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Made in us
[DCM]
Savage Minotaur




Baltimore, Maryland

New DLC(and update) for Rome II: Total War.

Rome II kind of tainted the Total War franchise with its somewhat disastrous launch. It took about a year for the DLC and patches to fix the issues, but its Emperor Edition is one of my favorite games. This is apparently the first of many returns to previous games, so I hope its successful. I'm a Total War addict!

Last week, Creative Assembly discussed the direction of its historical Total War series. This week, the developer teased something new for Total War: Rome 2. And today, the turn-based strategy expert has unveiled Empire Divided as the new DLC heading to its 2013 stalwart.

Set in 270 AD, Empire Divided visits the Roman Empire as it faces economic collapse and its "gravest crisis yet". With that, it's on you to restore the capital to its former glory (or, you know, run it into the ground) as you assume control of ten different playable factions across five cultures (each with its own cultural and faction-driven traits), negotiate new victory conditions, and handle new campaign features—not least plagues, bandits and cults.

That last part sounds particularly interesting. Here's publisher Sega with the skinny:

A cult building may be built for no cost, as its construction represents your empire permitting disciples to settle within your territory. This makes cult bonuses relatively easy to obtain, though cults spread foreign culture, bringing disorder into your provinces. In order to remove a cult building, a significant expenditure is required and a public order penalty is incurred required as this is considered persecution. Careful consideration of a cult’s benefits and disadvantages is required but, if used correctly, they can become a powerful tool.

Alongside Total War: 2's Empire Divided campaign pack, Creative Assembly will launch 'Power & Politics'—a complimentary update that overhauls Rome 2's existing politics system. Here, influence and political support can be gained from winning battles and completing missions. Sega notes that the Politics & Power update applies to Total War: Rome 2's base game and all of its DLC, bar Caesar and Gaul as it operates its own political system.

More information on both the Empire Divided DLC and the Power & Politics update is provided via this Q&A. Both are due on November 30, 2017, and here's the expansion's Steam page.


Steam Details:

Spoiler:
Total War: ROME II – Empire Divided


PLEASE NOTE: This content requires the base game Total War™: ROME II to play.


◾A new grand-scale Campaign Pack for Total War: ROME II

◾Plunges players into the crisis of the third century, a critical turning-point for Rome

◾Play as one of ten different factions across five cultural groups

◾New Heroic Factions with elaborate victory conditions, famous leaders and crafted event-chains

◾New period-specific events, dilemmas and missions

◾New Campaign features: Plagues, Cults and Banditry

◾Restructured technologies and unique new buildings

The year is 270 AD. A string of inept emperors and usurpers vying for power has led the Roman Empire into near-total economic collapse. This is its gravest crisis yet.

Eager to capitalise on Rome’s instability, barbarian tribes gather like a storm on the borders, to plunder the riches of civilisation.

To the east, the Sassanids set out on a grand conquest that culminates with an assault against Roman lands. They are held back only by a staunch defence led by Palmyra. Queen Zenobia holds fast – but for how long?

The once-glorious legions are forced to assume a defensive posture as their strength wanes; time is not on Rome’s side. However, there is yet hope. Aurelian stands ready to take the reins in Rome, though the task he faces seems insurmountable…

Will you unite an Empire Divided, and return Rome to its former glory? Or will you become the arbiter of its final downfall?



Playable Factions

Culture: The Divided Roman Empire
Cultural traits:
◾Defenders of Civilisation: +15% morale for all units in own or allied territory

◾True Rome: Roman factions share a major diplomatic penalty with other Roman factions

Rome
Faction leader: Aurelian
Faction traits:
◾Iron Fist: -50% resistance to foreign occupation

◾Marching Orders: +15% movement range for all armies

Gallic Rome
Faction leader: Gaius Tetricus
Faction traits:
◾Romanisation: Public order bonus (max +6) from presence of Latin culture

◾Administrators: -20% political action costs

Palmyra
Faction leader: Queen Zenobia
Faction traits:
◾Enlightenment Ruler: +20% research rate

◾Piety: -4 Banditry for each cult building (all regions)





Culture: Germanic Kingdoms
Cultural traits:
◾Terrors of the night: Can always choose to fight night battles

◾Looters & Raiders: +150% income from raiding and sacking

Saxones
Faction leader: King Sigeric
Faction traits:
◾Voyagers: +20% movement range for all fleets

◾Settlers: -50% building conversion costs (all regions)

Gothi
Faction leader: Cannabaudes
Faction traits:
◾Horsemanship: -20% recruitment costs for all cavalry units

◾Ancestral Blades: level 1 weapons for sword units upon recruitment (all provinces)

Marcomanni
Faction leader: King Burkhard
Faction traits:
◾Tribal Conquerors: +20% morale for all units vs Barbarian Tribes

◾Ambushers: +50% chance of successfully launching an ambush

Culture: Eastern Empires
Cultural traits:
◾Centralised Authority: -5 Banditry (all provinces)

◾Silk Road: +20% income from all commerce buildings (all regions)

The Sassanids
Faction leader: Hormizd
Faction traits:
◾Local Dominance: minor diplomatic bonus with Eastern & Nomadic factions

◾Aswaran: +20% charge bonus for all cavalry units

Armenia
Faction leader: Narseh
Faction traits:
◾Noble Guard: +3 experience ranks for commander’s unit

◾Westward: Minor diplomatic bonus with all Roman factions

Culture: Nomadic Tribes
Cultural traits:
◾Nomadic archers: +25% ammo for all ranged units

◾Warlike people: +3 army recruitment slots in home province

Alani
Faction leader: Nikanuur
Faction traits:
◾Horse lords: +2 experience ranks for nomadic cavalry recruits (all provinces)

◾Steppe Dominance: Moderate diplomatic bonus with all nomadic barbarian tribes

Culture: Britannic Celts
Cultural traits:
◾Heroic culture: +20% charge bonus for all units

◾Sacred springs: +6 sanitation (all provinces)

Caledones
Faction leader: Segovax
Faction traits:
◾Fierce independence: +20% melee attack in own or allied provinces

◾Cultural aspirations: Moderate diplomatic bonus with all non-barbarian tribes

New campaign features



Heroic Factions
Five of the ten playable factions in Empire Divided are classed as Heroic factions. These are Rome, Gallic Rome, Palmyra, the Sassanids and the Gothi. Heroic factions have grander and more elaborate victory conditions, and unique named faction leaders who cannot die in battle.

Heroic factions also have their own flavourful and bespoke event-chains, representing the tales of these characters’ lives, which bring bonuses to their abilities and enable the player to make meaningful choices regarding their development and that of their faction.

New events, dilemmas and missions
Empire Divided brings a host of new events, dilemmas and missions, both general and faction-specific, to introduce new challenges, benefits and period flavour to your campaigns.

Banditry
This period of reduced governmental authority fosters the spread of Banditry. Each province now has a variable Banditry level which increases with the size of your domain and the presence of certain local buildings. Banditry can be reduced with the presence of armies, generals and special buildings. As Banditry grows, food levels fall, threatening faction-wide shortages. High provincial Banditry can also trigger special Bandit events to occur.

Plagues
Devastating diseases were commonplace in the 3rd century. When a plague hits a settlement it hampers growth, impacts public order and reduces income. Diseases can move between neighbouring territories, spreading with army movement and along trade routes. Sanitation buildings can prevent plagues from erupting and spreading, and key technologies can improve sanitation factionwide.

Cults
Alongside the more established religions, many cults sprang up in the 3rd century. These are represented by special building chains that can be constructed by any faction in any settlement. Three different cults are available in the game: Christianity, Mithraism and Manichaeism.

A cult building may be built for no cost, as its construction represents your empire permitting disciples to settle within your territory. This makes cult bonuses relatively easy to obtain, though cults spread foreign culture, bringing disorder into your provinces. In order to remove a cult building, a significant expenditure is required and a public order penalty is incurred required as this is considered persecution. Careful consideration of a cult’s benefits and disadvantages is required but, if used correctly, they can become a powerful tool.
New General Skills
Generals’ skill have been overhauled, and now allow the player to customise and specialise their characters in the disciplines of Recruitment, Combat, Strategy, Governance and Maritime Proficiency.
New Narrative Technologies
All technology trees have been restructured and redesigned to reflect the time-period and each of the game’s culture groups. Moreover, technologies in Empire Divided don’t represent scientific or technological breakthroughs; rather they represent the measures taken by rulers to deal with specific problems facing their empires. In this way, they help to tell the story of each faction’s journey through the period. This is especially true for the Heroic factions:

◾Aurelian’s technologies chart the journey of an emperor who must reform the military, then unify and defend his empire.

◾Zenobia’s technologies tell the story of her rise to power.

◾Tetricus’ technologies reveal his Republican political views in an age of fractured empire.

◾Hormizd’s technologies portray him as a ruler living up to the image of his predecessors, the great kings of the past.

◾Cannonades’ technologies tell a tale of Gothic bloodlust, and the many challenges his people must overcome in order to unify and persevere.

Updated building chains

◾Rome features a new Administration building, which deals with tax collection, agent improvement and countering banditry

◾Naval Training buildings can now be constructed in the capital of a coastal province providing bonuses to ship recruitment

◾Palmyra gains a new religious building chain that is dedicated to the gods Baalshamin, Aglibol, Yarhibol, Malakbel and Nabu

◾Armenia gains a new religious building chain that is dedicated to Christianity

◾Several new unique buildings are available to selected factions. These are Rome (the Grand Temple of Sol Invictus), Palmyra (the Great Colonnade, the El Kanat irrigation system and the Grand Temple of Baal), Sassanids (the Grand Statue of Shapur I) and Armenia (the Etchmiadzin cathedral - historically, the world’s first Christian cathedral)

New Units

Alongside the existing unit rosters from ROME II, Empire Divided introduces a number of unique and signature units for every faction. Each faction features its own variant style and unique take on the classic Roman look and feel, with Aurelian’s Roman forces bearing the closest resemblance to the classic template. Unique Roman units are:

Rome
◾Legionaries

◾Heavy infantry units – Praetorians, Jovianii, Herulianii

◾Equites Dalmatarum – famous light cavalry

◾Clibanarii and Cataphractarii – very heavy cavalry, precursors to medieval knights

Gallic Rome
◾Taifali Cavalry – famous associated barbarian cavalry (distinguishing shield designs)

◾Gallic Legionaries – distinctive from Roman Legionaries

◾Gallic Axemen and Longswords

Palmyrene Rome
◾Palmyrene Legionaries – distinctive armour and a preference for spears

◾Hamian Archers – famous middle-eastern foot soldiers

◾Palmyrene Cataphracts – eastern-looking heavy cavalry

◾Armoured Camels – exotic eastern-style cavalry


Can't wait to give it a go. Not sure what faction I'll choose first.

