Creative Assembly BI demo in PC Gamer !!! [Archive]

Oaty

08-01-2005, 10:15

Too bad theres no statement on how the mechanics work. If I get ahold of the demo I'm going to do a suicidal charge head on into some spearmen. It also dawned on me why they only gave hannibal 3 or 4 bodyguards. Imagine 40 bodyguards rolling up on the Roman army, with the rest of your army behind you

The Blind King of Bohemia

08-01-2005, 10:20

It looks good, the night battles look very good, the shield wall looks like a circle type Phalanx which looks good as well. Theres a Celtic unit with a war hammer that look promising. Overall not bad at all. I'm going to go and pick one up i think ~D

Duke John

08-01-2005, 10:26

I thought the Schiltron formation was a round formation used by Scottisch pikemen. Now reading through the poster's review I read that the Schiltron is a running phalanx formation. Shieldwall is according to BKB the round formation which should have been a long straight formation. Am I messing it up or is the poster switching names?

King Ragnar

08-01-2005, 10:38

It looks pretty cool the demo should be available to download soon, hopefully.

The Blind King of Bohemia

08-01-2005, 11:54

I think the shield wall is the first pic and it looks like a circular formation with spears protruding from all sides. Hopefully a formation like this will decrease the overpowered cavalry in the game.

Schiltron formation doesn't sound to bad, as it would allow mobility with the Phalanx and is quite accurate as Schiltron formations were used by the Pictish Tribes especially when encountering horse warriors such as Strathclyde.

I hope the reviewer might have it wrong as the first pic should be a Schiltron formation, a shield wall would have shields locked together and as DJ said in more of a line than a circle.

The Blind King of Bohemia

08-01-2005, 12:15

Wait! I messed up Razz

The Spearmen have a default formation that LOOKS like the phalanx, but doesnt work like it. The Shiltcron(m?) is accurate

Well lets hope it is different

Strike For The South

08-01-2005, 14:13

It looks really good espacilly swimming and the shield wall

Captain Fishpants

08-01-2005, 14:25

The 'schiltron' (the Scottish term was schiltrum) is an immobile formation for barbarian spearmen. Every stands in a circle, every spearpoint outwards to fend off cavalry attacks and as a result it has no flanks for enemy horsemen to exploit. This is good.

The bad bit is that a unit in a schiltron is immobile, so it's a kind of passive-aggressive manouevre that can really cause problems if you don't have missile troops to counter it.

We did use the term 'hedgehog' for this formation for quite a long time and considered having this as the 'official' in-game term for it, because the word is a very good description of what the unit is doing. On the other hand, given that CA's new owners are Sega, putting a hedgehog in the game might have sent the wrong signals, realism-wise. ~:)

CBR

08-01-2005, 14:31

On the other hand, given that CA's new owners are Sega, putting a hedgehog in the game might have sent the wrong signals, realism-wise. ~:)

Yes I have no doubt some paranoid gamer would have made a connection ~:)

CBR

TB666

08-01-2005, 14:33

Looks very good.
A few hours and it is probably on a torrent file.
And stalins ghost is wrong about the carroballistas, they are historical.
You can see carroballistas on Trajan's column.

Coldfish

08-01-2005, 15:55

I say PC GAMER doesn`t have yet the DEMO...the guy is lying....why the demo isn`t on any official site?
http://www.pcgamer.com/inthisissue.html

TB666

08-01-2005, 15:58

I say PC GAMER doesn`t have yet the DEMO...the guy is lying....why the demo isn`t on any official site?
http://www.pcgamer.com/inthisissue.html
I don't think he is.
I mean CA staff has been here and they didn't say anything so it must be true.
It seems that subscribers gets the demo before the rest who will have to wait a couple of days or until someone makes a torrent.

econ21

08-01-2005, 16:06

That Schiltron formation looks very promising; the Lordz might be able to get a square formation out of that.

Yup, as an immobile formation with no flanks, it sounds perfect. All you've got to do is square the circle. ~;)

Lord Adherbal

08-01-2005, 16:09

Yup, as an immobile formation with no flanks, it sounds perfect. All you've got to do is square the circle.

and pray it works with missile weapons. That didn't work with phalanx formation IIRC.

xemitg

08-01-2005, 16:26

The thing I have been most curious about with the expansion pack was the symbols of western and eastern Roman Empires. It looks like CA chose the Chi Rho or I think it’s also called a sigla. I think if this is the case, it is a good choice by CA. These are the first letters of the Greek word "XPICTOC, which means "Christ" and demonstrates the new religious influences over the sons of Rome. It took a lot of Catholic schooling to know that.

Zawath

08-01-2005, 16:36

I say PC GAMER doesn`t have yet the DEMO...the guy is lying....why the demo isn`t on any official site?
http://www.pcgamer.com/inthisissue.html

That's the USA version. The demo is in the UK PC Gamer.

Coldfish

08-01-2005, 17:07

www.pcgamer.co.uk ..the same shit

i mean...hello!.....that guy is not the only one who is subscriber to PC GAMER magazine...why is just him only?....i have serious doubts about that demo...anyway...whatever...my opinion is less important

TB666

08-01-2005, 17:11

www.pcgamer.co.uk ..the same shit

i mean...hello!.....that guy is not the only one who is subscriber to PC GAMER magazine...why is just him only?
Here is two others http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=29978

Coldfish

08-01-2005, 17:13

ummm....weird

EvilNed

08-01-2005, 17:23

ummm....weird

What's so wierd about it?

Kor Khan

08-01-2005, 17:30

Am I the only one here who can't see that page? I happen to know that the RTR site is down, does that go for the forums as well?

Edit: Don't worry, I found it via another link. I can see it now ~:) .

econ21

08-01-2005, 17:31

Coldfish, please watch the language. This is a family forum. ~:grouphug:

Coldfish

08-01-2005, 17:33

:bow: ~:cheers: ~:grouphug:

Leonin Khan

08-01-2005, 17:41

i cant open it, the link died

Coldfish

08-01-2005, 19:03

at least 3 persons who got the BI demo already....and none of them bothered to upload the game...i mean not all of us live in the UK to buy that magazine..oh well...we just have to wait...until CA bothers to release that demo on his own :bow: ~:)

Mount Suribachi

08-01-2005, 19:43

given that CA's new owners are Sega, putting a hedgehog in the game might have sent the wrong signals, realism-wise. ~:)

Classic ~D

PC Gamer UK is in the shops on August 4th. As the dude says, subscribers get the mag a few days early. PCG UK get a lot of TW exclusives as one of CAs PR dudes, Ian Roxborough used to be a reviewer for them. I'm sure the demo will be on the CA website soon enough.

