Nanman DLC announced.

[Mhaedros]

Nanman are coming!

[zoner16]

On one hand, full Romance, full stop. Tiger handlers and elephant generals and all that. They even brought those absurd juggernaut things that the Romance invented.

On the other hand, I'm actually impressed that they actually embraced making the Nanman a fully different culture from the ground up, with entirely different unit types and focuses. After YT, I was afraid everything would get stuck following similar army paradigms, and the Nanman would just end up as functionally Han in kilts and farmer's tans.

This is going to be hell to mod, but at this point I think I'll just embrace it for what it is.

Also, screw Sha Moke. He's not even the fun kind of made up dude. My boy Yong Kai wants his due.

[Daruwind]

DLC is on Steam
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1..._Furious_Wild/

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

About This Content

With the introduction of The Furious Wild Expansion Pack comes the first ever extension of the Total War: Three Kingdom’s map and its already rich cast of characters. Visit the jungles around Southern China and with it, the fearsome tribes of the Nanman. Will you unite the tribes of the south?

As well as expanding the Three Kingdoms map, The Furious Wild includes the new Nanman culture, adding diversity to the base game factions, units and playstyles:

• 4 new playable factions each with their own unique mechanics, with 19 new factions overall populating southern China
• 25+ new units including exciting and formidable animal units
• New ferocious character artwork
• New Nanman-specific tech tree with keystone technologies requiring missions to be completed
• A completely new character progression style, with feats used to unlock traits
• Unique missions and narrative events bespoke for the Nanman culture
• One goal to ‘Unite the Tribes’, but how will you achieve it, through diplomacy or conquest?
• Playable in 190 and 194 start dates

Difference unites as much as it divides

In the verdant jungles of Southern China, forces so far unmet are stirring. The disparate tribes of the Nanman have for centuries lain divided, but now a new leader must emerge to unite them – by any means necessary.

The mighty warriors Meng Huo, King Mulu, Lady Zhurong and King Shamoke bring with them unique methods of battle, from flaming maces and blowpipes, to revered elephants and tigers. Separated they are vulnerable, together, they might just be unstoppable.

Play as any of the new playable Nanman factions in the years before their encounter with Zhuge Liang and his famous Southern Campaign. Experience the might of the Southern tribes, all while exploring new areas of the Three Kingdoms map. Can you unify these unique warriors and take on the mighty Han, or will jungle warfare take its toll on these newly formed allegiances?Meng Huo


Having risen through the ranks of the Nanman tribes, Meng Huo has gained repute for his fierce but stubborn leadership. Loyal to his friends but merciless when it comes to his enemies, his tenacity garners him as much trouble as it does success. With one goal in mind – becoming the king of the Nanman – Meng Huo must look to his neighbours to help spread the flames of his rule.

King of Kings

When Meng Huo takes control over another Nanman faction, either by making an alliance or destroying them, he gains certain temporary bonuses. These bonuses can also be stacked, creating a rolling momentum that will surely bring Meng Huo the kingship he desires.

Unique Units:

• Nanzhong Champions: A cut above your usual shield-wielding infantry – perfect for holding your frontline steady as a rock in the face of incoming missiles
• Nanzhong Elephants: Drummers sit atop these mighty elephant units, playing rhythms that provide passive buffs to your nearby units. Use them to wreak havoc on the frontline or pull them back to provide support for your units
• Nanzhong Spearmen: The eye-catching rattan armour these spearmen wear provides defense against any errant darts headed their way, leaving them free to focus on any incoming mounted foes

Lady Zhurong


A descendent of the god of fire, sparks fly when Lady Zhurong enters the battlefield. With a hot temper and an iron will, she seeks to expand her lands, and remove any obstacles in her way. Her passion seems impossible to rival, but there may just be allies closer than she thinks.

Goddess of Fire

Across the seasons, Lady Zhurong accumulates points toward her Goddess of Fire mechanic. Once enough points have been gathered, players have the ability to activate her Wild Fire bonus; this formidable bonus makes her units near unbeatable in battle. The bonus changes according to the season it is activated within, and these powerful effects last across a series of turns. Once Wild Fire has burned out, Lady Zhurong is vulnerable for a short period and will need to recover before she can fight again without weakness, so time your expansion wisely.

