Abandoned ideas/mechanics - cut content

[RafSwi7]

When looking through files I have encountered some things that were abandoned at some point. Some of them can be brought back into the game (they are not always fully functional).

1. Gods ignoring your prayers. This event can be brought back (you need to change success rate to less than 100%). There might be some UI/Text problems with it.

The picture shows that Hera has ignored player's prayers and will not grant bonuses.



2. Conflict among gods. A mechanic where we would be able to choose a side in gods conflict (or stay neutral), which would result in gaining more approval and losing some from the "enemy" god (and supposedly other bonuses). The conflict can escalate (where other gods join one side) and descalate. This mechanic can be brought back but has a lot of missing elements.

Pictured - conflict between Hera and Zeus, conflict between Hera and Artemis, Aphrodite joins the conflict, Apollo joins the conflict, some missing interface where you would be able to choose the side of gods conflict.




3. Epic battles - basically some final battles for each hero at the end of their quest chain. Examples - Odysseus vs Suitors or Paris saving abducted Helen. This cannot be brought back and only text remains from them.

These are short descriptions of scrapped quest battles:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

A Hero's Fate (Aeneas)

With your men standing in a circle around you, you bow your head and issue a prayer of mercy to fearsome Ares and wise Athena. You beg not for your own salvation, but for that of your enemies, now gathered about the oracle's sanctuary. If they choose to die bravely, perhaps the poets will dedicate a verse or two to their defeat in the epics that will be sung in your name. For they now stand between the great Aeneas, lord of the Dardanians, and the immortal destiny promised to him by the gods!

Minos' Wrath (Sarpedon)

You watch the surviving Achaean invaders gather across the battlefield. For too long they have sat on your throne and let the once-glorious Cretan state fall into ruin! You have returned to Knossos with the Lycians at your side, back from generations of exile to reclaim your beloved homeland. The enemy boasts that the Minotaur of legend stands among them? Let all the monsters in Poseidon's kingdom join the fray for all you care! For no one can stand in the way of great Lord Sarpedon, the divinely-appointed ruler of mighty Crete!

Death of the Suitors (Odysseus)

As you march with your comrades in arms on your native land of Ithaca, your heart swells with longing to embrace your wife Penelope once more. But between you and your queen stand the armies of the vile traitors who would take her, for whom you've ventured across the sea, for the honour of the very homeland they would now steal from you! You have braved the wrath of Lord Poseidon himself to return, and will not rest until you have dispatched these pretenders to the depths of the kingdom of Hades!


A Father's Despair (Menelaus)

As you watch Tyndareus' armies assemble across the battlefield you feel simmering rage gather within your breast. Taking a deep breath, you remind yourself that the red-hot blade of anger is made deadlier when quenched in cool patience. You shall teach the old fool the cost of his mistake! You slam your breastplate and deliver a bloodcurdling war cry, which your faithful Spartans amplify into a great, mighty roar. Let the traitor and his men tremble, for godlike Menelaus has come to visit vengeance upon them all. No army in the world can withstand the might of your wrath!

The Glory of Achilles (Achilles - Patroclus is alive)

You march on the field of battle, your faithful companion Patroclus close by. A mighty war cry rises from the assembled forces of Achaea, rejoicing at the return of their invincible champion, the great hero Achilles. Far ahead across the battlefield, you can make out the gathered armies of Troy and her allies, and you know they must be trembling at this formidable sight. For with your beloved friend at your side and the Myrmidons at your back, there is no force in this world or in Olympus that can stand in the way of your legend.

The Vengeance of Achilles (Achilles - Patroclus is dead)

You march on the field of battle, sorrow gripping your heart at the absence of your faithful companion Patroclus. Sensing your grief, the Achaean host lets out a mighty war cry, a collective vow of vengeance before the gods. Far across the battlefield, you can make out the assembled armies of Troy and her allies. You know they must be trembling in fear at this formidable sight, for there is no force in this world or in Olympus that can stand in the way of your terrible retribution for the death of your most cherished friend.

The Rescue (Paris)

With a heavy heart, you watch the hateful men who took your beloved queen captive. You have crossed the sea and back to be with her. You have braved the wrath of King Menelaus and his brother Agamemnon to be joined in your mutual love. And now these bandits think they can stand between a Trojan prince and his beloved? Fools, every last one of them! You will show them all what it means to cross the son of Priam. They will regret the day they lay hands on the great Helen of Troy!

Achaea's Last Stand (Hector)

What remains of the invading Achaean host stand before you, soiling your beloved homeland with their very presence. You have sworn to defend the House of Troy as long as you draw breath; should they now escape by sea, they will surely lick their wounds and return once more. Time to teach the treacherous lords of the Argives a lesson they will not soon forget! The high sun catches your helmet, shining a great beacon of light at your gathered forces, who reply with a mighty cheer. For among them stands their champion, Hector of the shimmering helm!

The Wrath of Agamemnon (Agamemnon)

You stand on the battlefield among your finest warriors, your shining bronze armour a rallying beacon for the Mycenaean host. Soon, your glorious army will lay waste to the forces of your treacherous cousin Aegisthus, and the betrayer will know the bitter taste of blood and defeat. Before gods and mortals, all will witness the terrible price to pay for betraying the great wanax of Mycenae. You raise your arms to your men, who respond with a mighty cheer that makes the very earth tremble. May Olympus have mercy on your enemies, for you assuredly will not!

4. Trading ship from distant land. A mechanic where player would be able to trade with one of the ships coming from Egypt, Cyprus or Phoenicia. I guess it is a relic from the times when all resources were finite and you had to have another way to obtain resources. You would have to unlock this trading from technology tree. Each ship would have different cargo for different price - for example Egyptian ship would have a lot of cheap food, while Phoenician would have each resource in smaller amounts.

5. Dryads units. It seems that they were supposed to be in the game at some point. Based on files, they have later become "Chosen of Artemis" units from Artemis FLC update. Since their models are in files, they can be modded back into the game.

Their old models:



Chosen of Artemis in the game:



6. Ajax. Yes, at some point he might have been playable and had unique model. Here is his old portrait:



His model is in files but it is missing textures.

Also, at some point Sarpedon was supposed to be younger (probably before they have gave him "Brother of Minos" backstory.



7. Map found in files. It certainly fits "most of modern Turkey" claims from some old interviews.



8. Possible nicknames/timespan/family tree?

Something that might have been abandoned but in files there are indication of (possibly) planned family tree and traits giving our heroes nicknames.

In names tables we have nicknames like "famed-in-war" or "the Raider of cities" or "the Lion-Hearted" and others.

We can also find there "the son of Paris", "the son of Sarpedon", "the son of Troilos", "the son of Diomedes", "the son of Rhesos" and others.


9. Not exactly a cut content but this is Hephaestus avatar in files.

[RafSwi7]

Personally I would like "Gods rejecting prayers" and "Conflict among gods" to be reimplemented into the game. They would make "Divine Will" mechanic much more engaging and unpredictable (as Greek gods themselves)

[Daruwind]

That unused map just hurts my eyes but it make sense given final game setting. They ditched everything not close to Troy or Greece. Thracia, Egypt, Land of Hittite or anything else in direction of "Near East"
Ajax/Hepaesthus are still ahead, looks like CA planned DLC content from start.

[RafSwi7]

That unused map just hurts my eyes but it make sense given final game setting. They ditched everything not close to Troy or Greece. Thracia, Egypt, Land of Hittite or anything else in direction of "Near East"
Ajax/Hepaesthus are still ahead, looks like CA planned DLC content from start.

Still, I think that expanding the map in this area would be good for campaign balance and would help with current "Trojantide".

[RafSwi7]

Concept art for original Ajax design.



Concept art for Diomedes design - since it has TOTAL WAR TROY logo instead of TROY TOTAL WAR SAGA I guess that he might have been also earlier in the game at some point. As you see, his design stayed mostly the same.