Mikeus Caesar

08-01-2005, 20:09

The original link is a dead link. Can someone get another one? I'd like to see the screenies.

Viking

08-01-2005, 20:22

Same for me, the RTR forums don`t work at all.

The Blind King of Bohemia

08-01-2005, 20:31

Try this link for the pics lads:

http://forums.rometotalrealism.com/viewtopic.php?t=3264&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=70

Orda Khan

08-01-2005, 20:32

To those who failed to see the screenshots, they were very nice. There were some shots of units swimming......Acceptable as an in-game feature but not so nice to look at. There were no close up shots but the units that were posted did look nice. The Huns were particularly nice, dark, sinister, just the way they should be.
Anyway, let's hope the link comes back to life or better still, the illusive BI demo disc is found on the high street

Edit: Just finished posting and found BKB's post. Thanks BKB, you have made many people very happy ~:)

......Orda

The Blind King of Bohemia

08-01-2005, 20:39

The shield wall looks good, the pic doesn't really show it that well as the unit is going over broken ground, i have to say it looks pretty good and i want to play it. I just wish someone who has it would upload it! ~D

Mikeus Caesar

08-01-2005, 20:51

Those pics look the shnitz. Quite good. On the picture of the Hunnic Horsepeople, did anyone notice the nice interface for it? It looked very pretty and hunnic. Only problem i had with that was that the swimming swordsman were swimming in the same rectangle formation they walk in. Very odd...

Viking

08-01-2005, 21:09

Yes, now I see them, but did anyone else notice: he lost the battle! ~:eek:

Orda Khan

08-01-2005, 21:11

LOL

......Orda

Colovion

08-01-2005, 21:16

that shield wall looks great

Coldfish

08-01-2005, 21:20

Yes, now I see them, but did anyone else notice: he lost the battle! ~:eek:

Yes.A Rookie :thumbsdown: :dizzy2: ~D

TB666

08-01-2005, 21:21

Yes.A Rookie :thumbsdown: :dizzy2: ~D
No, Stalin's ghost is pretty much a veteran.

BobTheTerrible

08-01-2005, 21:33

He mentioned the AI flanking him a few times. He also mentioned the AI reforming its army. Could just be be scripting for historical battles.

Lord Adherbal

08-01-2005, 21:46

AI flanks in RTW Vanilla too, that's not the problem. The problem is that cavalry can be micromanaged to isolate and destroy AI units one by one. They have no clue how to cover their own flanks while advancing toward your main army. Those screenshots show the AI sending one unsupported cavalry unit moving to his flank, so it seems this problem hasn't been fixed. Such isolated units are easy prey to human controlled cavalry.
That fact that he loses is because he sits still without proper flank protection and the AI probably has better units.

The_Mark

08-01-2005, 21:52

He also mentioned the AI reforming its army.
That ain't gonna happen with the script engine we currently know, so there is hope.

That fact that he loses is because he sits still without proper flank protection and the AI probably has better units.
And that's what happens when you try play fair with Rome's AI, i.e. not protecting your flanks nor flanking yourself...

Lord Adherbal

08-01-2005, 21:56

That ain't gonna happen with the script engine we currently know, so there is hope.

well it seems that reform doesnt make much difference either. The AI units still attack unsupported: that first cavalry flanks while the infantry is still miles away. A counter attack from the player's general would've routed that cavalry before the rest of the AI's army attacks.

Aside from the pessimism I'm still eager to try this demo.

Stalins Ghost

08-02-2005, 12:40

Hello there!

Lol...these screenshots have made me famous :P They're all over the place, even on some Portugese site! The RTR Boards are going under alot of strain at the moment, so my links keep going down with them. I'm consolidating them on this page: http://rtwstuff.blogspot.com/

Right, I'm going to try to explain some of the issues raised in the thread.

Shiltcrom: I know I messed up with this lol. OK The default Hun, Goth and Allemanni spearmen have this formation. It is the circular formation that is in a few of the screenshots. The spearmen have a default formation that LOOKS like a phalanx which was why they were running with it: Sorry about that mix up.

My poor flank protection: I've come to the conclusion that, after looking at the AI in this and Vanilla RTW they havn't implemented any new AI yet. It's pretty much the same generally. Note that my screenshots have been taken after removing all the script files, and with changes to the unit sizes and experiance levels. As for my flank protection: I had them going swimming lol. Who said I was a rookie!! :P I challenge you to a duel! :duel:

Uploading: Really sorry about this one, but for some reason my router is blocking the file in every way I try :(.

PC Gamer: As said before PCG gets alot of exclusive stuff with TW games, due to Ian Roxburgh being a former reviewer there. (He's mentioned as being the PR guy on totalwar.com)

I'll be updating http://rtwstuff.blogspot.com/ with shots over the next few days probably as well.

The Blind King of Bohemia

08-02-2005, 12:55

Don't worry about it mate and thanks for the info. Are you from Birmingham? I trying to get my hands on it as i live in Brum as well and i can't find the bugger any where ~D

Stalins Ghost

08-02-2005, 12:59

Funnily enough I am from around Brum (well 20 mins away) :)

I actually got it early because I'm a subscriber. It is released to the masses on Thusday I believe.

Hope it helps!

The Blind King of Bohemia

08-02-2005, 13:03

Its alright mate i knew you were near Brum because you had it below your avatar on the RTR forums ~D .

I'm just hoping i might grab an early copy of it but so far to no avail :dizzy2:

Is there any chance in your next pics to show us more detail on the units of the badon hill battle?

Stalins Ghost

08-02-2005, 13:09

Good Idea. I'll put em up in an hour or so maybe.

Jochi Khan

08-02-2005, 13:40

Checked the shops today, it is not available yet.
Will have another look on Thursday :book:

Good looking screen shots ~;)

Jochi

Stalins Ghost

08-02-2005, 14:04

14 New screens of Badon Hill up now ~:)

http://rtwstuff.blogspot.com/

The Blind King of Bohemia

08-02-2005, 14:14

Looks good. Do you plan to do the Frankish units? I'm sure I saw one with a hammer on the icons across the bottom.

EDIT: Well it looks like there was only one, the one you have selected here:

https://img321.imageshack.us/img321/9826/bi35yd.jpg

Stalins Ghost

08-02-2005, 14:22

Oh yeah. Strange I thought I'd taken them with the last lot, but I can't find em now. I'll put em up when ever I get round to doing the Franks.

TB666

08-02-2005, 14:27

looks cool.
Can't wait until I get my hands on the demo ~:cheers:

ivoignob

08-02-2005, 14:50

some units look like those early ones from mtw. the levy spearmen for example reminds me of the round shielded armoured spearmen. i will play as the britans first if possible ~:) i thnik from point of unit graphics and warfare its nearly viking invasion with 3d units. can't wait ~D

lars573

08-02-2005, 15:16

Stalin's ghost a beautiful thing like your blog spot must be spread around. I nearly had a brain hemorage, there was so much stuff there. All of it looks good. I hope I can get a hold of this demo soon.

Stalins Ghost

08-02-2005, 15:42

Lol I think I'm the BI Pimp at the moment ~:cool:

lars573

08-02-2005, 15:50

Indeed you are. You need a pimp hat and a pimp cane.

Puzz3D

08-02-2005, 16:46

PC Gamer: As said before PCG gets alot of exclusive stuff with TW games, due to Ian Roxburgh being a former reviewer there. (He's mentioned as being the PR guy on totalwar.com)
He's the guy who said in an IGN interview last year that playing RTW was like watching the movie Gladiator or Braveheart. I was concerned about the implication that had to the gameplay, and the direction CA was taking Total War. It was a concern that turned out to be valid.

This time around I haven't seen any statements such as playing the game is like watching the movie King Arthur, and there seems to be more emphasis on gameplay issues. So, I think it's a good sign. Since making a demo for an add-on is unusual, it's almost like BI is being presented as a new game.

Captain Fishpants

08-02-2005, 17:36

...Since making a demo for an add-on is unusual, it's almost like BI is being presented as a new game.

I think you're forgetting that Barbarian Invasion is a Sega product, while RTW was originally published by Activision. For CA's new parent company, it is almost like having a new game.

amagi

08-02-2005, 18:48

Since it's almost like having a new game, is there any chance of enhancing it with the auto-numbering of units discussed here-Legio V Alaudae: Sharper Pointy Things (https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=45055&highlight=alaudae) ? I'd also like the ability to turn off the unit highlighting rather than the banners. I know Barbarian Invasion is at the demo stage, but neither of these improvements would cause a programmer much anguish.

Congratulations on the Rome: Total War campaign map, which is a fantastic advance. It even seems to have a design which anticipates the simultaneous resolution of moves on the strategic level...

Puzz3D

08-03-2005, 00:42

I think you're forgetting that Barbarian Invasion is a Sega product, while RTW was originally published by Activision. For CA's new parent company, it is almost like having a new game.
I meant it in a positive way. CA has always put a lot of content in their add-ons, so they represent a good value in that sense. If the move to Sega has allowed CA to spend more time on the strategic and tactical gameplay than it did in Rome, and recent posts by CA suggest it has, that's great and the game deserves to be presented as a fresh version of the game.

Maybe that doesn't sound positive, but the people who have shelved Rome didn't do it because of the graphics. I just looked at the Rome box in a store tonight, and it says on the box, "The best strategy game of all time." I don't want to get into a discussion about that and I know that Activision put that statement there, but the statement emphasizes "strategy". If CA is allowed to emphasize strategy in BI under Sega, that's a significant change and BI may very well be essentially a new game with the improved gameplay filtering back into Rome as well.

The BI screen shots look very nice, but I want to see the gameplay improved enough that my clan will come back and start playing this game again. Right now 7 out of the 11 members in my clan won't play Rome. I believe only 2 of the 4 who are willing to play it play regularly. All 11 played MTW, and most of them date back to STW and played regularly.

player1

08-03-2005, 06:31

Anybody noticed that all demo units have substantialy higher defense values then in original (if you remove exp bonus of course).

And foot shield base in 6 instead of 5 as before.

Also armor norm seems a bit higher then in vanilla.
(slower killing speed anyone)

As well as upkeep is not well rounded down. Maybe more experienced troops, or better armed troops have higher upkeep?

econ21

08-03-2005, 10:35

Anybody noticed that all demo units have substantialy higher defense values then in original (if you remove exp bonus of course).

Yes, I noticed that. It's natural that armour might improve over time, although to be honest, this is not so obvious from the unit graphics. It's not clear why defence skill should have improved (at least for the Romans), so I agree that it looks like an attempt to slow down combat speed.

I am not sure what is going to happen to pre-BI units - if some are still available in BI (as I assume), I wonder if they will be outclassed? Or whether there has been a general increase in defence stats across the board? The latter sounds a little too radical based on the small tweaks CA made in VI, although I hope it is true.

player1

08-03-2005, 10:58

Plain Archer is good example.

In BI: Armor 4, Defense 5.
If we remove +2exp and +1 bonus from blacksmith, that's:
Armor 3, Defense 3

Compare to same plain archer in non-BI:
Armor 0, Defense 2

I guess that original campaign will be rebalanced to take this in consideration.

player1

08-03-2005, 14:45

By the way,
I would kill for downloadable BI version of export_descr_unit.txt file.

Any chance?

King Ragnar

08-03-2005, 14:54

Is the demo out in the uk now in pc gamer to non subscribers?

Jochi Khan

08-03-2005, 23:18

Not when I checked today.

May be available tomorrow (Thursday) so the newsagent said.

Jochi

The Blind King of Bohemia

08-04-2005, 13:11

Just got the mag boys - its out today so get looking! ~:cheers:

aw89

08-04-2005, 13:18

Classic ~D

PC Gamer UK is in the shops on August 4th. As the dude says, subscribers get the mag a few days early. PCG UK get a lot of TW exclusives as one of CAs PR dudes, Ian Roxborough used to be a reviewer for them. I'm sure the demo will be on the CA website soon enough.

