Total War: ROME II Faction Reveal Number Four

[Will CA]

Welcome once more to the faction reveals! At number four we have a faction very close to our hearts (and borders), so head right on over to the Total War Wiki for more information:

http://wiki.totalwar.com/w/Factions

Now that we’ve got this many playable factions announced, I thought now would be a good time to answer a couple of the questions that have popped up on the myriad of threads.

Factions in Total War: ROME II
One of the things that we’ve been able to show you with the faction reveals is that we are changing the definition of what constitutes a faction in a Total War game, we’re bringing a new level of depth per playable faction, each with their own unique unit roster and tech trees making sure each one is a fresh new campaign.

The original Rome is probably the most iconic game of its kind, but we’ve come a very long way since then and what we can deliver now is so far beyond that. We’ll have more information coming, but it is safe to say that the playable factions will have far more scope than previous Total War games.
A lot of people are very concerned with the number of playable factions which Total War: ROME II will have on launch, bear in mind that you don’t know what a ‘faction’ in Rome II will play like or consist of exactly yet, previous games are not necessarily a fair comparison. Also I think the text on the faction page is worth noting:

The information and imagery on this page show work-in-progress Total War: Rome II™ content, and may be subject to change.

DLC & Mods
We are a long way from talking about additional content for ROME II, especially while the full game is still in development. This is also true for modding. For those of you who’ve used the Assembly Kit mod tools for Shogun 2, you’ll understand that we had to create the tools for the community and that isn’t something we are even thinking about until ROME II goes to be manufactured. We won’t be discussing mods for a while yet.

Why isn’t Faction X on the list?
Total War: ROME II has the Roman Empire at its core, so we’ve chosen the playable factions which we feel are the most iconic and present the most diverse spread of play styles for the time period. Of course we’re sorry if you disagree, but we’re confident you’ll find something to satisfy your play style in the roster we’ll have.


-Will CA

[DarkLiberator]

There's your "British" tribe. Well, kinda disappointed, but oh wells. Thanks for the additional info CA!

Screenshot

The units look great.

[♔The Black Knight♔]

A british faction? We are going to run out of room for more prominent factions...

[LestaT]

Iceni ? That means that there'll be that Historical Battle involving the IXth Legion ?

[CanOmer]

Graphics are awesome.

[Rhaegar1]

Allthough the screenshot looks excellent as allways this is the fire major bummer for me. Really bad decission from you guys, seriously just because you're from Brittain including a Brittish tribe is a pretty bad move.

Especially considering that this will cost us at least a playable dacian / iberian / german or even a gallic tribe. All of which had a significantly more influencial role during this age and a much more interesting starting position in my opinion due to more varied enemies close by.

[lolIsuck]

The third guy from the left on the front row looks retarded, not bad but really retarded.

Nice preview, this makes only 8 factions at the start either unlikely or very restricting though as it'd mean they'd sacrifice big empires for factions like this.

[Rikx]

Its great the Iceni are a playable faction. Being capable warriors and their location (requiring a navy to invade them) makes them a very interesting faction to play. Maybe this means Rome II has a more western-centric approach, with all but 2 of the playable factions -at least at launch- being based in central europe and western europe? Probably Bactria, Armenia or Pontus wont make it as playable factions at the launch, but that dsnt mean they wont get reworked into playable in campaign in a future DLC. They have, after all, said time and time again that they are looking at the game from a regular and casual player's point of view, and not of a hardcore historian. So expect most the playable factions to be picked through such eyes, and that offer a strategic starting location even if they arent exactly the most prominent of the nations of the time.

[Evelien]

Awesome! I love the buildings on the background! Not really fond of the hair though (I know that the male warriors had spiked hair, but still..) wanted to see more variety but who knows.. it's not in beta yet.

[Deutschland]

Ugh couldnt find a smaller and more backward tribe right?

[Aanker]

Yep, that might as well have been a first-person Role Playing Game... Or should I say Rome Playing Game?

[MaxTarget]

Yeaahs, Will thank you very much! Great surprise!

[Evelien]

Allthough the screenshot looks excellent as allways this is the fire major bummer for me. Really bad decission from you guys, seriously just because you're from Brittain including a Brittish tribe is a pretty bad move.

Especially considering that this will cost us at least a playable dacian / iberian / german or even a gallic tribe. All of which had a significantly more influencial role during this age and a much more interesting starting position in my opinion due to more varied enemies close by.

Make your own history, that's what the game is about, you can make the iceni a really influencial tribe with enemies all around you I'm happy with this faction, it spices the game up a lot in my opinion!

[athanaric]

So, er, I mean I like British cultures and the picture looks pretty neat (can't comment on historicity), but does this mean one of the actual major players in of the age will be unplayable? Please don't tell me you're leaving Sarmatians out again.

I'm happy with this faction, it spices the game up a lot in my opinion!

How surprising, given your sig

[Deutschland]

I was at least expecting a continental celtic faction.. Nothing about the Iceni justifies their appearence in the same row as Antigonids, Rome or Carthage.

The playable factions represent key powers within the Greco-Roman, Barbarian, and Eastern cultures, and each offers a notably different and deeper form of gameplay experience from those in previous Total War games.

...Lol

[Will CA]

Allthough the screenshot looks excellent as allways this is the fire major bummer for me. Really bad decission from you guys, seriously just because you're from Brittain including a Brittish tribe is a pretty bad move.

Especially considering that this will cost us at least a playable dacian / iberian / german or even a gallic tribe. All of which had a significantly more influencial role during this age and a much more interesting starting position in my opinion due to more varied enemies close by.

To quote my post above:

Total War: ROME II has the Roman Empire at its core, so we’ve chosen the playable factions which we feel are the most iconic and present the most diverse spread of play styles for the time period. Of course we’re sorry if you disagree, but we’re confident you’ll find something to satisfy your play style in the roster we’ll have.

[He111]

As long they put Parthia/Pontus as a playable Faction, they can waste as much Playerfactions on unimportant British Tribes as they want.

[Rhaegar1]

So, er, I mean I like British cultures and the picture looks pretty neat (can't comment on historicity), but does this mean one of the actual major players in of the age will be unplayable? Please don't tell me you're leaving Sarmatians out again.


How surprising, given your sig

Oh I've given up on the sarmatians a long time ago. I'm now even fearing for the gauls, parthia and even the seleucids!

[Dapyx]

Ugh couldnt find a smaller and more backward tribe right?

I totaly agree with you! Who the are iceni?! Some barefoot loosers with zero historical impact. The only reason they made it in the game is because the CA is in Brittain.

After the shield bearers here comes iceni! Keep it up!

[Diglytron]

There are still 4 more factions to be revealed. Guess for ; Germans, Gauls, Parthia, Egypt and Secuids. Well, than it seems reasonable for me altough I will miss playing as Greek city states !

btw; nice reveal, cool looking unit but sadly enough its a tribe from Brittania.. As, sad in, like everyone says its not really a neccensary part as this tribe diddn't influence the history compared to other more important factions....

have to agree with Evelien on this point :

Make your own history, that's what the game is about, you can make the iceni a really influencial tribe with enemies all around you I'm happy with this faction, it spices the game up a lot in my opinion!

After the shield bearers here comes iceni! Keep it up!

O gosh. Please. Stop.