Total War: Attila

[Majorien]

Well if I remember correctly Socialism did not have computer or videogames.

So due this: LONG LIVE CAPITALISM AND FREE ENTREPRENEURSHIP!!!!

Gaiten, where do you think Tetris come from ?

[Gäiten]

From a Russian genie, but it was a worldwide success and made availabe for a huge gamer pool due a capitalist company -> Nintendo.

[Diocle]

Well if I remember correctly Socialism did not have computer or videogames.

So due this: LONG LIVE CAPITALISM AND FREE ENTREPRENEURSHIP!!!!

You seem not getting the point: it's not the Socialism which is killing the free market and the "free entrepreneurship", it's the Imperialism (the final stage of the play) which is killing what you call "free entrepreneurship", this is the Capitalistic Collectivization, Gaiten, whether you like it or not. Nobody will never ask you if you like their products or not, they don't need anymore your consensus, they build the mass consensus on the products they have decided you have to consume; all in all: you have the freedom to do whatever they want.

For example: if you want to open a new gaming company, you are free to do it, then, if you are successful, after three or five years, they'll buy your company which will be immediately assimilated to the average crap they have decided to sell (CA/SEGA, Relic/SEGA); if your company is not successful, the bankers will sweep the shards from the floor.

Remember Gaiten: you have not the choice between collectivization or not-collectivization, you are collectivized whether you like it or not.
This is the meaning of products as "Total War Arena": all the games MUST slowly move toward one generic model of game suited to multiple platforms, it must be online, it must be playable even by those who don't know the silly difference between a "scutum" and a "pavise", its gameplay must be as close as possible to the average FPS games, it must have a huge replayability and, in this optic, history, historical accuracy, intelligence and narrative depth are absolutely meaningless details, indeed the AI's development itself is now a useless and costly frivolity. The new games don't need intellect, whether artificial or not.

You are free to not believe me, of course, but it's already happening: willing or not, you will play whatever they like that you like to play. (sorry for my English, but for me the concept is at the same time extremely easy to understand and extremely complex to be expressed in English, and probably even in Italian)
That said, now go, and buy the last DLC, please. Ops ... forgetting: being there, preorder also Warhammer, thanks.

[wulfgar610]

SEGA, Sony, Google, Valve and whatever else, it's all the same ... crap! Names don't matter, for the matter of which they're made is the same.

Wulfgar is right, they are streamrolling the gaming scenery turning it into a big indistinct universe, a big blob, where the Great European History and Warhammer, Batman and Charlemagne, Tolkien and Disney, literature and comics, art and t are so closely intermingled that even trying to distinguish between them it becomes a fool task.

Their task is producing tons of games which are actually a big game, always the same, tons of titles which are always the same title, all the novels are the same novel, all the stories are the same story, all the histories are the same history, all the men are the same man, flattened on the model of the mass consumer, for them you're not a man, you're an economic target, a meaningless part of the only true reality existing: the market.
If you search for philosophy, in this world built by merchants and bankers, you'll find at its place the market, if you search for philosophers you'll find marketing experts, if you search for creations, you'll find products, if you search for men you'll find a barcode.

In this world, any horizontal and vertical distinction in the mass production is blasphemous, no difference, no distinction, no variety only a giant international blob devouring men, thought, objects, souls, memories and collective memories. Welcome in the Capitalist Collectivization!

Bienvenue en enfer.

Socialism and Capitalism came from opposite ends of the room, they met on the dance floor and fell in love!

This hit was a little cornball, but hit the mark of what was happening back then.

[Abdülmecid I]

Just noticed an interesting detail in Charlemagne. If anyone remembers the old BI, a great part of its content was copy-pasted from Rome I in a hilariously obvious way. To give you an example, one of the Goths' battle-speeches was "Hail Ares!". When I was younger and more innocent, I thought that when CA read about Arianism, they thought that it was a strange dogma where the god was called Ares, not a christian "heresy". Turns out that the Goths were re-skinned Greeks, so they had the same speeches as the followers of the Greek Pantheon, whose god of war is.... Ares. Meanwhile, looks like that neither Charlemagne was christian. No, he didn't believe in the German gods either. Not even Jewish, no the man was an...

