Medieval II: Total War | |
---|---|
Developer(s) | Creative Assembly Feral Interactive(OS X, Linux) |
Publisher(s) | Sega Feral Interactive (OS X, Linux) |
Director(s) | Robert T. Smith |
Designer(s) | Robert T. Smith Dan Lehtonen |
Composer(s) | Jeff van Dyck Richard Vaughan James Vincent |
Series | Total War |
Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux |
Release | Microsoft Windows
|
Genre(s) | Real-time tactics, Turn-based strategy |
Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Medieval II: Total War is a turn-based strategy and real-time tacticsvideo game developed by The Creative Assembly and published by Sega. It was released for Microsoft Windows on 10 November 2006. Feral Interactive published versions of the game for macOS and Linux on 14 January 2016.[1] It is the sequel to 2002's Medieval: Total War and the fourth title in the Total War series.
The game is set between the years 1080 and 1530. Like the original Medieval: Total War, it focuses on medieval warfare, religion and politics in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.
- 1Gameplay
Gameplay[edit]
Similarly to previous titles in the Total War series, Medieval II: Total War consists of two main modes of play: a campaign mode and battles.
Campaign[edit]
The campaign, which is turn-based, allows the player to play as one of seventeen factions from the time period and build their nation economically and militarily in order to conquer other factions. Gameplay consists of controlling the faction's military, economic, and social systems in large campaign maps. During the player's turn, armies, fleets, and agents can be moved on the map. When an army engages another army, the player can choose to fight the battle personally in the battle mode, or automatically calculate the outcome.[2]
The goal of the campaign depends on which type of campaign is played. The short campaign requires the player to defeat one or two enemy factions and control at least 15 settlements. The long campaign requires the player to control at least 45 territories and one or two significant cities, such as Jerusalem, Granada, Rome or Constantinople.[3]
Territorial control in the campaign is represented by 'settlements', which are large, notable communities. Unlike in previous Total War games, there are two different types of settlements: castles and cities. Cities primarily focus on buildings that boost one's economy, while castles primarily focus on buildings that allow for the recruitment of more advanced types of soldiers. Certain buildings in settlements can also allow the player to recruit agents that fulfill certain functions, like diplomats and spies. Under most circumstances, the settlements can be converted from one type to the other. Settlements can be governed by members of the player's family, who are also capable of leading armies as generals. The talents of family members (and other key characters) are affected by various statistics, like 'Piety' and 'Loyalty', which are in turn impacted by their character traits, personal experiences, and members of their personal retinue. For example, a character with a high 'Command' stat can be expected to do better in battle than a character with a low stat.[3]
Religion in the game is divided into three primary faiths: Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Islam. Unorganized pagan faiths and heretical sects are also represented. If a large portion of a settlement does not adhere to the state religion, unrest may ensue. Missionaries and religious buildings can be used to gradually convert members of other faiths to the state religion. Catholic nations must deal with the Pope, who can send special missions to Catholic rulers. Failure to obey the Pope may result in excommunication. The Pope may also call Crusades against hostile settlements. Muslim imams with a high 'Piety' stat may similarly declare jihads.[4]
Factions primarily interact with each other through diplomacy. Diplomatic actions include the creation of alliances, the securing of trade rights, and the giving or receiving of tribute. Factions may go to war with one another to secure more settlements or other concessions. Factions that are at war can use their armies to fight each other, which incorporates the battle mechanic of the game into the campaign. Several factions in the campaign are either not present or 'dormant' when the game begins. The Mongols will invade at some point after the campaign has begun, often posing a serious threat to factions in their path. Later on, the Timurids will also invade, bringing war elephants with them. Late in the game, factions may also sail to the Americas, where they can encounter the Aztecs.[5][6]
Battles[edit]
A group of English knights attacking French dismounted feudal knights.
