Rome: Total War - Barbarian Invasion

[Kinjo]

Crossbows were in the demo...maybe show frank's throwing axes that has not been shown yet.

[The Thracian]

Peter got any campaign map screens?

[Peter]

Axemen

very nice
http://www.imagedump.com/index.cgi?pick=get&tp=317444
http://www.imagedump.com/index.cgi?pick=get&tp=317445

campaign

rome
http://upl.silentwhisper.net/uplfold...load6/rome.JPG

wall
http://upl.silentwhisper.net/uplfold...load2/wall.JPG

the celts

http://upl.silentwhisper.net/uplfold...load0/celt.JPG

horde
http://upl.silentwhisper.net/uplfold.../onthemove.JPG

greece
http://upl.silentwhisper.net/uplfold...oad6/world.JPG

[Gill]

Hmmmm..
Not many cities or provinces on the map..

[Dark_SCHNEIDER]

thx peter and good test

And can you test a battle in VH mode to see if the battle is more difficult?
Sassanids against Franks please.

[Chuffy]

Who are the blue guys around the Crimea and near Sarmatia?

[Stalins Ghost]

OK I've thought of a simplish AI test (sorry...it looks better so far, but I still cant tell ). Simple get a full stack of WRE Comitatenses apart from say 2 archer units and 2 Cav units, and the same for the ERE. Just take pictures when the major engagment begins

Chuffy, I believe they are Roxalanii.

[nahirean]

Hello. I got this wonderful game pre-ordered and to my suprise it was available in my local store ready to get picked up and payed for.

Lets get on with the review

My first impression of the game was very suprising. And i havent been reading about this expansion too much so i had an open mind when i installed it. The cd case contained a manual and "a" disc of course so it went smooth to install. And when i finaly got to the main menu i took a look at the options menu to find whole new graphics options. I dident experiment what everything did so i choose everything and it dident effect performance at all. Ok i got myself to the campaign as the western roman faction thinking it would be a good first time play choice. But once i played it for a while i was so shooked by all new thing that i started a new campaign until i had taken a look at every faction. The campaign map is the same as before but with fewer settlements. So no more Sparta or corinth for example. But what this does is creating more tension betwen faction as they get more aggressive to expand their territory. The battles are also in better condition now as the battle AI is improved and when your general gets the ability in form of a command trait you can fight your army in the darkness which is the highlight of this expansion and it really adds to the atmosphere. And of course some commanders are better then others in the darkness some dont even find the battlefield!.


The Barbarians got the most faction including Huns , Celts, Sarmatians, saxons and some have the ability to move its entire faction to a new homland if you are in trouble, as your "horde" is on the move you dont pay any fees besides mercenaries. But you are vulnerable to attacks. If your horde is destroyed you are too. So this is a very welcome feat aswell. When you finaly find a place to live you got the option to etiher settle or sack the settlement. The sacking which has been discussed on this forum is not really of a carthage scenario but the entire population is killed and most buildings are destroyed or damaged.


Overall this is a very good expansion but it has its flaws aswell. Example the campaign map is not so lively as before nothing added to the nature. The wonders are gone(which is accurate) but removes the quality of the terrain maybe some ruins would be good enough to add a litte variation. And there are some minor glithes that is not worth mentioning really. Some skins could be worked on etc.


But i see through those thing for now. What i did not see through was the improved pathfinding. This i was very pleased by. i play on Huge unit scale(up to 240 units) and i could steer my cavalry quite good in the city. And if you have wardogs in the city also that is not a problem they go where they suppose to go. The town square is saddly still a chaotic place thou.


If i was to grade this expansion now i would get it a 7,5 of 10 It still got the magic replayability and the wow factor when you first start the game puts this game close to original rtw which i grade a 9,5 out of 10.

Thank you Creative Assemble and Sega for the work.



