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Randarkmaan
03-18-2007, 21:12
I don't know if this is the right place to post thise or if it is the right time, but I'll do it anyway. Recently I thought about a couple of things that I feel would make total war better, and so here is my wishlist for how a future total war game should be like. I've grouped it into different categories as you can see below...

Category A:
Return of old features
1) Return to the risk-style strategy map of Shogun TW and Medieval TW, by all means keep the beautiful graphics and look of the Medieval 2 map, but return the movement on the map to be reminescent of MTW and STW simply because it was alot easier for the AI to cope with the risk map, it actually managed to gather its forces and attack together with allies, even though the AI now is more advanced it is not able to cope with the 3D map and I can't remember facing multiple factions at one time in battle even once, while it was a relative common place in MTW.
2) Mercenary recruitment ala MTW, IMO it was a much more realstic representation of how mercenaries were recruited.
3) The throne room from Shogun, I mean is it anyone here who don't think that was cool? You see from the point of view of your leader and then an emissary comes in, throws himself to the ground and presents his message, keep the diplomacy mostly how it worked in Medieval maybe, but return to the throne room.
4)Bring back the "disciplined" and "elite" traits from MTW
5) Family tree as it worked in MTW, so that you won't have only a few family member generals at the start and hundreds at the end, also return the concept of generals from MTW when they didn't necessarily have to belong to the royal family and the only thing being in the family meant was that they got kickass bodyguards, they weren't necessarily better generals. The royal family in MTW always only included the ruler and his sons and daughters, brothers of the ruler became default generals upon his succession.
6) Ability to choose the heir as seen in RTW, also default the heir to the oldest son of the current ruler
7) Ability to bestow titles on generals as in MTW
8) Extreme penalties for armoured units in extremely hot climatesas in MTW
9) Civil war as seen in MTW
10) Ability to view cities as seen in RTW
11) Ability to betray your ally in battle as seen in MTW

Category B:
Minor (perhaps) new features
1) Expand upon the titles from MTW and allow you to give titles also to agents and royal family members
2) Heir must be set manually or chosen when the ruler is dead. If an ambitious son is not chosen there is a high chance of civil war, also in states were there is a tradition of the eldest son being the heir include a high chance of a civil war if he is not chosen.
3) The ability of female family members to inherit the throne.
4) Keep the graphics in MTW2 and instead include a larger unit size (enormous?) and raise the army unit limit
5) Ability to produce generals
6) Include both a value which determines how hard it is to rout a unit and another value which determines how easy it is for that unit to regroup.

Category C:
Major (perhaps) new features
1) Improve the battle map AI as much as can be done
2) Order delay when outside a certain radius centred on the general. The size of the radius should depend on a stat.
3) Group army into several 'battles' each led by a subordinate commander (like AI assistance of group, but can only be chosen in the deployment stage and cannot be turned off, the subordinate commander should be present on the field as leader for a designated unit in the group, if killed the unit is must be controlled manually), each subordinate commander can be given specific missions like: Frontal attack, flank, support main attack, skirmish, guard flanks, defend designated position and the like. Also include the possibility of a signal from the general which determines when to initiate this mission or when to change to a new one, have some men in the general's bodyguard/retinue carry banners and musical instruments for this task
4) Expanding on the subordinate commanders above, each general should have a general's staff from where subordinate commanders can be chosen, the type and size of the general's staff should depend on the general.
5) Ability to create generals and store them in a database for use in custom battles and multiplayer
6) Attrition for armies, require clever use of supply lines, generals should also have a stat which decides how good they are to make use of and organise logistics.
7) Possibility of pre-battle negotiations, if requested and the opposing side accepts.
8) Also include different types of governements with fitting restrictions and benefits for the different times. For an example if you have a game set at in... 400BC there should be a clearly definable difference between the Athenian Democracy, the Spartan Oligarchy and the Persian Monarchy.