One of the main focuses on the Total War franchise is its representation of real-timebattles in addition to the turn-based campaign. A battle consists of two or more armies from different factions fighting each other. Battles play similarly to those in Rome: Total War, with formations of various kinds of troops engaging in combat. The objective of the battle is to defeat the enemy army by completely destroying it or causing the whole army to flee; in a siege battle, the objective is to completely destroy the army or to take control of a plaza in the centre of the settlement. There is also an option which allows the player to allow for time limits on battles, meaning that the attacker must defeat the defender within a certain time limit or the battle results in a victory for the defender. Battles can exist as custom battles set up by the player, multiplayer battles between humans, historical battles based on real-life military engagements, or battles that occur between factions in the campaign.[3][6]
Reception[edit]
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Medieval II: Total War received a 'Gold' sales award from the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA),[11] indicating sales of at least 200,000 copies in the United Kingdom.[12]
Medieval II: Total War received 'generally favorable reviews' according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[7]
The exclusive review was given to PC Gamer (US), which gave it an 'Editor's Choice Award'.[10]IGN said that the game was not as revolutionary as its predecessor, but still introduces some new ideas and builds on others from Rome: Total War, which would still be enough for anybody to buy it.[6]GameSpot noted the game's 'epic, engrossing gameplay', but also criticised its 'beefy system requirements'.[3]Hyper's Anthony Fordham commended the game for its 'incredible gameplay, both in battle and on the world map.' However, he criticised it for being 'more a refinement of the series than a huge leap forward.'[13]
Swedish historian and member of the Swedish AcademyPeter Englund reviewed the game for Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter where he made comparisons to traditional battle depictions such as old copper engravings and paintings, and the more recent film medium. In the review, Englund concluded that Medieval II represents a form of battle depiction 'amazingly similar to an engraving from the 1600s.'[14]
The editors of Computer Games Magazine named Medieval II the eighth-best computer game of 2006. They wrote that 'No scripted encounters or overly dramatic cutscenes can compare with the stories Creative Assembly allows you to write as your armies beat down all who would oppose you.'[15]Edge ranked the game at #26 on its list of 'The 100 Best Games To Play Today', calling it 'as complete a depiction of war as there has been in a videogame.'[16]
Although most reviews were positive,[3] some reviews have noted negative aspects of the game, such as pathfinding bugs,[17] some AI problems and some uninteresting new features.[9]
Expansion[edit]
An expansion, Medieval II: Total War: Kingdoms, was announced on 30 March 2007 and released on 28 August 2007 in the US, 31 August in the UK, 7 September in Australia, and 22 November in Japan. It adds four new campaigns to the game: 'Americas', which focuses on the Spanish colonization of the Americas, 'Britannia', which focuses on several conflicts on the British Isles, 'Crusades', which covers the Third and Fourth Crusades, and 'Teutonic', which deals with the Northern Crusades. In each of the campaigns, a small part of the world (e.g. the British Isles) is taken and enlarged, with many settlements added to it.
The Gold Edition of the game, containing the original game and the expansion pack, was released on 1 February 2008; this was later released/renamed on Steam as Medieval II: Total War™ Collection.
References[edit]
- ^'The Medieval II: Total War™ Collection gallops to Steam for Mac and Linux on January 14th'. Feral Interactive. Feral Interactive. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
- ^ abMeer, Alec (13 November 2006). 'Medieval 2: Total War'. Eurogamer. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
- ^ abcdefOcampo, Jason (14 November 2006). 'Medieval 2: Total War Review'. GameSpot. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
- ^Toose, Dan (6 September 2006). 'Medieval 2: Total War Designer Diary #4 – Religion'. Gamespot. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
- ^Toose, Dan (24 July 2006). 'Medieval War II : Total War : Developer Diary'. Hexus. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
- ^ abcdeButts, Steve (8 November 2006). 'Medieval II: Total War UK Review'. IGN. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
- ^ ab'Medieval II: Total War for PC Reviews'. Metacritic. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
- ^Ferris, Duke (15 December 2006). 'Medieval II: Total War Review'. Game Revolution. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
- ^ abKosak, Dave (17 November 2006). 'GameSpy: Medieval II: Total War'. GameSpy. Retrieved 14 March 2009.
- ^ ab'Medieval II: Total War'. PC Gamer: 28. December 2006.
- ^'ELSPA Sales Awards: Gold'. Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association. Archived from the original on 19 March 2009.
- ^Caoili, Eric (26 November 2008). 'ELSPA: Wii Fit, Mario Kart Reach Diamond Status In UK'. Gamasutra. Archived from the original on 18 September 2017.
- ^Fordham, Andrew. 'Medieval II: Total War'. Hyper. Next Media (159): 54–55. ISSN1320-7458.
- ^Englund, Peter (24 November 2006). 'Medieval II: Total War'. Dagens Nyheter.
- ^Staff (March 2007). 'The Best (and Worst) of 2006; The 16th Annual Computer Games Awards'. Computer Games Magazine (195): 46–51.
- ^Edge staff (9 March 2009). 'The 100 Best Games to Play Today (Page 8)'. Edge. Archived from the original on 26 September 2012. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
- ^Molloy, Sean (January 2007). 'Medieval 2: Total War'. Games for Windows: The Official Magazine (2). Retrieved 26 July 2016.
External links[edit]
- Medieval II: Total War at MobyGames
Wikiquote has quotations related to: Medieval II: Total War |
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Medieval_II:_Total_War&oldid=904103025'
This page contains a list of cheats, codes, Easter eggs, tips, and other secrets for Medieval II: Total War for PC. If you've discovered a cheat you'd like to add to the page, or have a correction, please click EDIT and add it.
Command Shell Codes[edit]
Use 'logon <password> to enable with an administrator password.
add_money <opt:faction_type> <amount> : adds an amount of money to a faction's coffers, can be negative, default is player faction
add_population <settlement_name> <amount> : adds an amount of population to a settlement, can be negative
move_character <name> <x>,<y> : moves named character to position on campaign map
auto_win <attacker/defender> : the attacker or defender wins the next autoresolved battle
create_unit <settlement/character_name> <unit_id> <opt:how_many> <opt:exp/armour/weapon> : creates one or more units of the specified type
toggle_fow : toggles the fog of war on or off
toggle_restrictcam : toggles camera restrictions on or off
save_battle_replay : saves battle replay in file replays/<name>.rpy
Medieval 2 Total War Patch
save_battle_replay <name> : saves replay
give_ancillary <charactername> <ancillary name> : gives the character an ancillary
remove_ancillary <charactername> <opt:ancillary name> : removes ancillary from the character an ancillary (default = all)
give_trait <charactername> <trait name> <opt:level> : gives the character a trait at level (default = level 1)
remove_trait <charactername> <opt:trait name> : removes a specified trait from the character (default = all)
disable_vnvs : toggles whether to disable game applying traits and attributes
process_cq <settlement> : Completes all (possible) construction pending in queue
character_reset : resets the character back to it's start of turn settings
show_cursorstat : shows the cursor position and region id
toggle_terrain <opt:region/tiletype/climate/choke/landing/frontier/features/frontier_defend> : toggles the terrain to display various data sets, no param resets to normal
bestbuy : sells units cheaper
oliphaunt : the biggest around
jericho : and the walls came a-tumblin' down
write_ui_cache : writes out the ui texture cache to disk
give_trait_points <charactername> <trait name> <points> : gives the character points for trait
list_traits : lists all the available traits
list_ancillaries : lists all the available ancillaries
mp <charactername> <amount> : gives the character movement points
list_characters <opt:faction_type> : lists all the characters in the world or those belonging to a faction
show_landings <opt:cursor/region_id> : shows the landing positions available to the ai from a given region, default hides them
filter_coastlines : applies filter to world map coastlines
toggle_coastlines : toggles strategy map coastline display
set_building_health <settlement_name> <building_chain> <final health percent> : sets health of a building of the specified type (eg core_building) in a settlement, so that the final health percentage is as specified; for building chains see export_descr_building.txt
ai_turn_speed <multiplier> : sets the maximum speed of turn processing during the ai round maximum supported speed is 255x
amdb_min : sets aerial map overlay depth bias for min zoom
amdb_max : sets aerial map overlay depth bias for max zoom
