Total War Saga Thrones of Britannia Preview - Seems to be a natural development of the game structure

nehashetty (58)in #gaming • 7 years ago (edited)

In 878 the Normans in England were an enormous force to take into account. Less than 1,200 years ago the Scandinavians enjoyed ravishing and plundering England. This went so far that they were almost among the greatest rulers in the impetuous Britain. However, around 878 this position of power was opened and suddenly all kinds of factions and clans saw an opportunity to come to power and perhaps end up on the throne of a united British kingdom. This historic period forms the framework for The Creative Assembly's latest Total War game.

Thrones of Britannia is something different than what we are used to from the series. It is not an extension of an existing game, but builds on the source code and engine of Total War: Attila. Creative Assembly made this decision because they had many different ideas that were close to the historical period at which Attila took place and therefore it was not necessary to make a completely new foundation. From this, however, the concept of Total War Saga arose. A concept where the focus is limited from a biggest global war to a more local historical conflict, where the outcome can flow many different sides. The choice fell on the conflicts around 878, as it is both a period where there were many different 'players', but also a period that is currently popular on television and in other pop culture. However, Creative Assembly assures, to players of Attila, that it is not just an extension for the full blow, but a game that expands the gameplay mechanisms and offers a lot of new content.

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Mide is a small Celtic clan in the middle of Ireland (hence the name) who thinks it is high time to declare himself rulers of the green island and to designate their own king. This concise background story is presented through a catchy short intro scene: a cartoon in an artistic style that is inspired by this era. Despite his charm, we thought it was something too "cartoon-like" and the cute one for the massacre that was waiting. The strategic map, which all players of Total War are familiar with, is similar to what we have seen before. Even though the game only plays in Britain, the card is not small. Maybe slightly smaller than Attila, but it does not matter much. There are many provinces that can be conquered and, of course, the landscape does not offer much variation in terms of climate. Instead, CA has focused on making more varied battlefields. Sieges have received special attention. The forts and branches are not expanded in the same way as we are used to, which gave the makers the opportunity to design unique forts for each city.

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On the one hand, it can be said that the overall visual presentation is what it should be. However, we know from experience that it is difficult to distinguish different places, fractions and units. We do not have to deal with cultures that differ a lot and that is why they are, of course, quite similar. Sometimes that can be a bit confusing. This also applies to the menus - however, they were not finished yet, so it is difficult to say what is being improved there. For example, it is difficult to distinguish the noble characters, as these - apart from their names - are very similar to each other in their portraits.

Currently there is not much news to be found in the fighting itself. You have the usual elements: horses, fights from near and far, and everything in between. The artificial intelligence also seems familiar: competent, but sometimes confused. The most significant changes in Total War Saga can be found in the large strategic playing field. The first thing you notice is the changes in the recruitment system. You no longer have to be in a special area to collect soldiers. You can recruit all types of units at any time if you have the necessary resources. The soldiers cost money and food, but if they do, they will fight for you. That does, however, have a price: they are recruited with only 25 percent of their full power. You have to wait a few rounds until they have a full combat unit.

War and conflict are a more urgent fact in the scenario of this game and therefore you do not get the same time for training your troops and developing new technologies. This can also be clearly seen in the changes in the 'technology tree'. The different technologies do not depend on different buildings, which was often the case before, but on the experience you get through your actions. For example, to collect technology for advanced units trained for hand-to-hand combat requires that you first recruit ten units with swords.

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As the conflict area has become smaller, there are also some changes in the provinces. At this point in history, Britain is not filled with big cities, but villages and farms that are not protected. That is why every province often has only one city - one fort - and two or three smaller settlements. The big cities work almost as we know them, with a city hall that can be upgraded. The further this has been upgraded, the more different buildings can be made. The smaller villages on the other side focus on one thing: they produce food or auxiliary materials. In addition, they are not protected and are easily taken over by enemy troops. This seems to be a promising element of play, as it allows smaller attacks and forces them to consider other strategic choices.

According to CA, more emphasis has been placed on history and characters. We are familiar with the operation of characters thanks to Attila. You can assign these differences roles in the kingdom to keep everything quiet, and one must be the king. These characters can marry people from other clans, form alliances and thus increase your power. They can also have children, and so on. The studio would try to link this to a relationship of trust that has to do with the personality of a character. For example, a viking warrior may not be the most reliable ally if you accept less war. We have yet to see how thorough this is. We did not have enough time to dive into this. CA promises, however, that this will become an important element. The characters are divided over ten factions, which are subdivided into five different cultures. Every culture and faction has its own bonuses and goals. For example, Mide, the clan we played, has an annual festival that calls for peace. You do not have to stick to this, but do you dare to betray your own people in this way?

This leads us to the last important addition: Warfevour. This is a mechanism that always applies, apart from what you do. In short: this means how happy your population is with the war. As long as you win, this should not cause any problems, but if the population becomes exhausted, this can lead to unrest and ultimately even an uprising. It is therefore important to maintain a 'healthy' kingdom. You have the same possibilities to choose a peaceful option with a diplomacy, as before. The only change we have experienced here is that you can no longer conclude trade agreements. This happens automatically when you enter into an alliance, as it is a natural consequence.

Total War Saga: Thrones of Britannia is a game that all fans of the historical Total War games have to keep an eye on. The focus is on a specific and demarcated period that seems very interesting, although it is by far as epic as Attila (or the excellent Warhammer series for that matter). Being part of such a specific conflict seems to be a natural development of the game structure. The fact that the foundation is already ready means that we can look forward to more smaller periods in Total War Saga!

Thanks for reading.