Re: Dominions: Total War
 

Wouldn't that just be Civilization only with more of a focus on combat?

Personally I'm wagering they're about to revisit Shogun what with their reworked black powder weapon approach, that and they're due.

Re: Dominions: Total War
 

Yeah that's actually what I said to Jim in a PM how it would be similar to Civ or what we were talking about how different nations may split or go into civil war when the king dies etc. which would be the only way to keep a nation from achieving total global domination early in the game. There is a Mod for Civ that does sort of the same thing with new nations being born at certain points in history etc. I forget the name of that Mod.

But what do you think an Earth: Total war would be.. It would be just that. A point at which they can work Japan and what they had in Shogun back into the Total war series except this time incorporating everything they have done into the series, which is another point I had made to Jim about how I thought it would go full circle and return to include japan in the next game.

Thankfully in a time where more and more game designer seem to be dumbing down their games to appeal to all the mainstream idiots, the Total war series has actually been adding to the depth of the series rather than taking away from it and I'm betting the next one will only add more.

Re: Dominions: Total War
 

Mm...

TW are making great strides in some areas - diplomacy particularly (bar a few glitches) is much improved. However, in many ways I think the TW system is going downhill. I don't think they are really considering how best to advance with their engine. I would suggest they would be best looking more at the Europa Universalis system for the strategy map: instead I feel they are trying to develop their old engine with new ideas and the two don't mix well. To make a grossly counter-intuitive design decision along the lines that the whole of France (except Alsace Lorraine) is one province means something has gone badly wrong somewhere.

Funnily enough, part of what I'd like to see in TW in a more modern era is actually more restrictions on conquering. Some provinces should be virtually ungovernable due to nationalist sentiment, and there should be a system to make trying to control them essentially impossible, either by inducing everyone else to put diplomatic pressure on you and eventually declaring war, or by there being so much dissent, hatred of your rule and rebellions that it becomes more trouble than it's worth, and there's virtually nothing you can do to ever reduce it.

Added to that, in previous TW games the AI was unexceptional but still seemed to have a sense of purpose. In E:TW, I don't see what it's even trying to achieve half the time.

Re: Dominions: Total War
 

I'm not sure how much I agree with that sentiment. It was bad enough dealing with the pope in MTW, where eventually you WILL rub the pope the wrong way, and then you have to spend the rest of the game dealing with endless papal state rebellions. I wouldn't want to have to deal with more than that honestly. Maybe if those provinces were staunchly neutral unless you tried to invade them it wouldn't be too bad.

Re: Dominions: Total War
 

Bah. Its called Genocide. Put enough of the pesky deviants to the end of a sword and you can get anything under control. At least that would be my way of dealing with it. I really wouldnt mind seeing all of that in the game so long as I can be a really bad guy and rule through fear and if I have to slaughter half the population to get them to see things my way so be it. Or even slaughter All the population and rely on colonists from your own lands repopulating your empty territories. You can be pretty certain that an extinct people are not going to be causing you much trouble. It may amount to less tax income for you in the short run but if it can be brought completely under your rule you might be better off in the long run.

And I'd say that engaging in that sort of thing may cause some distrust from your neighbors but It should also install a bit of fear in them too. So it might balance out at least unless they know they are powerful enough to take you out, But if their military isn't as powerful as your own than their fear would probably outweigh any negative sentiment towards your actions.

That was one thing that Empire Total war seemed to lack. I dont recall seeing any option to exterminate populace to get them to fall in line. Although they come under control pretty easily actually so there is really no need at all for that. In 50 years I think i only had one province rebel before I could demolish the buildings that were making them unhappy.

Re: Dominions: Total War
 

Well, bearing in mind TW is supposed to be at least partially realistic, mass slaughter of the sort from R:TW in the 18th century isn't particularly viable.

Owning Rome was quite annoying in M:TW, but then, that's something Creative Assembly should have better implemented as well. The idea as I envisage it is you'd be able to slap a treaty on a nation you defeat that effectively makes it your *****, or generally keeps it from troubling you for a LONG time, but you don't exert direct control over it. Like in Europa Universalis II: if you've got another nation well and truly by the balls, you can force virtually anything on it by treaty, and often there are better options than full annexation.

Re: Dominions: Total War
 

Never played Europa Universalis II, but I played the first one and didnt like it too much for some reason, its been so long I cant remember why. But that does sound good. The problem is in too many games of this sort the AI never seems to know when you have it by the balls and if it does it tends to be stupid to the point that rather than making concessions and trying like an actual intelligent leader would do to save their bacon against an enemy they have no hope of defeating, they actually end up sending more pointless threats etc. that they have no chance of carrying out and needlessly fighting to the death. And against me thats not good because as I pointed out earlier.. If I have the option I'll exterminate as many as I can to rule through fear if that choice is available and worthwhile. Kinda like provinces with Gold mines in Dom 3:D:D:D

It sounds like Europa Universalis II has a respectable diplomacy system though. I may give it a try since its only like 9.99 or maybe even less now.