Also excited about future possibilities! Wonder what is next?

This message was edited 4 times. Last update was at 2018/07/19 17:20:06


"Sometimes the only victory possible is to keep your opponent from winning." - The Emperor, from The Outcast Dead.
"Tell your gods we are coming for them, and that their realms will burn as ours did." -Thostos Bladestorm
 
   
Made in us
Executing Exarch




Creative Assembly mentioned this in a recent blog post. They mentioned that an old game (they didn't say which) was going to get a DLC. I didn't expect the announcement this soon, though.

Also in the works are their upcoming "saga" game (the new saga games are supposed to be tied to one of the primary games in the same fashion that Fall of the Samurai was tied to Shogun 2), and a new historical game. IIRC, the latter is supposed to be something completely new to the franchise.

Note that each of these items is being worked on by a different team.
   
Made in ca
Phanobi






Canada,Prince Edward Island

I stopped playing Rome II after I got fed up of manually fixing all the crashes by deleting bits out of folders and re-downloading steam every other day.

Hopefully with the new DLC most of that will have already been fixed as it sounds like a lot of new stuff is being added (hopefully they took some inspiration from TW Warhammer regarding the quests/victory conditions). Now where is my trailer for some much needed hype??

   
Made in no
Terrifying Doombull





Hefnaheim

Not was what I was hoping for, but I suppose I will buy it. Although my faith in CA has taken a few hits of the last years, I just hope its worth the coin seeing as the price is a bit steep in my opinion.
   
Made in gb
Mekboy Hammerin' Somethin'





Dorset, England

That's pretty cool that they are releasing new DLC for old games. I hope that some of the games that I really enjoyed like Rome: Total War and Medieval 2: Total War get some new attention!
   
Made in nl
Tzeentch Aspiring Sorcerer Riding a Disc





I must say the use of "stalwart" combined with Rome 2 in the news article cracked me up. Rome 2 was so terrible in performance on release CA was drowned in a firestorm of negativity, hardly stalwart

Price is pretty steep as dlc goes for a four year old game on a not so stable base. Which is kinda what my problem was when making dlc for older games as it falls on the two black sheep of the 2010's. Both Rome 2 and Atilla were very iffy in performance and response, and with how complete Shogun 2 seems its hard to think they would go back even further. Waiting this one out, maybe if it goes on sale.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2017/11/10 12:55:48


Sorry for my spelling. I'm not a native speaker and a dyslexic.
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Made in us
Posts with Authority






Yeah, probably wait for a sale - an overhaul to Rome 2 would be nice since I like it's core campaign more than Attila's... but much like Napoleon's updates and refinements kind of ruined Empire for me it's always tough going back to Rome 2.


   
Made in us
Executing Exarch




In related news, the Sagas game I mentioned above is getting an announcement tomorrow - I'm guessing the official unveiling.

The tag line is "Kings Will Rise". Make of that what you will.
   
Made in us
[DCM]
Savage Minotaur




Baltimore, Maryland

Looking forward to this!







"Sometimes the only victory possible is to keep your opponent from winning." - The Emperor, from The Outcast Dead.
"Tell your gods we are coming for them, and that their realms will burn as ours did." -Thostos Bladestorm
 
   
Made in gb
Decrepit Dakkanaut






UK

 Commander Cain wrote:
I stopped playing Rome II after I got fed up of manually fixing all the crashes by deleting bits out of folders and re-downloading steam every other day.

Hopefully with the new DLC most of that will have already been fixed as it sounds like a lot of new stuff is being added (hopefully they took some inspiration from TW Warhammer regarding the quests/victory conditions). Now where is my trailer for some much needed hype??


I also got sick of RII breaking every half an hour. Even Emperor Edition refuses to remain stable, no matter how many fixes I look up and try, or how many times I verify the cache or even try and completely fresh download, so I'll be waiting to see if this has the same issue before buying it.

Mandorallen turned back toward the insolently sneering baron. 'My Lord,' The great knight said distantly, 'I find thy face apelike and thy form misshapen. Thy beard, moreover, is an offence against decency, resembling more closely the scabrous fur which doth decorate the hinder portion of a mongrel dog than a proper adornment for a human face. Is it possibly that thy mother, seized by some wild lechery, did dally at some time past with a randy goat?' - Mimbrate Knight Protector Mandorallen.

Excerpt from "Seeress of Kell", Book Five of The Malloreon series by David Eddings.

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Made in us
[DCM]
Savage Minotaur




Baltimore, Maryland

 Commander Cain wrote:
Now where is my trailer for some much needed hype?


Finally!



"Sometimes the only victory possible is to keep your opponent from winning." - The Emperor, from The Outcast Dead.
"Tell your gods we are coming for them, and that their realms will burn as ours did." -Thostos Bladestorm
 
   
Made in nl
Pragmatic Primus Commanding Cult Forces






Nice! I played Rome 2 close after launch and it was pathetic. Worst Total War game ever. But a few months ago, I gave it another try with all the dlc, and I really enjoyed it (it helps that my favourite ancient nation, the Bosporan Kingdom, is in it now). The game has definitely changed for the better. I will probably be playing this if ever I get tired of Total War Warhammer. Now that is an amazing Total War game.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2017/11/28 01:19:11


Error 404: Interesting signature not found

 
   
Made in us
[DCM]
Savage Minotaur




Baltimore, Maryland

At 15 bucks, this is a hard sell for a 5 year old game, but I’m satisified. But then I’m a Total War junkie. I’ve also been listening to the History of Rome podcast for the passed few weeks so I’m knee deep in Roman History right now and this came at a foruitous time.

