Here we're publishing forty menu screenshots from the game........

[Hastiati]

Here we're publishing forty menu screenshots from the game. You can see there all settings options, Custom Battle screen, main camapaign, multiplayer mode and all historical battles (setups of armies, descriptions and maps). Here goes the full list of all historical battles implemented in MTW II:

- Agincourt;
- Arsuf;
- Hastings;
- Otumba;
- Pavia;
- Tannenberg (Grunwald);
- Hattin;
- Setenil[/quote]

More: http://www.totalwar.org.pl/indexeng.php?ShowCat=2

Here are screenshots from game menu:

http://www.totalwar.org.pl/?ShowGal=56

[Darth Nihilus]

According to one of the screenshots it says the French have the most powerful cavalry in the west........I guess that's historically accurate. I assume they mean as a whole though because I have a very hard time believing that they have a better calvary unit than the Gothic knight or the Spanish Lancer. I'm sure their Gendarmes will be very good though.

[Kourutsu]

No battle of Crecy!?

-Incites riot-

[ChewieTobbacca]

I love those campaign shots. Note the different goals for each faction: Venice has to hold Constantinople (shows the rivalry that DID indeed grow between them), Spain has to hold Jerusalem and Granada, HRE has to hold Rome, France and England have to hold Jerusalem. At least these are historical goals.

Also note that the Spanish are horribly outnumbered in the Battle of Otumba.... a good sign that Spanish / European troops will be superior to the Aztecs and the Aztecs need overwhelming numbers to win

[econ21]

According to one of the screenshots it says the French have the most powerful cavalry in the west........I guess that's historically accurate. I assume they mean as a whole though because I have a very hard time believing that they have a better calvary unit than the Gothic knight or the Spanish Lancer. I'm sure their Gendarmes will be very good though.

Good - I am glad the French are getting something. Their discount on Chivalric units in MTW was just not as cool as the unique units of most other factions. And it looks like the gendarmes may be better than in MTW - at least they have lances.

As far as having the best cavalry in the west, I'm guessing the HRE does not count as being in the West for the purposes of that quote. But I'm interested to hear HRE suffers in the late game due to lack of professional units - that's a change from MTW and will help to balance what seem to be some rather powerful HRE units that have been showcased.

BTW, what is it with Spanish lancers? In real life, I am pretty sure Spain had rather less heavily armoured knights than most of the other Catholics. I never understood why MTW gave them what were effectively the only Gothic knights with lances. I hope M2TW does not make Spanish knights heavier than French and English knights again. I guess the Conquistadors will replace the Spanish lancers. I wonder how they will stack up against gendarmes and HRE Gothic knights?

[ChewieTobbacca]

From the looks of it, Spain will not have as heavy of knights anymore and will instead have stronger light cavalry and units like the conquistadores

The HRE might not count as part of the west... but France was pretty famous for its heavy knight armies.

I'm glad that M2TW seems to be more historically accurate and flavored

[TB666]

I like how there is really no large kingdoms like in MTW1.
Means you won't have to go against any of the factions at the start.

[Polemists]

What does Campaign rules mean? Is this like the new version of advice level or does this mean as in Short or Long Campaign like rome?

Anyone have any clue?

[Darth Nihilus]

Historically the French should have the best knights in the west. I meant to say that MTW wise that I'm suprised that the French Gendarmes would be better than Spain's Lancers and HRE's Gothic knights. However, if we're talking realistically, France should have some of the best calvary in the game easily...and certianly better than Spain's heavy calvary. I am very pleased that Gendarmes have lances this time around and I hope they are exclusive to France.

[Ignoramus]

The link for the non-menu screenshots says there's a fatal error.

[SirGrotius]

I got the same error, too. Why is this site allowed to show beta screenshots? Is that normal?

[Bulawayo]

To see the screens you'll have to go through the Polish pages instead of the English ones. This link (http://www.totalwar.org.pl/?ShowGal=56) is working, while this (http://www.totalwar.org.pl/indexeng.php?ShowGal=56) doesn't. Następna strona below takes you to the second page of screens. :2thumbsup:

[Leet Eriksson]

I assume you can choose which side this time around to play a historical battle or is it like rome?

[todorp]

Here we're publishing forty menu screenshots from the game. You can see there all settings options, Custom Battle screen, main camapaign, multiplayer mode and all historical battles (setups of armies, descriptions and maps). Here goes the full list of all historical battles implemented in MTW II:

- Agincourt;
- Arsuf;
- Hastings;
- Otumba;
- Pavia;
- Tannenberg (Grunwald);
- Hattin;
- Setenil

More: http://www.totalwar.org.pl/indexeng.php?ShowCat=2

Here are screenshots from game menu:

http://www.totalwar.org.pl/?ShowGal=56[/QUOTE]


Hastiati, I am getting this error


Fatal error: Cannot redeclare connect() (previously declared in /home/hst/public_html/totalwar-org-pl/lib/dbeng.php:5) in /home/hst/public_html/totalwar-org-pl/lib/db.php on line 3

[Brutus]

I've been away for a while so this might already be known, but is there a seperate 'Anglo-Saxon' faction? (For the tutorial and the like?) This screen (http://www.totalwar.org.pl/gallery/army_hastings2.JPG) seems to suggest as much...

And by the way, you could choose which side to play in BI, so I hope it is the same this time around.

[anders]

someone mentioned the germans would suffer from a lack of professional units in the lategame. is that really historically correct? i thought lategame would be around 1500, isnt that the dawn of the landsknechts? i thought they were about as professional as late medieval/renessaince infantry could get.

[Furious Mental]

"Also note that the Spanish are horribly outnumbered in the Battle of Otumba.... a good sign that Spanish / European troops will be superior to the Aztecs and the Aztecs need overwhelming numbers to win"

Maybe but the disparity in terms of basic troop quality is not as much as numbers alone suggest. For one thing most of the the Spanish units have 8 points of experience to the Aztecs' 2.

I find the statement that the HRE lacks professional units somewhat strange. That is, after all, where Landsknechts came from and it appears from screenshots that pikemen, doppelsoldners, musketeers and reiters are all available to the HRE.

[Bob the Insane]

someone mentioned the germans would suffer from a lack of professional units in the lategame. is that really historically correct? i thought lategame would be around 1500, isnt that the dawn of the landsknechts? i thought they were about as professional as late medieval/renessaince infantry could get.

Maybe the landsknechts will only be available as mercenaries?

[Barbarossa82]

The camera rotates up and down! Yesssss!!!

[Maizel]

Hmm i read in that article that CA is considering to put a full multiplayer campaign in the expansion.

Ha, i'll believe that when i see it

[econ21]

Maybe the landsknechts will only be available as mercenaries?

Yes, that's possible. From the little I've read, the HRE did suffer from being a less centralised state than England or France. As they moved out of the feudal period, the component parts of the HRE became increasingly reluctant to provide the Emperor with troops and instead voted money. The HRE did become increasingly professional as a result, but it was not a standing army in the way that the French army was becoming and the HRE situation might reasonably be modelled as being more reliant on mercenaries towards the end.

Of course the mercenary system in RTW makes dependence on them less problematic than in MTW. IIRC, in MTW, you play double upkeep for mercs; in RTW, it is just double the recruitment price. Ultimately, it is upkeep that is the key economic consideration, so an army of mercs need not be prohibitive in RTW whereas in MTW it would be rather a profilate use of funds.

[Bulawayo]

I checked this page today, and there are a lot of new screenshots there. Real good ones with a lot of different buildings and their description. Check them out! (http://www.totalwar.org.pl/?ShowGal=57)

[Bob the Insane]

Interesting, the first image (see link below) is of a settlement upgrade of some kind (a wall)...

What is interesting is what it gives you...

Number of Free Upkeep Units: 2
Public Order Bonus to Happiness: 5%
Recruitment Slots: 1

Allows Training of: Town Militia


Is it possible that settlement size and type will now be linked to Wall Size as well? No large cities with no walls?



http://www.totalwar.org.pl/gallery/wroclaw.jpg

[ChewieTobbacca]

I like that walls play a role now... it seems the more walls you have, the stronger the town defense (as in better militia units as well as more militia units in that town that are free in upkeep). Seems very interesting and makes walls more useful...

[econ21]

The latest screenshots on Poland are very informative. I really like the "next armour upgrade..." information on some of the units - there is "padded" for unarmoured troops and "heavy mail" for mailed Polish nobles. :2thumbsup:

[Stig]

I like the fact that for MP now we have to log in with usernames and passwords, that means they can now ban people.
Pity they don't have screens from the lobby

[Brutus]

Great! :2thumbsup:

Although the graphics don't seem to be complete, there is proof of mercenary ships in this screenshot (http://www.totalwar.org.pl/gallery/gafa_okret.JPG). That might be very handy.

Edit: Hmm, it seems kinda expensive though...

[Bob the Insane]

Mercenary Boats!?!?!?!!!! :2thumbsup:

[Stig]

Although the graphics don't seem to be complete, there is proof of mercenary ships in this screenshot. That might be very handy.
might be an early screen.
As the unit details (attack and such) are in some white box, wouldn't it be easier (and nicer) to make that the same colour as the entire window?

[Maizel]

Its an old screenshot.

It still has the old Polish faction emblem, whicj CA has said to have updated so that it resembles the polish emble, from the original MTW

[Furious Mental]

Interesting screenshots. Apparently the choices upon capture of a settlement are to occupy it, sack it, or exterminate the populace.

[Bob the Insane]

No enslavement...

I wonder if the sack will be the same mechanism that the hordes in BI have now? Get loads of loot and the province goes rebel...

[Darsh]

finally CA give the best western cavalery to France and the injustice is repaired after the first MTW :2thumbsup:

Gendarmes rules.

[CaesarAugustus]

Too bad no more enslavement:no:

I think that sacking will probably yield the same amount of loot that extermination does, but spare the population........i wonder if that contributes to a generals dread or chivalry?

