Medieval: Total War

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Medieval: Total War
Studio	Creative assembly
Publisher	Activision Sega (since 2005)
Senior Developer	Michael Simpson
composer	Jeff van Dyck
Erstveröffent- lichung	September 12, 2002 September 21, 2002
platform	Windows
genre	Combination of real-time strategy game and turn-based strategy game
Game mode	Single player , multiplayer (real-time mode only)
control	Mouse , keyboard
system advantages preconditions	OS : 2000 / ME / Windows XP CPU : 350 MHz RAM : 128 MB HDD : 1.7 GB Graphics : 16 MB
medium	CD-ROM , download
language	English , German
Current version	1.1
Age rating	USK PEGI

Medieval: Total War by the British development studio Creative Assembly is a computer strategy game from 2002 and the second part of the Total War series. Unlike its direct predecessor Shogun: Total War , the scenario for this title was moved to Europe and North Africa between 1087 and 1453.

scenario

The following nations are playable in this game: Egyptians , Almohads , Byzantines , Danes , Holy Roman Empire , English , French , Italians , Poles , residents of Novgorod , Spaniards and the Turks .

Nations represented but not playable: Mongols ( Golden Horde ), Papal states and Swiss , Aragonese , Sicilians and Hungarians .

An important part of the second part of the series are the religions , which are historically accurately distributed on the world map. Judaism , Catholic and Orthodox Christianity , Islam as well as paganism and heretics are represented on the world map . However, Judaism disappears as the game progresses because it is not the state religion of any nation. Crusades and jihad are integral parts of the game, as are religion-specific units and the interference of the Pope.

Gameplay

The main game is the endless mode known from global strategy games. In this campaign, strategy and tactics are combined in such a way that the results achieved by the player in one part influence the situation in the other. The aim is to lead the faction belonging to the player to victory under the given starting conditions. This can be achieved in all five games by dominating the strategy map.

In addition, there is the possibility to fight individual battles separately in the tactics part. These can either be replayable, historical battles or scenarios created by the player himself. The multiplayer option is limited to the separate tactical part.

Strategy part

Provinces are administered on a two-dimensional overview map, orders are given to troops, and strategic units are used (including for the operation of diplomacy).

The overview map is based on the scenario. On the map, the land and (in the first two games) sea areas of the scenario are divided into provinces or areas. In each of these provinces there is a city whose values ​​represent that province. Only the respective provincial cities are administered by the player. In these buildings and facilities can be built on the one hand to improve the values ​​of the city, and on the other hand troops and strategic units can be raised.

Strategic units can be used for diplomacy (diplomats), spying (spies), opposing personalities (generals) and strategic units can be eliminated ( assassins ). There are other units and functions available, but they differ in the individual parts of the series.

The troops can be used for warfare by moving them on the strategy map. They can be grouped into armies to make organization easier for the player. As soon as an army meets an enemy army, you can choose whether to fight the enemy or to withdraw your own troops. The fight can then either be calculated automatically or carried out by the player on a three-dimensional map (see tactics part). The situation in the tactics part corresponds to that of the strategy part (number and types of troops, terrain, climatic conditions).

Tactics part

In a three-dimensional environment, battles are fought between two or more factions. Each faction leads units into the field, each consisting of 12 to 240 soldiers. The number of units per army is limited to 16, so an army can consist of up to 4,800 soldiers. The specialty of the Total War series is that each individual soldier is represented and calculated so that battles can arise in which up to 38,400 soldiers and one general per army including the war equipment suitable for this scenario ( horses , war elephants , Ballistae , catapults , etc.).

The soldiers' uniforms and weapons mostly correspond to those of their historical models, with realism increasing over the course of the series.

Orders can then be given to these units. This includes movement and attack commands as well as formation and behavioral instructions. The latter can affect both the direct combat power and the morale of the units, which is an important factor in these tactical battles.

The opponent is defeated when there are either no more enemy troops on the tactic card or when all troops still on it flee. You can also win a battle by expiring the time quota, which can be set in the settings beforehand. There are also many other ways to win the battle.

reception

reviews publication Rating GameStar 87/100

Medieval was praised by many game magazines and made known through extensive reporting.

Because of the medieval-European scenario, Medieval was much better received than Shogun by customers.

Viking invasion

The expansion adds further units to the factions from Medieval and the three kingdoms of Aragon, Sicily and Hungary have become playable sites from representative. It also contains an independent scenario.

This further scenario consists of the British Isles, the western part of Scandinavia around 800 AD and the associated factions and their units. These factions are: Irish , Mercier , Northumbrian , Picts , Saxons , Scots , Welsh and Vikings . Further information on the historical background of this scenario can be found in the history of England .

Web links

• Official website for the Total War series (multilingual)
• Medieval: Total War at MobyGames (English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Jörg Langer: Medieval Test. In: GameStar . Webedia , October 1, 2002, accessed December 20, 2015 .