Unique Units:

• Tiger Warriors: These axe-wielding warriors have an ace up their sleeve – their tiger companions. Use these tigers to give your opponents a scare before going in for the kill
• Followers of the Flame: What’s better than a two-handed mace? A two-handed mace that’s on fire. Engage this fiery unit in as many frontline battles as possible and watch as their damage-over-time effect causes chaos
• Tiger Slingers: While tigers disrupt your opponent’s line, these slingers will pick off any stragglers who manage to escape

King Mulu


In the undergrowth of the Southern jungle roams King Mulu, a friend to the animal kingdom, but a stranger to man. Spending time in the animal world has gained him many advantages, not least, the mighty elephants that walk by his side. Now Mulu must face his brethren, but will his pride get in the way of future partnerships?

Pride & Ritual

You know what they say, ‘Pride always comes before a Ritual’, quite literally in the case of Mulu. During his campaign he will accumulate Pride, his faction’s pooled resource, according to the rank of characters he defeats in battle. Your faction will gain lucrative bonuses to animal units, such as an increase in unit capacity and even a decrease in recruitment cost, in line with the amount of Pride you have reached. Periodically, Mulu will take part in spiritual rituals, invoking the elements to grant additional distinct bonuses for his faction.

Unique Units:

• Southern Elephants: A small band of elephants that pack a mighty punch to frontlines, accompanied by some handy slingers on their backs
• War Elephants: A more heavily armored elephant unit used best to charge into enemies, also accompanied by slingers
• Ravine Warriors: These frontline warriors are ready to clean up after any elephant-related carnage with a weapon in each hand

King Shamoke


Shamoke’s origins may be as murky as the dense jungle he controls, but his drive for power is all Nanman. As the ruler of the five valleys, several tribes have pledged their allegiance to him, but many remain wary of the leader. The Han’s interest in him has only deepened this suspicion. With both sides in opposition, Shamoke must choose where his loyalty truly lies, and neither choice is without cost.

Unification Mandate

Shamoke’s chief concern is uniting the Nanman under his rule, and so, his faction mechanic gives him bonuses according to what unification technique the player chooses to employ. Whether you conquer, subjugate or reform, power is yours for the taking and you will be rewarded for the followers you bring to your side.

Unique Units:

• Might of the Valley: Fast two-handed axe infantry that gain large bonuses when fighting near death – watch as they flank and charge enemies into submission
• Wuling Slingers: These light-footed short-range units are able to side-step potential terrain penalties – ideal for skirmishing in dense jungle where they can quickly evade and wear down enemy units
• Wuling Fighters: Offensive-minded warriors with a health pool hardy enough to take the mightiest of blows. These fighters do best pitted against the strongest heroes

And FLC as well
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1...GDOMS__Shi_Xie

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

About This Content

Between the fierce tribes of the Nanman and the noble Han, sits an influential member of the Imperial Government. Shi Xie may be far from the capital, but this governor has learnt how to make the most of the power he exerts in his remote province, manipulating Han and Nanman alike to increase his reach.

Nepotism rules in the world of Shi Xie, and he is determined to spread his inner circle across the whole of China. Shi Xie will stop at nothing to get his family into power; after all, it’s all about who you know.Splendor


Shi Xie's unique mechanic, Splendor, can be gained by smuggling family members into important court positions. Splendor is generated according to the level of court position of the family member, with an Administrator position gaining less Splendor than a Council member, for example.

Higher levels of Splendor provide bonuses to public order, trade influence, and diplomacy relationships with all factions.Tribute Chests


Once you've accumulated enough Splendor, it can be converted into Tribute Chests. These chests are special ancillaries that grant characters bonuses. There are three types of chest: Diplomatic, Regional and Personal. Diplomatic chests grant improvements to a character’s diplomatic conditions, while Regional chests improve their region via increased replenishment or construction time and Personal chests improve their character or retinue. Chests are opened when equipped and will provide certain affects but will deplete over the course of 20 turns.

This special ancillary can be traded and used for diplomacy to sweeten any deal.

And Trailer


And Gameplay video


And FAQ blog post just to have here everything
https://www.totalwar.com/blog/total-...ious-wild-faq/

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Total War: THREE KINGDOMS – The Furious Wild FAQ

---

Ella McConnell
August 18 2020

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With the introduction of The Furious Wild Expansion Pack comes the first ever extension of the Total War: THREE KINGDOMS map and its already rich cast of characters. Visit the jungles around Southern China and with it the fearsome tribes of the Nanman – will you unite the tribes of the south?
As well as expanding the THREE KINGDOMS map, The Furious Wild includes:

• Four new playable factions, each with their own unique mechanics, and 19 new factions overall populating southern China
• Over 25 new units including exciting and formidable animal units
• Ferocious new character artwork
• A new Nanman-specific tech tree with keystone technologies that require missions to be completed
• A completely new character progression style that uses feats to unlock traits
• Unique missions and narrative events designed specifically for the Nanman culture
• One goal: to unite the tribes – but how will you achieve it? Through diplomacy or conquest?
• Playable in both 190 CE and 194 CE start dates

FAQ

What is The Furious Wild?

The Furious Wild is an Expansion Pack DLC for Total War: THREE KINGDOMS.
What is an Expansion Pack?

Expansion Packs add new regions, cultures, and stories that cover time periods linked to the main narrative of Total War: THREE KINGDOMS, tying closely into the content and features of the main campaign.
What does The Furious Wild mean for players who don’t get the DLC?

The Furious Wild will bring with it a number of improvements to the Total War: THREE KINGDOMS campaign whether you decide to purchase the DLC or not – more information on these will be released in the coming weeks.
When will The Furious Wild be released?

The Furious Wild Expansion Pack will be released on Thursday the 3^rd of September 2020 at 15:00 GMT.
Is there a pre-purchase discount?

Pre-purchase The Furious Wild Expansion Pack to get a 10% discount off the DLC’s normal price.
When does it take place?

The Furious Wild introduces four playable factions to the 190 CE and 194 CE start dates. Non-playable Nanman factions will also be introduced to the 182 CE start date, when the tribes had yet to fully establish themselves
Who are the playable warlords in The Furious Wild?

There are four new playable warlords from the Nanman culture:

• Meng Huo
• Lady Zhurong
• King Mulu
• King Shamoke

The free-LC will also add a new playable faction:

• Shi Xie

What is the aim of the The Furious Wild DLC?

The Nanman culture was one of the most highly requested additions to Total War: THREE KINGDOMS – and we’re happy to finally be delivering it.
The fierce new warriors of Nanman will be bringing with them greater variety in battle as well as a new style of technology and character progression, allowing for campaigns that vary from playthrough to playthrough and plenty of opportunity to explore this brand-new western corner of the map to the fullest.
What new units will be in The Furious Wild?

Check out The Furious Wild Steam page for a full list of faction-specific units.
What’s the free content that will be released alongside the DLC?

Shi Xie, an influential member of the imperial government, will be playable in both the 190 CE and 194 CE start dates.
Visit the Shi Xie Steam page for more details on his faction.
When will this free content be available?

The free-LC content will be released on Thursday the 3^rd of September 2020 alongside the release of Nanman.
Will The Furious Wild be released on macOS and Linux?

This will be coming shortly after the release of the PC version – stay tuned!
For full details on everything included in The Furious Wild, head over to the Steam page – and get 10% off the launch price if you pre-purchase!

[Nebaki]

5/10 no Dragons - seriously who plays this semi-fantasy-strategy Game?

[zoner16]

Some enterprising people have begun noting some of the map changes:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Nanzheng in the southwest, Jiuzhen in the south, Liaodong in the northeast, and what looks like Xiapi in Xuzhou.

Additionally, they counted nine gate settlements.

5/10 no Dragons - seriously who plays this semi-fantasy-strategy Game?

Me.

[Welsh Dragon]

5/10 no Dragons - seriously who plays this semi-fantasy-strategy Game?

You mean they have crouching tigers, but no hidden dragons? Very disappointing.

All the Best,

Welsh Dragon.

[Huberto]

5/10 no Dragons - seriously who plays this semi-fantasy-strategy Game?

When the "historical team" is making stuff like Nanman DLC, it's gone full fantasy. Historical TW

[Seether]

Shamoke wasn’t Nanman. Wasn’t even from Nanzhong or the same general region as the Nanman. Jesus, CA... *facepalm*

[PikeStance]

Next DLC rumor: Pirates of China complete with Dolphins handlers. You put little black powder bombs on their heads and train them to swim to the hull of ships. Devastation!

[zoner16]

Shamoke wasn’t Nanman. Wasn’t even from Nanzhong or the same general region as the Nanman. Jesus, CA... *facepalm*

He was Man. Not of the same branch as Meng Huo supposedly was, but the Pangu Man of Wuling were related to the various Man peoples of Yizhou. Nanman was just the somewhat outdated catch-all term used for them and not specific to the people living in Nanzhong.

[Mhaedros]

Based on the new faction select screen, it looks like he'll be in (or close enough, hard to tell exactly) to Wuling where he was based historically as well, and his faction will play different to other Nanman factions.

[KLAssurbanipal]

https://www.totalwar.com/blog/total-...ious-wild-faq/




https://store.steampowered.com/app/1..._Furious_Wild/




Trailer:







Gameplay:







Screens:

[valerius karamanus]

Dear me. Tiger squadrons? Should have added Shaolin Baboons and Kung Fu Pandas while at it.

Rest in peace Total War.

[Sarkiss]

is that what a 'historical' title looks like in 2020?

Dear me. Tiger squadrons? Should have added Shaolin Baboons and Kung Fu Pandas while at it.

Rest in peace Total War.

well said.

[Welsh Dragon]

When the "historical team" is making stuff like Nanman DLC, it's gone full fantasy. Historical TW

Hopefully it's just a phase and/or it's specific to the Three Kingdoms (and now Troy) settings.

Then again, this is a series with flaming pigs, and it's not unheard of for humans to train tigers and other big cats. Plus tiger population was probably higher back then as there weren't so many humans around killing them and turning their natural habitats into farmland/cities.

Still, I'm hoping the next Historical Total War tips the needle back more towards historical. There's a place for rule of cool, don't get me wrong, but I really want to get away from the single entity units and magic spells of recent titles.

All the Best,

Welsh Dragon.

[Seether]

He was Man. Not of the same branch as Meng Huo supposedly was, but the Pangu Man of Wuling were related to the various Man peoples of Yizhou. Nanman was just the somewhat outdated catch-all term used for them and not specific to the people living in Nanzhong.

I have to disagree a bit here. The term "Man" was the broad descriptor of non-Han tribal peoples of southern and south-western China, while Nanman (southern Man) was fairly specific (but still quite broadly used) to the areas of Nanzhong and Yizhou. I'm also of the understanding the Pangu Man were more of Baiyue/Miao stock than of the same ethnicity of the proto-Thai "Nanman". Saying the Pangu Man and Nanman were related, so Shamoke can be justified as being part of the Nanman, is like saying the Irish and Welsh are related so Brian Boru should be a character for Wales. Regardless, Shamoke wasn't Nanman, despite him and his people being related to them.

Dear me. Tiger squadrons? Should have added Shaolin Baboons and Kung Fu Pandas while at it.

Rest in peace Total War.

Precisely why I gave up on Three Kingdoms months ago. This just justified my decision.

EDIT: Hmmm... some striking similarities here...

[zoner16]

I have to disagree a bit here. The term "Man" was the broad descriptor of non-Han tribal peoples of southern and south-western China, while Nanman (southern Man) was fairly specific (but still quite broadly used) to the areas of Nanzhong and Yizhou. I'm also of the understanding the Pangu Man were more of Baiyue/Miao stock than of the same ethnicity of the proto-Thai "Nanman". Saying the Pangu Man and Nanman were related, so Shamoke can be justified as being part of the Nanman, is like saying the Irish and Welsh are related so Brian Boru should be a character for Wales. Regardless, Shamoke wasn't Nanman, despite him and his people being related to them.

"Nanman" was used for all Man peoples, not just the ones from Nanzhong and Yizhou. They're all referred to under the same "Nanman" classification in book 86 of the Hou Han Shu. By this point, the Nanman have already been understood to be distinct from the Baiyue peoples to their east and south and the Nanyi people to the further southwest, and it itself has been further subdivided already into the various branches (Pangu, Linjun, Bandun), which were further subdivided into the different tribes based on location. There isn't one group who can claim to be "true Nanman" at this point in time because no such thing exists anymore from a Han perspective, and the actual Man peoples never categorized themselves as such, instead following their tribal branches.

Given the geographical distribution of the Nanzhong Rebellion, it's probable that at least some of the leaders were split between the Linjun and Bandun branches of the Nanman group. It's also probably that at least part of the conflict involved the Nanyi people (as it went far enough south to reach at least the former Yelang territories). While Nanman is often used specifically to refer to the those rebels, said rebellion was neither fully compassing, nor entirely limited to the people known as "Nanman" to the Han, as it included other groups, including Han Chinese themselves.

Excluding Shamoke and the Pangu Man from the Nanman umbrella just because they weren't part of the Nanzhong Rebellion wouldn't make sense because by the only metric we have of being part of "Nanman" ethnically, that is being recognized by Han as part of the general culture group, they fulfill. They shouldn't be part of Meng Huo's group (whether he was truly Nanman or not) from the get go, as they had their own identity, and they should express that in various ways, but for the sake of most of their unit roster and being part of the "Nanman" peoples that the campaign's goal is made to unite, it's reasonable to include them.

To use your analogy, "Nanman" in this context is roughly approximate to the use of the "Celtic" moniker. While the Welsh, Picts, Irish, etc. are all distinct cultures with within them, and one could argue that people today associate "Celtic" more strongly with some than others, if one made a "Celtic" culture group, it would make sense that Brian Boru and Rhodri Mawr could both lead factions under that general moniker.

[Seether]

"Nanman" was used for all Man peoples, not just the ones from Nanzhong and Yizhou. They're all referred to under the same "Nanman" classification in book 86 of the Hou Han Shu. By this point, the Nanman have already been understood to be distinct from the Baiyue peoples to their east and south and the Nanyi people to the further southwest, and it itself has been further subdivided already into the various branches (Pangu, Linjun, Bandun), which were further subdivided into the different tribes based on location. There isn't one group who can claim to be "true Nanman" at this point in time because no such thing exists anymore from a Han perspective, and the actual Man peoples never categorized themselves as such, instead following their tribal branches.

Given the geographical distribution of the Nanzhong Rebellion, it's probable that at least some of the leaders were split between the Linjun and Bandun branches of the Nanman group. It's also probably that at least part of the conflict involved the Nanyi people (as it went far enough south to reach at least the former Yelang territories). While Nanman is modernly used specifically to refer to the those rebels, it was neither fully compassing, nor entirely limited to the people known as "Nanman" to the Han, as it included other groups, including Han themselves.

Excluding Shamoke and the Pangu Man from the Nanman umbrella just because they weren't part of the Nanzhong Rebellion wouldn't make sense because by the only metric we have of being part of "Nanman," that is being recognized by Han as part of the general culture group, they fulfill.

To use your analogy, "Nanman" in this context is roughly approximate to the use of the "Celtic" moniker. While the Welsh, Picts, Irish, etc. are all distinct cultures with within them, and one could argue that people today associate "Celtic" more strongly with some than others, if one made a "Celtic" culture group, it would make sense that Brian Boru and Rhodri Mawr could both lead factions under that general moniker.

I just read Book 86 (and another source) more thoroughly and I'll have to concead my argument. My misunderstanding was that, while the Yue had come to occupy much of Lingnan and the areas directly north of it (including Wuling), a few Man tribes still held firm in the area. Specifically, as you said, the Linjun, Badun and Pangu are distinctly recorded as being of the Nanman distinction, not Yue or a distinct "Man" sub-group.

[PikeStance]

Dear me. Tiger squadrons? Should have added Shaolin Baboons and Kung Fu Pandas while at it.

Rest in peace Total War.

Precisely why I gave up on Three Kingdoms months ago. This just justified my decision.

Nah, stick around, the Monkey King DLC will be epic!

[alhoon]

5/10 no Dragons - seriously who plays this semi-fantasy-strategy Game?

I will once I buy it. And I will buy it at a sale.