RTW: BI demo today (If ca realeses it or someone uploads on the imternet)

and FEAR demo tomorrow

sounds good

edyzmedieval

08-04-2005, 13:32

Just got the mag boys - its out today so get looking! ~:cheers:

Thanks for telling us BKB....

Maybe I can get a copy of it over the internet.
When is the BI demo available on the internet?!

Intrepid Sidekick

08-04-2005, 14:10

There are plans for some sort of internet release of the game demo but I have no details of who or when exactly.

Be patient. It will happen.

Intrepid Sidekick.

Duke John

08-04-2005, 15:02

You should know better by now, Intreprid Sidekick. We whine and complain for months, but when the moment is there a few days is too long to wait :grin:

The Blind King of Bohemia

08-04-2005, 15:04

I'm really enjoying this. You guys have never seen anything like the Hounds of Culainn - huge beserker hamming wielding madmen who go crazy in battle. Uncontrollable, CA even did a new swinging around and hitting animation! Absolutely hilarious, though purists will hate it!

Loving the swimming and new formations too. I can tell this is going to be a better game already.

Kor Khan

08-04-2005, 15:10

Has the AI improved much? Or are the battles so scripted that you can't tell, like they were in the RTW demo?

Little Legioner

08-04-2005, 15:34

Thanks for information Intrepid. Will you add a custom battle for BI demo. Hıstorical battles pretty good designed about all manners but custom ones can reflect a better picture for the game itself :bow:

I'm wondering main differences between historic and standart battles. I mean as you can estimate battlemap sizes. On historic ones they were 2X2 and standart maps 1X1. :bow:

Orda Khan

08-04-2005, 15:59

Got it. Will give my verdict shortly

......Orda

Zatoichi

08-04-2005, 16:23

Can anyone tell me if the demo is in the September PCGamer that comes with a CD on the cover, or only with the one with a DVD? I've seen the one with the CD on the cover, but that looked like it only had a demo of Brothers in Arms... Darn it!

The Blind King of Bohemia

08-04-2005, 16:35

The battle maps seem bigger, i've just made a battle for myself as the Franks vs the Western Romans. The night battles are great, seeing the torches in the distance( especially on the Chalon map that i used) which is the only light you have to fight the battle which adds something to the game, and it gives the battles much more atmosphere.

The cd and dvd editions both come with the demo by the way ~D

I'm not too sure about the AI, both battles are harder than Romes demo thats for sure. Chalons is kind of difficult but that might just because of it being a historical battle

Zatoichi

08-04-2005, 16:39

The cd and dvd editions both come with the demo by the way ~D

...sound of running feet disappearing off in the direction of the nearest news agent...

Thanks for that BKB!
~:cheers:

Puzz3D

08-04-2005, 17:16

Ok Brits have fun with the demo, but remember we're getting the full game in the usa 2 weeks before you get it. ~:)

Louis de la Ferte Ste Colombe

08-04-2005, 17:22

Got it. Will give my verdict shortly

......Orda

Any chance we can have a look at some export_descr_unit file?

Significant changes there, more in line with what was worked on some times ago with Mordred would go A LONG WAY in making me look at BI in a favorable way.

Just like Yuuki, out of all FF players, I dare to say noone is seriously playing RTW as it is, for all purposes it's shelved and only a couple of us would play a game from time to time... But that's it.

Louis,

The Blind King of Bohemia

08-04-2005, 17:28

Any chance we can have a look at some export_descr_unit file?

Its not there, or at least I can't see it. I think they hid a few things. :furious3:

Kor Khan

08-04-2005, 17:45

The battle maps seem bigger

Another question: Are they actually bigger than the historical battle maps in vanilla? The HB were always bigger than the campaign ones, as all of the battlefield could be accessed, rather than just a quarter of the visible area.

Are the battlefields for BI really bigger? I sure hope so, this was always a big problem with huge settings.

Coldfish

08-04-2005, 17:59

can someone show me some Sassanid Empire`s units ? especially elephants ?....no one showed it until now

The Blind King of Bohemia

08-04-2005, 18:09

Now THIS is a night battle!

https://img123.imageshack.us/img123/9434/00010up.jpg

https://img123.imageshack.us/img123/3869/00049nj.jpg

And DJ will be please to now that when units run with torches in their hands they leave a trail of smoke - surely this could be of use in modding gunpowder units?

For people with the demo, I might upload a couple of battles later. This one and an East vs. West battle if you're interested.

Viking

08-04-2005, 18:29

can someone show me some Sassanid Empire`s units ? especially elephants ?....no one showed it until now

Yeah, I want to see Clibinarii Cavalry.

What is the restrictions of the demo, or an easier question what is avaible? Historical battles for sure, but is custom battles, or a simple campaign avaible? And how many factions is avaible for play?

Nice screenshots there BKB by the way, looks like fireworks on that last one.

Grey_Fox

08-04-2005, 18:31

BKB, you're just being cruel.

Puzz3D

08-04-2005, 18:39

The Levy Spearmen are "eager" and "unhappy due to exhaustion" when in fact they are only "very tired". I guess it means the morale is being lowered by fatigue.

Orda Khan

08-04-2005, 18:40

Very nice indeed. Too early to comment on AI but it did seem to be more cohesive even though only 51 of them survived Chalons ~;)
Unit speeds looked much the same but I am used to it by now. I was happy with the melee, the Gothic spears gave a good account. I will do some battles and remain more static to see just what the AI does. I've seen nothing to change my opinion that BI will prove to be a very enjoyable game. Great job CA :thumbsup:

.....Orda

The Blind King of Bohemia

08-04-2005, 18:45

There's no info about the other units bar the ones present.

I'm about to be even more cruel, but this story is pretty funny.

