Content Staff interviews DotS! Get your questions in now!

[Mighty_Matt]

I also hope they use units from the WOTW mod, I've just seen the English roster and it is outstanding.

In WOTW preview they said they wouldn't be sharing any units before release =( , they did look supurb!

It was unclear whether they did or didn't get different (random colours+patterns) horse-trappers to work ingame, i've seen mods that have it in the unit card but never working ingame?

[Cyprian2]

One of the early claims made by the DotS team is that civil war will be re-instituted (or approximated) as it existed in the original Medieval: Total War. So what's the status of these plans for the upcoming release? Will mighty empires crumble under internal pressures as they used to in the bygone days of the original? How exactly will this take place?

[mynameisowen]

Yeh, when are we getting paid

And what was the final decision on crusades?

Continuing on with this question, what is DOTS's stance on major scripted events? Events that really changed the course of history, in particular:

The sack of Constantinople during the 4th crusade.

The capture of Constantinople in 1453 by the Ottomans (still within the timeframe IIRC).

The BIG crusades (eg 1st) that ended in big land changes.

Mongol captures of key cities in the steppes/middle east.

When these events take place will the player be forced to take part? Will those scripted characters that were decided upon *just* appear to lead your armies? Will the AI armies be scripted to actually do useful things since mostly they just storm around the city they plan on taking, then when they take it they leave it garrisoned with 1 squad of spear militia!

Also at the end of the day, the thing that decided the fate of most factions in game was the capability of their leader(s). The rise and fall of nations is not something the AI (or player) can do. Will this be scripted too?

Hope this isn't too many questions too close to release!

[Gonzo Rationalism]

Hi, first let me express many thanks for this mod, it's awesome. My question is, will PFSs, occupied by enemy in my province, affect income or has any other effect in that province's city\castle? I am wondering if not, what is the meaning of addition of PSF if i can let enemies or rebels occupy them and just forget about that?

There will be an income penalty for losing a PSF, but not for just allowing one to continue being held by neutral foreign troops (although they will quickly cause some serious devastation if you end up going to war). I'm looking into ways for this to cause disorder in the province capital.

You also earn income from placing family members in the PSF. One of your generals can take gold from up to three forts the way I have it set up right now, and you also get devastation money from occupying an enemy PSF.

[Aymar de Bois Mauri]

I would like to know how the military religious orders are handled and in particular to Iberian peninsula factions and regions:

• In general, how is recruitment made? Building or Crusade? Is regional recruitment included if the former?
  
• Are Templars and Hospitallers available to Iberian factions in Iberia like it was historical?
  
• Are Calatrava, Avis, Pereiro e Alcântra, Montesa, Cristo, Montegaudio e Trujillo, etc... represented in the mod?

[Horatius Flaccus]

Will the team represent the antipopes that were around during the timeframe? And if so, how?

[John Oak]

Sorry, new here.. Probably a lot of people asks when the mod will be released and that kind of stuff, but i was not able to find any information about it

I'm pretty excited about the mod ! The Total War News of december made me anxious as hell ! Awesome piece of art !

So.. There is some release date or open test ?

Many thanks !

[The Awesome Boy]

The new video is awesom"!!

[Horatius Flaccus]

The video is amazing!

[Bartolomeo XIII]

so the psf gets names, dreams come true

[motyc]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=ZtLzRJEeZI4

Here you are!

[ErikBerg]

I've a question!
I recall reading somewhere in the DotS forum that the Swedish faction leader in 1080 was married to a princess of Novgorod or somesuch, so I'm wondering: what will Swedish-Novgorod relations be at game start?

[stratigos vasilios]

Just watched the video. I don't mean to ask this question in a negative way, and I'll try my best to come across as positive as possible. Without doubt the team has done their research and can give me a perfect answer, but how come Athens/Athenai is not a city in the game? I imagine the video depicts the game in a 'work in progress setting', but I'm just curious as to why the city is not in the game. I'm guessing it wasn't big enough to warrant a city but eventually will warrant a psf?

[Hengest]

I've a question!
I recall reading somewhere in the DotS forum that the Swedish faction leader in 1080 was married to a princess of Novgorod or somesuch, so I'm wondering: what will Swedish-Novgorod relations be at game start?

Not sure what the deal is with the interview anymore since TWN released without the interview. But it's a nice easy question so I'll answer here. Yeah basically Sweden will start with a decent relationship with Novgorod. As you know Sweden and Novgorod became bitter opponents, but at this point in history they had been intermixing for centuries and codependent in trade. The most popular academic theory about Inge Stenkilsson was that he was the same person as Anund Gårdske, which technically makes him Russian-born. So we are going to give the rulers some Orthodox religion traits despite them having excellent relations with the Pope, since the Rome sent a letter to Inge in 1080 urging him on to destroy the heathens in Svealand.
Staraja Ladoga will actually be in Swedish hands at the start date, one of the few holdings for the faction in 1080 (starts only with Skara and Linköping) and being so far away does give some opportunity for maintaining or developing trade in Russia. Naturally, sooner or later that is going to make for a clash with Novgorod- so I suppose it is pretty historical.

[Resurrection]

Just watched the video. I don't mean to ask this question in a negative way, and I'll try my best to come across as positive as possible. Without doubt the team has done their research and can give me a perfect answer, but how come Athens/Athenai is not a city in the game? I imagine the video depicts the game in a 'work in progress setting', but I'm just curious as to why the city is not in the game. I'm guessing it wasn't big enough to warrant a city but eventually will warrant a psf?

I think Athens are planned as a village PSF if I am not mistaken. Athens were pretty much destroyed first in 9th century, then they rebuilt and then were destroyed again in 12th century by crusaders. Basically throughout our timeframe it was little more than "a pointless village around Acropolis". It has been just a little town ever since that up to 1832... So the question stands rather why we do see Athens in any game/mod set in the second millennium in the first place? Anyway, settlements are chosen as historical capitals of our historical regions. In case of Athens it was part of the Hellas theme* and it's historical capital by the mod start was Larissa (from about second part of 10th century).

*The decision to choose the thematic division despite its decline soon in 12th century was that there was no better option how to divide the region consistently.

[diez]

my question is,if it will be somehow possible to use navy in rivers?

[Resurrection]

my question is,if it will be somehow possible to use navy in rivers?

My analysis of the problems and why it is not worth it. It is only viable if the river is wide enough to avoid clogging which is reasonable only for maps of much lower scale than DotS like in the 30-years-word mod (not sure if there is a sub-forum or newer thread, I think there is but I cannot find it atm).

[stratigos vasilios]

Thanks Resurrection, I never knew that. You learn something new everyday here!

[Tomato_Sandwich]

Its a shame about the timing for the English family tree and characters! the English tree is currently being redone (i'm only taking a short break i promise) and will be about 10 times the size of the one shown in that video. so don't worry it will be a lot more impressive. lots more historic named generals as well who will have children and dynasties which can become more or less powerful depending on what happens. England will be a lot more interesting than it looked there. and just wait until you see the HRE's......

[Giorgios]

Just watched the video. I don't mean to ask this question in a negative way, and I'll try my best to come across as positive as possible. Without doubt the team has done their research and can give me a perfect answer, but how come Athens/Athenai is not a city in the game? I imagine the video depicts the game in a 'work in progress setting', but I'm just curious as to why the city is not in the game. I'm guessing it wasn't big enough to warrant a city but eventually will warrant a psf?

I did quite a bit of the research on PSFs and settlements, especially for the ERE, and Athens in the eleventh and twelfth centuries really wasn't important enough to warrant a settlement- it was just a small village huddled around its acropolis. I think it's represented as a port.