What will be the next total war game?

[Yayattasa]

Interesting take. What's your view on the Spring and Autumn or Warring States periods before the Qin unification?

Well, those are not my favourite periods in Chinese history. But, of course, the factions were way more varied, and the Total War aspect in them is quite strong, especially the Warring States period. Though I think the standard Total War player is not too keen on civil war setting and the scenario is really focused on the central plains. Maybe adding the other kingdoms around it could increase even more the variety in those two settings. Of course, both periods also lack popular familiarization, and it would certainly be an obstacle.

Re: Dynasty Warriors

It's funny because most of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms is like "One of Yuan Shao's scouts intercepted one of Cao Cao's messengers, and now Yuan Shao has accurate intelligence on Cao Cao's grain reserves! Aren't you riveted? Read on." while the combat is all sorta glossed in one-sentence descriptions, either being "Then the two combatants fought each other in fifty bouts, but it was all kinda a draw. Whatever." or "Lord Guan charged and cut off the n00b's head with a single stroke of his green dragon crescent blade. Pwned." Somehow, Koei turns this into "use Lü Bü's superpowered backflipping spinning halberd attacks to singlehandedly kill everyone!" And, I mean, Lü Bü did kinda have amazing personal combat abilities going by Luo Guanzhong, but, y'know, it ultimately didn't get him that far. Even the Romance of the Three Kingdoms is exaggerated when it comes to the role of the prowess of individual warriors in these things, but Dynasty Warriors makes that the focus. Then again, Star Trek (except maybe some seasons of Deep Space 9) was all about "let's see if we can use diplomacy and/or pseudoscience to solve problems peacefully," while tons of Star Trek games are like "blast everyone with phasers!"

Exactly. It just escalated with every interaction of the history, beginning with the lack of depth in the tactical descriptions, as the chinese were more interested in the strategy aspect of warfare. This gave too much room for imagination and supposition, snowballing into what the popular imaginary holds of the Three Kingdoms today.

[PumpkinBread]

My hope for the next TW game = NOT a sequel.

[Kraut]

My hope for the next TW game = NOT a sequel.

This is what I hope for...

Med 3 obviously.

... but this is what I really think is coming.

After the usual stand-alone Expansion for R2 of course.

[Lugo]

Med 3 obviously. But please don't half-ass the polictical/relgious systems CA. Rome 2 was an embarrassment.

[HigoChumbo]

After they are finished with Rome2's expansions and dlcs, my bet is on a Warhammer Fantasy Total War Hybrid with action RPG elements (character progression? itemization? 3d person combat?)

[CAJD1991]

I feel that the next game will be another Medieval (if we're counting "reboots"), but a new setting? Not including Warhammer, China may be a fruitful area. Dark Ages for certain have a lot of potential, but I'm not sure if it's one that would have much popular support, but I'd love to see the Dar al Islam manifest in TW [naturally it'd have to be a fair few solid decades after the religion's founding].

My first wish is for the 16th & 17th CC in Europe. Maybe 1560-1700. Set up like Medieval with various starting dates and scenarios (Times of Trouble anyone?). I don't know why but there's just something so damn captivating about the period for me, maybe reading all that Sienkiewicz has left an impression on me...

Honourable (but unrealistic) mention goes to Shogun 3 - too soon naturally, but the province/region system of Rome 2 would be perfectly suited to the Sengoku era - especially for depicting such contested regions like Shinano - and would allow for many more clans to be represented.

[HigoChumbo]

My first wish is for the 16th & 17th CC in Europe. Maybe 1560-1700. Set up like Medieval with various starting dates and scenarios (Times of Trouble anyone?). I don't know why but there's just something so damn captivating about the period for me, maybe reading all that Sienkiewicz has left an impression on me...

Why 1560? the Italian Wars started much earlier.

To me there are maybe 3-4 dates tha meant big changes and that could be an interesting start:

- The end of the 100 years war in 1453
- The fall of Constantinople in that very same year (1453)
- The death of Charles the Bold at Nancy in 1477
- The fall of Granada and discovery of America in 1492


It would be logical to start after all those events maybe just before the Italian Wars, but TW has always been about rewriting history, so it would probably be much more interesting if the game actually started right before all that happened. What if the Byzantines had resisted and rebuilt their empire with the help of the genoans? What if Charles the Bold had not died and had consolidated the Kingdom of Burgundy as one of the greatest monarchies of Europe. What if Granada had resisted and rebuilt an european muslim state in the context of renaissance and englightment?

All these events had important indirect consequences. The fall of Constantinople forced the europeans to seek for alternative trade routes with the east, which eventually would lead to the accidental discovery of America. The end of the 100years war let France solidify their centralised dominions and start looking for conquest outside of their motherland, thus invading Italy. The fall of Granada meant not only the end of the Reconquista and Islam in western Europe, but also the final unification/creation of Spain, who now could divert their resources/attention to other external matters, which meant their involvement in Italy or the financing of Colombus voyages (which were signed in the very siege camp outside the walls of Granada, just a few months after the city had fallen).



That said, while a 16th-17th century is completelly top of my whislist, i would only welcome it if it were done right (actual working clunky pike and shot formations and not just gimmicky separate pike units as in Medieval 2). The good thing abut this game tho is that it could share mechanics and thus be developed with the same engine as a Warhammer Fantasy game, just notice the huge similarities you have between Spaind and the HRE with the Warhammer Empire, or between France and England and the Bretonians (and the list goes on, for instance Aztecs/Mayans/Incas as Lizardmen).






(Btw you made me look for who the hell Sienkiewicz is, now i know where the Mount&Blade game and mod names come from ^^)

[Maklodes]

Why 1560? the Italian Wars started much earlier.

To me there are maybe 3-4 dates tha meant big changes and that could be an interesting start:

- The end of the 100 years war in 1453
- The fall of Constantinople in that very same year (1453)
- The death of Charles the Bold at Nancy in 1477
- The fall of Granada and discovery of America in 1492

FWIW, I chose 1517 as my start date for my idea of a 16th-17th century game because that's 1) When Martin Luther nailed the 95 Theses to the door, 2) Is pretty close to when M2TW ends, and 3) It provides a nice clean 180 year stretch to 1697, which is when the Nine Years War ended (arguably the last big Catholic/Protestant war) and is also just before the start of Empire: Total War.

[HigoChumbo]

FWIW, I chose 1517 as my start date for my idea of a 16th-17th century game because that's 1) When Martin Luther nailed the 95 Theses to the door, 2) Is pretty close to when M2TW ends, and 3) It provides a nice clean 180 year stretch to 1697, which is when the Nine Years War ended (arguably the last big Catholic/Protestant war) and is also just before the start of Empire: Total War.

Why does it have to be 180 years?

As for the ending i pretty much agree. Anything close to 1700 but before the War of Spanish Sucession seems like a good deal. That said, as a game centered in warfare i'd consider the "birth of pike&shot tactics" more important than religion, and the first significant use and sucess of the pike&shot formations happened at Cerignola in 1503. I think it would be interesting to start the game with a predominantly medieval warfare (french heavy cavalry, swiss pikemen, english longbowmen) which then the player can develop throught the tech tree, first with pike and shot, then with more regimental line-like formations etc. The progression would make the game much more interesting. (As well as giving the player the option to play the alternative scenarios i mentioned before, such as Burgundy, Granada or Constantinople).



Btw, it just came to my mind, since both the period directly before and directly after the game timeframe are already covered (by Medieval and Empire), what do you think would be a suitable Expansion for a "pike&shot" game? Maybe vanilla centered in Europe and the expansion in Colonialism?

[Maklodes]

Why does it have to be 180 years?

Really I was more going for a number ending in "0" than anything else. 180 is fine, but 160 or 200 would also have been fine.

[MajorEarl12]

I always liked the idea of an post-Napoleonic Wars era 1816 later, going to 1900 or right before WW1. Plus the ability to play many different wars, Napoleon III's war to regain French glory, Italian union Wars, American Civil War, French-Prusso War, and another sorta Empire Total war map, but bigger and better! Also actual tech that you can see over time, such as the flintlock in the beginning, 1816 or so, the percussion cap, 1860 or so, and then repeating weapons, late 1800s. Adding much more strategy and alot of fun into it. But they should take their time makin it.

[LestaT]

Total War China will be next.

[Guan Ziyang]

I'll probably be cringing seeing CA do that... (and not because I don't want a nice total war on my country's long history, but I have my doubts about CA now after this Rome II mess). I think a new better engine should be next on their list; Honestly don't want any more Total War on the Warscape engine.

[LestaT]

Warscape is just the graphic engine which is use is few TW3 engine and also probably Warhammer.

Next game would use TW4 engine with full 64bit I think.

[HigoChumbo]

Warscape is just the graphic engine which is use is few TW3 engine and also probably Warhammer.

If they use the same engine, that is, an engine that does not even work properly for the current TW formula, for a game as Warhammer that should be really different to TW as we know it today, they have pretty much lost a customer already.


If they are to make a Warhammer game, i don't want a TW mod with ork models, i want a fully fledged new game with innovative mechanics and a tabletop feel, as Warhammer deserves.

[Emperor PooMan]

No, just no

[vigantas]

very good question )) Medieval-3 Total War ofcourse...)) and then Empire-2 TW.

[HigoChumbo]

point is there isnt anything that could stop me from buying thier next Total war game.

Not even a shameless false advertising campaign and and awful game which turns out to be unfinished, rushed, stripped of features and mediocre?



Yeah, I'm starting to see what's wrong with the gaming industry.

very good question )) Medieval-3 Total War ofcourse...)) and then Empire-2 TW.

And then Shogun 3, Rome 3, Shogun 4, Empire 3, Medieval 4, Medieval 5, Medieval 6, Medieval 7... oh honey, please don't stop!

[LestaT]

So, what do you guys think ?

Is this a teaser for next game which will be announced on Sep 25th or just reference for Scottish independence vote ?

If they use the same engine, that is, an engine that does not even work properly for the current TW formula, for a game as Warhammer that should be really different to TW as we know it today, they have pretty much lost a customer already.

If they are to make a Warhammer game, i don't want a TW mod with ork models, i want a fully fledged new game with innovative mechanics and a tabletop feel, as Warhammer deserves.

I think Rome II will be the last game that use T3 engine. Warhammer obviously will use different engine (Warscape is just the rendering/graphic engine wrongly named for the T3 engine).

[HigoChumbo]

I think Rome II will be the last game that use T3 engine. Warhammer obviously will use different engine (Warscape is just the rendering/graphic engine wrongly named for the T3 engine).

If that's the case, I guess it's a relief. First time I ever heard of "T3" btw.