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ROME: TOTAL WAR

CIVILIZATION 3

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TW LEGACY

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Rome: Total War Game Concepts

This walkthrough of the concepts and features of Rome: Total War is information gathered from numerous sources, like reviews, interviews, designer diaries and even the actual game itself. I plan to update this as much as possible and soon upgrade this to a full RTW Encyclopedia. If you are interesting in helping with this project, email us.

Contents

Campaign Map

One great change will be the new and very improved battle map. It is all in 100% 3D. There will no longer be abstract provinces and boardgame like pieces moving around in Europe. It is now fully animated as your army as your army moves around. Though the major differences from the provinces in Shogun Total War and Medieval Total War is that now the provinces are divided up into squares, where each square can contain one army which means battle. Therefore capturing one province can result in fighting many battles, though it is the same when losing a province.

More details have been added like the ability to zoom in and out of the Campaign map, even far down as to see the bridges on the rivers. You are now more able to set up strategic blockades and fight treacherous battles for the numerous chokepoints set up in this very beautiful map.

Now there are also mountains which stand in your way. Making the campaign map very strategic and complex. Also allowing deadly ambushes while you hide behind them and into trees, even in the campaign map! Armies also have a zone of control, meaning if you pass by them a potential battle may occur. Ruvers also stand in the way, making many chokepoints and strategic areas to fight bloody battles over. You will also see every mountain, hill, forest, farm, volcano, city and Wonder of the World that you build on the campaign map and in the battlefield (more below).

3D Battles

The main feature of this game is its 3D technology. Each total war game to this date has brought a new life to real time strategy with its epic battles that field more than thousands of troops on a single screen. Though up until now, they were only small sprites in 2D unlike what you are going to see in Rome: Total War. With each troop on the field carved out in full 3D you will now be able to see something you have never seen before. There will be something unique about every soldier as you go down the line. The fights will be spectacular as you zoom in. It makes it much more dynamic and real, as if you were controlling the armies of LOTR: The Two Towers.

Not only is the units in full 3D but the cities and landscape looks more beautiful then before, more about this will be discussed below under "Battlefields".

This all new 3D engine doesn't only bring more graphics but now more options for you as the general of your army to carry out specific orders depending on who you are and who you are fighting. More info on this can be found in our Units Profiles, Battlefields, and Sieges below.

The strategy in battle will be much more complex then ever, but forunatly the CA team has spent thier time making it mainstream with much less micromanaging during a battle. There is actually day and night time in a battle, for example you can begin fighting your enemy at the dawn of the day and end up finishing them off (or them finishing you off) under the moonlight.

Tactics like the "Parthian Shot" and such will be available for you to use as you wish. The troops and even the animals have thier own character, like horses refusing to charge into a row of phalanxes, Catapults can often paralize the enemy, troops can dismount from thier horses, soldiers can fall down and get right back up, and much much more.

Each type of troop will have a unique strategy of its own like the Legionary and the "turtle formation" or throw thier pilums before actual melee fighting begins, the Greek Hoplites moving into a "Phalanxe Formation", as said the Parthian Cavalry Shot being able to shoot thier arrows while riding and more.

Other details such as...
-More than 100 types of Units
-Elephants can even turn on thier men when scared.
-Generals and leaders each have more then 120 vices and virtues that can effect your troops in and out of the battlefield.
-Barbarians can be very very powerful when used right... like naked men and women, screaming women, flaming pigs (even Greeks), and much much more which will definetly frighten the enemy. Much of these can be found in Germanic and British areas.

Historic Events

One interesting detail of R:TW is the historic setting of the game. The campaign begins in the Early 200's BC and ends around 15ad. During this period comes real life characters at your disposal like Roman Philosophers, generals, and the height of the Caesar as we know today.

Not only historic characters will appear, but historical events that changed the course of history will be our decision on how to handle with them. One to note is the Marian reform which changed the Legionary to the powerful war machine as we know from our history books.

Key battles in history will be for you to recreate the outcome to your likings like the battle of Jerusalem and more.

Therefore, for you history lovers, this game will pack quite a punch for you guys to enjoy and toy with the history that helped create the world we see today.

Battlefields

Believe it or not this game will have around 10,000 different battlefields to fight on. Remember how I told you in the Campaign Map that each province was divided into squares which your armies move on? Well each square is a battlefield of its own, making every battle you fight different from the next. Not only is there 10,000 battlefields, but each of them change according to how you play the game. There will be accounts of when you fight whether it be a rainy day, or in winter when its covered in snow. Also based on where you fight. If on the lands of Pompei you may witness a volcano above you, though this can be different if you off to fight in England during the winter time. Therefore you have alot to come for. But thats not all...

Every mountain, hill, volcano, buildings, wonders, city, farm, forest you see on the campaign map will be very much seen on your battlefield. Cities will be seen with all the structures you or your enemy has built. If in the battle you destroy it, you will no longer see it on the campaign map. Everything cooperates with one another giving you an experience of a lifetime. Also if you fight on one square, and the neighboring square of which you fight has maybe a city or a volcano, you are best to be assured that you will see it in the distance as you fight.

You can build forts, and set ambushes in your forests, make beach landings and much much more making you feel like you are in a continuous world, putting yourself right into the game.

That is an experience of its own that is surely something for you not to miss.

Sieges

Soo much to say about Sieges that I may not be able to fit it right here. Simply, it will be totally different then almost any game you have ever played. This is one of the aspects the developers most wanted to improve and it seems as if they have absolutely done thier jobs. First, you will have to fight the enemy as probably known, away from the fortress, if there is one in the square you are fighting in. After you fight them, and survive, they will probably retreat to thier stronghold where you will then have to manage to take it down. Now when storming it, you have many options besides the old catapult it and wait. You can now use Siege towers and ladders if you make it that close to the walls. The only problem with Siege Towers is that they are easy to collapse, and if it collapse, all your troops inside of it falls with it. The same for ladders, it will be hard to outnumber the troops that have been stationed on the wall (yeah, you can do that now. :D) while you go in a single file line up the ladder.

After breaking into the walls you now have another task to face, instead of how it was that if you simply have the majority of your troops inside the walls you have won... well sorry to say its not THAT easy anymore, you now have to fight inside thier city a guerilla warfare to kill all thier army garrisoned in the city. Same goes if you were the defender, you can now strategically place your troops inside your city to quickly fight off the invaders. Options to use boiling oil and more are now at yours and your enemy's fingertips.

If you do not want to start a siege and finish the city, you can even make a treaty with the enemy governor, maybe annexing the city without resistance.

Therefore, that is all I can say about this feature for I have not yet played the game, but be sure that this will be one heck of a great time when capturing Rome. I surely cant wait for urban fighting! :D

Money

Like the currency in Medieval: Total War, which were Florins, in Rome: Total War there will be the Denarii. Denarii, which is an old form of Roman currency, can be gained in many ways, many more then that of previous total war games. To name a few, there will be the commonly known city taxes which in my prediction will highly depend on your population. In the beginning of the game your economy will highly depend on your farms, though as the age progress, you will unlock more money making buildings to construct. Not to mention the Senate, which awards its Roman factions for completed missions or conquering a province, much like the Pope in Medieval: TW. Also there is diplomacy which has been highly improved (more info below) can grant you much income if you deal right. All in all, money will be what makes you rise or fall, though if all above are unsuccessful for you, there is always looting and pillaging..

Diplomacy

Besides the fact of the crappy diplomatic options given to you in Medieval: Total War, Rome: Total War will provide more then 200 combinations of deals that can be made with your neighbors. It is even said that diplomacy in RTW will be the same or much better then that of Sid Meier's Civilization 3 which in my eyes are currently the best so far. Deals like controlling vassals, gold per turn, "attack x here and I'll give you x denarii" and much more can be made in the totally new Diplomacy engine offered in RTW. For that fact alone it guarantees my $5 payment for reserves.

Not only will diplomacy be much better, but internal politics will play a big roll on how your citizens, the Senate and your nieghbors trust you. Gaining the majority's respect and climbing the leadership ladder may not be an easy thing. Oppertunities like family marriages and assasinations will still be available at your fingertips.

Victory

Afterall, the only reason you play is to win? Many of us heard, if not, that the way to win is to gain enough power as a Roman Family, go against the Senate, start a civil war and conquer Rome, defeat legions from rivaling houses and stay in power as the Emperor for 10 whole years (20 turns). Though thats not the only way to win the game...

You can also achieve an economic victory, or even conquest/domination much like Medieval: Total War. There will be alot to wait for when you begin to play RTW... I can't even stand to wait for the installation when I actually buy the game.