Key Features Include:
Real-Time Battles On a Massive Scale
Epic Battles with Enhanced Unit Detail
Thunderous battles on a huge scale with thousands of units on screen. Armies are now made up of meticulously detailed troops built with unique heads, body, weapons and armour with unique animations and poses that gives each individual unit character and depth. Troops and cavalry are decorated with all the heraldic finery and colour of medieval warfare that’s gradually muddied and bloodstained through the course of battle.
No more clone soldiers! As showcased by these Frenchmen & stated by CA:
One of the key enhancements certainly involves the variation of troops within an army. Medieval 2 removes the clone armies you saw in previous Total War games; units instead are made up of soldiers that are individuals. Each model is now constructed from a variety of heads, bodies and limbs. The engine combines these together to make each man far more individual. On top of this there is also a great variety of shields and weapons too, so each soldier has character and each unit of men looks and behaves like a realistic group of soldiers. Armour and weapon upgrades are also evident when you look on your units in battle. This introduces a great deal of individuality to the soldiers and ramps up the realism and immersion of Medieval 2's epic battles.
Info taken from
IGN.com
New Unit Abilities
A legion of more than 250 new and unique units split over 21 factions, each with their own new special abilities that open up a wealth of intuitive battlefield tactics.
Advanced Combat System
Zoom to the frontline and witness the fast, visceral melee combat enhanced by new spectacular battlefield animations. Troops block and parry attack moves and string together deadly combo attacks and finishing moves before scanning the battlefield for their next kill.
CA described more in detail about the combat system in an interview with IGN:
We're particularly proud of the huge strides we've made when it comes to the combat animation. We've captured 1000's of mo-capped animations, which allows us to create synchronized attacks with defenses and fatalities. Sequenced attack combos also allow the soldier to string together attacks to cut a swathe through his opponents. As an example, a swordsman might do a swing to the left, a swing to the right, followed by a stab to the stomach knocking his opponent down. He might then spin around, and deliver a merciless finishing strike to the enemy while he's lying helpless on the ground.
You'll see these kinds of moves being executed all over the battlefield and as soldiers fall you'll see them continually scanning their surroundings for their next kill. These kinds of touches bring the huge-scale battles to life like never before.
Info taken from
IGN.com
CA also delves into examples of the new combat system in their newsletter. Sign up here.
New Explosive Sieges
Embark on spectacular siege battles as huge armies and fearsome siege machines rumble into action. Devastating cannon, pummel imposing defences of fully destructible cities and castles before setting them aflame under the night sky.
Multiple-ringed walls, trebuchets, and guns are confirmed:
In siege warfare, as the game progresses, the attackers will develop trebuchets and progressively bigger and better cannon. The defender can counter by developing bigger fortresses with two or three rings of walls. An attacker with a good train of artillery will always be able to blast a hole in the outer wall, but if the assault on the breach is too costly, they might not have the strength to take the second or third ring.
The defenders can benefit from artillery too. Either big guns to fire against enemy guns, or small multi barreled anti-personnel guns that are deadly in the confined spaces of cities and castles.
Info taken from
IGN.com
Launching dead animals into settlements to spread disease is also confirmed:
Fire dead animals into besieged towns to spread disease
Info taken from
SEGA.com
Advanced Lighting and Richer Environments
A newly enhanced graphics engine brings the battlefield environment to life like never before. The stunningly realistic landscapes feature detailed vegetation with sprawling settlements. Newly detailed dynamic weather effects beat down on new terrain types illuminated by enhanced lighting that captures every glint and spark as arms and armour clash under a gleaming sun.
Enhanced Multiplayer Battles
New multiplayer battle modes will ease the player’s passage to the battlefield and keep the online conflict raging.
NO Multiplayer Campaign. There will be multi-battle scenarios though, as stated by The Shogun:
There seems to be some confusion and speculation concerning the Medieval 2 press release. Just to clarify things - Medieval 2 will include enhanced multiplayer that will include "multi-battle campaigns". This does not refer to a multiplayer campaign mode but a series of multiplayer battles. We�ll reveal full details of the multiplayer enhancements in the months to come.
Info taken from
totalwar.com
A New All-Conquering Campaign
History in the Making
A huge campaign spanning from the years 1080-1530, that will take the player beyond the first Crusade up until the dawn of the renaissance. An extended campaign map will allow passage to South and Central America bringing the player into battle with the Aztecs.
New Settlement Types
Build through six levels of settlement ranging from humble villages to vast cities and wooden forts to mighty stone fortress. Develop your faction as a feudal aristocracy using you castles to keep the peasants in check whilst conquering your enemies with your powerful armies. Or build cities to develop a wealthy urban society, and battle your foes with diplomacy, bribery, assassination and armies of mercenaries.
A Supporting Cast
Put an array of ancillary characters to work and smooth your path to global domination. Boost your coffers with Merchants. Grease the cogs of diplomacy with Princesses and manage your faction’s path to religious enlightenment with Priests. Charge assassins to wipe out enemy generals and witness their cold-hearted killing first-hand with assassination movie sequences.
Executing or ransoming captured nobles and marrying daughters into rival families have also come back:
ransom or execute captured nobles, marry daughters into rival families to secure alliances
Info taken from
SEGA.com
Embrace Religion
Will you obey the demands of the Papal States, catering to the whims of the Pope? Or shun his requests and risk facing his fearsome Inquisitors or even excommunication? Make a stand against him and you can infiltrate papal affairs by rigging elections.
Religion is greatly enhanced as stated in an interview with CA:
IGNPC: Religion wasn't nearly as important in RTW as it was in the original MTW. How will religion work in the new game? Will it play a large role in the campaign with the Crusades and the like?
Bob Smith: We're not revealing full detail on the crusades at this point. However, we can tell you that they'll certainly be more of an "event" in Medieval 2. Crusades are called by the Pope and all the Catholic factions can opt to join. The faction that captures the target first will of course gain considerable prestige and wealth as well as win favour with the Pope.
Religion certainly played a major role in the medieval period and subsequently the religious system in Medieval 2 has more depth than previous Total War games. One aspect of this involves the Priest characters you'll control on the Campaign Map. Priests can be used to spread your religion in their surrounding areas. However, they may turn heretic, in which case they fall under AI control and spread heresy instead, undermining the established religion. If you are deemed to have a problem with heresy in your lands, the Pope may send out an Inquisitor to deal with the situation. As well as reducing heresy, these characters may also denounce nearby characters, and have them tried and executed. Senior Catholic priests can become Cardinals, giving the player influence in the Papacy, and they can even get elected Pope, improving their original faction's standing with the Papal States.
Info from taken from
IGN.com
Global Crusades
Win favour with the Pope and round up your armies for global crusades at his request. Players can even prompt the Pope to commission crusades as Catholicism wages a spiritual battle against the Muslim, Orthodox and Pagan religions.
Info taken from
totalwar.com
{Medieval II: Total War Information Thread}
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by GrimSta
?
Sig by Manji
) and then go from there I guess. 
