Ideas to add a personal touch to the stale campaign game

[Novusordoseclorum]

I've always wished they'd make the campagin game a lot more personality and immersion but how can they do this?

My ideas are to include little "sub-plots" throughout the game such as Robin Hoods shananagins around Yorkshire and Nottingham and the Knights Templar myseries in Jerusalem during the Crusades and little sub-plots such as that.

Also how about intrique, treason and plotting by rich people, secret societies and other hidden forces?

I reckon it would add some much needed immersion and personality to the stale campaign game.

Another idea that I wish was in RTW was to give each tribe of the Rebel faction it's own unique personality and background story.

Say for example you talk to a rebel leader, he will talk of past events of what happend to his/her tribe and why they became rebels and stuff.

Again, it adds personality and immersion to the game!

[High_Imperator]

Yea i think that would be a good idea, after getting far into RTW or BI things get so boring as the little helper in the top left hand corner stops talking to you and the only exciting things that happen are afew floods near your settlements. Especially after the senate go things get dull, it would be good in MTW2 if right up to the end of the game their are things happening like your generals and powerful barons planning a rebellion or coup ior something, etc.

[Novusordoseclorum]

Yes the campaign game really is very stale.

Fun of course but very stale.

[Barbarian-Bob]

I don't know why, but MTW1 seemed alot more alive than RTW. Factions seemed more active, more bent on winning, or just generally following their own interest. And I think there were more events. Black plague, children's crusade, different writers and religious people, they all popped up all the time. You actually learnt a great deal while playing. But that's a result of Medieval times. Perhaps because it's easier to add events in medieval-games as we know more about events in the middle ages than what happened in ancient times? I don't know. Perhaps there were just more things happening in medieval times.

[Markas]

I don't know why, but MTW1 seemed alot more alive than RTW. Factions seemed more active, more bent on winning, or just generally following their own interest. And I think there were more events. Black plague, children's crusade, different writers and religious people, they all popped up all the time. You actually learnt a great deal while playing. But that's a result of Medieval times. Perhaps because it's easier to add events in medieval-games as we know more about events in the middle ages than what happened in ancient times? I don't know. Perhaps there were just more things happening in medieval times.

Good point well made. It might have something to do with the emergence of nationhood and the fact that most of the medieval factions we play as exist today. I know I get a disturbing glow of patriotism when I win as the english.

And you're right about learning stuff, my computer game education goes back to Sid Meiers Colonization where I learnt just about everything about the european colonisation of the Americas.

[Lusted]

Why is there a need for Robin Hood in the game to distract me from the task of world domination? The Total War series has always been about nations clashing, not back stabbing, secret societies, history of the rebels etc. Most of the rebels are factions that are not ingame, we really don't need to be told why they are rebels. As for secret scoieties, i hope your not meaning something like the Masons. Plus, M2TW is adding in the Council of Nobles which should make the cmapaign more interesting, as well as merchants, the new world, being able to manipulate Papal elections, crusades back in etc. Thats plenty for me.

[Novusordoseclorum]

Why is there a need for Robin Hood in the game to distract me from the task of world domination? The Total War series has always been about nations clashing, not back stabbing, secret societies, history of the rebels etc. Most of the rebels are factions that are not ingame, we really don't need to be told why they are rebels. As for secret scoieties, i hope your not meaning something like the Masons. Plus, M2TW is adding in the Council of Nobles which should make the cmapaign more interesting, as well as merchants, the new world, being able to manipulate Papal elections, crusades back in etc. Thats plenty for me.

The events I suggested would be happening in the background and woulden't require any attention from the player if he choses not to.

They would be there just to breath life in to the campaign.

[Spiff]

Its in the details for me, things like the trees swaying in the wind, little caravans traveling between towns, they were all nice touches that coud be expanded on. Resource piles for example could have been more dynamic, like horses for example could actually be a moving herd of horses, mines could actually have varying degrees and numbers of mine-workers depending on the size of the mine.

Aside from that, communication with the player is key. You should be kept informed of little things in a "by the way, such and such has happened" which may not directly need any input from you, but are good to know. If they could manage that, in a non repetitive way, then the game would be much more immersive.

[Novusordoseclorum]

Its in the details for me, things like the trees swaying in the wind, little caravans traveling between towns, they were all nice touches that coud be expanded on. Resource piles for example could have been more dynamic, like horses for example could actually be a moving herd of horses, mines could actually have varying degrees and numbers of mine-workers depending on the size of the mine.

Aside from that, communication with the player is key. You should be kept informed of little things in a "by the way, such and such has happened" which may not directly need any input from you, but are good to know. If they could manage that, in a non repetitive way, then the game would be much more immersive.

I completely agree with you.

Given how many events there were in MTW im sure we will see lots of them back in M2TW.

Yup.

[Lusted]

Given how many events there were in MTW im sure we will see lots of them back in M2TW.

[Spiff]

I just hope they arent so rigidly scripted this time

[ablitzkrieg]

You guys remember a little gem of a game called Lords of the Realm II ?

If CA could make the campaign map alittle like that campaign map as far as features go, that would rule! Mines and quarries actually show up on the map and are shown to be working etc. Farms and ranches are SHOWN OUTSIDE THE CITY. I think that if they can make the campaign map show these changes it would look friggin AWESOME. All these farm upgrades and whatnot, all it currently is are resource modifiers, you dont actually see any change. Actually seeing the farmland expand and become more sophisticated around your city would be really cool, and VISUALLY make your more important cities stand out more (instead of just the upgraded wall). I just think the city management could be improved upon immensely, this IS an empire builder isnt it? They need to make the building aspect of it more intricate, i think the total war series can transcend the simple "lets send armies around the world and conquer" and become a really cool campaign game to compliment the battles.

I'd also like to see abit of an RPG aspect as far as your armies go.. Right now when i build a unit, i just built a cookie cutter right out of the box with no history behind it. Each company needs its own unit card, which details where it was raised, battles its been in, its commander (council of nobles???)etc.. I've also been asking the ability to rename units for awhile now.. I'd actually like to build an ARMY, for a nation. Not just abunch of units brought together to look like an army. Im sure all of us have tried to recreate roman legions, but its impossible when there is no way to distingish each cohort from each other. I think this becomes even more important in medieval times when you have many instances of single units of knights and whatnot patrolling the territories and trade routes keeping them safe from bandits.

thats all for now.

[Novusordoseclorum]

Yes I love the idea about personalising armies.

The problem is not crossing the line over the RPG-micromanagement. If they could find the balance it would be brilliant.

[Lusted]

If you look at the screenshots of the campaign map for M2TW that have been released, you will that that farming development does show up on the cmapaign map as areas of farmed land appear on the map and you can see the fields etc.

[ablitzkrieg]

The problem is not crossing the line over the RPG-micromanagement. If they could find the balance it would be brilliant.

heh, well they have awhile to go before it would be micromanagement.. All these auto manage features are there not because of the difficulty in managing a city, its there because of the difficulty in managing an empire of cities. CA made the move to make the campaign map the way they did, they could get away with leaving it empty when it was simply a drawn map, now its the actual land, and you gotta liven it up. City management in this game gets very dull and boring, because of two reasons, one is because of the game and the other is because of the way the player plays it. managment is very simplistic so each time you get a city you basically go through the basic check list of "to-builds", mines... roads... church... barracks... etc.

As far as the armies go, theres no addage of player responsibilities... just more information and THE ABILITY to modify somethings. Otherwise its just the same as it is now... But how cool would it be if one of your cohorts fought incredibly well at a battle and you wanted to give them a specialized name. Maybe im just a nerd but i always felt like honoring troops who fought well in my battles. I even went so far as letting one disband at my capital after taking tremendous casualties but holding firm at a bridge battle lol.

Another thing though, I personally would like to see some retinues for the actual units, just like the leaders.. These would be more combat specific though, like "Good attackers" "unbreakable" "Excellent Marksmen" etc, something to further specialize the units when it comes time to use them in battle. Its always nice to have trusted units you know you can depend upon, not just... um well i guess i'll pick that cohort and that cohort to defend this important section of my line. CA has taken the step to make the soldiers more individualized on the battlefield, how about doing the same for thier units?

If you look at the screenshots of the campaign map for M2TW that have been released, you will that that farming development does show up on the cmapaign map as areas of farmed land appear on the map and you can see the fields etc.

Cool! Its nice to see they're starting to add this stuff in.

[Spiff]

They kind of do have the 'trusted units' in the game as everyunit is free to gain experience points and such, but maybe it could be expanded on, im not sure

[ablitzkrieg]

Yes but thats quite simplistic wouldnt you agree?

[Giurza]

I don't know why, but MTW1 seemed alot more alive than RTW. Factions seemed more active, more bent on winning, or just generally following their own interest. And I think there were more events. Black plague, children's crusade, different writers and religious people, they all popped up all the time. You actually learnt a great deal while playing. But that's a result of Medieval times. Perhaps because it's easier to add events in medieval-games as we know more about events in the middle ages than what happened in ancient times? I don't know. Perhaps there were just more things happening in medieval times.

I don't want to appear antiCA extremist (since I post most of my post against their stuff) but I thinks that event lackage in RTW was due to their lazy a**. they were to lazy to go to the library and read some on the period concerned. and don't tell there were not much events in Roman times... they could have scripted in Hanibal invasion, Spartacus rebellion and much much more. I'm not modder, but I am confident that thing was easy to implement under game construction... they could have that Hanibal appears with a huge army (well don't jump on the word huge, it's just for artistic feature) after you declare war on Carthage for the second time... I know that I declared war on Carthage more than once. and Spartacus even less complicated, tie it to the specific date...

I hope they will do some events this way in MIITW, but that's just me.

Why is there a need for Robin Hood in the game to distract me from the task of world domination? The Total War series has always been about nations clashing, not back stabbing, secret societies, history of the rebels etc. Most of the rebels are factions that are not ingame, we really don't need to be told why they are rebels. As for secret scoieties, i hope your not meaning something like the Masons. Plus, M2TW is adding in the Council of Nobles which should make the cmapaign more interesting, as well as merchants, the new world, being able to manipulate Papal elections, crusades back in etc. Thats plenty for me.

now Lusted, "thou shall not be imperialistic, or thy witts will transform into..."

just kidding. actually I am of the same opinion in this matter. I think that we should be bothered by big events, and big rebellions only, imagine, You are DA KING, you conquer landz 'n' stuff. what king would have a headache because of a brigain who stole a cup in Whereevertown in Peripheryprovince from an old lady with a cat... but when you've got Wat Tyler coming after your a***ss... well... then things happen

[Barbarian-Bob]

I don't want to appear antiCA extremist (since I post most of my post against their stuff) but I thinks that event lackage in RTW was due to their lazy a**. they were to lazy to go to the library and read some on the period concerned. and don't tell there were not much events in Roman times... they could have scripted in Hanibal invasion, Spartacus rebellion and much much more. I'm not modder, but I am confident that thing was easy to implement under game construction... they could have that Hanibal appears with a huge army (well don't jump on the word huge, it's just for artistic feature) after you declare war on Carthage for the second time... I know that I declared war on Carthage more than once. and Spartacus even less complicated, tie it to the specific date...

Maybe they were lazy, we will never know, but if they started putting in scripted armies and such to tie it to historical events, YOU wouldn't write history any longer, it has already been written for you. I think some of the idea of Total War is that you rewrite history.
Think about it. You, the legendary and good emperor of Rome, has sought to that gladiators get a sizable pension and free health insurance. BANG! You no longer have Spartacus and rebellions, cos everyone loves you.
Just a thought.

[Giurza]

Maybe they were lazy, we will never know, but if they started putting in scripted armies and such to tie it to historical events, YOU wouldn't write history any longer, it has already been written for you. I think some of the idea of Total War is that you rewrite history.
Think about it. You, the legendary and good emperor of Rome, has sought to that gladiators get a sizable pension and free health insurance. BANG! You no longer have Spartacus and rebellions, cos everyone loves you.
Just a thought.

yes, but you do not control that kind of stuff... you are still a drated emperor of slave opressing Rome empire. you see, Spartacus, or someone else would anyway rebell... and that is because you do not controll that kind of management. all you controll is how your subordinates (your much loved CITIZENS) feel about your rule.
so I still hang on to my opinion.
but off course You are right in some events... I must confess that Wat Tyler would not be that simple to explain, but you still can script it so that if you get low loyalty in a certain number of provinces, or a certain province, you get a knock out big rebellion led by one of the famous rebels :hmmm: