Medieval 2: Total War

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Medieval 2: Total War
Studio	Creative assembly
Publisher	Sega
composer	Jeff van Dyck
Erstveröffent- lichung	November 10, 2006
platform	Windows , macOS , Linux
genre	Combination of real-time strategy game and turn-based strategy game
Game mode	Single player , multiplayer (in (team) deathmatch and castle siege)
control	Mouse , keyboard
system advantages preconditions	OS : Windows XP / Vista CPU : 1.8 GHz RAM : 512 MB HDD : 11 GB Graphics : 128 MB
medium	2 DVD-ROMs , download
language	German
Current version	1.03
Age rating	USK PEGI

Medieval 2: Total War is the fourth part of the strategy game series Total War by the British game developer Creative Assembly . It was published in Germany on November 10, 2006 for Windows . On January 14, 2016, the British studio Feral Interactive released a port of the game for macOS and Linux . Like the second part of the series, it takes place in the European Middle Ages and the early modern period (from 1080 to 1530). The settings are Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and parts of America. 17 of 21 factions can be played.

The game principle of the predecessor has been retained, but many game details have been revised and added. Extended game options are available. Both the graphics and the animations have been improved. The diplomacy mode, which was expanded in the previous version, has been made even more complex.

The game was buggy when it was released. A first update corrected minor bugs (e.g. a bug that caused the map to be displayed incorrectly). A second update (over 600MB in size) was released on May 3, 2007.

scenario

Norman prologue

This upstream short campaign begins in 1066 when William the Bastard conquers England . It consists of two parts:

• The Battle of Hastings, in which the player as Prince Rupert is taught all the basics of the Tactic Map.
• The subsequent conquest of the Saxon lands, where all the basics of the strategy map are taught.

The campaign ends as soon as all Saxon territories have been conquered.

Playable factions:

• Normans - red and yellow

Unplayable factions:

• Scotland - dark blue and white
• Papal States - white and light yellow
• Saxony - black and yellow

Big campaign

The great campaign begins in 1080 and ends in 1530.

fraction	Colours	religion	Playability	annotation
England	Red and yellow	Catholic	playable
France	blue and white	Catholic	playable
Holy Roman Empire	black and yellow	Catholic	playable
Spain	yellow and red	Catholic	playable
Venice	dark red and yellow	Catholic	playable
Sicily	light and dark gray	Catholic	unlockable
Milan	green and white	Catholic	unlockable
Scotland	dark blue and white	Catholic	unlockable
Byzantium	purple and white	orthodox	unlockable
Russia	dark blue and red	orthodox	unlockable
Moors	orange and white	Muslim	unlockable
Turks	green and yellow	Muslim	unlockable
Egypt	gold and black	Muslim	unlockable
Denmark	Red and white	Catholic	unlockable
Portugal	white and light blue	Catholic	unlockable
Poland	white and red	Catholic	unlockable
Hungary	red and green	Catholic	unlockable
Papal states	white and gold	Catholic	not playable	Page cannot be destroyed
Aztecs	light blue and yellow	pagan	not playable	appear with the discovery of America
Mongols	beige and black	Muslim	not playable	appear at a specific time
Timurids	black and red	Muslim	not playable	appear at a specific time

The unlockable factions will be unlocked after completing the small campaign with one of the five playable factions.

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 (exception: Medieval II: Kingdoms expansion ). From Napoleon: Total War (part six), however, it is also possible to play on the strategy map in multiplayer mode.

Strategy part

Provinces are administered on a three-dimensional overview map, orders are given to troops, and strategic units are used (including for the operation of diplomacy). A principle similar to Civilization is used for unit movement, in which the map is divided into small squares and each army has movement points available according to its composition, which, for example, receive a movement penalty due to deteriorated ground conditions or bad weather.

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 20, so an army can consist of up to 4,800 soldiers. The specialty of the Total War series is that each individual soldier is displayed 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.

Modding

In addition to the main game, many modifications have been developed by fans that improve the artificial intelligence of the opponents, add new types of music and building types or even completely new factions into the game.

Mostly, mods are now developed on the basis of the Kingdoms expansion , as Kingdoms offers some advanced functions, such as: B. burning bad luck , indirect control of reinforcements and role-playing elements. The smaller retrofit mod comes from Sega itself and enables the new functions of Kingdoms in the main game. This retrofit mod has established itself as the standard basis for the development of most mods.

A distinction is made in the community between "overhauling" and "total conversion". In the first variant, the epoch and style of play of the original game are retained, while in the latter, completely different epochs, locations, scenarios and play styles are developed. Examples are Broken Crescent for the Middle East, For King or County for the English Civil War , Third Age and Warhammer with fantasy scenarios, Invasio Barbarorum 2 for the time of the Great Migration .

A small selection of the most famous mods:

Broken Crescent is based on Kingdoms. The entire gameplay was relocated to the Middle East in 1174, with factions such as the Byzantine Empire and the Indian Rajputs . This mod was especially recognized by the community for its atmospheric background music in the battles. The game's Music.dat, which can also be played via common media players, contains around 7.5 hours of classical and oriental music of all stripes.

Stainless Steel, based on Kingdoms, has the largest Europe campaign in the Total War universe, geographically and in terms of the number of factions (26) and units. In contrast to the somewhat simpler Broken Crescent, the lap times are higher and require higher single-core computing power.

With Third Age: Total War there is now a larger fantasy mod based on Kingdoms. Here, the entire event was shifted to the region of Middle-earth . The basis is the story from The Lord of the Rings . As of version 2.1, in addition to the main campaign, the official trilogy can also be roughly replayed in a separately available companion campaign. The so-called custom settlements have been introduced in the latest version ; these are virtual replicas of the cities and fortresses from the Lord of the Rings films, such as Minas Tirith . A German translation is available.

Submods and Forks

In addition to the main mods, a number of submods are usually developed which, with new animations, factions and events, only find their way into the main mods later or which also become independent forks, similar to e.g. B. also the forks under Linux . Such forks are, for example, the largest submods for Third Age: Total War , the MOS - Massiv Overhaul Submod with 13 factions and many adjustable story scripts at the start or, alternatively, Divide and Conquer with 30 factions, but with a rather fixed framework. The main mod Third Age: Total War provides the basic structure for the game, while the original data of Medieval 2: Total War is essentially only required for licensing reasons. The installation size of the submods already exceeds the size of the original many times over. For Third Age: Total War with Divide and Conquer z. B. approx. 14.5 GByte due. A typical installation consists of the game Medieval 2: Total War , a main mod and a submod, if you want to use the last potential of the game.

In the Medieval Mod Stainless Steel , the most popular submods add e.g. B contributes to the high historical authenticity of the game. Not only are all cities given their historical names, but also the entire recruitment system, the loyalties and dependencies on the economy and personal leadership skills. The right heraldry and numerous cultural influences that were previously disregarded also find their way into the game again and again. The development for this comes from the voluntary work of many fans.

reception

Reviews

• PC PowerPlay 11/06:
  • “ The ingenious gameplay remains untouched, and instead the developers have made many improvements to ensure an even more successful gaming experience. "
• GameStar 12/06:
  • " Masterful lap real-time mix. "
  • “ Anyone who likes to intrigue, tact and conquer cannot ignore the Middle Ages. "
• PC Action 12/06:
  • “ Atmospherically unsurpassed mass battles with an in-depth strategy. "
  • “ If there are even more varied orders in the future, this strategy series will certainly sweep the competition away completely. "
• PC Games 12/06:
  • “ Medieval 2 does everything right, what you expect as a fan of the Total War series! "
  • “ Perfect round strategy and tactic mix. "

