Total War: Rome II coming in 2013 - Features Space Exploration and Bible Interpretation! - Polidicks

If there's one thing Rome did better than every other Total War game to date, it was the balance in unit variety, both within a nation's roster, and even between the different nations. It's largely because of the historical period: armies hadn't quite become standardized yet. Every nation was still at such remove from each other that they developed unique tactics, and with those came unique units and ideologies of warfare. The Egyptians, with their Scythe chariots and highly mobile armies; the Romans, with their orderly, disciplined, scientific approach to warfare; the Gauls, with their sweeping hordes of impetuous barbarians; the Greeks with their deadly focus on spears and defense: this is the spirit that the later Total War games was missing out on. The standardized armies aren't as interesting, because every nation is guaranteed to follow the same basic patterns of warfare, and employ the same basic armies as your own nation. There is no equivalent to encountering elephants, scythe chariots, and phalanxes for the first time in the other Total War games. Snoozeville. They tried to make up for it in the other games with perk systems (this nation can recruit cheaper bow units!), but at the end of the day, you're still marching onto the field with the same basic army as your rivals, and it's just not as interesting to me. All the Total War games have been a blast, but Rome holds the crown in my book. Here's to hoping Rome II recaptures the spirit of the first one, with all its variety.

OK Don't split Rome into three color coded factions please. [editline]2nd July 2012[/editline] [QUOTE=Big Dumb American;36593547]If there's one thing Rome did better than every other Total War game to date, it was the balance in unit variety, both within a nation's roster, and even between the different nations. It's largely because of the historical period: armies hadn't quite become standardized yet. Every nation was still at such remove from each other that they developed unique tactics, and with those came unique units and ideologies of warfare. The Egyptians, with their Scythe chariots and highly mobile armies; the Romans, with their orderly, disciplined, scientific approach to warfare; the Gauls, with their sweeping hordes of impetuous barbarians; the Greeks with their deadly focus on spears and defense: this is the spirit that the later Total War games was missing out on. The standardized armies aren't as interesting, because every nation is guaranteed to follow the same basic patterns of warfare, and employ the same basic armies as your own nation. There is no equivalent to encountering elephants, scythe chariots, and phalanxes for the first time in the other Total War games. Snoozeville. They tried to make up for it in the other games with perk systems (this nation can recruit cheaper bow units!), but at the end of the day, you're still marching onto the field with the same basic army as your rivals, and it's just not as interesting to me. All the Total War games have been a blast, but Rome holds the crown in my book. Here's to hoping Rome II recaptures the spirit of the first one, with all its variety.[/QUOTE] So true. It seems that with each title, the unit variety decreased, although that is actually very historical.

[QUOTE=King Tiger;36593596]OK Don't split Rome into three color coded factions please.[/QUOTE] I dunno, makes sense to me. Rome was [I]all about[/I] interior conflict, man. Some of Rome's most famous battles were amongst its most powerful families. Hell, the fall of the Senate and the establishment of the Empire was built on betrayal, intrigue, and civil war. Even with the Senate quashed, Rome's most powerful players continued to fight for control of the city, well into the rise of the second Caesar. It makes total sense to split Rome into different factions, in my opinion!

hokly fuck i've never been more excited for any game in my entire life

[QUOTE=Big Dumb American;36593654]I dunno, makes sense to me. Rome was [I]all about[/I] interior conflict, man. Some of Rome's most famous battles were amongst its most powerful families. Hell, the fall of the Senate and the establishment of the Empire was built on betrayal, intrigue, and civil war. Even with the Senate quashed, Rome's most powerful players continued to fight for control of the city, well into the rise of the second Caesar. It makes total sense to split Rome into different factions, in my opinion![/QUOTE] Exactly, that's why they focused on you building up enough power, and popularity with your people before going out to betray the other families to take over Rome.