Some screens of the relic.

graphics option

http://upl.silentwhisper.net/uplfold...load7/menu.JPG

celtic lineup

http://upl.silentwhisper.net/uplfold...oad4/celts.JPG
http://upl.silentwhisper.net/uplfold...ad1/celts2.JPG

a desert night

http://upl.silentwhisper.net/uplfold...ad5/desert.JPG
http://upl.silentwhisper.net/uplfold...d1/desert2.JPG
http://upl.silentwhisper.net/uplfold...d7/desert3.JPG

The worlds first BI Heroic victory :laughing:

http://upl.silentwhisper.net/uplfold...load8/hero.JPG

Thanks// Peter

Thanks for taking the time and writing the review. I am looking forward to BI coming in the mail for me. You say the AI pathing is better in sieges? That is wonderful! Is there any new music or sounds?

[Xennik]

I think they already sayed in the official FAQ that there won´t be any new music tracks.

[Peter]

I made a correction in the review as there is still 2 wonders standing !

Maousuleum of haliarnicus and the great pyramids.

[Maethius]

Nice review and pictures!

[Peter]

About the AI

do you know about the trick when you are severly outnumbered in a siege?. And you sally out to lure the enemy around the walls to kill them of ?

well this is a picture telling otherwise. This is my second last settlement and im gonna lose this battle.

http://www.imagedump.com/index.cgi?pick=get&tp=317543

[Hamelkart]

Who are the blue guys around the Crimea and near Sarmatia?

I think those are Slavs. And who are those purple/pink guys east of Franks? Near Vandals.

[Carius]

Wow, thank you Peter for taking the time to write/screenshot all this. Very informative, and an excellent way to pass some time at work!

Thanks!

[RTWisthebestgame89]

can you show us the saxos... like everything about them.. tech tree... units.. building.. everything lol

[Kinjo]

This should make you happy! from Stalin the Great himself.

The Saxons:

http://img398.imageshack.us/my.php?image=sax9rw.jpg
http://img398.imageshack.us/my.php?image=sax23rx.jpg
http://img398.imageshack.us/my.php?image=sax35ea.jpg
http://img398.imageshack.us/my.php?image=sax47qi.jpg

[lt1956]

Peter when you get a chance can you play a battle in regular RTW and see IF the AI behaves the same way as in BI battles? I think it might if so thats a great news also.

Also I thought of something, on the first cohorts, when you recruit 2 in the same spot is one of them 1 and the other 2 with different text names? Reason I ask is in the pictures they were both 1 but it may be related to How many 1st cohorts you have in the campaign, 1,2,3 and then different secondary names claudia etc. I was just curious since you have the game in your hands.

[RTWisthebestgame89]

Ok everything on the Goths.. lol .. and mabye franks lol

[nstutt]

Hmmmm..
Not many cities or provinces on the map..

Thats got to be good hasnt it - means that you have more area to fight in and you will have to stop enemies from reaching your cities by fighting them in open terrain. I hate all of the city seiges in RTW - have to be the most boring part of the game. Im looking forward to more fighting in the landscapes like MTW.

I can imagine the tactics in BI will be completely different than those of RTW. And anyway any game that doesnt have millions of differnt types of phalanx had got to be good in my book. I wont miss them thats for sure.

Nats

[Peter]

those purple people are the Roxani a mix of sarmatians vandals and huns

and the saxons

unit tech tree
http://www.imagedump.com/index.cgi?pick=get&tp=317611

loading
http://www.imagedump.com/index.cgi?pick=get&tp=317607

tech tree 1
http://www.imagedump.com/index.cgi?pick=get&tp=317616
tech tree 2
http://www.imagedump.com/index.cgi?pick=get&tp=317603
tech tree 3
http://www.imagedump.com/index.cgi?pick=get&tp=317606

new feat
http://www.imagedump.com/index.cgi?pick=get&tp=317609

some fighting
http://www.imagedump.com/index.cgi?pick=get&tp=317619
http://www.imagedump.com/index.cgi?pick=get&tp=317620



doh!.... a well take a look anyway

lt1956: you know of any money cheat so it will be easier to research?