Reviews in gaming magazines

• GameStar 12/06 91%
• PC Action 12/06 88%
• PC Games 12/06 88%
• PC PowerPlay 11/06 90%
• Games current 12/06 90%

Awards from gaming magazines

• GameStar Platinum Award
• GameStar Award (for long-term motivation)
• PC Action Gold Award
• PC Games Silver Award
• PC Games Sound Award
• PC Games Graphics Reference
• PC PowerPlay Award (for game depth)

Medieval 2: Total War: Kingdoms (Add-on)

Medieval 2: Total War Kingdoms
Studio	Creative assembly
Publisher	Sega
Erstveröffent- lichung	August 31, 2007
platform	Windows , macOS , Linux
genre	Combination of real-time strategy game and turn-based strategy game
Game mode	Single player , multiplayer (in (team) deathmatch and castle siege since v1.05 also hot seat campaign)
control	Mouse , keyboard
medium	DVD-ROM , download
language	German
Age rating	USK PEGI
information	Patch v1.05 125 MB

Kingdoms is the expansion of Medieval 2 that was released on August 31, 2007. In contrast to previous expansions, no campaign was added, but four campaigns:

America campaign

This campaign begins in 1521 with the arrival of the Spaniards under Hernán Cortés on the American mainland. If you play the Spaniards , you get support and supplies from your home country, although not all construction options are available to you at first. Many structures allow the recruitment of units other than Spain in the main version, as certain units that were used in the High Middle Ages (e.g. knights) were no longer used in the 16th century. But they are available in the self-created battles under the option "Epoch: All". The map stretches from Central America to the southern part of North America . The player has the choice to play either the Spanish Conquerors who are in search of gold and fame or the Native Americans who are defending their homeland.

The invading colonial powers ( New Spain , New France and the English colonies ) have much more advanced technology such as steel weapons and armor, muskets and cannons. The natives, in turn, are able to muster huge armies, which are usually larger than those of the Europeans. In addition, they are extremely powerful, persistent and highly motivated. They use primitive weapons made from wood, stone, and obsidian . Mention should be made here of the Central American obsidian sword , which the Aztecs called Macuahuitl .

Playable factions:

• New Spain - yellow and red
• The Aztec Empire - light blue and yellow
• Maya - green and white
• Trunks of the Apaches - beige and red
• Chichimecs - black and red
• Tlaxcalteken - orange and white
• Tarasken - yellow and black

Unplayable factions:

• New France - blue and white
• English colonies - red and yellow

Britain Campaign

This game begins in 1258 and focuses on the wars in the British Isles with the uprisings of the nobility as well as the clashes over the Norwegian possessions. The English have far superior technology, as do professional warriors. However, you must fight the Irish, Welsh, Norwegians, and Scots, as well as the rebellious barons who pull any disloyal English general on their side.

In this game, cultures have replaced religions . Each side has its own culture. You determine which units can be recruited in the respective city or castle. So it is e.g. B. possible, as an Englishman in a castle with a high proportion of Welsh culture, to recruit Saethwyr (Welsh longbow archers). This works the same with all other factions. However, due to the presence of one's own armed forces, the proportion of other cultures is constantly decreasing, while the proportion of one's own culture is constantly increasing. "Foreign" units are only available for a limited time.

Playable factions:

• England - red and yellow
• Ireland - yellow and green
• Scotland - dark blue and white
• Wales - green and red
• Norway - black and dark red

Unplayable factions:

• Baronallianz (of the Second Barons' War 1264–1267) - burgundy and white

Crusade campaign

This campaign, which begins in 1174, is about the Crusades and the player can choose between the Crusaders and Muslim sides. The map stretches from Constantinople to Baghdad . There are several non-playable factions from the original game that take part in the Crusades whenever they want. The Muslim factions have a great advantage on land and supplies, while the Crusader states have orders of knights to support and through which they can recruit strong units. The new centers of power, such as Constantinople or Jerusalem , create military and economic advantages for their owners by enabling the recruitment of unique, strong units. Each playable side also has a hero with a special ability. The assassins help the Islamic factions in the fight against the crusader states . In addition, historical events such as the invasion of the Mongols or the arrival of Venice in the 4th Crusade create new threats.