I made a battle at Badon Hill during the day between the Eastern Empire and the Saxons. I was defending, and this time the Saxons had to ford the river. The battle started well enough with a huge melee by the riverside:

https://img305.imageshack.us/img305/9509/00052zf.jpg

The Saxons are beginning to break, when I notice a few archers swimming across the river trying to come up on my blindside:

https://img305.imageshack.us/img305/1865/00077nu.jpg

I send my general's bodyguard to get them, seeing as they just emerged from the river. But as they reach them they quickly fall back into the water. One problem - my general's unit can't swim. I thought he'd stop and let them get away, but not this guy. He edges into the water and I quickly see a cut scene of him dying in the water with no units nearby! The stupid arse drowned! Now I probably haven't played Rome as much as you guys but I've never seen anything like this before, so excuse me if its common knowledge. Funniest of all though was the sight of the horse and his body floating down the river. Rest assured I got a pic of that, though you really had to see it in real time:

https://img152.imageshack.us/img152/1152/00080od.jpg

And the moral of that story kids is don't go near the water if you know what's good for you! ~D Thankfully I avenged his death and secured Badon Hill for the Eastern Empire! :charge:

Puzz3D

08-04-2005, 18:46

Very nice indeed. Too early to comment on AI but it did seem to be more cohesive even though only 51 of them survived Chalons ~;)
So you trashed the AI on the first attempt?

Viking

08-04-2005, 18:54

]I send my general's bodyguard to get them, seeing as they just emerged from the river. But as they reach them they quickly fall back into the water. One problem - my general's unit can't swim. I thought he'd stop and let them get away, but not this guy. He edges into the water and I quickly see a cut scene of him dying in the water with no units nearby! The stupid arse drowned!

Looks like you`ve managed to find the first bug in BI. CA, fix it while you can!

Coldfish

08-04-2005, 19:00

some campaign map and buildings browser screenies will be nice to see.thanks

Coldfish

08-04-2005, 19:13

Anyone knows when PC GAMER will hit Hungary ? i can`t wait to grab that demo

player1

08-04-2005, 19:35

Its not there, or at least I can't see it. I think they hid a few things. :furious3:

Great, so demo is less modable then original RTW.

Lets that feature not make it in final BI.

player1

08-04-2005, 19:39

Although maybe those txt files are just packed in pak files?

Which could be extracted by using some of utilities at TWC.

The Blind King of Bohemia

08-04-2005, 19:43

I tried extracting them but to no avail. I might have been doing it wrong but I'm not sure. Maybe Vercingetorix can reprogram it for the demo?

If you remember, the Rome demo was practically unmoddable. The final Rome was very different.

Little Legioner

08-04-2005, 20:02

Historic battles were always cool but camp battles is different story. I'm eagerly waiting to see any picture of them. :charge:

YAKOBU

08-04-2005, 21:24

Hi everyone ~:wave:

I managed to get the BI demo tonight and have just had a quick half hour on it. My advice is not to play the tutorial as it is an exact copy of the RTW tutorial. I lost the battle as Arthur as I did not reach my comrade in time. I won as the huns but it was a close call.

I have a couple of questions:

In the night battle I had strange flashes of colour and odd shapes obscuring my view. I altered some of the graphic options to medium but it did not help. Has anyone else encountered this and what have you done to stop it?

My battle as the huns seemed slower than the night battle even thought the night battle seemed to stutter a little. Has anyone else noticed a difference in speed between the two?

Any advice appreciated :charge:

sik1977

08-04-2005, 23:49

YAKOBU

08-04-2005, 23:57

Hi sik1977 ~:wave:

I am using Nvidia with driver 71.84. This played fine on RTW apart from the well documented problem on the strategy map. I think I need to check my RTW settings and set BI to the same. I was hoping that BI would stretch my graphics no further than RTW.

Any other suggestions gratefully received.

:charge:

Orda Khan

08-05-2005, 00:26

I didn't encounter varying game speed, both battles seemed about the same to me.
I tested Chalons by staying closely deployed and relatively static, the AI performed a coordinated attack. It was nice to see them regroup before advancing on my remaining units.
By using the Chalons map it is relatively easy to rout the enemy because of the tactical options. If you don't use the map to your advantage then things are different.
I don't like Alan mercenary HA having better stats than Hun HA. I liked the way spears performed

........Orda

antisocialmunky

08-05-2005, 00:33

Hey, BKB or someone with a demo, can you set up a screenshot so it's a bunch of angry peasants with torches and pitch forks going after a single man reminiscent of Frankenstein's monster?

It was on my to do list for when I get BI, but seeing as the demo's out, anyone want to see if they can since it looks like you're taking requests for screenies?

Grifman

08-05-2005, 01:41

Looks like you`ve managed to find the first bug in BI. CA, fix it while you can!

It's no bug. He took a unit that could not swim and ordered it into the water. That's what happens when you order a heavily armored unit to try and swim. Can't blame CA for his tactical failure.

Grifman

08-05-2005, 01:42

Great, so demo is less modable then original RTW.

Lets that feature not make it in final BI.

CA has already posted that the game is much more mod friendly, so you can stop the senseless whining already. Geez, some people can't wait for facts to find something to complain about.

Claudius the God

08-05-2005, 03:08

i have yet to find an internet download of the BI demo. does anyone have any info on that?

i've never seen the UK PC Gamer here in Australia...

lars573

08-05-2005, 03:16

You can't yet. Not legally anyway.

barocca

08-05-2005, 05:18

i have yet to find an internet download of the BI demo. does anyone have any info on that?

i've never seen the UK PC Gamer here in Australia...

there are 3 versions of PC Gamer available here in Oz,

version 1 - local content - about $12
highly unlikely to have the demo, the local version did not have the Medieval demo, the Rome demo, nor the bonus Rome tutorial disc

version 2 - international version, cost is about $15
highly unlikely to have the demo, the international version did not have the Medieval demo, the Rome demo, nor the bonus tutorial disc

version 3 - labelled "UK version" - cost is about $18
IT IS NOT THE UK VERSION - it is something else,
highly unlikely to have the demo, the "UK version" version did not have the Medieval demo, the Rome demo, nor the bonus tutorial disc

i had to get the Rome Demo and the "bonus" tutorial disc sent over from the states,
the medieval demo i got from a mate who worked at a PC magazine

i really dont want all that trauma all over again....
B.

bodidley

08-05-2005, 05:28

It's no bug. He took a unit that could not swim and ordered it into the water. That's what happens when you order a heavily armored unit to try and swim. Can't blame CA for his tactical failure.
He didn't order them into the water, the unit pursued into the water. This means the player has to baby-sit the heavy units.

player1

08-05-2005, 06:45

You can't yet. Not legally anyway.

Is there EULA that prohibits it?
Or you just make it up?

No EULA = no legality issues

YAKOBU

08-05-2005, 10:12

Hello again ~:wave:

Just an update.

I loaded RTW and made sure that the BI demo was set up with the same settings. Loaded the night battle up again and the same graphic problem happened. It is like sheets of light appearing from the sky to the ground. It worries me a little at the moment but I am sure once I get the full BI expansion that someone else will have found and resolved the problem.

:charge:

King Ragnar

08-05-2005, 10:27

It will probably be just a demo glitch im sure it will be fixed by the full release.
Im off to try and get my copy now.

SpencerH

08-05-2005, 12:19

SpencerH

08-05-2005, 12:22

King Ragnar

08-05-2005, 12:47

Oh yea i remeber that, i have the demo and everything looks good at the moment, i ecspecially love the shield wall i think it looks great. The schiltron formation is good as well.

sunsmountain

08-05-2005, 14:01

It's no bug. He took a unit that could not swim and ordered it into the water. That's what happens when you order a heavily armored unit to try and swim. Can't blame CA for his tactical failure.

Exactly. Hold Position comes to mind.

About the flash of light, that's usually an ATI card problem due to missing gloss textures. Havent had a problem with the full version though, and i have reflections/glints on my radeon 9700 Pro.

King Ragnar

08-05-2005, 14:31

Would CA have a problem if someone hosted the demo for a download of the internet? Or can they not because of legality issues?

edyzmedieval

08-05-2005, 14:37

Would CA have a problem if someone hosted the demo for a download of the internet? Or can they not because of legality issues?

What legality issues?! :confused:

King Ragnar

08-05-2005, 14:52

By they i ment the person who would host it on the internet, and by legality i ment things like unourtharised reproduction cpyright etc.

Zawath

08-05-2005, 16:28

Would CA have a problem if someone hosted the demo for a download of the internet? Or can they not because of legality issues?

CA and PC Gamer have an agreement that PC Gamer gets the demo exclusively but they won't get in trouble if someone hosts it. Of course PC Gamer could get pissed but the days of Exclusive demos are pretty much over anyway and I think we need rebel against this exclusive deals whenever possible so the few remaining companies realize that exclusives are totally stupid and only make the company look bad because nobody respects the exclusive deals.

King Ragnar

08-05-2005, 18:39

So does anyone think it would be wise if i host it or should i not?

TB666

08-05-2005, 18:41

So does anyone think it would be wise if i host it or should i not?
I say go for it.

CBR

08-05-2005, 18:51

I dont see any problems with it.

CBR

Husar

08-05-2005, 18:57

I hate exclusive deals, especially when they are regional(like this only in UK) or the "oh-so-exclusive" company doesn´t have enough bandwidth so everybody has to download with 5kByte/s. :juggle2:
It´s a superfluous restriction of fans and I don´t see much sense in it.

King Ragnar

08-05-2005, 19:15

Ok then i will try and get it up and running by the end of tonight.

player1

08-05-2005, 20:34

Is there any kind of EULA with the demo?

If not, upload it, no EULA - no legality issues.

If there is one, then check if there is something about way of distribution.

From my own experience with other demos, usually, if something is prohibited that's just unauthorized commercial distribution (aka selling the demo). Evrything else is fair trade.

King Ragnar

08-05-2005, 21:02

It doesnt look like i can get it uploaded the site im trying to use doesnt seem to be letting me host a folder just files, has anyone got any suggestions??

TB666

08-05-2005, 21:04

How big is it ??

Coldfish

08-05-2005, 21:12

King Rangar.....make it an archive...and upload it here:

http://s7.yousendit.com

in first case....put don`t put any email..is not necessary
in second...attach the bi demo archive ~:cheers:

It will take few minutes until is done...depending on your upload connection speed...after is done...give us the link ~:cheers: :balloon2:

DarkJester

08-05-2005, 21:12

It doesnt look like i can get it uploaded the site im trying to use doesnt seem to be letting me host a folder just files, has anyone got any suggestions??

Put all the files in a RAR or ZIP file and host that ?

The Blind King of Bohemia

08-05-2005, 21:15

Its 235MB zipped. I don't mind if KR has any problems.

Coldfish

08-05-2005, 21:16

if u don`t have where to upload...check that link i gave u...i think it will work

King Ragnar

08-05-2005, 21:25

BKB Can i have some of the scripts you made please for the different battle, im in the process of uploading it now i will give you the link soon.

The Blind King of Bohemia

08-05-2005, 21:27

Ok I'll release them as a separate download if you like, or would you prefer me to send them to you now?

King Ragnar

08-05-2005, 21:30

Well you could send them to me and then i could host them along with the demo for other people email(jack_howey@hotmail.com) still uploading dam slow connection.

The Blind King of Bohemia

08-05-2005, 21:34

Ok. I'll include the files which makes the other factions playable. My new battles just use different combinations from those already on offer, are purely fictional, and aren't scripted, so they're nothing fancy, just for a laugh really. They might not be 100% stable though. I haven't had too many problems but just a warning in advance.

King Ragnar

08-05-2005, 21:40

Ok thanks, it looks like it may be a long wait, ill keep you all updated.

King Ragnar

08-05-2005, 22:19

2 out of the 11 bars full on the upload,~:rolleyes:

CBR

08-05-2005, 22:25

Hm whats your upload speed? Is it the site or your connection?

CBR

Coldfish

08-05-2005, 22:27

check your upload speed mate.maybe u can see how many bytes comes out of your pc,per sec.....and thanks for updating us ~:cheers:

King Ragnar

08-05-2005, 22:28

My connection is 2.3Mbps.

CBR

08-05-2005, 22:29

Maybe do a torrent instead?

CBR

King Ragnar

08-05-2005, 22:32

Im just gona leave it as it is it will get done when its done im sorry for the slow connection speed, if BKB has a faster connection then maybe he could upload it?

Husar

08-05-2005, 22:48

No problem, I can just stay up all night long. ~;) ~D

King Ragnar

08-05-2005, 22:53

well the uploader site says 3 hours yet, lets hope its wrong for my tired sake.

King Ragnar

08-06-2005, 02:04

This should be the link guysHere (http://files.filefront.com/Barbarian_Invasion_Demo/;3993438;;/fileinfo.html) tell me if it doesnt work.

CBR

08-06-2005, 02:09

Downloading but just a bit slow 35k now.

edit: 46 kb/s

Oh and thanks a lot for the upload!

CBR

SpencerH

08-06-2005, 02:23

Am I correct that this will only work for the UK version?

EDIT link didnt work

CBR

08-06-2005, 02:30

UK version? its a demo.

Husar

08-06-2005, 02:34

Thanks a lot, needed a workaround to get the download to work with Opera, but it works, this night just won´t end. ~D

King Ragnar

08-06-2005, 07:18

Those who have downloaded it is it working can you play it?

Lord Adherbal

08-06-2005, 08:14

downloading at 140kbs - thanks Ragnar !

Now all I need is to get my PC back because I doubt this Celeron800 laptop will run this demo...

EDIT: I notice you zipped your BI folder, why didn't you just upload the installer ? Let's hope it'll work like this (should be able to test it in an hour or so)

Probus

08-06-2005, 09:22

Thanks so much Ragnar.

Probus

08-06-2005, 09:26

BKB can you please make available the mod you implemented to create the day battle between the Eastern Empire and the Saxons on page 4 of this thread?

Many Thanks

asilv

08-06-2005, 09:41

Those who have downloaded it is it working can you play it?
Works on my computer ~:).

It looks like CA has improved game's graphics code. The game looks better than it did before and still runs smoother on my old crappy pc.(athlon 1700+,256MB,radeon9000pro)

barocca

08-06-2005, 09:53

works on my computer

i did get the graphic sheeting mentioned earlier in the thread,
i turned all setting to their lowest,
it was still happening,
so i went and grabbed the latest drivers (seems there has been a new set released)

and all is now fine

B.

Coldfish

08-06-2005, 10:12

How many days the demo will stay on server.....because doesn`t work for me...it seems the file is no longer on the server or something.... :help: :bow:

barocca

08-06-2005, 10:21

ah,
keep trying
the file has been downloaded 150 something times in the last 2.5 HOURs

the file is still there,
i just checked 2 of the servers (it's on EIGHT)

B.

Coldfish

08-06-2005, 10:23

i see...thanks

barocca

08-06-2005, 10:24

lol
downloaded 5 times in the last 5 minutes!

The_Mark

08-06-2005, 10:27

Might be because a couple .org members trying to dl it in vain..

Can't get it either.

Coldfish

08-06-2005, 10:29

yes....my FlashGet...says "file size unknown can`t start other parts" ~:)

barocca

08-06-2005, 10:31

i just used default explorer and a concurrent Netscape download
(i got 2 copies in case explorer died (as it does))

i do not think they allow accelerators of any sort
B.

edyzmedieval

08-06-2005, 10:31

I can't download it either....
Maybe too many are trying to download it....

P.S to Coldfish: Are you really from Transylvania?!

Coldfish

08-06-2005, 10:33

yes...TG Mures ~:cheers:

Kor Khan

08-06-2005, 10:35

Thanks, KR! I'm just starting up my download now. Quite looking forward to it...

edyzmedieval

08-06-2005, 10:36

yes...TG Mures ~:cheers:

Bucuresti ~:cheers:

Man, I still can't.... I tried all the servers!!!!! Nothing. I use FlashGet as well, but even the pop-up doesn't appear. It's loading and loading.....

The_Mark

08-06-2005, 10:38

Got it! ~:cheers: Or at least got the download coming... Just keep trying, it'll come.

barocca

08-06-2005, 10:41

on the first page click the big "Download" button,

then on the server listing, try right click "open in new window"
and be patient, that window will take several minutes to open
(this check took 6 minutes)
(you'll probably go frantic looking at the plain white window..)

THEN you can click the actual download...

it is still there

B.

barocca

08-06-2005, 10:42

dont use flashget,

just use Netscape or IE

it takes several minutes to get through all the pages to the actual download

it IS still there,
B.

edyzmedieval

08-06-2005, 10:44

Victory!!!! ~:cheers:

I finally got it working.....

Coldfish

08-06-2005, 10:44

WORKS!!....THANKS!! :bow: ~:cheers: ~:grouphug:

The Blind King of Bohemia

08-06-2005, 10:49

Great I'll upload my battles too then. ~:)

The Blind King of Bohemia

08-06-2005, 11:11

Ok try here and see if they work:

BKB BI Demo Battle Pack (http://files.filefront.com/BKB_BI_Demo_Battles/;3994486;;/fileinfo.html)

Unzip this and copy the folders into your 'Custom' folder (The Barbarian Invasion Demo\bi\data\world\maps\battle\custom). This will also make the factions in the normal battles playable, but again CA never intended this so stability can be an issue. My new battles just use different combinations from those already on offer, are purely fictional, and aren't scripted, so they're nothing fancy, just for a laugh really. They might not be 100% stable though. I haven't had too many problems but just a warning in advance. Hope you enjoy them and find them challenging.

SpencerH

08-06-2005, 13:11

UK version? its a demo.

Last night when I wrote that I was thinking the demo would require RTW. This morning, I realized that a demo should be standalone and, given your response, you think so too.

Downloading now at 356KB/s

CBR

08-06-2005, 13:18

Last night when I wrote that I was thinking the demo would require RTW. This morning, I realized that a demo should be standalone and, given your response, you think so too.

Downloading now at 356KB/s

I dont even have RTW installed anymore heh. And it works fine here, thanks again King Ragnar and just tried out the Saxon Attack, worked fine too BKB.

CBR

SpencerH

08-06-2005, 13:24

I had to look to see if its still installed and it is.

Download completed. Thanks King Ragnar.

Coldfish

08-06-2005, 14:24

I say BI will be better....I played the demo...and I won the battle as King Arthur but i lost the Chalons as Attila...now i`m eager to see the campaign map and new positioned settlements,as well as the historic accuracy of settlements names :bow:

TheBigN

08-06-2005, 14:29

AHHH the link doesnt work! help! assist!

TB666

08-06-2005, 14:48

Hey BKB, can't you upload the battle-pack on another server ??
Filefront is just awful.
Try megaupload.com instead.

TheBigN

08-06-2005, 14:50

The link still doesnt work it keeps coming up saying file not found. Did you only have it hosted last night? I knew i shouldnt have gone to bed early!

