A letter to CA: Release of the source code

**Guyus Germanicus** · 07-30-2010, 02:56

I wish you luck, Herr skullhead, and I admire your passion. Perhaps even share it.

My guess is there is more at stake for both SEGA and CA in their driver design than they are willing to simply part with for nothing. Software is proprietary, and they may have some trade secrets they still want to protect even though the game is several years old. They may be using some driver engine features in their newer games that were originally created for the older ones. There are some fundamental similarities in performance and character in all their games regardless of how improved the animation which lends me to think they're still using some basic core engine design that is unchanged from their very first product release. But that's just my opinion. Creating competitors by giving away proprietary product design is not a recipe for continued business success. To us RTW is great fun and a full time hobby/obsession - to SEGA and CA it's their bread and butter. It puts food on their table, pays their rent, etc.

Personally I would love it if they kept the current game with just a few minor upgrades to unit 'skins,' Spartans for example; maybe add a unit of heavy infantry to Parthia similar to what Armenia has, give the Greek cities a heavy cavalry unit upgrade, etc. I admire the work the XGM people did on their expanded map, their historical research and their unit designs. I would love to see an expanded map in RTW with more cities, more of Africa and more of Asia; redevelop Macedonia, Thrace and Pontus as full-fledged factions. And maybe even insert some of the historic figures of the era as faction members much as they did for M2TW Kingdoms.

Alas, the whole point may be moot in a couple years as I've heard a rumor that they're considering an R2TW. They appear to be ready to release an S2TW. And in spite of the fact that the British have discontinued the traditional study of the classics as de rigueur in their public education system, there is still a passion for the classical era in the culture. They will release a new version of some ancient warfare game eventually.

I do love this game!

**Skullheadhq** · 07-30-2010, 10:48

Originally Posted by Guyus Germanicus

I wish you luck, Herr skullhead, and I admire your passion. Perhaps even share it.

My guess is there is more at stake for both SEGA and CA in their driver design than they are willing to simply part with for nothing. Software is proprietary, and they may have some trade secrets they still want to protect even though the game is several years old. They may be using some driver engine features in their newer games that were originally created for the older ones. There are some fundamental similarities in performance and character in all their games regardless of how improved the animation which lends me to think they're still using some basic core engine design that is unchanged from their very first product release. But that's just my opinion. Creating competitors by giving away proprietary product design is not a recipe for continued business success. To us RTW is great fun and a full time hobby/obsession - to SEGA and CA it's their bread and butter. It puts food on their table, pays their rent, etc.

Personally I would love it if they kept the current game with just a few minor upgrades to unit 'skins,' Spartans for example; maybe add a unit of heavy infantry to Parthia similar to what Armenia has, give the Greek cities a heavy cavalry unit upgrade, etc. I admire the work the XGM people did on their expanded map, their historical research and their unit designs. I would love to see an expanded map in RTW with more cities, more of Africa and more of Asia; redevelop Macedonia, Thrace and Pontus as full-fledged factions. And maybe even insert some of the historic figures of the era as faction members much as they did for M2TW Kingdoms.

Alas, the whole point may be moot in a couple years as I've heard a rumor that they're considering an R2TW. They appear to be ready to release an S2TW. And in spite of the fact that the British have discontinued the traditional study of the classics as de rigueur in their public education system, there is still a passion for the classical era in the culture. They will release a new version of some ancient warfare game eventually.

I do love this game!

Thank you for your support

You should check 'Europa Barbarorum' (europabarbarorum.com) it has exactly what you want.

**Cute Wolf** · 07-30-2010, 19:14

I do support you skull, but if they relase the source code there is 2 biggest impact that either one could happened (but not both)
1. The modding community for RTW grows, and that made CA extremely honoured with that, but at the cost that nobody won't even look for their Rome2TW... because EB is far - far - far better than this, and to "solve" this, they wrote a letter of invitation to every EB members to work as their official staffs with payments of $1000 per month... well... quite costly isn't it?
2. The modding community for RTW grows, but unfortunely, one of their biggest rival, with a little better reputation, just copypaste the code, make it simplet game, better graphics, and appaling to modders (but appealing to larger sections of noob gamers like one that play ******** or *********... and heck.... the Total war series got exact noobish carbon copy that have anime like legionaries and phalangitai instead of proper one.... sega knows that very well, because one of their rival is such pointless company that do any dirty trick to made their game gather more noobs and appals expericenced one... well, you know who I meant... another Japanese video game maker that was really ridiculous but rich

But if they do that, that must bring a great honour to CA themself.... welll, and maybe we can exchange that by making CA honouring title such as "world Total War" or something (when they lift the map and faction limitations problem)

**ReluctantSamurai** · 07-30-2010, 19:35

I, too, wish you luck but these companies are a lot like dragons.......they don't like to part with anything from their hoards, even if they are just sitting on them like a bunch of 'shinies'.