The Byzantine Empire can also come up with a very special weapon: Greek fire , for infantry and ships.

fraction	Colours	religion	Playability	hero	Ability of the hero
Kingdom of Jerusalem	white and gold	Catholic	playable	Richard the Lionheart	Increases unit morale.
Principality of Antioch	blue and red	Catholic	playable	Philip II	Strengthens the stamina and attack power of the units.
Egypt	gold and yellow	Muslim	playable	Saladin	Can prevent units from fleeing.
Turks	green and yellow	Muslim	playable	Ad-Din only	Increases the attack speed and morale of the units.
Byzantine Empire	purple and white	orthodox	playable	Manuel Komnenos	Enemy units stop.
Mongols	dark green and cream colored	Muslim	will appear later	-	-
Venice	dark red and yellow	Catholic	will appear later	-	-

Teutonic campaign

This campaign begins in 1250 and focuses on the Wars of Religion in Eastern Europe and the expansion of the Teutonic Order . The map stretches across Northeastern Europe from Denmark and Germany to Russia.

In this part of the expansion, religion plays a major role. B. Lithuania, if it maintains its pagan beliefs, recruit its own pagan special forces. They include ax fighters from Samogitia (Lithuanian: Žemaitėjė ), Latvian crossbowmen, mounted archers from Dzūkija and Szlachta , as well as powerful religious fanatics. These include the Dievas Guard, followers of the Perkunas and elect of the Giltine (see Baltic mythology ). However, in the course of the campaign, Lithuania will have the unique opportunity to adopt the Catholic faith in order to gain the favor of the Pope and the friendship of Poland, which offers some protection from the Teutonic Order.

Another innovation is the Teutonic Order. In contrast to the other factions, this one has no pedigree, but only religious ranks. In addition, if Lithuania chooses to remain pagan, it can only upgrade its settlements to castles or cities and not to the higher categories.

Poland and the Holy Roman Empire are only unlocked once you have played through one of the other four factions. The Kalmarer Union can be founded by the player as ruler of Denmark at a certain event in the campaign. The following factions are playable:

• German Order - white and black
• Lithuania - dark blue and red
• Denmark - red and white
  • Kalmarer Union (per event) - yellow and red
• Novgorod - yellow and black
• Poland - white and red
• Holy Roman Empire - black and yellow

Unplayable factions:

• Norway
• Mongols

new hits

• four new campaigns
• 23 playable factions (13 new, ten already existing)
• over 150 new units
• new types of missions
• Technology trees
• six new multiplayer scenarios and 20 new battle maps
• Hotseat mode
• nine new agent types
• Reinforcements can be controlled
• new fortresses (castles)
• boiling bad luck

Reviews in gaming magazines

• GameStar 83%

Web links

• Official website for the Total War series (multilingual)
• Medieval 2: Total War at MobyGames (English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Feral Interactive: Collect on Mac and Linux under the Medieval II standard: Total War ™ Collection. January 14, 2016, accessed October 2, 2016 . 
2. ↑ http://www.twcenter.net/forums/downloads.php?do=file&id=1581
3. ↑ http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=346
4. ↑ http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=314
5. ↑ http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=654
6. ↑ http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?632564-Deutsche-%DCammlung-German-Translation-ThirdAge-3-2-MOS-1-61
7. ↑ http://thirdagetw.de.tl/Download.htm
8. ↑ ^{a b c} The factions of the Chichimeken, Tlaxcalteken and Tarasken are only unlocked in Medieval 2: Total War: Kingdoms after you have played through one of the other 4 factions.
9. ↑ http://www.gamestar.de/spiele/wertungskasten/strategy/43441/medieval_2_total_war_kingdoms.html