Comments? Something to add? Maybe we should make a wishlist on behalf of the TW community and send it to CA and hope they review it and keep it in mind?

Tristrem
03-19-2007, 00:56
For the most part, I agree with your ideas, except for the first one. I think there are other solutions to that problem. My idea to fixing they idea of invading, and having more field battle would be quite easy to include. We would want the AI to realize the threat, and be forced to react from it. The easiest way to impliment this would be to increase the effects of devastation. If the AI does not meet you in battle, they will lose the income for that providence, like MTW. It let the AI and the player play the bully a little better. Of course anyone who would partake in this would suffer reputation deduction. To go with this I would like to see a get off my land or else option in the diplomacy menu. Thats my :2cents:


just to add another idea, it would be nice to have a list of popes, so you could see how many times you got your own cardinal elected.

King of Kings
03-19-2007, 01:07
I really do wish all those ideas go into the next TW game, but i dont argee with bringing back the map of STW and MTW.

Lusted
03-19-2007, 01:09
I mostly agree, but disagree with bringing bac the risk style map, divisional commanders(it is my army and my troops, i want to command them), attrition.

Whacker
03-19-2007, 01:33
I mostly agree, but disagree with bringing bac the risk style map, divisional commanders(it is my army and my troops, i want to command them), attrition.

Seconded. The risk style map was cool back in the day, but now that I've played with the new 3D map, there's no way I'd go back. One other thing on the list that people seemed to love in MTW that I hated was civil wars. Just say no to civil wars kids, mkay? :grin:

Tristrem
03-19-2007, 02:58
While civil wars were not the most fun thing around it made loyalty more important, a rebeling general or family member could divide your kingdom instead of becoming just another gray stack

JCoyote
03-19-2007, 03:18
I disagree on the map. The AI is going to close the gap anyway, taking a step backward like that as processing power and AI design is expanding is silly. It'll grow into it, by the next game, possibly even the next expansion. 90% of the "AI campaign map problems" are prioritization and pathfinding issues, and they are always being improved.

I disagree on the mercenaries. The current system allows recruitment in the field, so that armies far from ANY of your territories can buy mercs. This is historically accurate, as Turcopoles were mercs hired by Crusaders. The old way, you'd have to recruit them in your lands before sending the army to the holy land or take a province there first. The current way, you can recruit in the field. It is the more realistic way. Hiring mercenaries in inns and taverns is a sword and sorcery RPG tradition, not realism.

I agree with most of the rest. Also, I think in place of the captains, if a diplomat or princess is in the army they could lead it instead of the current captains. Most times it wouldn't be any better, but occasionally some might have some talent. Truth was, they were often decently educated and every educated person in that age was taught something about war. Diplomats, princesses, bishops, cardinals, and priests should be able to lead armies in a pinch; princesses and bishops/cardinals (but NOT priests) should have bodyguard units. Their bodyguard units might be of a lower quality than others though, such as the guards only having one hit point and/or being smaller in number because they weren't intended to protect them in the middle of a battlefield.

pike master
03-19-2007, 03:58
campaign map needs to be cleaned up and definetly do away with the merchants. plus have an option to put characters on an automatic mode like the papacies inquisators.

Budwise
03-19-2007, 07:08
I hate to say this but I mostly disagree with what you are asking for. For one, I am very tired of titles. Didn't really enjoy them and personally they were more hassle than they were worth.

Risk Style Map - No thanks, I enjoy the new style better like I can move my armies around and other features better.

Although I really respect everyones imput and most of them are good ideas and I do play better after reading them, I feel that too many people are stuck in the past and can't enjoy a game based on newer ideas and technology. I believe the game is truly better and I NEVER want to go back to MTW again. I do miss some features but as a whole, I love the newer version better and if people don't, then go back.

sapi
03-19-2007, 08:02
We have a wishlist here (https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=75475).

Please use it.

:dancinglock: