Unicorn Games (XIII Century, Rusich, 1242: Real Warfare, Lords of War)

[Mister Sir]

With the advent of Napoleon: Total War at hand, and the bitter taste of Empire: Total War in our mouths, many of us have wondered aloud if Creative Assembly have exhausted the potential of the Total War series or are no longer serious about releasing decent products that are open to modding or don't require subsequent purchases of DLC for the "full package" .
While excellent MTWII mods such as Rusichi, TATW, Broken Crescent, SS, and 1648 are incrementally pushing the boundaries of the game's engine further, and Rome: Total War continues to stun with the amazing AI and visuals of Roma Surrectum, we're yet to see a Total War mod which has exceeded some of the hard-coded limitations of the two games' engines. For example: the inflexibility of the MTWII engine towards implementing new buildings in the battle map, a problem which delays or prevents the release of mods such as EBII and All Under Heaven.

Long story short, perhaps a new stab at a similar formula is needed - a new architecture of Ancient or Medieval large-scale strategic battle paired with deep campaign management. If a different company with a different management approach is needed, perhaps one less prone to corner-cutting and defensiveness regarding intellectual property (Creative Assembly/SEGA!!!), then so be it: the new broom sweeps clean. Enter... Unicorn?

Real Warfare : 1242/История войн: Александр Невский


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07lijXcNXeM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nx1RmUcXD70

History of the War: Alexander Nevsky

Жанр: Стратегия в реальном времени

Genre: Real Time Strategy

Дата выхода: осень 2009 года

Release date: Fall 2009

Английское название: Real Warfare: 1242

English name: Real Warfare: 1242

Первая игра новой серии стратегий « История войн» , охватывающей различные периоды развития современной цивилизации – от эпохи Средневековья до Нового времени, представляет один из самых драматических эпизодов в отечественной истории.

The first game of a new series of strategies for "history wars", covering various periods in the development of modern civilization - from medieval to modern times, is one of the most dramatic episodes in the country's history.

XIII век.

XIII century.

Русь – огромное государство, много больше любой из европейских стран.

Russia - the huge state, is much larger than any European country.

Раздробленная междоусобицами, она все еще находит силы, чтобы сдерживать натиск не в меру ретивых западных соседей.

Fragmented strife, she still finds the strength to contain the onslaught is not zealous western neighbors.

Однако же с разрушительным нашествием Золотой Орды ей уже никак не совладать.

Yet the devastating onslaught of the Golden Horde, it does not already handle.

Именно в это страшное время на исторической арене появляется один из самых ярких героев эпохи – князь Александр Невский.

It was at this terrible time in the historical arena, there is one of the most brilliant era of heroes - Duke Alexander Nevsky.

• Княжеский престол .
  Princely throne.
  Одиночная кампания из восьми исторических сражений, среди которых Невская битва и Ледовое побоище.
  A single campaign of the eight historical battles, including the Battle of the Neva and the Battle of the Ice.
• Вольная дружина .
  Freestyle squad.
  Уникальная боевая система, учитывающая несколько десятков различных факторов: каждый из 170 юнитов и даже отдельные воины по-разному реагируют на события в ходе битвы.
  The unique battle system that takes into account dozens of factors: each of the 170 units and even individual soldiers react differently to events in the battle.
• Ратная слава .
  Ratna glory.
  Персональные учетные записи и рейтинги игроков, 55 карт и различные режимы многопользовательских баталий, а также генератор для создания собственных сражений.
  Personal accounts and ratings of players, 55 cards and various modes of multiplayer battles, as well as a generator to create your own battles.
• Историческая справедливость .
  Historical justice.
  Достоверная реконструкция ландшафтов сражений, вооружения и доспехов ратников вкупе с современными графическими технологиями позволяют продемонстрировать грандиозные батальные сцены с участием до 32 тысяч ратников.
  Accurate reconstruction of the landscape of battles, weapons and armor of warriors, coupled with modern graphics technology to demonstrate the grand battle scenes involving up to 32 thousand warriors.

And indeed, the game seems like a beautiful retrofit of Medieval Total War II, with possible a possible role for naval battles, amazing skins for certain units, and check out that lens-flare and HDR!

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Also of interest is the rather ambitious level of support claimed by the studio in relation to improving its product-line:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Game Features :

Year 1266. Defender western borders of Russia, Alexander Nevsky has long departed from this world. Licked the wounds after the Battle on the Ice, the knights of the Teutonic Knights once again turned their steel wedges on the pearl of Northern Russia - Pskov. They yearn for easy prey. New hope for this land is destined to become Prince Dovmont Pskov. Be ready with his entourage to gain fame and a decent memory of Prince Alexander!
Technology (engine)
• Used all the modern technology real-time strategy
• OpenGL renderer
• Supports up to 32 000 units on the screen
• Optimize for device drivers and the leading manufacturers of computer components
• A large number of graphic engine settings
Advantages:
• We are focused on the best technology and gameplay
• Productivity is higher than in DirectX games
• Flexibly adjusts program under the performance PC users, which is especially important for players from the CIS
Graphics
• We offer a «live» schedule real-time game!
• The game, as close as possible to the realities of the Middle Ages
• excellent performance of soldiers and elements of the environment (1100-2400 polygons on yunite)
• 8 times increased the size nonacted card.
• Greater depth and sense of freedom
• altered animated units (including the transition to Motioncapture).
• Feather and the high specification of movements
Historical perspective
• Addon - story campaign for the Pskov Prince Dovmont, 8-combat missions, covering the life and exploits of an outstanding military leader and ruler, who played a significant role in Russian history
• 170 versions of Warriors, 21 play-nation, 40 historical battles, 8 campaigns.
• Gameplay is based on the latest research on the battles of that period
Meaningfully:
• Increased attention to detail and accuracy, and equipment from the elements of heraldry to recreate the topology maps, the prototype - the real battle fields.
• High score avid fans of historical games and fans of «intelligent» Strategies
Gameplay
• Army during the campaign gaining personal experience and carry it from the mission in the mission
• Participation in a battle more than 10 000 three-dimensional warriors without performance drop
• Unique combat system, which affects up to 80 factors at play yunitnom, company officer, the army and situational levels
• The moral component of fighting the system every second calculates the situation on the battlefield, which allows to approximate the simulation behavior of «living» fighters during the battle with reality. Units adequately respond to the flank rounds, our own wounds and physical condition, as well as the victories and failures of comrades
• Detailing as a means of achieving multi-faceted and varied behavior of soldiers in battle
Multiplayer
Dedicated Web server for online battles with conducting performance statistics of players, allow each commander to test their skills in competition with players around the world (including a global rating with feudal titles and ancestral coat of arms)
Awards
Valuing authoritative international publications:
• PCGames.de - 73 points,
• Driverheaven.net, Editorial score - 83 out of 100
• GameSpot, the largest U.S. Internet edition has assigned the game 7.5 points and 2 gold medals: in the gameplay and control (Outstanding Gameplay & Sharp Control)
• In a survey of players conducted by the Internet edition ag.ru, the first part of the game came in the top ten games in 2007
• The game also received an award «Best Domestic debut» Gameplay awards at
Opinion player
• Interesting «deep» gameplay
• A good AI, which analyzes the location of troops, acting in view of the landscape features of the game
• Excellent detail game: gameplay, graphics, historical authenticity.
Dialogue with the player:
• Carefully analyzing the feedback, we will do our best to translate the game of constructive comments
• Aware of the high threshold of entry, we are constantly working on it, reducing it without prejudice to the gameplay
• Given the comments about the quality of animation, we have significantly revamped them addon
Prospects
Team demonstrates significant progress in improving its product and creating an improved gameplay and game world. The project has great potential in the RTS segment, and is able to interest many fans of strategy games. The developers have ambitious plans and many innovative ideas.

In THIS Russian-language Total War forum (English translation HERE), we can also see that Unicorn take part in an ongoing dialogue with fans and others in the community, absorbing criticisms and perhaps working to integrate fan-input. They seem open and modest, admitting their influence from the Total War series and acknowledging or disputing criticisms as they come.

When all is said and done though, the above is simply a lot of PR.... and we all know the wide gulf between advertising hype and reality (Empire ).
I've heard mixed views on XIII Century: Death or Glory and have seen vids of early stages of the game (Real Warfare:1242 is a standalone addon), but the claimed support and extensive patch-logs have piqued my curiosity. There also seems to be a following for the series in overseas TW communities, i.e. Italy, Russia, etc.

A severe drawback of XIII Century might be the lack of a campaign map altogether...
However, the studio has released interesting images of a new campaign map engine for usage in an unnamed and still-in-development medieval Real-Time grand-strategy :

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&langpair=ru|en&u=http://twow.ru/forum/index.php?showforum=45

Compare the above screens which are bursting with life with this haggard mess:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Wow, do we have a potential Total War-killer in the works??


So, has anyone played 1242: Real Warfare/Istorij Voin: Aleksandr Nevskii yet? Any experience, opinions, news on the Unicorn line of products?

[God-Emperor of Mankind]

The first game was nothing special.
Good looking graphics no doubt but that's was really it.
The combat which was 100% of the game was quite bland and quite boring oddly enough.
And the AI was scripted, which was expected I suppose but it did damage the replayability of the game since the AI pretty much did the same thing over and over again.
Maybe they will get it right this time ? No idea it remains to be seen.
But I do get a chuckle for the silly TW-killer tag every game gets these days.

[Lord of Lost Socks]

Indeed. It's like the "WoW-killer" tag people give to every mmo.

[Kanaric]

Except unlike a WoW killer a TW killer would be easy to make.

[Mister Sir]

The first game was nothing special.
Good looking graphics no doubt but that's was really it.
The combat which was 100% of the game was quite bland and quite boring oddly enough.
And the AI was scripted, which was expected I suppose but it did damage the replayability of the game since the AI pretty much did the same thing over and over again.
Maybe they will get it right this time ? No idea it remains to be seen.
But I do get a chuckle for the silly TW-killer tag every game gets these days.

"These days"? As far as I know, there aren't any other games that are too similar to the TW concept in terms of battle/campaign combination or the maneuvering of vast armies across the battle-map... HistWar: Les Grognards has been submitted by some as an ETW-killer, but nothing similar has been tried in the Ancient or Medieval context. As far as XIII Century is concerned, if the AI really was that bad then oh well, it is what it is - but from what I can tell, it too has its fan base... maybe I should just try it myself
Rusichi being a favorite MTWII mod of mine, the proposed inclusion of a "feudal management" system of relations between characters in the untitled game seems similar to the goals of Studia Marka in the Rusichi: Total World WIP.
TBH, it's the Nevsky/Real Warfare: 1242 and untitled game that have piqued my interest.

[Teutonic Joe]

the AI is scripted to move as the actual army did in the battle....from what i hear anyways. sadly, that attempt on making it "simulation" like gave the campaign AI a serious disadvantage

[God-Emperor of Mankind]

"These days"? As far as I know, there aren't any other games that are too similar to the TW concept in terms of battle/campaign combination or the maneuvering of vast armies across the battle-map...

Oh that doesn't matter.
Any strategy game that shows off more then 20 soldiers on screen gets that label.

[ket222]

when is it coming out and will graphics be better than Medieval TW? more troops?

[Mister Sir]

Found more info, right here on TWC (oops):
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=310743


mitra76

This is images from the work in progress of game preview after Real Warfare 1242:

http://www.totalgamesitalia.com/xiii...lords-war.html
http://www.totalgamesitalia.com/xiii...-immagini.html

Will be a day by day campaign (you see the sun at the dawn over the strategic map), something like a "Mount&Blade real live" concepts but at army level. The player will be one of many feudal lords what duty will be maintain and grow his army winning battle and making quests (like take to a crusade or take part to a historical campaign) over a map which will be from Spain to Urals. The tactical system will be that of Real Warfare naturally: here a strategic guide to XIII century/Real Warfare system http://rapidshare.com/files/30660201...egic_guide.pdf

Is a RTS in TW style (XIII century Blood of Europe), but the campaign in Lords of War will be manage not as in TW; you will be a feudal lord which must manage and make grow his army, with war and taking part at quest s (at example a historical campaign) (the basic concept of M&B but applied to strategic not single men level)

Yes, true. XIII century Blood of Europe is already a very good and exciting tactical game (purchase it); but in Lords Unicorn will ad more in the tactical game: naval transport and naval battles (not seperated from ground's battle like in ETW), sieges, new shoots mechanics (the concept of indirect fire and area hits).

Here you can see the work in progress over the naval transport:
http://13century.com/?p=161#more-161

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: