MTWII Newsletter(9th of August)

[Basileos Leandros I]

I just received my latest newsletter, with 6 new screenshots of the campaign map, and an in-depth view of the MTWII religion. So far, the religion look nice but what caught my attention was the campaign map.

Overall, it looks superb, but unfortunately, many aspects are horrible. For example, looks at the following screenshots, especially the crusades. Look at the city symbols. They are horribly big compared to the rest of the map!!!





Discuss.

[God-Emperor of Mankind]

Looks the same as in RTW.
I see no problem with the size.
The newsletter was good.
Crusading will be fun.

[Reidy]

Note that it says "Only DVD Compatible" on the game front cover. Hopefully that means only one disc, and no annoying "Insert disc 2" messages. Also, AWESOME screenshots. :laughing:

[Basileos Leandros I]

The city symbols are huuuge...

[Tostig]

I have no problem with large city symbols. To me the campaign map has always been abstract, and it simply makes finding settlements easier.

Nice information about religion, although it doesn't seem to include much we haven't heard before.

[Hamil]

can someone post ALL screenshots of the newsletter ? I have to say, i dont get the newsletter

[wipeout140]

Unit cards getting better and more poilshed. All in All a good newsletter

[smoke]

Looks great, i don't understand the problem...

[wipeout140]

Why does in the newsletter it gives two links for pre-order - Amazan UK and Play.com all good so far

Play.com - Due for release on 27/10/2006
Amazan.uk - This item will be released on 24 November, 2006.

[Sparton Matticus]

I think it will be on one dvd,

Your right those 5 cd's where very annoying, at one point i broke one of the cd's and i had to buy rome total war again, and i found a dvd version, which helped cut out all those cd changing every 3 minutes!

I like the map, the faction symbols are ok, im sure some modders will improve that at some point. I also like the look of the forests on the map. They look more denser and more realistic in the terms of the map.

One thing im not keen on is the inclusion of cannons and infantry with early guns. I think i would have prefered the game to be early medieval times and not the later periods of medieval history. I've also heard they are including a south american faction, is that true?

I also like the new leader images, they look cool!

[Sparton Matticus]

Wipeout i usualy find release dates especially on amazon.co.uk a bit questionable. They keep changing the dates!

I think play.com are more realistic in their release dates

[wipeout140]

I think play.com are more realistic in their release dates

i never use amazan if buy a game/dvd its from play and they seem better, but thanks anyway

[Sparton Matticus]

I think Play.com are also slightly cheaper, they are located in guernsey, so they get certain tax breaks, that some times goes to the customer. Although its not a huge saving but every bit helps. Plus its free delivery with play.com. With amazon you only get a free delivery over a certain amount.

Does any one know how religion will play a unique way in medieval total war 2? I've read a few reviews but they dont go into great detail.

[Barbarian-Bob]

Wow, I just saw this newsletter too and it's awesome. Is it allowed to just copy and paste it here at the forum so all can see or...?

Anyone else think the armies seem a little too big (on the campaign map). I mean, they're bigger than cities!

Other than that, it was a great newsletter IMHO. Screens were great, lots of info (ie. written text) and it made me look forward even more to MTW2.

[Hamil]

Wow, I just saw this newsletter too and it's awesome. Is it allowed to just copy and paste it here at the forum so all can see or...?

Anyone else think the armies seem a little too big (on the campaign map). I mean, they're bigger than cities!

Other than that, it was a great newsletter IMHO. Screens were great, lots of info (ie. written text) and it made me look forward even more to MTW2.

YES please

I mean, CA sends this Newsletter around the world. So why shouldnt it be allowed to post it here ?

[Sir Robin]

Odd, I know I signed up for it a month or so ago but I didn't get one.

Bummer

[Barbarian-Bob]

Any way to upload files directly to the forum? I couldn't think of any other way to show it than pasting it in Word and uploading here.

Edit: Never mind, I'll just post the text. You've seen most of the pictures anyway. Places with big spaces are where pics were. Just look at them in earlier post to get a good idea what pics were in the newsletter.



**************
Welcome to your latest TotalWar.com newsletter! In this edition we'll be examining the role of religion in Medieval II's campaign game and the strategies that surround it.

But first...

EXCLUSIVE SCREENS!
Check out your exclusive first-look at the brand new packshot on the right. Below you'll find a veritable battle-fest of action-orientated screens, with some campaign screens added for good measure - all of it exclusive to newsletter subscribers.

Click the thumbnails to enlarge.














NEWS FROM THE FRONT LINE Click here
Got some hot news from the Total War community? Seen a life-changing thread that you think we should know about? Email us at twsite@creative-assembly.com.


Med II is PC Gamer’s No. 1
The UK’s best-selling PC games magazine, PC Gamer, has placed Medieval II right at the very top of its 2006 Most Wanted list. Creative Assembly and SEGA must admit to being pretty chuffed right now. Check out PC Gamer’s full Most Wanted list in the current issue – on newsagent shelves now.

Podcasts
Continuing their podcast bonanza, Total War Center has joined forces with The Creative Assembly to create a series of interviews over five instalments. In the first of these, TWC’s questions are put to Bob Smith, the Project Director of Medieval II. Bob talks about why the medieval period was revisited for this title and touches on the expansion and vast improvements the game has gone through. Click here.

The Medieval Total Wallpaper Challenge
Over at the Totalwar.org forums right now you’ll find a flurry of creativity in the Medieval II Wallpaper Competition! Members are busy pitting their arty skills against each other using a bunch of visual assets to make the ultimate desktop background image. Furthermore, TotalWar.com has promised a copy of the Total War: Eras collector’s pack for the winner! If you think you can out-manoeuvre your rivals on a digital canvass then get over to the forums and join in! Click here.




Be the first to get your hands on Medieval II! Pre-order now and save £££s.





IN DEPTH WITH MEDIEVAL II: RELIGION
Religion was a huge part of medieval life. To mirror this, the religious system in Medieval II: Total War has more depth than any previous Total War title.

The five religions included in Medieval II are: Catholic, Orthodox, Muslim, Pagan and Heretic.

Religion can be affected by religious characters such as priests, heretics, inquisitors and witches, religious institutions like churches, and even natural drift.

In the grand campaign, players must manage the religion of their chosen faction throughout their provinces and spread its influence, whilst minimizing outbreaks of heresy. Controlling a catholic faction will also require the player to manage their relationship with the Pope in order to avoid the intervention of inquisitors and even excommunication.

As the campaign game progresses, players controlling catholic factions will be able to develop their religious characters to the point where they can even get their own cardinal elected as Pope.

Players will be able to influence the faith of their population by constructing various religious buildings within the provinces under their control. For example, churches and mosques will spread the influence of a player’s religion and help maintain and increase happiness levels within the provinces. For catholic factions, these buildings will also improve relations with the Pope.

Priests
Religious buildings also grant the player the ability to recruit priests. These are agents that can be used to move around campaign map, spreading the influence of the player’s religion. The longer they remain in a province the higher percentage of the province’s population they can convert. Over time priests build up their levels of piety. Eventually, senior catholic priests can be recognized by the Pope and get elected to the Collage of Cardinals. This gives the player influence in the Papacy and the potential for their cardinal to be elected Pope.

Heresy
Priests can also be used to stamp down on heresy. Heretics and witches can crop up in a player’s provinces or neighbouring provinces and spread heresy. This will eat away at the faith of the player’s population.

Priests can be used to denounce heretics and witches. However, there is always a possibility that a priest may lose his way and turn heretic himself, in which case they fall under AI control and spread more heresy, thus further undermining the player’s established religion.

Letting heresy spread has serious implications for catholic factions. If the player is deemed to have a problem with heresy in their lands the Pope may send out an inquisitor to deal with the situation. These agent characters are very effective at denouncing heretics and thus reducing heresy. However, they can be indiscriminate in the characters they put on trial and execute so players can quickly lose agents and generals once an inquisitor begins to wander their lands.

The Pope
The Pope will make various requests of catholic factions as the game progresses, and generally meddle in affairs. If the player accedes to his requests, he’ll begin to smile on them. If not he’ll become increasingly tiresome, and may even excommunicate their faction. Excommunication banishes the faction from the faith and makes them vulnerable to attack by catholic factions, who, prompted by the Pope, will close in on their lands.

Building cathedrals and converting people to Catholicism is a good way of improving relations with the Pope. As leader of the papal state faction, players also have to ensure that general relations with that faction are good in order to maintain a healthy relationship with the Pope himself.

Having the Pope as an ally offers significant benefits. Players can turn to him to request that he warns off other catholic factions from attacking, and he may even accept suggestions as to where to call a crusade.

When the existing Pope dies (for whatever reason) a new Pope is elected by the College of Cardinals. If you have a cardinal of sufficiently high rank, he’ll be a candidate in the election. You can then negotiate with the other factions to get them to vote for your cardinal by buying votes via diplomacy. Alternatively you can agree to sell your vote for their candidate. Players have to exercise some caution when toying with the politics of a papal election. The newly elected Pope will remember those factions who voted for and against him and this will influence his relationship with those factions once elected.

Crusades
Crusades will be much more of an event in Medieval II than they were in the original Medieval. The Pope commissions crusades as the campaign game progresses and all the catholic factions then have the option to join.

Players can sign up individual generals and their armies to a crusade. Armies driven by the cause of a crusade are awarded with an increased movement rate and the opportunity to recruit unique crusade units such as the Crusader Knights. Generals involved in crusades also develop unique traits and earn bonuses relating to chivalry and honour.

The faction that captures the target first will gain considerable prestige and wealth as well as significantly boosting their standing with the Pope.

As previously mentioned, as players gain more influence with the Pope they can begin to request crusades to be called on specific targets. This means the player can begin to position their armies before prompting the Pope to call a crusade on a nearby target in order to further boost their standing and coffers.

Jihads
Both Orthodox and Muslim religions have priests, and religious buildings that they can use to spread their religion. Muslim factions can also create Jihads.

Jihads can be called by Muslim priests with a sufficient religion rating. They can be called against settlements owned by non-Muslim factions that have significant Muslim populations. Once a player’s general decides to go on Jihad, he’ll have a range of low cost religious troops that he can recruit to the cause.



WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Reckon this newsletter was brilliant? Or maybe you think it was a pile of old tosh. Either way, let us know what you think and tell us what you’d like to see in future newsletters. Email us at newsletter-feedback@soe.sega.co.uk.




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[Vangelis]

Very nice.
About the city symbols. Hmm i do hope they're gonna be a little smaller and that u can turn them in a northern look(like London). So after a while there would be no trace anymore of southern influences.

[byzantineklibanophori]

Any notice the mountain geography on the screenies???
This shows how important and integrative geography will truly be in MTW2!! Better than the mountains we got in RTW. This time they are mountains!

[TenkiSoratoti]

Anyone able to post the rest of the screenshots?