What is it?
Great Sea: Total War is the first of three "Expansion Packs" for
Hyrule: Total War, and will be treated much like the Kingdoms Expansion packs for Medieval 2. It expands heavily on content from
Windwaker and its two sequels:
Phantom Hourglass and
Spirit Tracks. Characters and empires from those games have been fleshed out and incorporated into the greater lore and mythos of Hyrule. Players will get to play as their favorite characters from these games and lead both armies and navies against each other in the Great Sea setting.
What's the Story?
It is a time of change for the people of Hyrule. After much of the land has been ruined and flooded, the Kingdom of Hyrule and several other nations sent out expedition fleets to the north in search of new lands. These colonists will battle each other and native nations to secure the islands of the Great Sea and uncover lost technology of the area's extinct empires: the machine dominant Lomoko, magic proficient Oshus Empire, and the architectural masterminds of the Cobble Kingdom. Uncovering the secrets of these long dead empires will reveal more than their past and technological advancement for the people of Hyrule: the cause of their destruction might just be unleashed upon the Great Sea once again.
New Features
- 8 new playable factions: Tetra's New Hyrule, the Ocean Blins, Rito Clans, the Empire of Bellum, Anouki Natives, Korok Colonists, Lost Goron Tribes, and the Cobble Kingdom.
- 3 new NPC factions: Gerudo Pirates, Yook Nomads, and the Ocean King's Phantom Army.
- A completely new setting: the Islands of the Great Sea.
- A new story driven campaign, as well as a freeform campaign.
- Naval Combat
- New exploration system: Uncover all sorts of treasure, as well as the technology of the Lokomo, magic of the Ocean King, and might of the Cobble Kingdom.
The New Factions
With the realm of Hyrule in ruins, many have set out to find new lands. The Kingdom of Hyrule and Lanayru Province worked together to construct an exploratory fleet that would traverse the ocean in search of new land and resources. Lead by Tetra, the previous Princess of the Kingdom of Hyrule and her loyal knight Link, the new Hylian Navy has set out to explore and colonize the Great Sea.
Tetra and her forces were quickly unwelcome to the Great Sea by Gerudo and Ocean Blin Pirates, forcing them to dig in on Outset island and establish a base of operations. From there the new Hylian forces gather armies from Hyrule and set out to explore the Great Sea by force, uncovering lost technology of the Lokomo and Oshus Empire.
Tetra's forces are rather outgunned by the more established empires in the Great Sea, though she has the advantage of requesting support from the Kingdom of Hyrule by summoning units from their roster in
Hyrule: Total War. Being an exploratory force, Tetra also has access to swift scouts and spies, as well as a rather speedy navy. While Tetra's navy is competent, it is dwarfed by some of the more established ocean going empires.
When the Goddess Hylia defeated Demise and scorched the Moblin homelands centuries past, a group of Moblins fled Hyrule and took to the seas. These Blin eventually settled on the northwestern islands of the Great Sea and maintained a primitive empire. When the first wave of Hylian explorers arrived several hundred years ago these Moblins violently killed them and stole their ships, eventually learning how to build and operate the craft. Soon after these Moblins took to the seas and began raiding and pillaging other peoples such as the Anouki and Rito.
In current times, Moblin colonists of Hyrule had set out to explore the Great Sea and came into contact with their Ocean Blin cousins. Consolidating their resources, the Moblins of Hyrule have upgraded and outfitted the Ocean Blin ships with better weaponry and manpower. Now lead by Malladus, the Ocean Blins seek to become an established empire rather than a collection of pirates and raiders.
The Ocean Blins pack a powerful close ranged navy. Many of their ships are equipped to ram into enemy ships and are rather sturdy. On land they display many of the same advantages that their Moblin cousins had: adept at charging into and trampling enemies head on. The Ocean Blins are lacking in ranged firepower however: both on land and at sea. Their ships can be outgunned by archers and cannons if they don't manage to close the gap.
The Rito are a native race of the Great Sea and the dominant empire during the arrival of Hylian Colonists. For many years they were a simple and nomadic people flying from island to island, divided into various clans that warred with each other. This continued for centuries until the mysterious dragon called Valoo approached the Rito and united them under his banner. Together they dominated much of the central Great Sea and to this day maintain a powerful nation.
Though the Rito are a unified people, they are still divided into twelve separate clans. Each clan specializes in a specific fighting style and provides certain soldiers types to a fight. All of these clans are treated equally and their Chiefs can rise to the rule the Rito, with the exception of the Flightless Clan who can only hope to serve as low level labor and footsoldiers.
The Rito's major advantage is their ability to fly. This gives them unmatched speed and allows many of their land based infantry units to participate in naval battles. This is somewhat offset by the fact that the Rito are not very durable, and their navy is rather lackluster because of their over reliance on flying over the seas.
The Empire of Bellum is a collection of aquatic races that sided with the creature from other worlds that Bellum had conquered. Its most notable minions are the Parella; its most loyal and oldest servants, and the River Zora of its previous conquest. Bellum employs lesser creatures to do its bidding as well, though the Parella and River Zora are its favorite since they can take and hold land targets.
The Empire of Bellum perpetuated a war between the three ancient factions of the Great Sea: The Lokomo, Oshus Empire, and Cobble Kingdom. It aided all three sides in destroying each other for countless decades, hoping that they would be weakened enough for an easy invasion. When the Lokomo and Oshus Empire discovered they were being played, they immediately withdrew all support from Bellum, leaving the Cobble Kingdom the only affiliate. Bellum's armies then took an active approach and marched upon its opposition. With victory in Bellum's grasp, the Ocean King turned to a last desperate measure; he created an army of unstoppable Phantom Knights. These constructs cut through Bellum's armies with ease, slaughtering countless Parella and River Zora. The Parella retreated to gather reinforcements, and the River Zora fled to other lands in the wake of this army. It was thus that thus Bellum became inactive for hundreds of years until being awoken by his servants again.
