MII:TW - Disappointed?

[Lonely Soldier]

Are you disappointed with the rehash of the Medieval setting for the next Total War game? I know I'm not! I've always wanted to see the great battles of the Middle Ages fought in glorious 3d!

That said, is there a setting people would have preferred to see in stead of the Medieval one?

For example:
Napoleonic

Chinese Warring States

Fantasy?

[Narayanese]

Certainly not!
I those terrific late mediaeval shots make my mouth water.
Plus it makes it more likely that they get their historical research right.

[x-dANGEr]

Of course not. Imagine it, Medieval wars in a more glorius engine.. Ouch! That shall own..

[red comyn]

Im in the NO camp too. Think the added flexability on the campaign map alone is worth it.... and its just been too long since ive been excommunicated, used to happen to me all the time.

[King Ragnar]

It all depends if they can get the same great gameplay that MTW had, if its just like RTW but with new skins and map etc but with the same sh**t gameplay, everyone will be dissapointed.

[tai4ji2x]

eh, i'd have liked something else, but i'm willing to wait and see.

[Mahrabals apprentice]

Does anyone know when the game is predicted to be released?

[boastj]

Released Christmas 2006

[The Blind King of Bohemia]

A game set around ancient China would have bored the arse off me to be honest. I want to see Medieval with the graphics it deserves

[Monarch]

I wouldn't have been bored by ancient China. I am glad it's not Napolean though. Since I've not played MTW it's not like a sequel for me, it's a whole new game :D

So yeah, I can't wait until Amazon let me preorder it.

[The Blind King of Bohemia]

The new map may have China in it, we don't know everything yet. But if they have China in the map they have to have at least 1 faction there. But you never know.

[CrackedAxe]

I think MTW II is a great idea. all the time I've played RTW I've wanted to see those graphics draped across MTW (with MTW's gameplay, of course!).

What I really wanted next, though, was WORLD total war. I don't mean a game set in the future or WWI or WWII, but a continuation of where MTW left off, right up to and including the Napoleonic era.

Think of it, a mammoth game that encompasses the new world on it's map, and all the conflict between European nations there, as well as local factions (native Americans, Aztecs etc). A game that also includes the conflict between England, France, Spain and those nation's naval and land battles. Think of the types of conflict and wepaons of the Spanish Armada, the English civil war, the conquest of the new world, the Napoleonic wars, among many other conflicts. The Americans could even emerge as a later faction.

The technology would start with pikes, swords, and cavalry then go on to include muskets, cannons, bayonet charges. Local new world factions could even have horse archers and the like. You could have EVERYTHING!

C'mon CA, you know you want to tackle this!

[Attalus]

OMG..MTW on steriods!

I hope they take the perfect TW game and....LEAVE IT EXCTLY AS IT WAS!!!, but with better looking graphics.
The old fmv's from STW'd be nice too, but I could live without that.
I do sort of miss the 'ol throneromm too.

The possibilities are endless...fingers crossed!

[Mahrabals apprentice]

I think MTW II is a great idea. all the time I've played RTW I've wanted to see those graphics draped across MTW (with MTW's gameplay, of course!).

What I really wanted next, though, was WORLD total war. I don't mean a game set in the future or WWI or WWII, but a continuation of where MTW left off, right up to and including the Napoleonic era.

Think of it, a mammoth game that encompasses the new world on it's map, and all the conflict between European nations there, as well as local factions (native Americans, Aztecs etc). A game that also includes the conflict between England, France, Spain and those nation's naval and land battles. Think of the types of conflict and wepaons of the Spanish Armada, the English civil war, the conquest of the new world, the Napoleonic wars, among many other conflicts. The Americans could even emerge as a later faction.

The technology would start with pikes, swords, and cavalry then go on to include muskets, cannons, bayonet charges. Local new world factions could even have horse archers and the like. You could have EVERYTHING!

C'mon CA, you know you want to tackle this!

I would love to see this aswell, scramblimng for colonies and the like sounds fun.There either have to a gargantuan map or very few settlements per country.
But I am very much looking forward to MTWII. So long as the AI wises up. The opposition in single player RTW has always had me laughing/chewing on my fist/shouting at the stupid stupid stupid AI phalanx manouveres.
This new game is either going to be awesome (MTW with better graphics than RTW) or a MASSIVE dissapointment

[teja]

A new MTW will be great. I love this setting. The series had been best working in ages where hand to hand combat was required. With Napoleonic settings firepower became mainly part of a battle. For me I would like to see the following ages for a TW game:

MTW
(as read above)

30 Years War
(1618 till 1648, where whole central europe was on fire. A war that finally broke the Spanish domination in Europe and the future of Germany. It lead to the age of the French absolute monarchie.. Lois XIV)

Napoleonic
(will be fine too, because hand to hand combat is still a bit alive)

I dislike the chinese art of war, so no need for me :p

[Ludens]

Released Christmas 2006

So we should probably expect it around august 2007 .

The screenshots are beautiful, and the features sound nice, but I am rather sceptical. The initial screens we saw of R:TW were also nicer than what we've got (and I am not refering to the movie on the VI disk). A map extending to America sounds good, but why just the Aztecs? And why is nothing said about the R:TW's main faillings: battle speed, A.I. and hard-coded restraints to modding?

But no news does not necessarily means bad news, so I suscribed to the newsletter and I'll probably buy it.

[TinCow]

I'm very happy they chose to remake MTW. TW games just aren't made for gunpowder and the other suggested areas just don't inspire me as much. Chinese Warring States, Greek City States, etc. just don't do it for me quite as much as medieval. Imagine... decent castle sieges for once!

[SirGrotius]

It sounds great to me too, though as another poster stressed, gameplay, gameplay, gameplay is key!

I wonder what the expansion pack will be...

I don't think it will be Vikings again, just a little too boring and too similar.

I'm thinking Renaissance/Early Modern warfare would be cool. I like a little gunpowder, and all the costumes! CA would love that.

[Doug-Thompson]

I think CA realized that having one or two big empires in the middle of a bunch of weaker powers didn't make for good gameplay, tactically or strategically. The Medieval period is much richer in options.

The Roman factions in R:TW were safe. There was never any danger of getting wiped out. You also fought outclassed barbarian's much of the time.

And if you didn't play Rome, you fought AS outclassed barbarians.

The Medieval period is simply great, tactically and strategically. The factions have enough differences to fit a great variety of playing styles. The map has more strategy options, and the numerous factions have rough parity in technology, at least at the start.

I enjoyed playing the Almohads, the Egyptians, the Turks, the Danes, the Hungarians, the Byzantines and the Spanish in M:TW. I only really enjoyed the Parthians in R:TW. The Brutaii were interesting at first, but once you conquered Greece the game as good as over. Nobody could stop you.

[lars573]

I'm disappointed. The last thing I wanted in a new TW game was MTW:redux. MTW while good was not the best TW game, that is either STW or RTW. Anything would have been better. I would have prefered a game that started in 1530 and went till 1850.

[Mahrabals apprentice]

I'm disappointed. The last thing I wanted in a new TW game was MTW:redux. MTW while good was not the best TW game, that is either STW or RTW. Anything would have been better. I would have prefered a game that started in 1530 and went till 1850.

I have never tried STW, but if you enjoyed RTW more than MTW I think your out of your tree
RTW looked slicker but doesn't play aswell. Whereas MTW looks very dated nowr days

[elbasto]

If this game is going to be to Rome TW what MTW I was to Shogun... it's going to be outstanding.

[Sand]

Kinda dissapointed - I had hoped for something new rather than a rehash - Napoleon:TW would introduce gunpowder warfare as a major facet (not the side show it was in Shogun) along with cannons and cavalry and might well have seen the end of the Total Seige aspect of the other games (cannons > stone walls). With M2:TW I can see myself storming another 1000 or so fortresses with the rare, rare field battle.

If there was going to be a rehash, Id have preferred for them to do Shogun over again. With less variety of units the work on the battle AI, which is badly required, would be easier.

But M:TW2 is what we got. I just hope they dont repeat the annoyances from M:TW. I wept with joy when I loaded up RTW and saw Princess units were not reflected and marraiges were abstracted. The mention of them again is not filling me with nostalgia. It was annoying to shove them around the map trying to get anyone to marry them. Pure map clutter, and they should be abstracted. Diplomats should be abstracted as well - send them to open an embassy, then they "dissapear" and you conduct dip thru that embassy rather than chasing the faction round the map. Given how pointless diplomacy is in TW games why clutter the map with useless units? Merchants and Priests? Again, map clutter. And boost the units speed *dramatically* on the strategic maps. Its hard to imagine running a Crusade using RTW speeds. The trip to the New World would take 14 or 15 game years in RTW. One way.

Id like to see a bit of a change in unit recruitment to reflect the feudal structure and the fact that standing armies were hideously expensive/rare - make upkeep *very* high to prevent the forming of large standing armies, but offset it by having "mercenaries/vassals" recruitable in the summer period, that then disband in the winter. The core of the army would then be the "kings own", fleshed out by his vassals troops which campaign for the summer, returning to the harvest in the autumn/winter. The quality of vassals depends on the prosperity of the province/loyalty of the populace. It would reflect reality, and act to nerf "rushes".

If theyre thoughtful and work to improve the game in more than eye candy, then eventually it could be well worth the grave digging. If its just M:TW pimped up to look like R:TW itll be a case of why bother?

[ajaxfetish]

As the middle ages is my favorite period, I'm excited. A more modern game (Napoleon, etc.) would be great, but not till they have a new engine and can incorporate naval warfare and a gunpowder-based army. What they've got now is perfect for medieval fighting and I'd love to see medieval with improved graphics, as long as there's no loss in gameplay.

I'd still prefer an expansion to be set earlier, in the dark ages, as this is a huge and fascinating chunk of the medieval era that is somehow ignored in the original release of both medieval games. I'd like to see it incorporate all of Europe, though, not just a small part like the British Isles (and possibly be playable through the other periods, even).

Ajax

[Servius]

I agree with the posters happy for a return to MTW, but I also am very cautious about the gameplay. Personally, I thought STW was good, MTW was really good, but then RTW was crap, gameplay-wise at least.

So yeah, if it's MTW's design team and game play, but just with new skins, I'm happy. If it's all that AND a better AI, I'm even happier, but if it's anything like RTW, I'm affraid it'll just be more junk treading on the good name of CA's last best game.

[Templar Knight]

No way! I am somewhat relieved.

I love the middle ages and a game set in ancient China or some fantasy nonsense would not be my cup of tea. I would have loved a 16th-18th century one but Im happy

[Mithrandir]

I like it, because of the options.

However, a fresh idea would've been welcome as well.

Ofcourse a perfect LOTR total war (as if that could happen,seeing how perfect is in the eye of the beholder) would be my choice :).

I'm also hoping someone will mod MTW2 to STW 2 :D.

[Craterus]

No way! I am somewhat relieved.

I love the middle ages and a game set in ancient China or some fantasy nonsense would not be my cup of tea. I would have loved a 16th-18th century one but Im happy

Maybe that could be the expansion.

The mention of them again is not filling me with nostalgia. It was annoying to shove them around the map trying to get anyone to marry them. Pure map clutter, and they should be abstracted.

I don't like the sound of that, or priests. I never had the original MTW, and this priests, princesses and merchants business does sound like "map clutter". I think I would prefer the way RTW does this..

[Templar Knight]

Maybe that could be the expansion.

I hope so, but it will probably be an earlier period similar to VI

[Craterus]

I hope not.. but yes, that is more likely.