow hail.

SPQR

On Roman duct covers and old buildings as well known still the abbreviation for Senatus Populusque Romanus ("the senate and the people of Rome belonging") stands. And really: Rome is controlled in the play not by you, but by the senate. Symbolizes its own parliamentary group, which leads wars and is clearly stronger than everyone of the three families, among which the player selects: Julier, Scipionen and Brutii are available to mehren the power of Rome - and naturally the own. At the beginning co-operation is announced for the Romans. Because in the southwest Karthago lauert, from the north threatens gallische booty courses, and in the east Macedonia tries to create, the European part of the Alexander Weltreichs again.

The senate assigns tasks as "conquers Saguntum back". If the player adheres to it, he may expect a reward: 5,000 Dinari for example, or a Praetorianer troop. The senators make sure however embarrassingly that none of the three large families becomes too strong. Who conquers Gallien and Spain thus on own fist, soon one requests to retire some cities. If we fight however industriously against official "enemies of Rome" or build public buildings, we may occupy soon offices in the senate with own faithful ones; that brings influence and value paste run gene. Former consuls keep their Boni to to the end of life.

Tactical strategy map

In the two predecessors the map of the world the risk principle huldigte: Armies moved per play course of a province into the next, no matter, how large these were. With Rome are Northern Europe plus Mediterranean area likewise in provinces divided, but those consist for their part of many squares. Thus suddenly tactics is in demand also in the strategy mode: Bottlenecks in the mountains must be defended, own attack routes be well planned. And instead of conquering a city, it is often more effective to cut it off from its raw materials: Each square has a fertility value and sometimes also special resources such as elephants. Armies move under consumption of points over the map, a parliamentary group after the other one. Outside of their own course armies attack each opponent, who approaches them up to a field.

Whenever it comes to combat, by the map of the world on the battleground one gezoomt. That corresponds then exactly contested square together with the eight neighbouring fields. A place, which is framed by a river and otherwise mountains, represents thus in the battle an ideal defense position. By this trick the play works very homogeneous, the schroffe change from painted map to 3D-Schlachtfeld is passé. And also puzzling about how largely far is actually distant realms: The new battle fog covers only armies. (JL)

Above all however Creative plans assembly to attach the complete editors with whom they develop straight even the play. We could experience the Tools in action: As with a mark program you change the map of the world, raise terrain or change the owner of province fields. The battleground editor makes it possible to copy historical places - allegedly one will be able to build these even firmly then into the campaign, on the map by a symbol gekennzeichnet.LA

The complete article as well as additional Screenshots find you in GameStar expenditure 09/2003 or for Premium Abonennten in the original GameStar layout to the free Download.

http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif I'm going to choose to translate Google's "elbow contractors" as archers.

I found this to be interesting....

Quote[/b] ]Thus suddenly tactics is in demand also in the strategy mode: Bottlenecks in the mountains must be defended, own attack routes be well planned. And instead of conquering a city, it is often more effective to cut it off from its raw materials: Each square has a fertility value and sometimes also special resources such as elephants. Armies move under consumption of points over the map, a parliamentary group after the other one. Outside of their own course armies attack each opponent, who approaches them up to a field.

And how bout these badass elbow contractors

Quote[/b] ]Elbow contactors from Parthien control a special formation: The foremost in each case rider of a long line shoots, rides then a circle and is after its last comrade again to. The result is a constantly rotating ring with continuous arrow hail.

Well i'll try to puzzle through the translation again later. Right now i'm afraid its time to do the dishes.

[AvramL]

LOL that's got as much value as a farce on poor translations as it does as a resource on RTW. I would try and provide a better translation for you myself, however, I A: Can't be bothered
B: Am not fluent enough in German to do it without a German/English dictionary handy.
I am suprised google couldn't translate something like "Kavallerietrupp" (cavalry troop in case you couldn't figure it out) though.

I don't know where "elbow contractors" came from, the word that was used was "Bogenschuetzen" which literaly means "bow shooters" (though Schuetze(n) has a bunch of meanings such as gunman or rifleman etc.)

