Expansion Pack News! Slight snippet of info on the release date...

[Spino]

http://www.wargamer.com/news/news.asp?nid=1669

Although neither Activision nor The Creative Assembly have announced plans for an expansion pack to last fall's Rome: Total War (review), the likelihood of such an expansion seems quite high given the history of the Total War series. Both Shogun: Total War and Medieval: Total War received expansions after the original game's release, each named after an opposing civilization. Shogun's expansion pack was the Warlord expansion pack, while Medieval received the Viking Invasion expansion pack.

Today we learned of a listing on the e-tailer GameStop for the "Rome Total War Expansion Pack" currently scheduled for release this October. There's no other information beyond that anonymous title even contained in the listing.

UPDATE: Not surprisingly, the listing has already been removed

Just caught a thread at the com which mentioned the release date posted at Gamestop's site: ETA: 10/17/05

[Red Harvest]

I really wonder if that is enough time. We will get some idea when the 1.2 patch is in our grubby little mitts, but right now it appears they could use several months solid of working on the AI. If the 1.2 is a home run, then it won't sound so rushed. That release date is not even 9 months away. They would need to have a nearly complete product at least 2 months before that... So 7 months left for making any significant changes to the base UI, engine, and game mechanics, finishing all aspects of the animations, textures, unit choices, play testing, unit balancing, AI massaging, etc. plus a beta test cycle in there. Looks like a very tight schedule to me.

[CBR]

Hm October. Doesnt sound the far out really. VI came out about 9 months after MTW and this will be around 11 months...


CBR

[Es Arkajae]

Anyone have any real idea what the expansion pack is going to be? I would think that they'd have locked that in by now.

[hundurinn]

According to the mod's and CA on totalwar.com this was a lie. But let's hope it was true.

[RJV]

I really wonder if that is enough time. We will get some idea when the 1.2 patch is in our grubby little mitts, but right now it appears they could use several months solid of working on the AI. If the 1.2 is a home run, then it won't sound so rushed. That release date is not even 9 months away. They would need to have a nearly complete product at least 2 months before that... So 7 months left for making any significant changes to the base UI, engine, and game mechanics, finishing all aspects of the animations, textures, unit choices, play testing, unit balancing, AI massaging, etc. plus a beta test cycle in there. Looks like a very tight schedule to me.

Given that it has taken 4 months to get the patch out, and that many of the fixes 'seem' relatively simple it's fairly safe to assume that the bulk of CAs team have been working on the expansion. Project life cycles being as they are it's probably also fairly safe to assume that the expansion has been underway (in some outline form) since the beginning of RTW (or at least since the final closure of development for MTW:VI).

Yes there will be some changes to the interface, and they will (hopefully) be open to some improvements to the AI, but things like maps, units, skins et al could all have been worked on for a while. The basic engine (map and battle) is not going to change wholesale after all.

It is a little tight though, and I would expect a little slippage, but still out in time for the Christmas market.

Cheers,

Rob

[Tux]

I've heard that it'll be the hunic invasion, in my opinion it'll be just like and huge patch with many fixes animation,etc. and new units and faction.

[Claudius the God]

I reckon the expansion pack will have the option of continuing your previous imperial campaign, or starting a brand new imperial campaign from the first year of the Empire, where factions are set out as they were historically. (like early, middle and late games for MTW)

and the ruling families at the start of the new imperial game are historically accurate.

and civil wars start with new families trying to take over.

and a slightly expanded building and unit tech tree, including things like hospitals or whatever, and the ability to select other imperial religions like Christianity or whatever,

and for giant cities, urban areas would be upgradable though don't know how a siege battle would work with this, with Rome having hundreds of thousands of people in the first century AD (if not more)

and the ability for barbarian factions to rent siege equipment like mercenaries, or keeping siege equipment and their crews when bribing an army to disband.
in fact, there should be a more complex bribing system, where you have in a bribing panel: generals, all units, siege equipment, Diplomats but not other agents and you can select weather to bribe or disband specific units.

and some unique unit upgrades, not just morale, weapons and armour (like javelins, or the ability to hide in grass, or whatever)
and the ability to create villas to hold very large populations outside the cities. each region having a set number available to build.

you should be able to use your diplomats to encourage your own generals to have more virtues and less vices

and maybe more interresting sea battles, even if it is just a non playable, game generated movie sequence to show the events of a naval battle (like a regular battle replay), but with water and ships based on what you go into combat with.

further upgrades for things like roads and so on, and the ability to adopt people as generals (using a list of candidates) without them having to be 'man of the hour' first.

the ability to build large walls across the landscape like the ones built in Germany, Hadrian's wall and in southern Denmark

and a more elaborate mercenary system, where all mercenaries are available, and are not just faction specific mercenaries. instead have mercenaries more expensive for one faction than another, african elephants are more likely to work for Carthage than for Rome... but that doesn't mean they won't if the price is right

and more germanic factions like the Franks and so on.

and imperial objectives for non roman factions, like capture this province, control the trade in this area, build this building, attack this place within so many turns, etc. but smaller rewards than what the Senate provides in the original RTW.

and you should be able to negotiate with rebels a bit more (so long as they aren't immediately hostile to you, give them money to bolster their forces and tell them to attack a specific settlement nearby...

there should be more pirates in the meditteranean, not just in the baltic sea

this unique roman unit would be cool, have your emperor riding a war elephant, like Emperor Claudius did when he invaded Britain

and in night battles, the ability to use more scare tactics...
and the ability to capture warriors and use them as slaves for trade and for gladiatorial games.

just a few ideas...

[afrit]

I believe an expansion will be out in time for next christmas season. Otherwise, why would Activision absolutely prohibit another patch?

My feeling is that bugs not fixed in 1.2 will be addressed in the expansion. For which we will all happily pay.

[General_Sun]

The expansion will probably have the same stupid AI, but less bugs...

I wish they push it back till November, that's still before the holiday season... Plenty of time...

I also want it to release a freaking open beta! So that the bugs could be sorted out before the game goes gold.... The QA team at Activision is obviously not competent enough, it'll be up to the community as always...

[Es Arkajae]

..

So in other words you don't have any idea and you're just providing a personal wishlist.

Gotcha

[Manstein]

According to the mod's and CA on totalwar.com this was a lie. But let's hope it was true.

They make the game, and they want to keep it a secret, so, of cource, they'll say it's a lie.

It looks true to me. This game has sold too many units to even consider to hesitate about an X-Pack.

[The Stranger]

does someone knows if i can download MTW VI

[hundurinn]

Correct me if I'm wrong but that would be illiegal.

[kendonosensei]

Hm October. Doesnt sound the far out really. VI came out about 9 months after MTW and this will be around 11 months...CBR

No, Viking Invasion came out eight months and a bit after Medieval Total War.
So you're looking at June/July if it follows the same time-scale. I know that things could take longer in RTW but:

1. The patch development will not affect the release. As RJV said, most of the CA RTW team will be working on the expansion.

2. The AI will not be massively changed. That would basically make RTW a different game.

3. Naval battles will not be introduced. That would also require a lot of time and would need a completely new physics system, if it was going to have any realism.

What there will be is:

1. A new mini-campaign, with new units. Possibly to do with the fall of the Roman Empire, or the Greek-Persian conflicts in Asia Minor.

2. Historical campaigns.

3. New units for the main imperial campaign and some factions unlocked.

4. Possible use of campaign battle replays.

5. General bug fixes.

[A.Saturnus]

I think it´s likely that in the expansion the timescale will be extended beyond 14 AD. All other add-ons have introduced new time frames.

[Claudius the God]

the timeframe will probably go up to something like 480 AD

Romulus Augustulus was the last Emperor of the Western Roman Empire, he died in 476 AD

[Ziu]

Correct me if I'm wrong but that would be illiegal.

Some bought game are available in a downloadable version.

[Captain Fishpants]

The expansion pack listing seems to have been an attempt to get pre-orders, a bit of creative speculation by the website to pull in punters.

No announcement has been made about an expansion pack. And this is not an announcement about an expansion pack.

After all, we have our reputation for being as silent as the grave to consider.

[RJV]

The expansion pack listing seems to have been an attempt to get pre-orders, a bit of creative speculation by the website to pull in punters.

No announcement has been made about an expansion pack. And this is not an announcement about an expansion pack.

After all, we have our reputation for being as silent as the grave to consider.

Whoooooooooooosh.... (the sound of petrol being thrown onto a smouldering fire )

Heh. Make of that what you will, folks.

[Paul Peru]

this is not an announcement about an expansion pack.

Lo! Behold!
The CA bestows upon us a snippet of non-information!
I might add that line to my signature, actually.

[Oaty]

The only reason to be silent is that it would look bad on them to announce an expansion pack while the game still needs another Major patch. More than likely both Activision and CA want to keep silent. Count 30 days from the release of the patch and you will see news of the expansion pack.

[Spino]

It would be great if CA asked us what we'd like to see in the expansion pack. Not that they would need to with all the expansion pack polls and threads here and at the Com but it would be nice if they asked us what our expectations were for the expansion, like they did way back before Viking Invasion was announced.

I for one do NOT want to see another mini-campaign and map like the one in Viking Invasion. I would prefer that CA pour all it's resources into overhauling and/or improving the existing campaign game; enlarge the existing map, add more factions, more units, more historical events, incorporate scripted events and most importantly... improve the tactical & strategic AI even further.

[Yossarian the Mighty]

I would think that, with the massively long wait for Rome just to come out, that the expansion is a way off, and I don't think they'll hesitate to make big changes, even if it takes a long time. Punctuality doesn't seem to be a concern. Probably
1. Different starting times.This annoys the hell out of me, and could just be wishful thinking. This will coincide with:
2. Mini-Campaign. Since Total War is always moving backwards, I'm betting on Alexander and that whole thing. Money in the bank.
3. Hopefully they'll do new naval battles, but it is severly doubtful. Not because of time or effort, but through three games they still haven't noticed it's a problem. Doubt they willl now.
4. Probably not a lot of new units, if any at all, would be with the mini-Alexander-Campaign only.
It'll definitely be Alexander. Just decided for sure.

[fret]

The only reason to be silent is that......

The post from the CA guy up the thread may as well say in size 1000 font, bright red letters, "We are making an expantion"

If they werent, it would most likely be common knowledge.

If they are, they wont be able to tell anyone, because they will be contracted under an NDA to keep their mouths shut until a certain date.

Remember... silence is Golden

[Red Harvest]

Spino,

I wouldn't mind seeing a "mini-campaign" as part of the expansion, but I don't think it should be the whole focus of one. I really would like to see a higher detail Italy/Sicily map with the emergence of Rome after Etruscan kings right up until the current campaign starts. This would be reminiscent of VI, true. However, I see it as just one part of an expansion pack. I suspect we will be looking at some sort of late Roman Empire expansion, since we don't even get to use the cohorts in any meaningful way at the moment.

[Somebody Else]

Remember... silence is Golden

Many things are golden. Showers for instance, can be golden.

The expansion - if it comes, will come when it comes. Anticipation is, of course, a very good thing - builds up an appetite for the product (there'll be a rush to buy when it comes...)

Anyway - I'm thinking an expansion based around, say... Egypt, the Hittites, Assyrians etc. could be entertaining - close enough to be easily implemented, far enough away to be a change.

[Wishazu]

i dont really mind what they do with an exp pack as long as there is one :D however i would actually like to see some more historical battles etc. i.e Marathon and Thermopylae. Some of alexander the greats battles. Actually i want Rome total war the persian invasion!!!!!

[hellenes]

Spino,

I wouldn't mind seeing a "mini-campaign" as part of the expansion, but I don't think it should be the whole focus of one. I really would like to see a higher detail Italy/Sicily map with the emergence of Rome after Etruscan kings right up until the current campaign starts. This would be reminiscent of VI, true. However, I see it as just one part of an expansion pack. I suspect we will be looking at some sort of late Roman Empire expansion, since we don't even get to use the cohorts in any meaningful way at the moment.

I Agree 100% and my prediction is that the expansion will be GALLIC INVASION which is :
1.Pre set
2.Different Romans
3.Smaller map
4.Has to do with romans since its ROME TW so no Alexanders, Persians wars etc...
5.Its smaller than the later empire wich has not much divercity (only two-three maijor factions)

my 2cents

Hellenes

[HoreTore]

You all seem to misundertand how marketing works...haven't you read your dilbert?

1. The engineers work out a timeline which includes unforeseen things, like big bad bugs, flying pigs, whatever.
2. They are then told to take out the unforeseen things, and calculate everybody working 18 hours a day.
3. Then marketing cuts the release date to coincide with trade shows, holidays, etc.
4. Unforeseen things happens, pigs fly, bugs eat software, and the game is released according to schedule #1.