First playthrough at Normal difficulty, to re-orient myself to the older campaign mechanics and new additions.

Playing Aurelians faction, I have sucessfully defended my Greek/Balkan Provinces from The Roman Pretenders, Gallic Romans, Quadians, Roxolani, Buri and Gothi. The Gothi I drove out of Dacia and negotiated peace in short order. Quadians and Buri I subjugated after a pretty long and concerted effort. I’ll probably have to fight them again at some point, but they have remained steadfast Client States. The Roxolani were a bit more problematic, as we played musical chairs with towns for about 15 turns until I drove them into oblivion. The Gallic Romans launched one attack and took my most westward city, which I promptly took back. The Roman Pretenders have been sacking my Adriatic Sea towns with impunity while I handle the Barbarians. The African nations are also massing for an offensive, having taken out my allies in Africa.

But now that I have managed the threats beyond the Danube, I’m turning West to take Rome with 4 solid, veteran Legions and Commanders. The Gallic Romans have been running roughshod straight down the Italian Penninsula and have left the Northern Italian Provinces virtually undefended. Easy pickins!

With all that said, I’m probably going to start over at a higher difficulty, and pay more attention to the new Power and Politics features that I haven’t even touched. I think I’m ready!


"Sometimes the only victory possible is to keep your opponent from winning." - The Emperor, from The Outcast Dead.
"Tell your gods we are coming for them, and that their realms will burn as ours did." -Thostos Bladestorm
 
   
Made in no
Terrifying Doombull





Hefnaheim

Playing the Sassanids now, after I left my Palmyrian campaign to the winds after far too much hassle from the various neighbours. Just had a massive invasion of desseret savages with shields and clubs ruin my starting region and my allies stealing my capitol. Not pleased as of now, vengace will be mine
   
Made in us
[DCM]
Savage Minotaur




Baltimore, Maryland

CA still cranking out content for Rome 2. Desert Kingdoms Culture Pack DLC coming Thursday. $8.99

The Desert Kingdoms Culture Pack introduces four new playable factions to Total War: ROME II. The Kingdoms of Kush, Saba and Nabatea fall under the African/Arabian subculture, while the Masaesyli are of Numidian origin.

These factions are native to the deserts of Africa and Arabia. Surviving these harsh environmental conditions has forged them into hardy warriors who use the shifting desert sands to their advantage in battle.

While culturally similar, each faction boasts unique new unit rosters which offer different military strengths. Each faction also has new building chains and technology trees, playing to their strengths and further differentiating their playstyles.

Alongside their individual Faction Traits, the Desert Kingdoms all share the following Cultural Traits:

Desert Warriors: +10% morale for all units during battles in the desert
Deep-rooted Traditions: Penalty to research rate


Meroe (The Kingdom of Kush)

A major regional power with vast resources derived from its trade in gold, jewels and exotic hides, Kush has been overshadowed by its more powerful and famous northern neighbour, Egypt.

In the early 3rd century BC, king Ergamenes decided to wrest power away from the priests of Amun, and moved the capital from Napata to Meroe. The priests would no longer decide the fate of the kings and queens.

The shift of capital also marked something of a break from Egyptian culture with Hellenistic, Indian, Persian and African influences making their way through the trade routes. The kings and warrior queens would sit on the throne and rule with authority and conviction to protect the riches of Nubia. Even the Romans could not conquer Meroe, and preferred to trade instead.

A regional powerhouse with a surfeit of natural treasures and fertile land, Kush is well equipped to prosper and once again vie for power against the mightiest empires in the world.

Key Features:
Affinity for Egyptian/Hellenistic culture
Higher probability of female characters in politics
Trading kingdom (ivory, exotic hides, iron, gold)

Faction Traits:
Disciplined Workforce: Bonus income from slaves, reduction in slave decline, Reduced Public Order penalty from slaves.
The Land of the Bow: cheaper, better archer units.


Nabatae
The Nabataeans were great builders and pioneers of advanced construction techniques. They were the first civilization to use cement extensively, and built remarkable watertight reservoirs, ensuring a plentiful supply of potable water. Even when under threat from powerful foes like the Seleucids and Judeans, their progressive society enabled them to flourish and prosper.

The Nabataeans were very literate and had a remarkable degree of gender equality for an ancient civilization, with women participating in both political and religious matters. Nabatae was an important crossroad for the spice trade, serving as a conduit between the southern kingdoms that produced frankincense and myrrh, and the wealthy eastern and western empires who were its primary buyers.

Preserving all this wealth at such a geographically strategic location demanded a well-trained military and a strong navy. Nabatae had both, bolstered by excellent engineering and exploitation of the surrounding environment, making their capital city of Petra a nigh-impregnable bastion.

Key Features:
Hellenic influence: may recruit Hellenic-themed units for battle
Silk road traders: Bonus to trade and diplomacy
Skilled masons: bonuses to construction and fortification
Friends of Rome: diplomatic bonus with Roman factions/allies
Roman tactics: some native units may use Roman army formations/abilities

Faction Traits:
Stonecutters: Faster, cheaper construction of main settlement-chain buildings
Incense Traders: Bonus income from incense trade

Saba
The Sabaean kingdom lies in the harsh lands of the southern Arabian Peninsula. Even in such inhospitable conditions, however, these ingenious people thrived. They built dams, invented new irrigation techniques and became masters of water-efficiency. The Sabaeans were also excellent sailors, and had strong trade relations with peoples across the Red Sea.

Not warlike by nature, the Sabaeans charged mercenaries with the protection of their trade routes and caravans. That said, they were a resilient people of tough character, who made formidable foes for anyone who dared threaten their great capital city of Marib. Even the Romans could not best them during their expedition in the early 1st century.

Key features:
Camels as predominant cavalry, with superior armored camels
Excellent use of javelins and chariots
Agricultural and fertility bonuses from the famous Marib Dam
Incense production provides diplomatic and trade bonuses
Great Dam of Ma’rib: A unique building type which provides faction wide bonuses to agriculture and fertility and can be upgraded with technologies, but requires upkeep to maintain.

Faction Traits:
Incense Traders: Bonus income from tariffs
Hired Armies: Access to cheaper, stronger mercenary units

Numidia
Prior to Numidia’s founding after the 2nd Punic war, its people were divided into two Berber tribes: the Massyli and the Masaesyli. Both were skilled warriors and there were many rivalries between them.

The Massyli had strong relations with Carthage, a key reason for the Massaesyli aligning with Rome when the opportunity came. Through many twists and turns, both tribes ultimately unified into theK kingdom of Numidia, under the Massylian king Massinissa. He ruled for an astonishing 54 years, transforming his kingdom into a prospering North African power.

Key Features:
Affinity to Cartage and Latin culture
Extensive Roman influence in battle
Cavalry-focused faction

Faction traits
Desert Ambushers: +50% chance of successfully launching an ambush/list]

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2018/03/07 00:01:27


"Sometimes the only victory possible is to keep your opponent from winning." - The Emperor, from The Outcast Dead.
"Tell your gods we are coming for them, and that their realms will burn as ours did." -Thostos Bladestorm
 
   
Made in no
Terrifying Doombull





Hefnaheim

Could this be a sort of a build up to the release of Araby for WHTW 2 ? Anyhow this package looks decent I am somewhat hesitant to sink yet more Money into Rome 2. Wondering how the Heavy realiance on mercaneries will work for Saba
   
Made in us
[DCM]
Savage Minotaur




Baltimore, Maryland

Unapologetic threadomancy!

Time to re-install!

Family tree and other features added.

edit: stuff I already said in the first post.

Currently in beta, but I'm pumped regardless/
https://www.totalwar.com/blog/total-war-rome-ii-ancestral-update

Details below, but worth going to the link to see the graphical changes:

The long-awaited Family Tree for ROME II is here! The free Ancestral Update introduces this community favourite feature along with numerous tweaks, fixes, and improvements to ROME II’s base game and DLCs. The update is currently in open beta to ensure it works for all users before release, and will therefore require you to opt in with details of how to do this below. We welcome any and all feedback – again, find out where you can do this below.

As you may have guessed from the latest what the teams are working on blog post, a ROME II DLC announce will also be coming very soon.

In this blog post you will find:

Family Tree Information
Intrigues
FAQ
How to opt in
Will opting in break my save games?
Should I disable mods?
Where should I report any Issues?
Patch Notes
New Additions
Visual Improvement
Bug Fixes
Battle AI
Gameplay Improvements
Known Issues
The Family Tree
The Family Tree is a visual representation of the web of character relationships within your faction, and offers the functionality for you to interact with those characters and generate Intrigues, which bring new gameplay options. The characters in your faction can forge strong bonds and alliances with other factions. Marriages can produce offspring, who grow and obtain duties of their own. Characters are born, live their lives, and eventually die throughout the course of a game.

Here’s an example of the Macedonian family tree from the Grand Campaign. The central panel contains members of the player’s family. The panel on the right, labelled Other Nobles, contains characters who are members of the player’s party, but not included in the family. The panel on the left, labelled Important Characters, contains characters of other parties – Ones that may turn hostile in the case of secession or civil war, for example.

Intrigues
Every living, adult character has access to a certain number of Intrigues: actions that can be executed to achieve a variety of outcomes. In the screenshot below you’ll see them in the bottom right corner.

Every Intrigue has requirements such as:

Character needs to be a general
Character needs to be a politician
Character needs to be the faction leader
Character needs a certain amount of a specific attribute
Character needs a certain amount of an attribute that exceeds the attribute of another target character (for example, the Adopt Intrigue is available if the Adopting character has three more Authority points than the target character’s Zeal)
FAQ
How do I opt in to the Ancestral Update?
To take part in the Ancestral Update open beta, follow these steps:

Restart Steam
Find Total War: ROME II – Emperor Edition in your Steam library
Right click Total War: ROME II – Emperor Edition and go to Properties in the drop-down menu
Go to the Betas tab
In the drop-down menu under Select the beta you would like to opt into: select ancestral –
Will opting in break my save games?
No. We’ve deliberately worked to ensure old save game compatibility with the update. The game generates a new Family Tree based on the data in your save game, and refunds any skill points you’ve already spent on your Agents, enabling you to spend them in the new skills tree to your preference. Issues are still possible, of course – Please report any that you find!

Should I disable my mods?
Absolutely, yes. Mods are frequently incompatible with new releases and will remain out-of-date until the mod creator updates their mod.

We would like to ensure all the feedback we receive for this beta comes from campaigns played with all mods disabled, so we can be sure that any new fixes we may have to explore are focused on the core, unmodded game, and not a result of out-of-date mods.

Where should I report any issues?
Any issues should be reported in the dedicated Ancestral Update issues thread on the official Total War forums, which we will be monitoring closely.

Additional Patch Notes
New
Agents skills have been completely reworked, rebalanced and are now culture-specific. They now have more actions, some of them having significant new effects
Generals’ skills are also now culture specific
Skill cards for agents, generals and military traditions have informative pips that show what the skill grants at each level
Agent skills have been re-ordered to mimic the order of attributes in the character portrait
Reinforcement range is now visible as an area, not only as blinking arrows
Technology panels now have sounds
In battle, ships in will now be able to leave their disembarking area by shifting in reverse, making room for more ships to land
Champions have received a skill that directly buffs the bonus to unit experience per turn
Levels 2 and 3 of Agent skills are now unlocked on the next agent level, instead of skipping a level. For instance, tier 1 skills are unlocked on levels 2/3/4, instead of the previous 2/4/6
Battle loot implemented in field battles, granting different sums based on the upkeep cost of the defeated army and the action selected after victory
Added more variety to generals in Empire Divided
Number of household ancillaries has been increased from 1 to 3
Number of character traits has been increased from 3 to 6
Visual
Added MSAA anti-aliasing
Added “Clouds shadow” option to shadows
Added an option for near the camera objects fading (on/off)
Added “Hide dead bodies” option, so dead units can vanish even on higher graphics settings
Added “Hide foliage” to the graphics options and made that shader functionality toggleable
“Hide foliage” option has a shortcut set to Ctrl+F by default
Added “Terrain noise” to make distant terrain look less flat.
Improved building LOD distances for Extreme/Ultra to be really extreme and ultra (x3 times greater)
Improved shadow quality & performance.
Heavy rain weather VFX in battle now occasionally replaced with stormy rain weather (with lightning flashes)
Ships now render in water reflections
Reduced terrain and grass reflectivity in rainy weather
Improved night lighting of units. Torch light is now animated and casts shadows on higher settings
Improved river shader in battles: shallow river water is more visible, won’t vanish when near the camera, specular and shadows improved
Trees on the tactical view are no longer very obviously rotating towards the camera
Rivers have been optimized to not render past a certain distance

Bugfixes
Changed the AI to now recruit more suitable units in campaign
Added Numidian Spearmen Assault Dieres to eastern naval garrison lvl 2 group
Corrected many instances of units with mismatches between their weight and caste
Fixed the Palmyrene Top Recruit technology (Empire Divided Campaign) to correctly apply its bonuses to all new land unit recruits
Fixed Kushite Archers and Kushite Royal Archers to now correctly receive bonuses from effects applying to missile infantry
Fixed all Empire Divided bodyguard units to correctly receive bonuses from different effects
Added Theban Hippeus unit to the Boiotia League custom battle roster
Missile Range bonuses now actually work!
Fixed a few cases where the player can get stuck in the Prologue campaign
Fixed a few cases of improperly rotated settlement battle tiles
The “Status Quo” achievement can now again be obtained
Battle AI
Fixed an issue that caused units to cluster together when climbing ladders on walled settlements
The AI will no longer zealously guard the capture points in unwalled settlements
Fixed an issue that sometimes caused the AI to never attack a walled settlement
Fixed an issue with pathfinding that sometimes caused units to rapidly move in different directions
Tweaked the AI behaviour to better assess and exploit players’ tactical weaknesses, such as gaps in defence lines or an unprotected general
Shield Wall, Hoplite Wall and Testudo will not be broken by the fast-move command and will move in formation to the target until they reach change distance
When siege units and mounted units (cavalry, chariots, camels, elephants) are making a naval assault they will deploy on the ground, instead of disembarking from ships, similar to Total War: ATTILA
Gameplay Improvements
Female cursus honorum grants attributes at higher levels
GC Iceni start their campaign having military access with Dumnonii
Starting loyalty has been decreased for all difficulty settings (0 on Easy, 0< on higher difficulty)
The political traits Militarist and Expansionist have been nerfed, granting less loyalty
A different version of the Family Tree, called Chain of Command, has been added to the Caesar in Gaul campaign. It contains fewer intrigues
Start-pos characters have been rebalanced in all campaigns – many more were added, both historical and created for gameplay purposes
New encyclopaedia page for Agents, available on right-click
The Family Duty trait now disables character skills
Known Issues
Loading legacy save games will refund less skill points than expected
Start-pos family trees for campaign other than Grand might have missing characters, names or links between characters
Some start-pos characters might be labelled as members of another party when they are not expected to be
When a new character is generated, the message about a daughter coming out of age is displayed in error
Children from diplomatic marriage with another subculture will be displayed as belonging to player’s own culture
Events sometimes occur more often than expected.
The game may crash when clicking on the “Controls” button on the Campaign map when playing the Empire Divided campaign

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2018/07/12 15:11:49


"Sometimes the only victory possible is to keep your opponent from winning." - The Emperor, from The Outcast Dead.
"Tell your gods we are coming for them, and that their realms will burn as ours did." -Thostos Bladestorm
 
   
Made in us
Terrifying Doombull




So, does the graphical update mean it gets the horrific loading times of more recent TW titles?

