(no subject)
Since there apparently wasn't a Hugin meeting today, and CTG and I stayed, we're holed up in the computer lab, being us.
So, I decided to update with a larger-scale review of Medieval: Total War.
Basically, imagine every war strategy game you've ever played. Combine them into a single game, with flowing 3D graphics on the battlefield. Throw in a board game-ish setting for the main "New Game" mode, and you've got the generalities.
It contains 12 controllable factions, including English, French, Italian, Spanish, Turkish, Byzantine, Russian, Danish, Polish, German (Holy Roman Empire), and Egyptian. There are two more, but I can't remember them at the moment. There are also a number of non-controllables (sadly), such as the Golden Horde, the Papacy, the Sicilians, etc., and all told, there are over 100 unique unit types, though some overlap and are available for hire as mercs (whose generals don't have any command skills, and who I *think* are paid a portion of salary each year.)
Sadly, the included historical battles are a bit lacking. Sure, they're there, but there could have been some more. However, there are always a number of mods that add in battles. These historical battles come in two types. Battles and Campaigns. This is, however, slightly misleading.
The Battles are just single, (sort of) non-related battles. There are three, and if I'm remembering right...All three involve the British. One is Hastings, England/France. The other two are both England/Scottish, one being Sterling Bridge, and the other...Gah...Robert The Bruce...Battle started with a B, but I can never remember how to spell it. Both of the English/Celtish are played from the Celt side, but Hastings is played from the English standpoint. That's all, though more are avaiable.
The Campaign mode is what misleads. It's not so much a campaign as it is a pack of battles between the same groups, during the same war. 100 Years War from both English and French standpoints, each during their moments of strength during that war. Then there's whatever Crusade Richard the Lionheart was in, from both his and Saladin's point of view. There's at least one, and I think two, more campaigns, but that's still not where the game shines.
"New Game" mode. It'd be more accurately called Campaign mode, with the current holder of that name being shoved into Battles, but oh well. Basically, it's ruled by the almost board-game like setting I discussed briefly before. It encompases a square. One side is set just beyond Spain and Ireland. The other is set to where it includes a chunk of Russia, and a portion of the Middle East and Egypt. The bottom is just below some of North Africa, and the top is somewhere around Norway/Sweden.
The whole map, even the oceans, is divided into something like a collection of provinces. Each province can have a fort/castle/etc. building, and can produce one unit (size depending on unit type) of men a year. It can also be upgraded, for more unit types producable there, an inn for merc hiring, and things that can effect how much money it produces a year, along with how easily it can be defended. It's like developing a Starcraft base in each province.
Religion is involved, and Zeal and Loyalty. Each province has a certain percentage of religious affiliation, for Pagan, Christian, Orthodox, Islamic, and some others I can't remember. I'm not sure exactly what the full ramifications are of this, but using Priests, Bishops, Alims (spelling?), etc. can sway the percentages. Loyalty is a 0-200% rating. Anywhere at or above 100% means they won't rebel against you. If it drops below it, the amount below equals the percent of chance that they'll form a rebel army in that province. The amount below probably determines how many men they field, but I'm not sure yet.
Each unit has a general, mostly seeming to be randomly given stats. Their stats determine several things. Loyalty for amount you'd have to pay to bribe them, I believe. Acumen seems to determine how well they'll handle ruling a province if you put them in charge of it, though I'm not sure to what degree. And Command tells how well they'll command their men on a battlefield, though I'm, again, not sure how much it affects it. It goes so far to give them virtues and failings that determine stats, and bonuses. For instance, some are excellent attackers, that get bonuses to command when they're attacking. Some are defenders. Some are insane. Some are in incestous relationships with their daughters (sent that general's unit into France, alone.) Some are public knowledge, some are secret, that don't effect anything yet, but can be brought out in the open by spys or chance. The whole system is well-done, applying even to Kings and Princes. Some can be gained, by retreating numerous times, or by having a record of having a lot of building or agricultural development done in their province. These virtues can even give a happiness (loyalty, I assume) bonus to their province, or in the Ruler's case, to EVERY province.
This enjoyable and well thought out RPG element in provinces and generals aids the game a lot. You've got to pay a lot of attention, at things besides their standard ratings.
Sometimes, events happen at dates, that can either change the order of the world or give bonuses. Sometimes, they'll dampen Zeal. Sometimes, they'll bring a new character type in, like when the Golden Horde suddenly invaded into Russia/Byzantine.