[Brutus]

Well, enslavement wouldn't be particularly accurate in the Medieval era, so I suppose we should be happy about that. :2thumbsup:

I wonder if 'sacking' a settlement does the same thing as it did in BI (generating an immense amount of cash, destroying most of the infrastructure, killing most of its population and handing the remains over to Rebels) or does something new entirely, like CaesarAgustus suggested.

[DukeofSerbia]

Russia in medieval? No, it not possible.:wall: It's Novgorod.

[DukeofSerbia]

Here we're publishing forty menu screenshots from the game. You can see there all settings options, Custom Battle screen, main camapaign, multiplayer mode and all historical battles (setups of armies, descriptions and maps). Here goes the full list of all historical battles implemented in MTW II:

- Agincourt;
- Arsuf;
- Hastings;
- Otumba;
- Pavia;
- Tannenberg (Grunwald);
- Hattin;
- Setenil


As far as I know in Battle of Pavia Fernando de Avalos defeated François I because of terciosa units (pikemen + musketeers). And François I lost because he came mostly with knights who were annihilated by terciosa units (François I was even captured and imprisoned!). On screenshot I see only three French knight’s units from twenty of them.


Campaign map has some unhistorical “things”:

1. The Byzantine Empire held Bulgaria, Epir, Crete and Rhodes in 1080. :book:
2. Portugal holds Navarre?! How is this possible?:wall:
3. Milan holds Genoa?!:wall:
4. Moors hold southern Iberia, but in fact, Almoravids (Al-Murabitun) weren’t crossed from Africa into Al-Andalus in 1080. Anyway, it’s at least ok compared to:
5. Zagreb is capital of crippled Yugoslavia in Western Balkan Peninsula. :laugh4: Bucharest is capital of Wallachia?!:laugh4: Sofia is capital of Bulgaria?! It seems that somebody in CA opened modern political atlas and put those towns here (no offense). :oops:

So far, my conclusion is that MTW was more historical accurate on campaign map.

[DukeofSerbia]

I'm glad that M2TW seems to be more historically accurate and flavored


Maybe for units but campaign map don’t. At least in original MTW there were Serbia and Croatia as provinces and now there is crippled Yugoslavia with Dalmatia separated.



Hmm i read in that article that CA is considering to put a full multiplayer campaign in the expansion.


You mean on this:


There is also a very positive news although I'd prefer to stay realistic and do not fall into too big optimism. Anyway, the man from the Sega's stall said, that the Creative Assembly team is seriously considering adding a full online campaign to the expansion pack of MTW II. Probably you will be shocked by this news - just as I was, so I will repeat it once more – this information is unofficial and not confirmed. It of course doesn't mean that it has to be just a rumour but.. Anyway, fingers crossed.

[DukeofSerbia]

Of course the mercenary system in RTW makes dependence on them less problematic than in MTW. IIRC, in MTW, you play double upkeep for mercs; in RTW, it is just double the recruitment price. Ultimately, it is upkeep that is the key economic consideration, so an army of mercs need not be prohibitive in RTW whereas in MTW it would be rather a profilate use of funds.


The main problem with mercenaries in both MTW and RTW is that AI never uses it. The real improvement will be that AI uses them finally.

[Orda Khan]

I have to say, it does not look brilliant

......Orda

[econ21]

The main problem with mercenaries in both MTW and RTW is that AI never uses it.

Do you play campaigns on Very Hard? In my experience under that setting, the AI often hoovers up the mercenaries. I try to only hire one or two per stack, but sometimes I hire them just because I can't face fighting them under AI control.

[Nathanael]

Agreed. On medium RTW, they never do. On hard RTW, they do.

[Bob the Insane]

Agreed. On medium RTW, they never do. On hard RTW, they do.


I was going to say... Sometime I find myself wondering where all the mercs are and boom an enemy stack turns up and it is half full of mercs...

Maybe it is a money issue? The AI gets bonus cash on Hard and Very Hard...

[lancelot]

Looks pretty damn sweet overall....

2 things that bug me-

1) I want the ceremonial Varangian Guard!! I know they might not be exactly historical but they were cool as hell in MTW1! The pic of them in the byzantine select screnn doesnt make them look very elite IMHO.

2) Also Byzantine related...Byzantines have no access to gunpowder??? I hate this historical determinism that creeps into games...if the byzantines survived past 1453 it is quite reasonable to assume they would have developed this technology.

If a player survives past 1453 they would develop it too most likely...just because byzantium didnt survive in real life does not mean that all research possibilites should stop at that date! :furious3:

[DukeofSerbia]

Do you play campaigns on Very Hard? In my experience under that setting, the AI often hoovers up the mercenaries. I try to only hire one or two per stack, but sometimes I hire them just because I can't face fighting them under AI control.

Only few times in RTW. I don't like when AI cheats with attack and morale bonuses.
So, I didn't know that and my friends who played on hard and vh never noticed that.:inquisitive:

[econ21]

Only few times in RTW. I don't like when AI cheats with attack and morale bonuses.

Neither do I, but you are talking about battle difficulty. I am talking about campaign difficulty - that mainly gives the AI a lot more cash. I find it compensates for the AIs deficiencies without making individual combats unrealistic.