amdb_offset : sets aerial map overlay offset towards camera
zoom : zooms to specified aerial map zoom (only valid during a view of the strategy map)
set_ranking_interval : sets the denominator of the faction ranking graph interval which is calculated as (number_of_turns / denominator). If set to 0, then the denominator will be set to number_of_turns, giving an interval of 1
regenerate_radar : Does what it says on the tin
adjust_sea_bed : adjusts whole sea bed to specified height
reload_shaders : reloads all vertex shaders
reload_textures : reloads all textures
toggle_game_update : unknown
toggle_perfect_spy : toggles everyone's spying ability to perfect and infinite range, and off again
reset_display : Forces a display_close(); display_open() display reset cycle
process_rq <settlement> : Completes all (possible) recruitment pending in queue
force_diplomacy <accept/decline/off> : Forces the negotiator to accept or decline a proposition
diplomatic_stance <faction_a> <faction_b> <allied/neutral/war> : Set the diplomatic stance between the two factions (factions must be different)
invulnerable_general <character_name> : makes that named general invulnerable in battle
test_ancillary_localisation : adds all ancillary to the character info display
perf_times : Toggle display of simple performance times of game update vs display
burn_piggies_burn <on/off> : ignite all the piggy winks
test_message <event_message_name | all> : Test the event message specified in descr_event_enums.txt
test_movie <mission_type> <movie_name> <result> : test_movie
reload_movie_db : Reloads movie db
show_terrain_lines <duration> : display defensive terrain features
message_collation_set : Set the message collation on or off (sets all factions)
show_all_messages : Show all messages to all factions (on/off)
clear_messages : Clear all the current stacked messages
upgrade_settlement <settlement name> : upgrade settlement level
toggle_wireframe : Toggle wireframe rendering
reapply_rigid_model_influence : unkown
toggle_flowing_water : toggles display of campaign map flowing water
nw_stats : toggles display of network stats.
toggle_pr: toggles pr mode.
list_units <character/settlement name> : lists all of the units in an army, with details.
army units (total strength: %i) : unknown
victory <faction> <short> : show victory message for faction for short or long campaign.
trigger_advice <thread_name> [<advice_index>] : - triggers an advice thread
damage_wall <settlement> <gate> <breach> : Damage wall of settlement. Forces 40% damage to a random gatehouse and a nearby straight section. Destroys gatehouse if 'gate' parameter present; breaches wall if 'breach' present
test_victory_scroll <faction victor> <short campaign (true/false)> : Opens up the victory scroll declaring that the given faction is the victor
date <year> : changes the campaign date to the given year
season <season> : changes the campaign season to the given season
force_battle_victory <opt:capture_percent> : forces the local player's alliance to win the battle, completely destroying the enemy alliance or optionally capturing a percentage of the enemy alliance
force_battle_defeat <opt:capture_percent> : forces the local player's alliance to lose the battle, completely destroying the local alliance or optionally capturing a percentage of the local alliance
output_unit_positions <filename> : output the positions of all units in the battle to the specified file
Format: - alliance_index, army_index, unit_index, formation_origin_x, formation_origin_y, rotation_in_degrees, unit_width_in_metres, unit_width_in_men
zoom_to_unit : zoom the camera to a unit of a specific id
show_battle_marker <x> <y> <t> <h> : display a marker at (x, y) for t seconds of height h
show_battle_line <x1> <y1> <x2> <y2> <t> : display a line from (x1, y1) to (x2, y2) for t seconds
show_battle_circle <x> <y> <r> <t> : display a circle at (x, y) of r radius for t seconds
kill_faction <faction_type> : removes the faction from the game
diplomacy_mission <ai_faction> <target_faction> <mission_type> <opt:mission_target> : creates a diplomacy mission
event <start_year[:end_year]> <category[:type]> [<x,y> <scale>] : creates an event
kill_character <character_name> : kills a character with the given name
control <faction_type> : switches player control to specified faction; old faction may not act correctly as ai faction
create_building <settlement_name> <building_level_id> : creates a building of the specified type in a settlement; for building level id's see export_descr_building.txt