[Nowake]

At least he tried http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[Sjakihata]

luckily some of us speak german http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/tongue.gif

20 factions and 150 different troops... http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/dizzy.gif

[Stormer]

SOMEONE HAS TO GET THEM PICTURES ENLARGRD THERE SO SWEET what i can see anyway http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wave.gif

[DrHaphazard]

Well i didnt so much try as, well...whats the opposite of trying?

Anyways...oh i want to see those pics so bad...

[goscho]

Hi

If you search a good translation page go to http://dict.leo.org
This is the best on internet.

Some corrections:
heute = today
befehligen = command, give orders
3D-Echtzeit-Schlachten = 3D realtime battles
Schlachtfeld = battlefeed
krieger = warrior, soldier

[Hurin_Rules]

Vas ist los?

One thing I really, really like: movement points I also wonder how the roads might affect these.

[Monk]

Quote[/b] (Sjakihata Akechi @ Aug. 09 2003,09:04)]20 factions and 150 different troops... http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/dizzy.gif
http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/eek.gif wow thats alote of troops http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/dizzy.gif

edit: i have to say those pics look very nice, esp. the camp mape of Italy http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[alman9898]

20 factions, but only 12 are playable. Meh, we can easily mod that.

[Dramicus]

Quote[/b] (alman9898 @ Aug. 09 2003,16:51)]20 factions, but only 12 are playable. Meh, we can easily mod that.
lol... http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/joker.gif

and you know that once we are finished with that, it wont be enough and we will have to add another 20 factions.... http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[Leet Eriksson]

the other 8 factions will probably be playable in the expansion...

[Nowake]

I have to ask ... is Dacia playable? Or a minor faction? The screens show them as a state, but this is as far as I can get from that pic.

[Catiline]

THose pics just enlarge for me.

[Stormer]

They must of just made them englargable.

[Big King Sanctaphrax]

The zoomed out campaign map looks much better than the other shots. Plus, I love the massive elephant charge pic

[DrHaphazard]

Well i think its time to discuss the minor clipping problem that has cropped up. I'm referring specifically to the picture of the blue legionaires fighting the green and red guys (they got a really cool lookin flag by the way.) Basically the problem is people's shields are being inserted edgewise through other people. As i recall there have been complaints of similar problems in other pics.

So do yall think this is going to be fixed at some future date? Would yall really care if it wasn't? I am certainly no great computer programmer, so i don't know how hard it would be to make the shields solid.

In any case, what do yall suppose that wooden tower thing in the last pic is? Some kind of watch tower? If so its kinda a puny one, but i guess it hasn't been "updated" to rock.

By the way, did i read somewhere that the "fog of war" only applies to armies? This seems to imply that you can see the whole map as far as cities and all (which would explain how you can see all the factions in the minimap) but cannot see their armies. Presumably one of your watch towers could spot them however. I wonder what the radius is. But thats not the point really. Are ya'll comfortable with being able to see the entire map from the get go if that really is how its done? Seems like you lose some of the sense of adventure of sending out armies and emissaries to scout the unknown.

Anyways...anyone see anything remarkable on that campaign map screen?

[A.Saturnus]

That`s a summery from Ser Clegane in the Entrance Hall:
Following is a short summary of the Gamestar-preview (I did not check which details have already been mentioned at other places, so please bear with me if some or even all of it is "old news"):

- A tutorial with an extra map is planned (is supposed to deal with the first Punic war)

- There will be 20 factions (12 playable) including 4 Roma factions

- Overall there will be ca. 150 units, each faction will have access to only ca. 20 (so the units seem to be much more faction specific than in MTW)

- as suggested by the screentshots 20 units can be led into battle (unit size up to 200, no indication if this is default, or the "large unit" option)

- Generals can be identified by their look (we knew that) and can be controlled separately (I really wonder about that point - but there weren't more details on it)

- You will be able to have "historical" generals such as Gaius Julius Caesar, Scipio Africanus, or Hannibal in your army

- There will be ca. 120 v&v (including things like "conqueror of Gaul" if you did such a thing)

- Formations like Phalanx or Testudo will be included

- Roman legionaires will throw their pilum before engaging with the gladius

- The senate of Rome will be one faction (giving quests to other Roman faction, also keeping a keen eye on the other Roman factions and trying to prevent that one becomes too strong)

- By fighting enemies of Rome other Roman factions can gain influence on the senate

- there will be provinces as in MTW and STW but each province is subdivided into "quadrants" that might hold cities, resources (including e.g., access to sepcific units such as war elephants), or strategically important places (e.g. passes).

