Game without Pontus - don't understand, please add me answer

[Antiochus]

I know that Pontus is for free. I don't understand one thing. CA said that Pontus won't be in boxed game. It will be automatically download.

So, if somebody only activate game on Steam, but don't download any update, he won't have Pontus in campaign map? In the map in that place will be free territory without Pontian faction? 116 factions, not 117 in box?

Second interpretation. If Pontus will be in boxed game, so why CA locked it? Maybe after install game, Steam only will activate this faction. So why CA locked Pontus if it is for free. It could be official 9 playable factions, no 8 playable + 1 Free-LC.

Sorry, but I questioned it many times in threads, but don't get answer. I will thanks for reply.

[Semper_Fidelis]

Well you need to update it in order to play the game, it is required for a steam install. Also why wouldn't you want to update it? If the case is you don't have Internet, your screwed. Obviously that isn't the case for anyone on the forums because to be here an Internet connection is required.

[AngryTitusPullo]

No. This is Total War. Not Skyrim.

By not activating it the difference you will see is only on the faction selection screen. By not preordering or not buying the Greek Pack you will not see the icons to select the 3 factions and may not use some units that comes together with the DLC is you play Macedonia for example.

The factions will be there. The map will not be empty. You will still fight the AI Pontus, Epirus, Sparta & Athens. You can even fight MP with players that have all those DLC since the data is already there in your pc. You only can't use them.

Are you a first time Total War player ?

[Aelita]

I think Pontus is in the base game but it is just a shell faction to fill space on the map without cool units or internal power dynamics, the free automatic download makes it playable and spices it up with units and abilities

[Antiochus]

Thank you. I played TW games. If this faction will be in game and will be a free I don't understand why CA don't add Pontus with other 8 playable factions. Why is it bonus? It could be 9 playable factions without activate one of them, becacuse all of them in boxed game. I see only one reason. Marketing? Seriously?

[koovie]

Thank you. I played TW games. If this faction will be in game and will be a free I don't understand why CA don't add Pontus with other 8 playable factions. Why is it bonus? It could be 9 playable factions without activate one of them, becacuse all of them in boxed game. I see only one reason. Marketing? Seriously?

Seriously, this has been explained a billion times by now.

[AngryTitusPullo]

Thank you. I played TW games. If this faction will be in game and will be a free I don't understand why CA don't add Pontus with other 8 playable factions. Why is it bonus? It could be 9 playable factions without activate one of them, becacuse all of them in boxed game. I see only one reason. Marketing? Seriously?

Because it was developed outside the time and budget for the core game which contains 8 playable factions.

[Rhaegar1]

Thank you. I played TW games. If this faction will be in game and will be a free I don't understand why CA don't add Pontus with other 8 playable factions. Why is it bonus? It could be 9 playable factions without activate one of them, becacuse all of them in boxed game. I see only one reason. Marketing? Seriously?

It has been explained to death by now but here I go again.

It's obvious that in a game developemend cycle there is a period where at least a part of the development team can't do anything anymore on the game since it is being printed and distributed. Part of the team usually will be doing some bug hunting and stuff like that for the first patch but skinners, modellers and historians have nothing to do with patches.

In this game CA uses that last weeks / month before release day in order to add a faction which can be distributed immidiately at day one since it doesn't have to be printed on the disc