Alliances can be made and broken easily, and rarely give a measure of trust. Allies can and will still send things like assassins after you without reprouch (unless you take the action yourself,) as I learned the hard way. There is also little warning as to when it will be broken. There can be incidental supports in invasions, with (I think) the largest force taking over, but they don't intentionally help you. There are some rare cases, such as the fact that, as England, I got paid 1000 several turns by the Papacy.
Anyway. This New Game mode can be played two different ways, in three different time settings. The time settings change the difficulty from whatever the difficulty level was set on in the first place, through how well one starts out. Some are hard, some are moderate, some are easy. Some are just slightly hard or easy. However, the two different modes are a real treat. There is the first mode, which I'm prefering at the moment, which involves taking control of everything in the world. Eliminating every other ruling body, and taking their land. The other mode, which I haven't given more than a glance at, involves completing objectives, varying depending on your faction. For the English, I had to maintain my grip on the British Isles, help out in a number of crusades, re-take such and such, etc.
Battles in New Game can be handed over to your generals, or done yourself. Battles themselves are rather quick, since you don't actually produce anything in a battle, you just use what you have out there in the best manner you can. You can, however, sometimes call for reinforcements. Controls are easy. You can get slightly more complicated, but they're basic and enjoyable, but effect a lot. Loose mode when being fired upon by archers, guns, or seige equipment. Wedge mode can be good for attacking (mainly charging), but can also be akward, since sometimes they don't break. In that case, it's not really a weakness so much as it is an annoyance. Odds will generally be 1v1 if a wedge hits a line and the line holds, since the line is a line, not covering your sides. But, it'll be slow as hell, since you'd have to fight one on one, two on two, then three on three, etc. Then, Close, usually best for archers firing arrows, or pikemen. Drag and drop system, along with options for exactly how your unit is set up, which give a lot of mini-customizable things, like interspercing Cavalry and Pikeman, or such.
Great game, great options, great uberness. There are a few weaknesses, like the inability for anyone (I think) but Christian human factions to make an alliance themselves (others have to have a faction make an alliance with them.) Another might be the inability to combine units in certain ways. Say I have two groups of Milita, who come in groups of sixties. Both of them have been in battles, and are now only at thirty each. You can't combine them into one ACTUAL unit of Milita. You can put them in the same 960 man/16 unit group/army, but it takes up more room that way, and is less efficent. But, in the end, the greatness of the systems outways these two and other, lesser objections.
It rocks.
So, I decided to update with a larger-scale review of Medieval: Total War.
Basically, imagine every war strategy game you've ever played. Combine them into a single game, with flowing 3D graphics on the battlefield. Throw in a board game-ish setting for the main "New Game" mode, and you've got the generalities.
It contains 12 controllable factions, including English, French, Italian, Spanish, Turkish, Byzantine, Russian, Danish, Polish, German (Holy Roman Empire), and Egyptian. There are two more, but I can't remember them at the moment. There are also a number of non-controllables (sadly), such as the Golden Horde, the Papacy, the Sicilians, etc., and all told, there are over 100 unique unit types, though some overlap and are available for hire as mercs (whose generals don't have any command skills, and who I *think* are paid a portion of salary each year.)
Sadly, the included historical battles are a bit lacking. Sure, they're there, but there could have been some more. However, there are always a number of mods that add in battles. These historical battles come in two types. Battles and Campaigns. This is, however, slightly misleading.
The Battles are just single, (sort of) non-related battles. There are three, and if I'm remembering right...All three involve the British. One is Hastings, England/France. The other two are both England/Scottish, one being Sterling Bridge, and the other...Gah...Robert The Bruce...Battle started with a B, but I can never remember how to spell it. Both of the English/Celtish are played from the Celt side, but Hastings is played from the English standpoint. That's all, though more are avaiable.
The Campaign mode is what misleads. It's not so much a campaign as it is a pack of battles between the same groups, during the same war. 100 Years War from both English and French standpoints, each during their moments of strength during that war. Then there's whatever Crusade Richard the Lionheart was in, from both his and Saladin's point of view. There's at least one, and I think two, more campaigns, but that's still not where the game shines.
"New Game" mode. It'd be more accurately called Campaign mode, with the current holder of that name being shoved into Battles, but oh well. Basically, it's ruled by the almost board-game like setting I discussed briefly before. It encompases a square. One side is set just beyond Spain and Ireland. The other is set to where it includes a chunk of Russia, and a portion of the Middle East and Egypt. The bottom is just below some of North Africa, and the top is somewhere around Norway/Sweden.
The whole map, even the oceans, is divided into something like a collection of provinces. Each province can have a fort/castle/etc. building, and can produce one unit (size depending on unit type) of men a year. It can also be upgraded, for more unit types producable there, an inn for merc hiring, and things that can effect how much money it produces a year, along with how easily it can be defended. It's like developing a Starcraft base in each province.
Religion is involved, and Zeal and Loyalty. Each province has a certain percentage of religious affiliation, for Pagan, Christian, Orthodox, Islamic, and some others I can't remember. I'm not sure exactly what the full ramifications are of this, but using Priests, Bishops, Alims (spelling?), etc. can sway the percentages. Loyalty is a 0-200% rating. Anywhere at or above 100% means they won't rebel against you. If it drops below it, the amount below equals the percent of chance that they'll form a rebel army in that province. The amount below probably determines how many men they field, but I'm not sure yet.
Each unit has a general, mostly seeming to be randomly given stats. Their stats determine several things. Loyalty for amount you'd have to pay to bribe them, I believe. Acumen seems to determine how well they'll handle ruling a province if you put them in charge of it, though I'm not sure to what degree. And Command tells how well they'll command their men on a battlefield, though I'm, again, not sure how much it affects it. It goes so far to give them virtues and failings that determine stats, and bonuses. For instance, some are excellent attackers, that get bonuses to command when they're attacking. Some are defenders. Some are insane. Some are in incestous relationships with their daughters (sent that general's unit into France, alone.) Some are public knowledge, some are secret, that don't effect anything yet, but can be brought out in the open by spys or chance. The whole system is well-done, applying even to Kings and Princes. Some can be gained, by retreating numerous times, or by having a record of having a lot of building or agricultural development done in their province. These virtues can even give a happiness (loyalty, I assume) bonus to their province, or in the Ruler's case, to EVERY province.
This enjoyable and well thought out RPG element in provinces and generals aids the game a lot. You've got to pay a lot of attention, at things besides their standard ratings.
Sometimes, events happen at dates, that can either change the order of the world or give bonuses. Sometimes, they'll dampen Zeal. Sometimes, they'll bring a new character type in, like when the Golden Horde suddenly invaded into Russia/Byzantine.
Alliances can be made and broken easily, and rarely give a measure of trust. Allies can and will still send things like assassins after you without reprouch (unless you take the action yourself,) as I learned the hard way. There is also little warning as to when it will be broken. There can be incidental supports in invasions, with (I think) the largest force taking over, but they don't intentionally help you. There are some rare cases, such as the fact that, as England, I got paid 1000 several turns by the Papacy.
Anyway. This New Game mode can be played two different ways, in three different time settings. The time settings change the difficulty from whatever the difficulty level was set on in the first place, through how well one starts out. Some are hard, some are moderate, some are easy. Some are just slightly hard or easy. However, the two different modes are a real treat. There is the first mode, which I'm prefering at the moment, which involves taking control of everything in the world. Eliminating every other ruling body, and taking their land. The other mode, which I haven't given more than a glance at, involves completing objectives, varying depending on your faction. For the English, I had to maintain my grip on the British Isles, help out in a number of crusades, re-take such and such, etc.
Battles in New Game can be handed over to your generals, or done yourself. Battles themselves are rather quick, since you don't actually produce anything in a battle, you just use what you have out there in the best manner you can. You can, however, sometimes call for reinforcements. Controls are easy. You can get slightly more complicated, but they're basic and enjoyable, but effect a lot. Loose mode when being fired upon by archers, guns, or seige equipment. Wedge mode can be good for attacking (mainly charging), but can also be akward, since sometimes they don't break. In that case, it's not really a weakness so much as it is an annoyance. Odds will generally be 1v1 if a wedge hits a line and the line holds, since the line is a line, not covering your sides. But, it'll be slow as hell, since you'd have to fight one on one, two on two, then three on three, etc. Then, Close, usually best for archers firing arrows, or pikemen. Drag and drop system, along with options for exactly how your unit is set up, which give a lot of mini-customizable things, like interspercing Cavalry and Pikeman, or such.
Great game, great options, great uberness. There are a few weaknesses, like the inability for anyone (I think) but Christian human factions to make an alliance themselves (others have to have a faction make an alliance with them.) Another might be the inability to combine units in certain ways. Say I have two groups of Milita, who come in groups of sixties. Both of them have been in battles, and are now only at thirty each. You can't combine them into one ACTUAL unit of Milita. You can put them in the same 960 man/16 unit group/army, but it takes up more room that way, and is less efficent. But, in the end, the greatness of the systems outways these two and other, lesser objections.
It rocks.