The campaign

Maybe I'm just lazy, but I haven't really read anything about big changes to the campaign....am I to assume that we are to have the same afterthought-y feeling campaign map from RTW and M2TW? Has anyone read anything for sure about big changes to the campaign? For me the campaign (and mostly the campaign AI) was the biggest letdown of RTW and M2TW.

Well, two changes I've read here are that the strategy map is no longer based on a grid (free movement in any direction, maybe?), and that the strategic AI will be one integrated module, instead of a separate diplomatic AI and military AI like it is now, which leads to conflicting goals and odd behavior That should be an improvement, if it works.

I would assume, although they haven't said anything directly about it, that the ridiculously long travel times to cross the ocean will be more realistic, since the overall time period is shorter, and naval action will be a significant focus of the game.

I'm hoping there will be a new recruitment system, so the strategic AI does a better job of assembling well-balanced, big stacks before going into battle. That's a major annoyance in the current design, but so far I haven't heard CA say anything about that (or else I've missed it).

(Edit) Oh yeah, one more thing -- apparently there will be additional buildings in a province, not just the single capital. That could alter the strategy significantly; allowing things like raids on economic resources without having a siege of the city/castle being the only goal. If that's how it works... I'm just guessing here. IIRC, something was said about trying to reduce the number of sieges, which would be good, and maybe that's how they're doing it. I likes me a good epic siege now and then, but there are too many of them in the current design, and not enough epic field battles.

Yes, I can't wait until screenshots of the campaign map.

What would be seriously handy (and rather unlikely) is the choice of MTW style map, or M2TW map, and maybe a new type of map (Maybe not big people walking across the world like that)

I don't see how it can't be based on a grid. The location of things has to be specified by reference to x and y and that means they have to occupy some point on a grid. My assumption is that in some respect the interaction between things on the grid has been changed so that the grid is less obvious.

One thing I know for certain: the "modern" previous installments of the TW series (RTW, M2TW) have the ability to bore me to death within minutes (therefore, though I never played them even anymore, I would usually quickly cease my playing of it before I'd perish (then again death isn't such a terrible thing to look forward to[/deliciously cynical :beam:])), so if this game will be below superiority -- a superior game which is something they must FINALLY ACHIEVE ONCE MORE -- I will for as long as my being lives not play any TW game nor even quickly turn my gaze upon one of its boxes atop the weak shelves of the video game store.

While the series have been very good in the past and later merely decent or perhaps some would even argue terrible, it is not allowed to ruin this upcoming game. It must be superior immediately or it must not exist.

It is an ugly sight to imagine video game developers but especially publishers nowadays even DARING to release bad games (-- bad in whatever manner possible).

[/very critical]