- Armies move with movement points within privinces and between provinces.

- "fog of war" on the campaign map will now only affect armies, the player will be able to see who is holding which
province

- in addition to domination and GA there seems to be an additional winning option for the Roman factions: "Emperor victory" (civil war against the senate and the other two Roman factions with the goal to conquer Rome and hold it for 10 years)

- diplomacy options will be expanded (examples given: free transit through territories of other factions, tribute, more specific trade options, ceding of cities, promise to fight specific enemy faction)

- less strategic units (spies, diplomats etc.) but each strategic unit will have more usage options

- control over a provinces is achieved by conquering the capital. The capital is conquered in battle by gaining control over a kind of "forum"

- There will be 4 "experience levels" for units that are gained during battle (if I understood that correctly this will not just include a gain in valor but also in other unit statistics)

- Old units can be upgraded to more sophisticated ones when
new buildings are built

- New units can automatically be sent to a specified destination after they have been built (as in RTS)

- There seem to be more MP-options (no further specifications) but it seems we will have to live without MP-campaign

- CA plans to include editing tools for easy modding

- The impression of Gamestar was that the game looks and plays fantastic and already looks quite polished (they mention a release date of third quarter 2004). So with the current state and still one year to go it seems that CA is not going to rush this baby and spent some time on balancing, polishing and QA

All in all the whole thing looks extremely promising...
-

..and that`s what I added:

The battlefield-map will be generated by the quadrant you`re in and the 8 surrounding quandrants. Ergo: your exact position in a province will be of tactical influence.

When you gain influence in the senate, you get money or troops and you`ll even be able to place your own men into the senate. But if you conquer of your own, the senate may force you to give up cities.

What I forgot is this: you can easily build a new campaign map with the editor

You`ll have an influence on how the cities in the battle map (sieges) will look like, since every building you construct will be there.

[Kraxis]

Quote[/b] (A.Saturnus @ Aug. 11 2003,09:00)]- Overall there will be ca. 150 units, each faction will have access to only ca. 20 (so the units seem to be much more faction specific than in MTW)
Yey More defined units... That is what I hoped for MTW. This will get interesting. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif


Quote[/b] ]- Generals can be identified by their look (we knew that) and can be controlled separately (I really wonder about that point - but there weren't more details on it)

Yes, that is a little vague. Does it mean we will be able to control 20 units and a general (21 units) or will he take up space? I hope for the first and having a special click-able button or something like the king-centering thing on the strategic map.


Quote[/b] ]- There will be ca. 120 v&v (including things like "conqueror of Gaul" if you did such a thing)

Aw, CRAP Only 120 V&Vs of which many are supposedly faction specific. There were more than 300 in MTW (but then again there are many we have never seen in the game).


Quote[/b] ]- Roman legionaires will throw their pilum before engaging with the gladius

Not really surprised, but is this part of the chage or something? Can a quick charge disrupt the trowing legionaries? Makes one wonder how it is done.


Quote[/b] ]- there will be provinces as in MTW and STW but each province is subdivided into "quadrants" that might hold cities, resources (including e.g., access to sepcific units such as war elephants), or strategically important places (e.g. passes).

Quadrants? So we will move the troops more or less like in MTW just on a smaller scale? Seems a little odd... But then again how should they do it?


Quote[/b] ]- "fog of war" on the campaign map will now only affect armies, the player will be able to see who is holding which province

A step backwards in my book. It might be historical in the sense that merchants and travellers would inform of such things, but I liked not knowing who was big and who was not.


Quote[/b] ]- diplomacy options will be expanded (examples given: free transit through territories of other factions, tribute, more specific trade options, ceding of cities, promise to fight specific enemy faction)

Nice... as we hoped This pleases me greatly.


Quote[/b] ]- less strategic units (spies, diplomats etc.) but each strategic unit will have more usage options

Good... I think. I just hope we have the basic units, the emmi, the spy and the assassin.


Quote[/b] ]- control over a provinces is achieved by conquering the capital. The capital is conquered in battle by gaining control over a kind of "forum"

Eh? Like the "hold the circle clear of enemy troops for 5 minutes"? Like, like not, I don't know really. But at least we have to take the capital. That will make conquest quite hard while with the strategic map barbarian raids and invasions will be comparably easy. As it was in history it seems.


Quote[/b] ]- There will be 4 "experience levels" for units that are gained during battle (if I understood that correctly this will not just include a gain in valor but also in other unit statistics)

A little confusing. Does this mean Elite units will be very different from green ones? I'm not certain I like this, but it looks good so far.


Quote[/b] ]- Old units can be upgraded to more sophisticated ones when new buildings are built

Nice, another thing people have been sreaming for. Me included. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif


Quote[/b] ]- New units can automatically be sent to a specified destination after they have been built (as in RTS)

Another demanded feature. Looks good.


Quote[/b] ]- CA plans to include editing tools for easy modding

Ahhhh... Our own campaigns and factions. Perhaps our own faction banners?

[Jacque Schtrapp]

Big thank you to Ser Clegane for the translation and an even bigger hell yeah to the listed features http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Nowake]

Third quarter 2004 ??

Is this their ideea of keeping us alive? http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[DrHaphazard]

Quote[/b] ]Quadrants? So we will move the troops more or less like in MTW just on a smaller scale? Seems a little odd... But then again how should they do it?

I'm hoping that each unit will have a movement factor and that a stacked army will move at the speed of the slowest member of that army. I'm hoping therefore that quadrants effect more government than actual movement.

Btw by movement factor it would be like your army could move say 8 squares in a turn (the camp map is made up of many squares) over flat terrain. Roads should allow you to move a little farther, mountains and forests should impede your progress. And obviously cavalry units alone could get a litte farther per day than foot soldiers (as long as they didnt have any infantry in tow.)

This system would make more sense given what we already know about the game, e.g. that you can position your armies exactly to defend a pass or bridge or something.

Oh but another interesting thing about the "quadrants." What happens in all those "gray" provinces that we see on the minimap. I'm assuming these are not controlled by a major power, but are there people living there and cities? Also it say you need to capture the forum (i believe they talked about hte city square in other reviews) to capture a province. But could you capture simply one quadrant of a province? Say if you only wanted one strategic pass but not the rest?

I'm guessing you cant control quadrants, because if you could what would happen if you controlled a quadrant of a province and an enemy suddenly captured the capital? Would you lose control of that quadrant? Seems silly to be able to have overall provinces if you could just subdivide them all the time.


Well 20 units per faction is more or less what is available in MTW, but of course many of these units were generic, such as spearmen and arbelesters. I wonder how many truly unique units are available to each faction.


Well about this fog of war...yeah i don't like that you can see the entire map at once. You definetly lose the adventure of discovering who owns what. I'm really kind of disappointed by that...

In any case thanks alot Kraxis, it hurt my brain to read that translation.

[DrHaphazard]

Ya know i was lookin at the little unit icons in the camp map and the only number they have on there is unit size. You think if they really did have a movement factor that it would be on the unit icon.

And if they do have movement factors i wonder if all infanty units would move the same or if some would be better than others. Or if some factions had better marching speeds than others (especially over terrain they're better used to.) i.e. would egyptians be able to march farther in the desert, or teutons handle the woods better? Or if possibly you could somehow improve the marching speed through more rigorous training.

[Teutonic Knight]

according to Gamespot:
Release Date: 03/15/2004
Beware the ides of March http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/joker.gif

[Kraxis]

DrHap, it wasn't me that translated it... Or that wasn't what you said? In any case I just commented on the things that were new to me.

Teutonic, what name has the 15th month of the year? Bendimber? http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/tongue.gif
But that date does seem fairly much like what I expect... I hope for much earlier. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/rolleyes.gif

[Teutonic Knight]

Quote[/b] (Kraxis @ Aug. 13 2003,16:41)]Teutonic, what name has the 15th month of the year? Bendimber?
uhh.....no, that's the day of the month, the first number is the month number......

[Kraxis]

Aww... you are a bad sport. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/frown.gif Didn't you see my little http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/tongue.gif I meant I was only making fun of that system of dating. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/cool.gif

So, no new comments?