capture_settlement <settlement name> : evicts any resident characters and armies and gives the settlement to the local player
disable_ai [opt: tac | sub | dip | name | priest]: disables all (default) or part of the ai for all factions
halt_ai <opt:factiontypename> : halts the turn sequence just before the start of the specified faction's turn, or the current faction if no faction given
run_ai [opt:x]: re-starts an ai turn sequence after disableai or haltai has been triggered; (use x to also re-enable all parts of the ai which have been individually disabled)
surrender_regions <opt: horde> <opt:faction_type> : gives all this faction's regions to the slaves. 'horde' surrenders regions for all factions that can be hordes
toggle_chat_log : shows or hides the multiplayer chat window
bounds : toggle display of bounding objects
lights : <merge> <used> <auto>
set_option <opt_name> <opt_value> : Set new value for specified option (use 1 and 0 for boolean options)
capabilities <settlement_name> : list details of the recruitment capabilities of a settlement
recruitment_pool <settlement_name> : list details of the current recruitment pool of a settlement
diplomacy_costs <receiving_faction> <proposing_faction> <opt:target_faction> <opt:settlement_name> <opt:payment_amount> <opt:payment_years> : displays a list of raw and perceived diplomacy items costs from the perspective of the receiving faction.
create_mission <sent_faction> <mission_id> : Attempt to create and add a mission to the specified faction
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toggle_HUD_mode: switches between full and minimal HUD during a battle.
print_shortcuts: prints all the keyboard shortcuts for the current handler to documentation/current_handler_shortcuts.txt
logon <password> : enables console with an admin password
logoff: logs out administrator to disable console
clear_password <faction_label> : clears the current password for a specified faction
set_password <faction_label> <password> <password> : sets a new password for a specified faction
set_email <faction_label> <address> : sets a new email address for a specified faction
Submitted by Paranoidx2
Comments
Posted byStill salty about the 4th Crusade2 years ago
Archived
Medieval 2 Total War was my entry point into Total War, and recently, for the sake of nostalgia, I bought it on Steam and launched into a Byzantine Empire campaign (because why would you play as anyone else). I immediately became engrossed in the sheer intricacy of the campaign, all the city/agent micro-managing, the diplomatic chicanery, religious and trade mechanics, etc.
And then, after a wee while, I went back to my TW campaign, and it just felt so.. unengaging. Boring, even. Don't get me wrong, I love Total Warhammer, I adore the Warhammer setting; it's my favourite Total War, and one of my favourite strategy games of all time. But there's just so much much less depth and complexity to the campaign gameplay (which, for me personally, is what Total War's all about). Despite the campaign map being visually much more colourful and interesting, paradoxically, it just feels empty and lifeless compared to Medieval 2, with all the Cardinals/Imams/Heretics/Merchants/Crusading armies pouring into my lands from all directions (seriously, the Byzantines have got to be up there with Scotland in terms of difficulty).
And despite the effort CA has put into making you feel connected to your TW characters, with their customisable skill trees, Quest Battles, etc., I actually, as someone who likes to RP his strategy games, feel much more attached to my schizophrenic M2 characters, with their ridiculous and utterly contradictory traits, and dodgy ancillaries.
There are definitely areas in which Total Warhammer is miles ahead of M2 (which you'd expect, considering it came out 10 years later); the graphics are (naturally) far better (though I do miss those hilarious agent cut-scenes), the UI is much clearer, the factions play vastly more differently, and the battles are (imo) better simply because of how much more diverse the units/mechanics are.
Yet notwithstanding all this, I can't help thinking atm that Medieval 2 is in some ways the better game, and I can't help feeling (and this reaction surprised me) that the Total Warhammer campaign is somewhat dull and lacklustre by contrast. I dunno, just some thoughts I had recently. :)
Edit: spelling, phrasing
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