Gamespot Q & A

**Sir Beane** · 02-06-2009, 18:29

Originally Posted by hoom

I'm hopeful that this works out well like it sounds.
I've seen some comment about the Diplomatic options being much the same as Rome/M2 but thats ok as long as they actually work and/or we can figure out why they work in the way that they actually do (which would allow players to alter their play style to gain better outcomes).

Ooh this too

Particularly cool would be if we could potentially find out some of those goals via Rakes or something?

It would be fantastic if rakes could be used to find out long term goals and strategies rather than just info about units and cities. I always felt that the spies in previous games were pretty rubbish given the amount of info that spies in real life manage to collect.

It would be a lot of fun slowly building up a network of spies and informants in an enemy factions, gradually learning their goals and plans and where they keep the treasury. Then using that info to foil it all and flatten them!

**Polemists** · 02-07-2009, 07:37

As the campaign progresses, players can now access this rich political tapestry via a new panel which lets them see at a glance how each nation is regarded by others, and how they regard their rivals. Players can also see which events or factors have created the current state of relations between nations.

I'm as hopeful as next guy but not sure how this will be all that different then say MTW2's diplomacy screen.

Where you pop it , you see Denmark, Allies, Enemies, and then if you click on faction if gives you something like trust worthy or not or some such. Then if your friendly or not.

I'd like to see your knowledge of a faction increase though as you put more rakes into more cities of the enemy.

So at first you may just know, army build ups, then building lists, then technology trees, future war plans, etc.

Of course I am probably hoping for more then the AI is capable of at this point, I just think it would be neat if say you knew faction A was about to go to war with faction B in 5 turns, in the Caribean and you could swoop in and use it your advantage.

**Sir Beane** · 02-07-2009, 12:57

Originally Posted by Polemists

I'm as hopeful as next guy but not sure how this will be all that different then say MTW2's diplomacy screen.

Where you pop it , you see Denmark, Allies, Enemies, and then if you click on faction if gives you something like trust worthy or not or some such. Then if your friendly or not.

I'd like to see your knowledge of a faction increase though as you put more rakes into more cities of the enemy.

So at first you may just know, army build ups, then building lists, then technology trees, future war plans, etc.

Of course I am probably hoping for more then the AI is capable of at this point, I just think it would be neat if say you knew faction A was about to go to war with faction B in 5 turns, in the Caribean and you could swoop in and use it your advantage.

I think the difference is that not only can you see what otehr nations think of a paticular nation you can also see what that nation thinks of every other faction.

So for emaple France:

France
Britain: Hates, Is hated by
Austria: Ambivalent, is liked by
Prussia: Hates, is hated by

So you can see who hates who and who likes who and then organise alliances accordingly.

**Polemists** · 02-07-2009, 13:03

but are you sure it's going to be that elaborate?

I mean when you entered a diplomacy screen of MTW2 you'd see

France
Alliances:

At war with:

I mean is it really that different?

**Sir Beane** · 02-07-2009, 13:04

Originally Posted by Polemists

but are you sure it's going to be that elaborate?

I mean when you entered a diplomacy screen of MTW2 you'd see

France
Alliances:

At war with:

I mean is it really that different?

From the way it was described in interviews and things I think they are aiming to make it that elaborate, yes. It's all part of having a central diplomacy screen rather than seperate agents.

**bloodshed** · 02-07-2009, 21:39

Heres a site with some pics I havent seen before. Its a turkish forum but they show like 7 pics on it.

http://totalwar.org.pl/board/viewtopic.php?t=21741

**Sir Beane** · 02-07-2009, 21:50

Originally Posted by bloodshed

Heres a site with some pics I havent seen before. Its a turkish forum but they show like 5 pics on it.

http://totalwar.org.pl/board/viewtopic.php?t=21741

Excellent find! I haven't seen these before either. Do you mind if I start a thread specifically about them? It's the best way to let everyone see them.