Efficiency is the highest virtue. 
   
Made in us
[DCM]
Savage Minotaur




Baltimore, Maryland

Trailer is up!

August 9 release date.




Details:

The year is 399 BC, and Rome is poised for greatness. However, its very existence balances on a knife-edge.

The Gallic Senones tribe, led by chieftain Brennus, are newly settled in eastern Italy. Ambitious and fierce, they are but a javelin-throw from the nascent republic.

The tyrannical Dionysius rules Syracuse with an iron fist. He leads the war against Carthage, but his eyes range across the Mediterranean as he considers future conquests.

Under the guiding hand of the great philosopher-statesman Archytas, Taras in southern Italy is reaching the zenith of its glory and power. Rome’s meteoric rise is cause for concern, to be sure – perhaps an intervention is merited?

Meanwhile, Marcus Furius Camillus seeks the title and powers of Dictator. His vision for Rome is grand indeed, but can it survive the designs of the young republic’s neighbours?

A crossroads in history: a time of threat – and of opportunity.

A time for the republic to rise.



Total War: ROME II – Rise of the Republic is a thrilling new campaign pack charting the events surrounding Rome in the 4th century BC. The campaign unfolds across a detailed map of Italy including Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica and Carthage, and depicts the tumultuous events which ultimately set the stage for the Second Founding of Rome.
Rise of the Republic Content:

A full prequel campaign to Total War: ROME II set in the 4th Century BC

All-new campaign map, detailing the landmass of Italy and its neighbouring states

Nine playable factions:

Rome – a growing republic, vulnerable and surrounded by enemies
Tarchuna – the mighty and influential Etruscan state
Senones – a Cisalpine Gallic tribe with a thirst for plunder
Insubres – a Gallic tribe who are diplomatic and managerial in style
Samnites – an Italic state that threatened Rome in the 4th century BC
Taras – a Greek city-state founded by the Spartans
Syracuse – a Greek metropolis in Sicily, and the bastion against Carthage
Iolei – an indigenous Sardinian tribe
Veneti – an Italic tribe of horse masters surrounded by enemies

An epic campaign battle for the city of Rome

Post Battle Loot

New Technologies

Region specific dilemma systems – depending on the regions you control dilemmas related to Carthage or Massalia might spawn.

Chapter objectives are also faction specific and are a way to unlock agents.

The factions of Rise of the Republic are uniquely replayable due to the new Government Actions options, which replaces the Change Government system from prior ROME II campaigns. These options provide unique new bonuses, albeit at a cost. Some notable examples are:
Rome may appoint consuls or dictators in times of need
The Etruscans of Tarchuna can initiate the summit of Fanum Voltumnae, where decisions are made
The Samnites can rely on the ancient Ver Sacrum rite, to receive an instant army
The Insubres and Senones rely on druidic councils for divination and public support
Taras has access to court philosophers who greatly improve their research

Along with these, different factions have access to specific dilemma chains such as:
Rome often is forced deal with domestic trouble that result in plebeians or patricians being happy or enraged.
Greek factions can influence the struggle of the Greek poleis back in Hellas.

Rise of the Republic will be released alongside the Ancestral Update, which introduces the fan-favourite Family Tree to Total War: ROME II and all its various free and premium Campaign Packs. The Ancestral Update is available to opt in for open beta now.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2018/07/19 15:58:26


"Sometimes the only victory possible is to keep your opponent from winning." - The Emperor, from The Outcast Dead.
"Tell your gods we are coming for them, and that their realms will burn as ours did." -Thostos Bladestorm
 
   
Made in nl
Tzeentch Aspiring Sorcerer Riding a Disc





Shame, I was hoping for Alexander. Still, better than another Roman civil war pack. Some nice playable factions too. although I hope Taras isn't going to be another CA attempt at "look how awesome Spartans are!" like in the base game.

Sorry for my spelling. I'm not a native speaker and a dyslexic.
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Savage Minotaur




Baltimore, Maryland

Alexander would be a perfect fit for Total War's "Saga" expansions, assuming they continue down that road. Their first entry in that experiment "Thrones of Britannia" kind of fizzled.

"Sometimes the only victory possible is to keep your opponent from winning." - The Emperor, from The Outcast Dead.
"Tell your gods we are coming for them, and that their realms will burn as ours did." -Thostos Bladestorm
 
   
Made in gb
Veteran Inquisitorial Tyranid Xenokiller





Colne, England

 nels1031 wrote:
Alexander would be a perfect fit for Total War's "Saga" expansions, assuming they continue down that road. Their first entry in that experiment "Thrones of Britannia" kind of fizzled.


I think the saga's games depend quite heavily on interest (more so than the stock titles) of the time period. I'd expect people to be less interested in Alfred the Great than Caesar for example, plus who cares about the British isles anyway

Brb learning to play.

 
   
Made in nl
Tzeentch Aspiring Sorcerer Riding a Disc





 nels1031 wrote:
Alexander would be a perfect fit for Total War's "Saga" expansions, assuming they continue down that road. Their first entry in that experiment "Thrones of Britannia" kind of fizzled.

Yeah I have little hope for Saga, I assume they made some money, but I would be surprised if they made enough to consider another one. Especially with the what, 5 or 6? games they are juggling now?

