What DLCs/mini campaigns will there be?

[jimlawl]

I hope for a Rise of Islam themed DLC since that time period (600-700 AD) is interesting and relatively untouched (99% games are either Roman or Medieval but not in between, Barbarian Invasion/Attila are only late Roman/Fall of Rome not post-Roman/Dark Ages)

Another good DLC would be Justinian where you have to re-conquer the old western Roman territories.

Any other suggestions?

[LestaT]

I would be content of having Battle of Yarmouk and Battle of al-Qādisiyyah as historical battles. At least historical battles are easily moddable like in Shogun 2 Assembly Kit.

[Riekopo]

How about they include it in the game.

[jimlawl]

How about they include it in the game.

We both know that won't happen, it's SEGA we're talking about...

[Le_Swede]

I hope for a Rise of Islam themed DLC since that time period (600-700 AD) is interesting and relatively untouched (99% games are either Roman or Medieval but not in between, Barbarian Invasion/Attila are only late Roman/Fall of Rome not post-Roman/Dark Ages)

God no! I'd much rather see this as its own complete total war game. After all the setting is perfect for it with the great geo-political changes in the MENA-region aswell as the rising of Charlemagne in the north west. IMO there are few if any settings/epochs that would be better suited for a brand new total war game.

[Linke]

They should do a Justinian/Belisarius campaign where you have basicaly Hanibaal at the Gates map but replace Iberia with the Balkan.
Then they could do something with the franks like Charlemagne or Charles Martell.

Something with muslims sure but make sure to not represent people like Mohammed in the game.

Finaly a Viking invasion of Brittania by the sons of Ragnar Lothbrok (the great heathen army) pretty musch the last phase of the dark ages but still from the same period.
with a map somewhat like Denmark, south Norway and Sweden, Frisia and of Course Brittania.

[PlPs]

Rise of Islam must be a standalone game. I would love to play that game.

[The Noble Duke Of York]

I think they will not opt to include the rise of Islam for two reasons: 1) They could keep it for a future Total War and 2) It might prove controversial.

If they do 3 Mini-Campaigns for this like they did for Rome 2 then I suspect they'll stop right at 600 AD. I suspect a Belisarius campaign is doable for them. But I also suspect they'll do something with the 410 invasion by the Vandals, Burgundi and Visigoths and perhaps a mini-campaign that involves the Saxon invasions of Britain with the establishment of Germanic successor states in Western Europe is also likely. But I would not expect them to push past the 550's for the mini-campaigns. Now what modders do is another matter entirely

[Xerrop]

As this is only the standalone-expansion of Rome2 there will probably not be that many mini campaigns compared to Rome2. And the Islamic Caliphate is out of the timeframe imho. Not to mention that it would be highly controversial. But there are two main scenarios that I can think of:

1.) Constantine-campaign (early 4th century): Somewhat similar to the Augustus-DLC as there are again four Emperors fighting against each other and additionally there is much more religious unrest as Christianity is not a state religion yet. Plus Constantine the Great is the most famous and best known Roman Emperor from Late Antiquity (aside from short reigning Julian Apostata).

2.) the already mentioned Justinian/Belisarius-campaign (6th century): But this one could be even split into two parts. One dealing with the reconquest of the West during Justinians reign we all know about.

2.1.) And the second one starting at 567 with the arrival of the Avars. This one would include the Lombard invasion of Italy, the Balkan campaigns of Maurice against the Slavs and the last and biggest Roman-Persian War til 628 AD. It could end right before Islam became an important factor.

[Huberto]

The could do any number of mini campaigns but at some point this gets obscure for them and they face diminishing returns. They also need to focus on getting Warhammer done.

[Le_Swede]

Something with muslims sure but make sure to not represent people like Mohammed in the game.

The beautiful part about a Total War game set in the days of the muslim conquests are that they only really became relevant to the world outside of arabia after the death of Muhammed.

[Muramasa1794]

Really hope they have battles with the Rashidun Caliphate with Eastern Roman Empire and Sassanian Empire.

[jimlawl]

Rise of Islam was more significant to the world than Attila, even TODAY the whole world is DIRECTLY affected by it...

Also Medieval 2 Total War also had Islam, CK2 too (they hide Mohammed's face to avoid offending Muslims), Assassin's Creed 1, etc. so they can make a Muslim themed DLC without major problems (except some people that like to make mountains out of rocks)

[Aenima]

Didn't even consider the rise of Islam, that'd be interesting, but too difficult to do properly. For the Romans to be accurately depicted there'd have to be massive public disorder from the start, and with each successive loss to the Arabs public order and morale would have to universally drop to accurately represent what happened. Would Yarmouk already have happened or would the Romans have a fractured army with a lack of proper co-ordination that makes it almost guaranteed that you lose?

I was thinking of a Justinian/Belisarius campaign, as others have mentioned. The same world map could be used but with the landscape of Europe changed to show the conquests of the Western empire by different barbarians, although that sounds basic enough to simply be modded in.

[Huberto]

Didn't even consider the rise of Islam, that'd be interesting, but too difficult to do properly.

Rise of Islam would be a steamroll and since it's Allah and all we probably don't want to offend billions of people with alternative outcomes, let alone a representation of the Prophet or Ali riding in on a camel. The appropriate game might be Total War: Caliphate, set in the eight hundreds, with the Turks, the rise of rival dynasties etc.

[Darios]

I think that a really cool possibility could be the crisis of the 3rd century. I say this because it would give people (who are disappointed that that ATW will get the features that R2 should have had) the opportunity to play with "traditional" Roman legionnaires on the new game. You also have an interesting scenario with invasions, rebellions, and a sexy character in Queen Zenobia. I think it's highly unlikely but could be interesting. More realistic ideas could be:

1) Emperor Majorian - Ruled during the 450s while the WRE was already doomed but came very close to reestablishing Roman power in Gaul, Hispania, and Africa. Unfortunately, his reforms clashed with the Roman aristocracy and he was disposed and killed in 461. With his death came the reality that "it's over." The campaign map could be centered in the Western Mediterranean.

2) Justinian Campaign - You have "sexy characters" such as Belisarus, Justinian, Theodora, and Totila. Would be interesting to use an updated version of the Grand Campaign map with the West being a land of Germanic Kingdoms while the Goths are the power in Italy. Play as the Goths to preserve your rule in Italy or as the ERE in order to reconquer the Empire under the rule of Justinian while defending the east from the Persians (that never gets boring.)

3) Maurice's Balkans Campaign - A particular favorite of mine (I work on the East of Rome mod team) where the Avars rule Pannonia in 590 and the newly arrived Slavs are running wild all over Dacia and the Balkans. The goal here would be to either carve out a new home as a barbarian tribe or to play as the Romans and reestablish the system of the Danube Limes. This was the last Roman campaign fought in the traditional sense of establishing the Rhine/Danube borders and Maurice's overthrow by Fokas would essentially spell the end of antiquity with the realization that the Romans were now living in a new early world. The campaign map would only need to consist of the Balkans from the Southern Carpathian mountains to Greece.

[jimlawl]

Rise of Islam would be a steamroll and since it's Allah and all we probably don't want to offend billions of people with alternative outcomes, let alone a representation of the Prophet or Ali riding in on a camel. The appropriate game might be Total War: Caliphate, set in the eight hundreds, with the Turks, the rise of rival dynasties etc.

What about Medieval 2 Total War? It had Islam and you could kill/convert/sack/etc them and play alternative outcomes.

Also the Turks would be out of place in a game set in the 800s... 1000s they could be the ruling Seljuks in Persia, 1100s-1300s conquest of Anatolia, 1400s-1500s would be conquest of other areas including Balkans, Levant, Egypt, etc.

I think that a really cool possibility could be the crisis of the 3rd century. I say this because it would give people (who are disappointed that that ATW will get the features that R2 should have had) the opportunity to play with "traditional" Roman legionnaires on the new game. You also have an interesting scenario with invasions, rebellions, and a sexy character in Queen Zenobia. I think it's highly unlikely but could be interesting. More realistic ideas could be:

1) Emperor Majorian - Ruled during the 450s while the WRE was already doomed but came very close to reestablishing Roman power in Gaul, Hispania, and Africa. Unfortunately, his reforms clashed with the Roman aristocracy and he was disposed and killed in 461. With his death came the reality that "it's over." The campaign map could be centered in the Western Mediterranean.

2) Justinian Campaign - You have "sexy characters" such as Belisarus, Justinian, Theodora, and Totila. Would be interesting to use an updated version of the Grand Campaign map with the West being a land of Germanic Kingdoms while the Goths are the power in Italy. Play as the Goths to preserve your rule in Italy or as the ERE in order to reconquer the Empire under the rule of Justinian while defending the east from the Persians (that never gets boring.)

3) Maurice's Balkans Campaign - A particular favorite of mine (I work on the East of Rome mod team) where the Avars rule Pannonia in 590 and the newly arrived Slavs are running wild all over Dacia and the Balkans. The goal here would be to either carve out a new home as a barbarian tribe or to play as the Romans and reestablish the system of the Danube Limes. This was the last Roman campaign fought in the traditional sense of establishing the Rhine/Danube borders and Maurice's overthrow by Fokas would essentially spell the end of antiquity with the realization that the Romans were now living in a new early world. The campaign map would only need to consist of the Balkans from the Southern Carpathian mountains to Greece.

Those 4 + Rise of Islam + Constantine the Great are all the ones I can think about.

[Darios]

CA isn't going to make a campaign about Mouamet or early Islam for many obvious reasons. They are based out of Britain remember.

A reason that is more near to us as gamers is the simple fact that a "Rise of the Caliphate" campaign would involve creating a completely new culture/faction/units in a game that is focused on Attila the Hun.

[jimlawl]

CA isn't going to make a campaign about Mouamet or early Islam for many obvious reasons. They are based out of Britain remember.

A reason that is more near to us as gamers is the simple fact that a "Rise of the Caliphate" campaign would involve creating a completely new culture/faction/units in a game that is focused on Attila the Hun.

What's wrong with being based out of Britain? They don't live in Londonistan.

[Darios]

What's wrong with being based out of Britain? They don't live in Londonistan.

Horsham is close enough. I don't wanna see CA on CNN one day. I also don't wanna see this thread go off topic. I think that the Rise of Islam is a little bit too late in time-frame for a game based off of the Hunnic Invasion. The Roman and Persian armies in 630 AD were very different from what they had in 395 AD.

I also believe that au lieu of a Constantine era campaign, it would be more logical to simply make the Battle of the Milvian Bridge as a historical battle. There was nothing strategically interesting about the period that one would not be able to already experience in the main campaign. The GC will already have a clash between Greco-Roman Paganism and Christianity.