Coldfish

08-06-2005, 14:54

yes the battle pack link doesn`t work ....when i choose open in new window so i can download....is loading.....it last forever..i waited over 15 mins...and i closed it

The Blind King of Bohemia

08-06-2005, 14:54

Ok I'll get onto it.

TheBigN

08-06-2005, 14:57

does the battle pack include the demo? because i cant get either

The Blind King of Bohemia

08-06-2005, 15:00

Unfortunately not mate.

MegaUpload is doing it now I'll post a link when its done.

TheBigN

08-06-2005, 15:01

Many thanks! :bow:

The Blind King of Bohemia

08-06-2005, 15:12

Ok new link for the battle pack:

BKB Battle Pack Link 2 (http://www.megaupload.com/?d=43SOPD2Z)

Hope this one works better.

TB666

08-06-2005, 15:15

Well it isn't very fast but atleast it is working.

The Blind King of Bohemia

08-06-2005, 15:17

Barocca put it on 3D Downloads too:

Battle Pack 3D Downloads (http://www.3ddownloads.com/strategy-gaming/totalwar/RTW/Demo/BKB_BI_Demo_Battle_Pack.zip)

Might be better.

TheBigN

08-06-2005, 15:20

YES demo download works! ~:cheers: and the battlepack! Thanks guys! im gonna be testin this thing out all day! :charge:

Crazed Rabbit

08-06-2005, 16:22

Argh, I can't get the demo to download. It keeps saying the redirection limit for the file is exceeded! I've tried both Firefox and IE. Is it just me?

Crazed Rabbit

Tux

08-06-2005, 16:28

Argh, I can't get the demo to download. It keeps saying the redirection limit for the file is exceeded! I've tried both Firefox and IE. Is it just me?

Crazed Rabbit
Try this link (http://www.rome1.de/dcenter/The_Barbarian_Invasion_Demo.zip).

Crazed Rabbit

08-06-2005, 16:33

It's working, thanks mate!

Crazed Rabbit

SpencerH

08-06-2005, 17:28

Great I'll upload my battles too then. ~:)

Thanks for the battle pack.

The Blind King of Bohemia

08-06-2005, 17:37

No problem, glad you like it.

TheBigN

08-06-2005, 17:55

Uggg I downloaded the Demo and Extracted it to a new folder i made. But when i start it up the background on the Menu is White and whenever i start a battle it CTDs. Does anyone know what the problem is?

Colovion

08-06-2005, 19:34

Yay it works. Woop woop.

TosaInu

08-06-2005, 21:37

http://tosainu.demon.nl/files/AutoIndex/index.php?dir=RTW/Demo/BI/

player1

08-06-2005, 21:43

To save time for other dial-up users, don't try downloading this demo.

First link can't support download acclerators, not it is possible to resume downloads.
Other (the german) one, which seemed fine, is now deleted, so can't be used.

EDIT:
On the other hand, link in previous post works excellent.

Jochi Khan

08-06-2005, 21:58

Barocca put it on 3D Downloads too:

Battle Pack 3D Downloads (http://www.3ddownloads.com/strategy-gaming/totalwar/RTW/Demo/BKB_BI_Demo_Battle_Pack.zip)

Might be better.

Thanks for the Battle_Pack. Brilliant work. ~:)

Have enjoyed a few battles already. ~;)

Jochi

Coldfish

08-06-2005, 23:38

The battle pack is still on the server ?..doesn`t work for me ~:confused:

player1

08-06-2005, 23:40

http://tosainu.demon.nl/files/AutoIndex/index.php?dir=RTW/Demo/BI/

What happend with this link?

Coldfish

08-06-2005, 23:43

Battle Pack 3D Downloads ...to download from this link u must stay at queue ~:)

The Blind King of Bohemia

08-06-2005, 23:45

Battle pack still works for me. You tried the second link and the 3D Downloads link?

Coldfish

08-06-2005, 23:47

Works mate..thanks...i did not knew that i must stay at queue ~:)

Jochi Khan

08-06-2005, 23:55

Yep....just have to be patient ~:)

I had to wait just 7 minutes ~;)

Jochi

Alexander the Pretty Good

08-07-2005, 00:01

Great work, BKB. On VH, I tried the second battle of Badon Hill (daylight one) as the Saxons and got crushed. Who knew the sneaky so-and-sos would abandon the river and go up the hill!?!

~D

t1master

08-07-2005, 01:51

where do i put the battlepack after i dl it?

phred

08-07-2005, 02:05

where do i put the battlepack after i dl it?

Ok try here and see if they work:

BKB BI Demo Battle Pack (http://files.filefront.com/BKB_BI_Demo_Battles/;3994486;;/fileinfo.html)

Unzip this and copy the folders into your 'Custom' folder (The Barbarian Invasion Demo\bi\data\world\maps\battle\custom). This will also make the factions in the normal battles playable, but again CA never intended this so stability can be an issue. My new battles just use different combinations from those already on offer, are purely fictional, and aren't scripted, so they're nothing fancy, just for a laugh really. They might not be 100% stable though. I haven't had too many problems but just a warning in advance. Hope you enjoy them and find them challenging.

BKB - those are fun battles! ~:cheers:
Thanks much!!

I particularly liked the Eastern Rome vs. Saxons one

Probus

08-07-2005, 11:03

BKB, Awesome BI battles!! Thanks again for your hard work and making these available. These battles will really help with the wait till the full BI release.

TosaInu

08-07-2005, 12:02

What happend with this link?

How do you mean player1 ?

barocca

08-07-2005, 12:28

a little play on BKB's Frankish_Ambush

download link at 3D (http://www.3ddownloads.com/strategy-gaming/totalwar/RTW/Demo/Ambuscade_BI_Demo_HB.zip)

Ambuscade by Barocca (modded version of BKB frankish_ambush)
Flavius Aetius is leading a column through the night to make a surprise raid on a Frankish encampment.
Clovis, a Frank General, has had reports of Roman troops moving and has laid an ambush.

His informant was wrong, there are far more Romans than he believed, and wily Flavius decided to take a different route.
The Ambush is discovered.

:: best played on hard, can be won by either side.
As the Romans you are spread out and must decide to take the attack to the Franks, or recieve their charge.
A wise Frank general would let his archers soften the Romans up a little.

enjoy
B.