For that matter, who bought ToB here? I sat it out and now it doesn't seem worth it.

Sorry for my spelling. I'm not a native speaker and a dyslexic.
1750 pts Blood Specters
2000 pts Imperial Fists
6000 pts Disciples of Fate
3500 pts Peridia Prime
2500 pts Prophets of Fate
Lizardmen 3000 points Tlaxcoatl Temple-City
Tomb Kings 1500 points Sekhra (RIP) 
   
Made in gb
Veteran Inquisitorial Tyranid Xenokiller





Colne, England

I bought it. Felt the campaign mechanics (recruitment objectives war weariness etc) were pretty interesting.


But then I really enjoy that period of British history leading up to 1066 etc.

Whereas I'm unlikely to get 3 Kingdoms because Chinese history isn't my thing.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2018/07/20 19:36:22


Brb learning to play.

 
   
Made in us
[DCM]
Savage Minotaur




Baltimore, Maryland

I bought it because I love that era, and I think TW: Atilla had some mechanics that Rome 2 doesn't have that I like.

It was definitely too easy, for starters. I only played one or two factions though, as TW: Warhammer called me back in and hasn't let go, so far.

They haven't let it die yet, as the most recent TW developer newsletter stated that they have a laundry list of updates headed its way.

edit: FWIW, I've bought every Total War game since Medieval 1, all the expansions and DLC, and although I enjoyed ToB, it was the first time I had a feeling of buyers remorse.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2018/07/20 19:47:15


"Sometimes the only victory possible is to keep your opponent from winning." - The Emperor, from The Outcast Dead.
"Tell your gods we are coming for them, and that their realms will burn as ours did." -Thostos Bladestorm
 
   
Made in nl
Tzeentch Aspiring Sorcerer Riding a Disc





Its an interesting period with infantry heavy armies, but I couldn't justify the price tag of 40 euros (10 more than Fall of the Samurai, a pinnacle of TW) for what is a reworked Atilla expansion in essence. Its still alive for now, but its hard to see CA keeping it alive for long seeing as right now Rome 2 has 8 times the active player base (1/16th of TWW2). That's a two month old game.

As for TWW, I wish they would bring in some more DLC, can't believe my poor lizards have to wait till next year, with some bad luck even their FLC lord will only come in 2019.

Same here, been playing since CA started and got each game, so it feels a bit strange that I haven't bought ToB and feel little interest in 3 Kingdoms. Maybe the diversity of Warhammer kind of turned me off the 'bland' human on human blob action. I hope not.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2018/07/20 20:25:48


Sorry for my spelling. I'm not a native speaker and a dyslexic.
1750 pts Blood Specters
2000 pts Imperial Fists
6000 pts Disciples of Fate
3500 pts Peridia Prime
2500 pts Prophets of Fate
Lizardmen 3000 points Tlaxcoatl Temple-City
Tomb Kings 1500 points Sekhra (RIP) 
   
Made in de
Primus





Palmerston North

I get the latest Rome 2 Rise of the Republic, but I am dissappointed that it is around 15€ instead of 10€. If it was 10€ it would be a no-brainer, at 15 I have to think about what message I am sending to CA.

I am still waiting for Thrones of Britannia to go on sale. I love the look of it, but 40€ is just too much.
   
Made in nl
Tzeentch Aspiring Sorcerer Riding a Disc





 StygianBeach wrote:
I get the latest Rome 2 Rise of the Republic, but I am dissappointed that it is around 15€ instead of 10€. If it was 10€ it would be a no-brainer, at 15 I have to think about what message I am sending to CA.

I am still waiting for Thrones of Britannia to go on sale. I love the look of it, but 40€ is just too much.

Its only 15 if your pre-order, it costing 17 without. Still think that the price tag is a bit much on an older game (I mean how many assets did they really need to make at this point) that is used as a training project for their new branch. Also have to admire the balls on CA of still pushing pre-order discounts on one of their most buggy base games they ever released

Sorry for my spelling. I'm not a native speaker and a dyslexic.
1750 pts Blood Specters
2000 pts Imperial Fists
6000 pts Disciples of Fate
3500 pts Peridia Prime
2500 pts Prophets of Fate
Lizardmen 3000 points Tlaxcoatl Temple-City
Tomb Kings 1500 points Sekhra (RIP) 
   
Made in de
Primus





Palmerston North

Yeah, I have barely played Rome 2. I have started 3 campaigns, only once going over 100 turns, so anything less than 10€ is fine for a game I imagine completing one day.

I am in the same position with Atilla.
   
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Savage Minotaur




Baltimore, Maryland

Some focus on the 9 factions in the Expansion.




Not to keen on the expansion, tbh. I'll still buy it and give it a try because Total War is the only game franchise where I'm all in. edit: Well, after giving it some thought, the Inter-peninsula wars and politics during the early years of pre-empire Rome when it was just another city-state were pretty interesting parts from Mike Duncans "History of Rome" podcast. I may give those episodes another listen to get myself prepped for this expansion.

I'm mainly excited for the family tree addition and its associated shenanigans to the grand campaign. It was a fun part of Atilla, and its absence in Rome 2 was pretty glaring in retrospect.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2018/07/27 15:26:01


"Sometimes the only victory possible is to keep your opponent from winning." - The Emperor, from The Outcast Dead.
"Tell your gods we are coming for them, and that their realms will burn as ours did." -Thostos Bladestorm
 
   
 
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