[QUOTE=DentalDoctor;36593758]Exactly, that's why they focused on you building up enough power, and popularity with your people before going out to betray the other families to take over Rome.[/QUOTE] Yeah, man. That's, like, the whole point of Rome! First you conquer the world, then you stab your friends in the back and become a living god as the son of Zeus and supreme emperor of Rome. Except you call it [I]first citizen[/I], and only tell people you're a god by proxy. "Hey, he said it, not me!" [editline]2nd July 2012[/editline] Also, I'd better get to bang Cleopatra. So much. [editline]2nd July 2012[/editline] And then make her kill herself. [editline]2nd July 2012[/editline] And my archrival/most trusted general. [editline]2nd July 2012[/editline] Though I'll be dead by that point anyway, so I guess I won't really care anymore.

[QUOTE=Leg of Doom;36590931]It has least unit variety of all yet manages to be the most unbalanced of the total war games[/QUOTE] Except with FoTS and RoTS it has the most diversity with emphasis on temporal diversity rather than faction diversity and it was balanced to fuck and back again for the same reason. They even fucking balanced what no one has ever balanced before.... Bringing a knife to a gunfight! Also. Creative assembly are very aware that it's the faction diversity that gets us all hot and wet in the european settings. The thing with napoleon and Empire just is that every european in those times just happened to have very alike military structures. They've already talked about the territories and how many there are. The provinces function sounds a ton like Mini-theatres from Empire. If so. Shit's gon b cash!

[QUOTE=Webby2020;36590810]Shogun 2 is the best in the series so far, shut the fuck up.[/QUOTE] Been a pretty hardcore total war fan since I started playing video games, played all of them but the original Shogun and I have to say the new Shogun 2 wasn't that good. Also relax on the hate.

can't wait to fuck up the world whit lots of urban cohorts

I am going to be disappointed if we don't get flaming pigs

fucking fuck full of yes! The one thing that i always missed in rome was naval battles! picture the trireme ramming tactic in there! Fucking.

[QUOTE=Scrimp;36590530]This is awesome, I hope they add more playable factions. I always wanted to play as the Spanish in the original game.[/QUOTE] While they aren't usually playable/unlockable, I'm fairly certain Spain could be unlocked by editing a single line of a file.

[QUOTE=krakadict;36590121]trench warfare doesn't fit TW's battle style same can be said for CW but one based in the late 1800's like FotS could work[/QUOTE] Well make a new style for a new series. I would like to see them properly implement the current scale with new mechanics. It seems like Creative Assembly might be the only people capable of making a WWI RTS without fucking it up. Still, this is really good. Now I'll just get this instead of the first.

[QUOTE=krakadict;36590121]trench warfare doesn't fit TW's battle style same can be said for CW but one based in the late 1800's like FotS could work[/QUOTE] They only use the current system because of the technological limitations originally in place. Modern combat has a lot more options and could potentially be much more interesting. Paratroopers arriving in the middle of combat, artillery units stationed nearby providing shelling support, close air support from aircraft stationed in the region. Etc etc. But ultimately I just don't trust that they could do it anymore. I have yet to see them match medieval 2. It had a great variety of units, tech, diplomacy options, and a pretty solid AI. All of the subsequent entries have failed pretty dramatically in one way or another when compared to medieval and the original Rome. Turn based strategy with real time tactical combat is my favorite design for a game. Really anything with a turn based strategy meta game is pretty awesome. There are a whole lot of directions that the total war people could be going with this idea, but they are being conservative to the extreme, and that makes me sad. :(

Finally some fucking melee combat again :v:

Rome: Total War was my very first Total War game which led me into buying half of the others. Extremely looking forward to this. Even if it's not as good quality as others before it, I will spend money on it, play it and love it dearly like all the rest. Even the lesser Total War games are pretty fun and awesome to play.

my favourite one is still Shogun. it was deep enough to keep you entranced, but not huge and overbearing like the most recent iterations.

[b]I better not have to pay five fucking dollars to play as the Scythians or the Selucids or any of that bullshit.[/b] That is all I'm gonna say on that matter. For the love of god, make the game $60, and [i]just include all the content to begin with.[/i]

[QUOTE=Scrimp;36590530]This is awesome, I hope they add more playable factions. I always wanted to play as the Spanish in the original game.[/QUOTE] There was a very simple edit you could do to a notepad file in rome to make all factions including rebels and the senate playable. But playing as the senate usually lead to glitches.

