Total War: Pharaoh leaked!

[Abdülmecid I]

The next Total War game has been accidentally leaked by CA itself:

I'm assuming they are going to announce it officially next week, on Tuesday, so there's a high chance that it will be released this year, perhaps in November. Judging from the title, I assume it has been inspired from Troy, but it's not part of the Saga franchise, which has been probably ditched by CA. I'm guessing it's going to focus on Bronze Age Egypt. Given the less ambitious scope of these games, I am expecting a map centered around the eastern Mediterranean Sea, including Egypt, eastern Libya, the Levant (Syria, Phoenicia and Palestine), Cyprus and southern Anatolia. As for the playable factions, I am betting Ramses II will be the main protagonist. If the battle of Kadesh, the most iconic military confrontation of the era, is the scene for the first game-play show, then the Hittites (Suppiluliuma or Muwatalli) will be the second faction to be revealed. The Sea Peoples look like the ideal candidate for a destructive horde, similar to the Chaos Warriors, so I'm wondering if they will be the pre-order bribe. Finally, a Levantine faction (Philistines, Canaanites or Israelites?) is going to be necessary, in order to fill the gap in Greater Syria.

 

[Maximinus Thrax]

Nice find. I'll put in my 'TW games most likely that I'll never play' category though, alongside the most recent historical titles.

 

[Morticia Iunia Bruti]

Bronze Age sounds interesting, will be observed.

 

[alhoon]

Are you sure they are not trolling? If anything, that sounds more like a campaign mod for Troy, with a different map.

 

[AnthoniusII]

I hope that in the middle of the Nile river Heliopolis Achaean mercenary/trade colony will apear. New findings revealed the Pharaohs had many "greek" mercenaries use as heavy infantry giving them trade benefits in exchange.
Lets see how accurate this game will be.

 

[alhoon]

Or they would cut it somewhere in the middle but it could be hard to not touch the Greek states.

WHAT Greek states in the age of the Pharaos? We were still on trees. Not even the Ionians have shown up in Greece by 2500BC.

The entire world was empty. What would we conquer? Villages of 150 stone age people?

 

[Morticia Iunia Bruti]

Well a map of an Total War Pharao will probably also include Kush and Libya with Egpyt in its center.

 

[alhoon]

The Battle of Kadesh is dated 1274 BC. By this time there were already Mycenean strongholds on the Aegean coast. Miletus?

1274BC? That's at the end of the Bronze Age. The Minoans have been already come and gone by then. Much better period, I think, as there are Empires with some decent "cities"
The world had like 50-100M people at the time, with Middle East perhaps 10% or so of them, so 5 million in total.
You know, about as many people as in Phoenix, Arizona.

So, I guess, at that time, you can stick like 100-150 settlements, most of which crap towns of 1000-2000 people of course.

 

[Dismounted Feudal Knight]

Any interest I would have in a project like this would come from how it is executed in mechanics. Without a sizable difference from what has already been done, I see no reason to be particularly roused by the prospect of a new title.

 

[AnthoniusII]

For our friend PointOfViewGun.

Also Naucratis.
Nottice that the 1st settlement dated in 1600 BC.

 

[Alwyn]

Well spotted, that's an interesting development. If this will be the next historical game (as opposed to someone trying out the system for managing the list of Total War games using a placeholder name, and accidentally choosing a setting which people can see), I'll be interested to see how chariot warfare will be represented, considering that:

I use a clip from Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014) as an example of this popular vision of the chariot: the chariotry first devastate the enemy with a massive arrow volley and then crash through their infantry-line effortlessly using the raw weight of the chariots. Very tank-like! This is also exactly how ‘chariot’ units function in most Total War games: they have massive ‘charge bonuses’ and high ‘mass’ but low base attack and defensive stats, making them devastating in impact but vulnerable if they get stuck or stick around.

The only problem is that this vision of chariot warfare has almost nothing to do with actual ancient chariots.

- Bret Devereaux, Collections: Ancient ‘Tanks’? Chariots, Scythed Chariots and Carroballistae

He goes on to say that historical chariots were light and fast, so they would have been mainly used for throwing spears or firing arrows, not melee attacks.

What sort of unit types can we expect? I'm imagining chariots (which could beat infantry with ranged attacks), spear infantry (which could beat chariots in melee) and axemen (which would beat spears from the flanks and rear). Is that right - and would there be more types of units? Did different nations in this era have different units or tactics?

 

[AnthoniusII]

Well spotted, that's an interesting development. If this will be the next historical game (as opposed to someone trying out the system for managing the list of Total War games using a placeholder name, and accidentally choosing a setting which people can see), I'll be interested to see how chariot warfare will be represented, considering that:



He goes on to say that historical chariots were light and fast, so they would have been mainly used for throwing spears or firing arrows, not melee attacks.

What sort of unit types can we expect? I'm imagining chariots (which could beat infantry with ranged attacks), spear infantry (which could beat chariots in melee) and axemen (which would beat spears from the flanks and rear). Is that right - and would there be more types of units? Did different nations in this era have different units or tactics?

In the Kadesh batte in hierogliphic scrip we read the Egyptian Chariots and Infantry were part of Divisions with spesific names.
The chariots of each "nation" had to do with the opponets and the geography restrictions. While we read in the Hittite clay scripts that Acheans came with a deal for the Troy region (that explains both Hercules myth also the Isiodos mantion that Thessalians massively migraded to Troy making the Trojian war a Greek civil war) each of the opponets used chariots with ddifferent way. Greeks used chariots mo0re likely like the 15th century knights duels. Massive assault with Palton spears (3 m stick with 1.5 m soearhead) . Egyptians had a different terain that allowed light chariots running in the vast plains ussing the combposite bow as advandage. Hittites and Assyrians that had to deal with both chariot opponets had chariots that had 3 men personel one dealing with the bow and the 2nd with a lance.

 

[myself]

Hopefully a full historical title. I liked Troy but I think going historic is better for this one.

 

[White Hand]

I hope the next game will be medieval 3

 

[Pinarius]

Is this map accurate?

 

[AnthoniusII]

No because i separates Dorians from the rest of the Greeks. In fact the Dorians were exiled primary from Pellloponese and migraded to the north and Thessaly to come back with new forces and take power of certain areas (politicaly) like the Spartoi that were Dorians that ruled a sea of Ionian and Achean tribes and created the known state of Sparta known best as Lacedaimon. The Spartoi Dorians were disstinquished by their shield with the "Dragon"(aka snake).

Only their Doric race could give Spartan Kings.

 

[Ludicus]

For history lovers, enjoy. Completely free. Ancient Egyptian Sea Power and the Origin of Maritime Forces

 

[La♔De♔Da♔Brigadier Graham]

Knowing C.A and I admire them enormously, but the lack of historical accuracy has always saddened me! the lack of coracles from various titles for one!
If they add pharaohs such as Tutankhamun, i'll warrant he will be like the old batman series version?

Quite large image really! and all that.

Spoiler

 

[Lucius Verenus]

Knowing C.A and I admire them enormously, but the lack of historical accuracy has always saddened me! the lack of coracles from various titles for one!
If they add pharaohs such as Tutankhamun, i'll warrant he will be like the old batman series version?

Just been taking a look at the state of play on Steam, not impressing me too much already old chap.

The Alpha 'playthrough' makes the men and battle look quite ok, but we know how the release can differ a lot from even the Beta (Rome II's zombie faces?). The models clothes moved in more clothlike manner which adds realism, but they have an archer unit that seems to have rolled it's collective self in mud before the battle, unsure what that signifies yet.

The current Strat map is far too arcadey - the stars in the sky are like the kids make for a school Christmas Pageant, hope that gets remedied. No immersion in pointy stars. The battle map looked good, quite realistic.
The CA guy's passing comment about heroes riding up in chariots to challenge for single combat is not something I wanted to hear. There is no indication the Egyptians or Hittites doing this. Historically unlikely , such rulers didn't want their underlings getting such fame and standing, any more than the Roman Emperor would. Such an act from an opponent 'hero' would probably end abruptly in a shower of arrows. If they do have to have this, I hope they do it properly as a pre battle thing, not in the middle of two struggling armies.

But then looking at the Preorder options comes the usual disillusionment:

Pre-Purchase Total War: PHARAOH - Standard Edition A$ 99.95
Pre-Purchase Total War: PHARAOH - Deluxe Edition A$ 122.27
Pre-Purchase Total War: PHARAOH - Dynasty Edition A$ 154.28

The Dynasty Edition Contains:

Total War: PHARAOH
Faction Pack DLC 1
Faction Pack DLC 2
Faction Pack DLC 3
Campaign Pack DLC
Digital Soundtrack

The Deluxe Edition Contains:
Total War: PHARAOH
Faction Pack DLC 1
Digital Soundtrack

The Standard Edition Contains:
Total War: PHARAOH

The DLC will be released as part of the post-launch content roadmap. Details of the DLC roadmap will be provided at a later date. The Digital Soundtrack will be released with Total War: PHARAOH.

So the full game (Dynasty) that should be the standard release is a big markup on the Standard Edition, which is just the Dynasty Version with the DLC and soundtrack removed.
I am sure there will be lot's more cut out to sell later as DLC coming down the track, they actually say as much in the last bit there.
So first impressions the game is overpriced to get what should be in it at the lowest price point, which is not cheap itself. Actually that suggests to me that the 'DLC' you are pre-ordering comes later than release - how much later? Good question. What does this 'Campaign DLC do? sounds a bit ominous.
But setting things up like this before the game is even in beta shows the sheers are already in place to give us sheep a jolly good sheering with cut content (aka DLC)

I doubt at those prices, I will be looking to buy at release, the reviews would have to be ravingly good.

Nice to 'see' you again old chap

ttfn

Lucius

 

[crucify_ego]

Nobody wanted or asked for this game! Where’s Empire 2?

 

[Beorix]

Hello everyone, what the content of the above DLCs ? which nations ? and campaign pack1 ? i don't understand why they dont explain exactly what's inside.
Without further informations ,i'll probably just waiting until it will be 100% clear