The Empire of Bellum is a very aquatic heavy faction. Though it technically has no navy, Bellum deploys powerful ocean monsters such as Gyorgs and Bigoctos, and many of its land units can also traverse the ocean and participate in naval battles. This minimizes the need to focus on two separate armies, as a land force can take to the seas if an enemy navy approaches.
The Anouki are one of the few races native to the Islands of the Great Sea. Though they are primitive even by Hyrule's standards, they have outlasted the mighty and advanced empires that ravaged these lands in the past. Part of their success is their homeland and adaptability to its environment: a wasteland in a near perpetual state of winter.
The Anouki are primarily a hunter-gatherer society. Though they have no bias against the developments of other empires, they prefer to stick to their traditions and simple way of life even after being exposed to technology. This attitude often gives the Anouki a reputation for being stubborn and stupid, though this is not exactly the truth. In the distant past the Anouki had a major war with the Yook, also natives of their homeland. After the war nearly destroyed both peoples, a truce was signed that divided their homeland. For centuries neither side has violated the agreement, though the Yooks have migrated away from their homeland as far south as Hyrule.
The Anouki have a huge advantage when fighting in snowy and icy terrain. This makes them a very defensive faction as this bonus does not apply to fighting in most other types of environments. The Anouki army is one of speed; they can usually outmaneuver and position their infantry and sleds in strategically important locations before other armies can. The Anouki have a rather unremarkable navy of small canoes and brigs.
The destruction of Hyrule brought great ruin to the Kokiri. As the forest began to wither, the children of the Great Deku Tree underwent his final request and shed their animal bodies, becoming Koroks and vowing to abandon war forever. Deeming Hyrule a lost cause, these Koroks gathered the remaining Deku Tree Seeds and set out to find new and fertile lands. Eventually the Koroks came to the islands of the Great Sea, where they have struggled to establish themselves.
Like the Hylians, the Koroks are newcomers to the Islands of the Great Sea and have been met with hostility on all sides. Though their intentions are peaceful, they have been constantly raided by Ocean Blin pirates. With little hope left of the Great Deku Tree's legacy, the Korok Queen Saria has revoked the vow of pacifism and begun to militarize the Koroks to strike back at the Ocean Blin.
The Korok army is relatively frail, though they have a superior range advantage over all of the other factions. Powerful archers and long ranged artillery line their ranks. The Korok Navy is relatively frail as well, though their ships are very swift and can outrun most other navies with ease.
Long ago before the Gorons kept written history, they sent many expeditions to distant lands to explore and colonize. Many of these colonies failed, while other were subjugated such as the Gorons of Labrynna. Some tribes of Gorons managed to set sail and land in the Great Sea however, and unbeknownst to anyone they thrived.
The Lost Gorons remained secluded on their island colonies for many years, digging deep into the ground just as their ancestors did in the Death Mountain Range. Over time they eventually came to live entirely underground, rarely coming to the surface. Life under the earth has changed the appearance of these Gorons, and they have taken on dark and crystalline characteristics unlike the Gorons of Hyrule.
Like their ancestors, the Lost Goron Tribes excel at sieging and assaulting their enemies and dealing damage on land. Though their navy is small, crude, and remarkably slow, they also pack powerful cannons and ship wrecking weaponry.
The Cobble Kingdom was once a mighty nation that rivaled the Lokomo and Oshus Empire. At the peak of their power they employed ingenious construction techniques and created massive cities that dwarfed their rivals. They were infamous for their massive constructs which they would unleash in battle.
During their conflict with the Lokomo and Oshus Empire, the Cobble Kingdom remained loyal to Bellum throughout the war. When the Ocean King unleashed his unstoppable Phantom Army on a genocidal rampage, massive armies of the Cobble Kingdom fell to their endless and tireless march. In short order the entire Kingdom collapsed, and the last of their people retreated deep within their monumental tombs and entered a long enchanted sleep. For centuries the last of the Cobble have rested beneath the earth while the Oshus Empire and Lokomo became extinct.
Now awakened by the arrival of explorers from Hyrule, the Cobble Kingdom has returned to reclaim their glory. Though they lack the technological sophistication they once had, the Cobble Kingdom still has a tech advantage over the other factions of the Great Sea, particularly in construction. The true strength of the Cobble Kingdom's military might is their artificial constructs. These soulless beings are immune to all moral effects and can take on superior numbers. Their largest constructs are able to assist their navies in ocean operations. The Cobble Navy does not stand out in particular, though it is decent enough to get the job done.
NPC Factions
Gerudo Pirates - Gerudo Pirates have been present in the Great Sea for ages and have plundered the inhabitants. Now the riches that New Hyrule unearths will be theirs for the taking.
Yook Nomads - Natives to the Northeastern islands, the Yook are a violent and nomadic people that have spread across the world's icy regions. The Yook rely on speed and power above all else and are very mobile.
Ocean King's Phantom Army - The only Remnants of the great Oshus Empire, the Phantom Army was unleashed upon the Great Sea as a last means to hold Bellum at bay. While they succeeded, the Phantom Army went out of control and exterminated the Lokomo, Cobble Kingdom, and the last of the Ocean King's people. They protect the ruined cities and temples once devoted to the aquatic deity even long after his people have faded.
The models for each faction will be worked on simultaneously with Hyrule: Total War and we can probably expect some demos in the next year. The campaigns will not be started on until Hyrule: Total War is complete.
Expansion Pack discusion thread.
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Originally Posted by UndyingNephalim