I hope they merge the assassin and spy into one character like they did with Empire. Having two separate ones was such a pain in the ass. That, and end people randomly ending alliances and attacking you without provocation. I never bothered trying to make alliances after a while because it didn't help in the war effort against someone else and odds are your ally is about to jump on you for [B]no reason at all[/B].

[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;36601279]I hope they merge the assassin and spy into one character like they did with Empire. Having two separate ones was such a pain in the ass. That, and end people randomly ending alliances and attacking you without provocation. I never bothered trying to make alliances after a while because it didn't help in the war effort against someone else and odds are your ally is about to jump on you for [B]no reason at all[/B].[/QUOTE] Denmark raped me because they're bipolar :(

[QUOTE=Sector 7;36600602][b]I better not have to pay five fucking dollars to play as the Scythians or the Selucids or any of that bullshit.[/b] That is all I'm gonna say on that matter. For the love of god, make the game $60, and [i]just include all the content to begin with.[/i][/QUOTE] see that's not how it works, because sometimes developers... [i]add things [b]AFTER[/b] release![/i]

I'm pretty sure Sector 7 means on disc dlc. Hell. Napoleon total war only now released some of it's ON DISC DLC after OVER A YEAR. [editline]3rd July 2012[/editline] On disc/dealership exclusive.

I kind of hope there is an option for a no time limit campaign. Meaning a completely unlimited campaign that stretches on until you are either wiped out or you take over. Would make for some very interesting campaigns... Either way. Ultra excited for this.

[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;36601279]I hope they merge the assassin and spy into one character like they did with Empire. Having two separate ones was such a pain in the ass. That, and end people randomly ending alliances and attacking you without provocation. I never bothered trying to make alliances after a while because it didn't help in the war effort against someone else and odds are your ally is about to jump on you for [B]no reason at all[/B].[/QUOTE] The Diplomacy options in the later games are much improved. Shogun 2, especially, had a solid hold on it. While Shogun's scale and unit variety left something to be desired, the agent and diplomacy aspects of the game were pretty darn rewarding. I'm almost glad they waited so long for Rome 2, because now they've got a firm grasp of all the core concepts that make a great Total War game. Rome's awesome scale and variety, when combined with the updated mechanics and battle systems, would be stellar.

[QUOTE=No Party Hats;36601572]see that's not how it works, because sometimes developers... [i]add things [b]AFTER[/b] release![/i][/QUOTE] Yeah but the pre-order bonus DLCs are what he's talking about I think. Like you only have one out of the three bonus factions available (depending on where you bought the game) and if you want the other ones you have to wait to buy them on DLC.

Hope they add more depth to the ruling dynasty you play as, much like Crusader Kings II has done.

Wait, can we prevent the Romans from executing Jesus Christ in this game?

[QUOTE=No Party Hats;36601572]see that's not how it works, because sometimes developers... [I]add things [B]AFTER[/B] release![/I][/QUOTE] Well, they should at least make the game as complete as possible without rushing it (which they don't seem to be doing) and then add eventual campaigns with loads of new factions and content in expansion packs, like they did with BI and Alexander. I love the Roman Republican era but I would give anything to play campaigns during much earlier eras, with the Greek city states 500-ish BC or even way earlier than that with the great Egyptian empires, Assyrian empires or heck even the Akkadian empire (though I'd imagine that would be hard to do as we know so little from that era). Too many game publishers nowadays release half-finished games and then give you the rest in DLCs. Also, I haven't really played the latest Total War games that much so I don't know too much about them, but I assume they will be re-using a lot of the systems from there. Have they made the AI (especially when it comes to diplomacy) any smarter? Because from what I remember from Rome and Medieval 2, the AI was always dumb as fuck, making stupid-ass decisions, going to war when they were clearly outnumbered and never agreeing to any balanced and fair deals.

[QUOTE=BCell;36605589]Wait, can we prevent the Romans from executing Jesus Christ in this game?[/QUOTE] I think this game would cause a shit storm if Jesus was even in it