Official Total War survey

[Praxil]

For me games are definitely artistic in many ways, because you have to be creative to make them. Games are interactive entertainment. Games are not cars or tools or something like that. They should never be developed or sold like that. Never ever should developers listen to what so called "fans" are thinking. However they should definitely hear them out for new ideas, but should never directly try to satisfy these screaming micro hordes.

What I mean is that developers should always develop games within the goals they have set. Developers should always develop games for themselves and if that appeals a lot of people, then that is good business also. Unless you're trying to appeal masses, of course you can sell an awful game. I'm not saying you couldn't. Strategy games are not for masses, masses could not be bothered with, stop and think for a second what to do and how to do it.

As far as it goes for Naval combat. Develop completely separate game about it, that should concentrate completely on naval combat only. That way you could do games about WWI and WWII naval warfare.

With this kind of "survey" I definitely feel that this franchise is taking it's last breath.

The thing is that the potential is still so huge that the CA has barely even scratched it. I mean the execution isn't really there yet. I don't mind of recycling the historical themes introduced so far, just keep improving that gameplay. Thinking about Civilization series. Pretty much nothing new in the core of the gameplay, however it's just so much improved. Call of Duty (far fetched I know) Infinity Ward franchise. Same MP gameplay just like in the first one, but here and there is clearly improved.

[Sir Beane]

@ Praxil

This is not the first time that CA have launched an official poll asking people what game to make. I know for certain that they did this with Rome and Medieval 2. In fact many people have said that Empire Total War was a direct result of fan requests (combined with new tech being available).

The franchise is hardly taking it's last breath just because CA want to know what the fans want to play. They may have put WW1 up there as a choice, but given the response in https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=110534 thread it probably won't be a popular choice.

I can't see a problem with asking fans what game they want to play. You say CA shuold develop games for themselves, but what if no one wants to buy the game they want to make? They are left with having wasted money and years of their lives on junk, basically.

This is not the kind of economy to be taking risks in. CA are doing this poll because htey need to know what will sell, in order to stay in business.

And CA aren't trying to appeal to 'the masses' in the way the Wii is. The wii appeals to masses of non-gamers. CA is trying to appeal to the masses of gamers who will generally play anything if it is high quality enough and fun enough.

Saying strategy games are for the masses is dismissive and a little narrow-minded. There are many strategy games that have sold extremely well, and clearly dont appeal to just hardcore fans. Think Age of Empires, Command and Conquer and recently Sins of a Solar Empire (not to mention previous Total War games.)

So don't worry about the Total War series being on it's last legs because of a poll. CA going under will only happen if they do not listen to the fans, not because they do.

[Thermal]

while not too convinced imagine world war 1 modding wise, all the mods you could do with tanks and guns and stuff, with all that technology fantasy mods would be amazing!

[Monk]

Wow.

I was really tempted to vote for the Asian total war option. I'd love to see that entire area reimagined in the empire engine.. but I have to say I went with WW1. It's an era that has seen little exploration (lemme rephrase, good exploration) in terms of videogames.

Unlike ww2, where it's been done to death, ww1 would give you the chance to really see primordial technology (U-boats, machine guns, aircraft and tanks!) as well as be thrown into some of History's bloodiest battles. It would force veterans of the TW franchise after having mastered the gunpowder, medieval and Sengoku Jidai eras, to completely rethink diplomacy and strategy, as well as battlefield tactics. It would be amazing to see the sluggish tanks of the era going toe to toe it out in no man's land. We're all familiar with combined arms, but now factoring in Aircraft, it's in effect a whole new area that CA could expand their franchise. Not only would we have armies and navies, but air forces too!

If the naval battle engine were to be updated, evolved and carried over from ETW we could see huge, smoke spewing battleships slugging it out on the high seas. And really, who isn't interested in that!

[chairman]

Im disappointed by the lack of an earlier game for China such as the Warring States or Three Kingdoms. I voted for Feudal Japan/Imperial Japan. If they did this, my understanding is that it would start sometime during the Song dynasty(960-1279) like say 1050 or 1100 and continue till the Tokugawa Shogunate/End of the Ming dynasty, so the late 16th century/early 17th century. That is a HUGE time period but ..... maybe... just maybe it can be pulled off. But I will not stand it if they make it as innaccurate as RTW (mainly alexander) and M2TW.

I wouldn't mind classical Greece/Rome 2 if it included Alexander and (absolute must have or won't buy) the Diadochi Wars. If it is classical Greece, it must include a fully fleshed out Achaemenid Empire. And ABSOLUTELY NO 300 STYLE SPARTANS AND NINJA IMMORTALS WITH RHINO RAMS. End rant.

Chairman

[Sir Beane]

Im disappointed by the lack of an earlier game for China such as the Warring States or Three Kingdoms. I voted for Feudal Japan/Imperial Japan. If they did this, my understanding is that it would start sometime during the Song dynasty(960-1279) like say 1050 or 1100 and continue till the Tokugawa Shogunate/End of the Ming dynasty, so the late 16th century/early 17th century. That is a HUGE time period but ..... maybe... just maybe it can be pulled off. But I will not stand it if they make it as innaccurate as RTW (mainly alexander) and M2TW.

I wouldn't mind classical Greece/Rome 2 if it included Alexander and (absolute must have or won't buy) the Diadochi Wars. If it is classical Greece, it must include a fully fleshed out Achaemenid Empire. And ABSOLUTELY NO 300 STYLE SPARTANS AND NINJA IMMORTALS WITH RHINO RAMS. End rant.

Chairman

I agree with wanting an epic long campaign running through centuries of Asian history. But CA have shown a reluctance to do such long spans of time. It would be fantastic to see China and the surrounding countries change and advance in the same way we have seen Europe advance (In Medival through to Empire.)

Also agreeing with your point about 300. Spartans were bad enough in Rome anyway, think what CA could end up doing with them if they are fans of the movie (or trying to appeal to fans of the movie) .

[hoom]

The survey IS official. I just asked Jack Lusted via PM and he linked me to this thread.

Cool, thats the sort of official confirmation I was after :)

[Divinus Arma]

Wow.

I was really tempted to vote for the Asian total war option. I'd love to see that entire area reimagined in the empire engine.. but I have to say I went with WW1. It's an era that has seen little exploration (lemme rephrase, good exploration) in terms of videogames.

Unlike ww2, where it's been done to death, ww1 would give you the chance to really see primordial technology (U-boats, machine guns, aircraft and tanks!) as well as be thrown into some of History's bloodiest battles. It would force veterans of the TW franchise after having mastered the gunpowder, medieval and Sengoku Jidai eras, to completely rethink diplomacy and strategy, as well as battlefield tactics. It would be amazing to see the sluggish tanks of the era going toe to toe it out in no man's land. We're all familiar with combined arms, but now factoring in Aircraft, it's in effect a whole new area that CA could expand their franchise. Not only would we have armies and navies, but air forces too!

If the naval battle engine were to be updated, evolved and carried over from ETW we could see huge, smoke spewing battleships slugging it out on the high seas. And really, who isn't interested in that!

HERE HERE!!! I second that, Sir!