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Etruscan at heart. Oh, yes, Charlemagne was converted into a civilization long gone, naming his armies after their forgotten gods. Who can blame him, though? When you compare foggy Aquisgrana with il Sole di Toscana, then you don't really have a choice:

[wulfgar610]

Just noticed an interesting detail in Charlemagne. If anyone remembers the old BI, a great part of its content was copy-pasted from Rome I in a hilariously obvious way. To give you an example, one of the Goths' battle-speeches was "Hail Ares!". When I was younger and more innocent, I thought that when CA read about Arianism, they thought that it was a strange dogma where the god was called Ares, not a christian "heresy". Turns out that the Goths were re-skinned Greeks, so they had the same speeches as the followers of the Greek Pantheon, whose god of war is.... Ares. Meanwhile, looks like that neither Charlemagne was christian. No, he didn't believe in the German gods either. Not even Jewish, no the man was an... Etruscan at heart. Oh, yes, Charlemagne was converted into a civilization long gone, naming his armies after their forgotten gods. Who can blame him, though? When you compare foggy Aquisgrana with il Sole di Toscana, then you don't really have a choice:

BI was my all time favourite. Far from perfection, but a fun game all the same. We were lucky to get the period covered. My opinion they were working on a medieval game but hastily revamped it as a late Roman Empire game, when they moved onto an upgrade "engine" for Medieval II.

The period was now classic so years later we got Attila. But I find the Strategic map of these new games dull. It just amounts to strategic pathways between settlements. They were heading somewhere more interesting in regards to terrain strategy with Empire. But I've concluded we've lost this because the AI can't cope with terrain strategies like the human mind can. The Human Logic chip originates in our ability to string words into sentences and paragraphs. Something neither the animal kingdom or computers can do. The inbuilt programing of the human logic chip can't be fully determined, hence the logical paradoxes the mathematicians lament over. The Human logic chip creates values that are just not perfectly mathematical.

So I found the new game a bit of a drag. Disappointing as well is CA's less than pure motives in regards to war-gaming realism. Not that CA doesn't deserve credit for making what is still an outstanding piece of work.

So how is Charlemagne looking? I can't say I'm that well impressed by the limitations of the Strategic Map. The only homeland for the Vikings is Jutland?

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

The kingdom of Mercia for us AS diehards? Vot, no Wessex!

Must get around to a faster machine at some stage. Most say for gaming a low end intel can do the trick?

[Diocle]

Sadly, lately I don't find even just 30 minutes a day to play TW games or any other game! This is a tragedy!

So, I must read what I can about Attila and its DLCs, to keep me adjourned with the progresses of CA's storytelling (of course, I'm under the influx of the Christmas' atmosphere, I would have never used such a poetic definition to describe what CA is selling us!),so, thanks guys.

[wulfgar610]

Well there was "The Last Roman" DLC with Belisaruis back in June. Some thought it much better than Attila. Interesting looking strategic map.

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...A-SPLIT-REVIEW

What I'd really like is a Alfred the Great scenario centered on Britain. The more I dig at the history of the this period the more fascinating it appears. The 250 year long war between the Vikings and English, which ended up with both losing. Fascinating how important the old Roman walled city of Chester was, pinning the other end of Wattling street.

Still, I'd prefer to play the game with a faster machine than my Core 2.

[wulfgar610]

"The Last Roman" DLC is on special on Steam, cut from $15 to $5. "Empires of Sand" has been cut to a third as well. "Charlemagne" is still at $15. Tempting?

Oh well I purchased everything I didn't have for Attila except the Blood Pack since I don't know if I like blood and don't want my Core 2 slowed down. Adding in the the Lombards and Celts at their cut price. I found the generics annoying!

Might try the Danes.......since a goal of mayhem is an easy one!

[Abdülmecid I]

CA just announced the last DLC for Attila. As expected, after witnessing the hostile reaction of the pro-Slav fans, CA decided to create a DLC focusing exclusively on the Slavic tribes of Anteans, Sclavenians and Venedians. Meanwhile, guess what the Slavs are wearing: Corinthian helmets? Nope. Lorica Segmentata? Nope, again. Werewolf skins? Neither these. The Slavs are wearing...

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

tracksuits!

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

And their faction bonus is easy conquest of desolated provinces. In other words... squatting! Damn, sometimes CA is irresistibly cute, when they endorse our modern prejudices so passionately.

[Diocle]

Personally I've nothing against tracksuites, but ..
.. just try to imagine how Vladimir Putin will react to the news about ancient Slavs in tracksuits!