Discussion of aspects from the interview with Jack Lusted

[ironbrigade]

FROM A INTERVIEW WITH JACK LUSTED.

Q. All the screenshots released so far look like they’ve been painted brown or orange. Why is this and will this be true in all parts of the game?
A. The orange/brown hue is there because of the part of the world the screenshots have been set in, North Africa. All of the ones released so far have been from the same battle, the Siege of Carthage.


I like this idea, I think it will add variety to gameplay. So when you fight in or play as a northern tribe it seems it will vary from a African nation or eastern etc.It will give different feel for were you are fighting climate wise.


THIS DOES SUCK THOUGH.

Q. Will 1v1 animations be used again in Rome II and limit the fighting like it did in Shogun 2.
A. 1v1 animations will be used again in Rome II. They are the best looking way to show soldiers fighting each other. Whilst the display was 1v1 in Shogun 2 the combat system was not and multiple attackers were taken into consideration when the combat engine worked out the result of an attack.

However this does not mean we won’t also be improving the animation in other ways for Rome II. Look out for more info in the run-up to release.

[Bella]

Can you imagine the algorithms needed to handle a 1vMultiple fighting system? We're just not commercially there yet, from a cost standpoint. Not on the unit scale TW is, anyways.

[Magefsx]

Can you imagine the algorithms needed to handle a 1vMultiple fighting system? We're just not commercially there yet, from a cost standpoint. Not on the unit scale TW is, anyways.

The algorithms already exist. They are what decides the outcome.
The problem is portraying the outcome well: Getting decent 1vMultiple animations that look good and non-retarded into the game seems to be where the problem lies

[Dr. Croccer]

Or they could just limit the fancy 1 on 1 fights to kill animations and make units just hit eachother with swords like in M2TW. Honestly, I prefer functional melee combat over gimmicky combat.

[Anna_Gein]

Or they could just limit the fancy 1 on 1 fights to kill animations and make units just hit eachother with swords like in M2TW. Honestly, I prefer functional melee combat over gimmicky combat.

Clear. The emphasis over shiny content isn't reassuring.

[Hellenikon]

Or they could just limit the fancy 1 on 1 fights to kill animations and make units just hit eachother with swords like in M2TW. Honestly, I prefer functional melee combat over gimmicky combat.

The problem is that the whole total war saga is shifting it´s priorities. It is no longer gameplay, or realism (this never was), now it is eye candy. The focus is on improving graphics and the surface look of the game.

1v1 fights are part of this, they are designed for people that like to watch the soldiers fight between them. Most of us do, but, do we also like hollywood style fighting? Because that is what these animations represent. They aren´t trying to be realistic or practical for gameplay purposes, their main job is to be eyecandy to entertain the player when he zooms in with the camera.

I guess CA found out that the average player prefers hollywood stereotypes instead of normal "boring" animations, like those of RTW and M2TW. The latter already included some eyecandy, as in too complex animations, but it didn´t go overboad with it. Plus more importantly, M2TW, despite the flavour animations, preserved the realistic unit cohesion from RTW where soldiers strike at each other whenever they can, not on pre-defined duels that makes the soldiers swarm all over the place looking for partners to "dance".

I´m glad Jack posted about this early on, because it made far easier for me to made up my mind whenever to buy this game or not.

[Nearby]

I´m glad Jack posted about this early on, because it made far easier for me to made up my mind whenever to buy this game or not.

Omg ! whats wrong with eye candy ? Its not like a very big problem here .. its a game lets see how it works out .. if this game would be only about the battle animations then you could say that you wont buy the game ,but now.. its just readicilous .. Rome 2 wont be all about animations , its just a little part of the game , you shouldnt say that you wont buy the game because of that ..

[universalmind]

Omg ! whats wrong with eye candy ? Its not like a very big problem here .. its a game lets see how it works out .. if this game would be only about the battle animations then you could say that you wont buy the game ,but now.. its just readicilous .. Rome 2 wont be all about animations , its just a little part of the game , you shouldnt say that you wont buy the game because of that ..

Man, you don't get it. 1v1 means BAD eye candy. It looks so silly. It looked bad in Shogun 2. If something isn't done, it will look worse in Rome 2 because of the fighting styles.

They should be allowed to decide whether they'll buy the game based on what they want. You said it yourself, it is just a game, so why should they feel obliged to buy it?

[Greve Af Göteborg]

Am I the only one that liked medieval 2's combat? the execution moves were brilliant.

[Anna_Gein]

I prefer medieval 2's combat.
The animations were great and didn't hurt the gameplay.

[cevap]

Please, PLEASE ironbrigade post whole answers not just the parts that will cause a thread to explode because the second part is the one people tend to overlook quite alot.

Q. Will 1v1 animations be used again in Rome II and limit the fighting like it did in Shogun 2.
A. 1v1 animations will be used again in Rome II. They are the best looking way to show soldiers fighting each other. Whilst the display was 1v1 in Shogun 2 the combat system was not and multiple attackers were taken into consideration when the combat engine worked out the result of an attack.

However this does not mean we won’t also be improving the animation in other ways for Rome II. Look out for more info in the run-up to release.

Only the animations are, the visual part is 1v1, the number crunching is on par with other games.. Hope they enhance the animations substantially though make them shorter and shorten the time it takes for units to lock onto each other.

[SughdianWarrior]

Yes. We can only hope for more fluid animations now. Unlike the ones in Shogun2, two samurai holding katanas at each other, looking each-other in the eye-ball, waiting for god knows what.

[Armstrong]

Im curious about the mass thing hopefully it will actually be useful to put your units in a double line. Im also glad the brownish orange look wont be everywhere and there will be different looks for different regions hopefully.

[Lockcaps]

Also about the whole lighting-thing; remember that it will probably vary depending on what time of day you are fighting.

[dom385]

The combat in MTW2 always looked a bit off to me, I mean you could have soldiers swinging at each other and visibly making contact but the soldier it hit not reacting at all. You missed out the bit about mass of units being a thing this time as well, so we get the functionality of previous total war combat but with the cool animations.

[Wowwars]

I say this is kinda nice, maybe shogun 2 didnt pull it off well but Rome 2 screenies seem to show havoc.

[ironbrigade]

I prefer medieval 2's combat.
The animations were great and didn't hurt the gameplay.

agreed

there will be different looks for different regions hopefully.

that is what i think is great,will give different feel for were you are fighting climate wise.

[dom385]

I think me and you might be the only people that actually the like the lighting !

[Rhaegar1]

I think me and you might be the only people that actually the like the lighting !

No you don't I like the lighting No one here has ever been in carthage while the air is filled with smoke and tons of dust from a major city burning to the ground and ten thousands of soldiers kicking dust in the air. I don't see how someone can draw the conclusion that the lighting is disastrous.

And apart from that, it looks epic and can't wait until I have it on my screen.

[TR00PER7]

I dont dislike the 1v1 fighting system but a teamed effort would have been cool to see

although from the sounds of it, I dont know how you would be able to make it so every soldier fights together, taking jabs at any enemy nearby. I can understand why that would be to complex to add in.

And I like the lighting aswell but I also like realism. it just have the choice to turn it off or on so different parts of the game arent colour coded.