Total War Rome II : Athènes, DLC, 117 factions et date de sortie

Selon une présentation faite à la Game Developers Conference il y a quelques semaines, le prochain Total War Rome  II, dont la sortie a officiellement été annoncée pour le 3 septembre, dénombrera plus de 100 factions différentes. 117 au total. Il s’agira de nombreux royaumes mineurs, non jouables pour la plupart, qui permettront donc d’offrir pas moins de 500 types d’unités. Dont on suppose que pour beaucoup d’entre elles, si l’apparence variera, le potentiel sera similaire. Toutes ces factions seront présentes sur une carte stratégiques composées de 183 régions (la carte allant du Portugal à la Perse). Et l’on imagine très bien qu’en plus de paysages très soignées (voir ce panorama), on assistera donc à des batailles très variées (voir cette première vidéo de gameplay).

On imagine aussi le nombre de DLC que Sega va pouvoir sortir, petit à petit… Il y en avait eu une dizaine pour TW Shogun 2. TW Rome 2 promettant de tout faire en plus grand, on va voir jusqu’où cela ira au niveau des mini-extensions. Pour l’instant deux DLC sont déjà connus.

D’une part un Day One DLC qui ajoutera gratuitement et, comme son nom l’indique le jour de la sortie (sur Steam), le Royaume du Pont, un état grec au bord de la Mer noire (voir cette description dans le wiki du jeu). Comme la capture d’écran ci-dessous le montre, cette faction (jouable) disposera de cavaliers uniques. Avec ce DLC, de base le jeu proposera donc neuf factions jouables.

D’autre part un second DLC nommé Greek States Culture Pack sera offert gratuitement avec les précommandes, et ajoutera trois autres états grecs (jouables) : Athènes, Épire et Sparte. Voir les screenshots et le trailer ci-dessous, puis cette page du wiki officiel pour les descriptions génériques, ainsi que ci-après la présentation du contenu selon la fiche sur Steam. Présentation (en anglais, une VF est prévue) qui dévoile un peu mieux le contenu de ce deuxième DLC.

Rome Total War 2 – Sparte

Rome Total War 2 – Athènes

Rome Total War 2 – Artwork

Rome Total War 2 – Artwork

Rome Total War 2 – Athènes

Rome Total War 2 – Epire

Rome Total War 2 – Pontic royal cavalry

Mis à part des DLC ajoutant des factions et unités, sachez qu’il serait aussi prévu un “Blood DLC”, ajoutant plus d’hémoglobine durant les combats. Et d’autres DLC pourraient se focaliser uniquement sur l’aspect multijoueurs.

Cela vu, pour continuer dans le domaine des chiffres, et se faire une meilleure idée de ce que représentera cet impressionnant STR, sachez que chaque modèle unité sera composée de 6000 à 7000 polygones, et que le moteur graphique pourra afficher plusieurs centaines d’individus à l’écran en même temps. Évidemment le détail de tout cela sera très variable selon le niveau de zoom (la caméra pourra même suivre un simple soldat, afin de vous plonger au coeur des combats), mais Creative Assembly a déjà précisé que le rendu visuel des batailles serait très convainquant (ambiance cinématographique, en principe). Et optimisé y compris pour un PC portable (ou avec une carte graphique “moyenne”). Pour les cités il y aura une trentaine de variantes (cf. l’exemple d’Athènes ci-dessus) et environ 70 types de bâtiments. Enfin coté joueurs, selon Sega (et Gamefront) la série Total War compterait actuellement 680 000 “utilisateurs actifs”, et tout jeux confondus, aurait donné lieu en 2012 à 2 millions de ventes.

Parenthèse. Si comme on peut le croire suite à un accord l’année dernière Creative Assembly et Sega préparent d’ores et déjà un “Total Warhammer”, ce qui n’est pas encore certain, ni pour demain, on n’ose imaginer ce que les développeurs pourront faire graphiquement et tactiquement avec le moteur de Total War et l’univers médiéval-fantastique de Games Workshop.

Pour terminer ce survol, dernier point à l’attention des collectionneurs fortunés, sachez qu’il y aura bien sûr une édition collector de TW Rome II. Vous trouverez sur cette page (en anglais) du site officiel un résumé du contenu. Le prix sera environ de 155 $, ou l’équivalent en euros.

Trailer DLC Greek States Culture Pack

Description du DLC Greek States Culture Pack (Steam)

The Greek States Culture Pack adds a new playable Culture including three new playable Factions to Total War: ROME II; for use in Single or Multiplayer Campaign modes and Custom and Multiplayer Battles.

The Greek States Culture Pack adds diplomatic Athens, shrewd Epirus and formidable Sparta as playable factions. Each offers range of special tactics to achieve cultural and martial victories, and lethal elite units to crush foes in battle.

The Greek States share a number of common goals, philosophies and general diplomatic aims. However, they are defined by their fierce independence and between them demonstrate a huge variety in approach to civil and military challenges that often brings them into conflict with the wider world, and each other.

• New Features:
  • New Playable Factions – Athens, Epirus and Sparta each offer a unique new way to experience the campaign, with their own rosters of powerful military units, distinct traits and play styles.
  • The Athenian pursuit of enlightenment grants them technological and cultural bonuses; Sparta’s dominance over the Helots allows them to maintain a larger slave population; and Epirus enjoys bonuses to settlement exploitation stemming from their village-confederation origins.
  • New Cultural Traits – All Greek States benefit from a bonus in battle when defending their own or an allied territory, a bonus to wealth generated by their capitals and an increase to the rate of cultural conversion within their borders.
  • New Cultural Objectives – Greek States have their own new set of military, economic and cultural victory conditions, as well as sharing a unique set of bonus objectives drawn from Greek history. Additionally, each faction will have to contend with its unique events and dilemmas.
  • New Military Traditions – Each of the Greek States has a unique top-tier military tradition: Athenian fleets may be honoured as Children of the Aegaean, improving the ramming ability of their ships whilst allowing them to secure more income when raiding; Spartan armies may be remembered as Peers of Leonidas, improving their melee defense capabilities and reducing their upkeep; the armies of Epirus may be feared as Hounds of Molossus, granting them greater charge bonuses whilst allowing them to keep public order problems in check.

   

• New Units:
  In addition to the intimidating unit rosters of each faction now playable for the first time, the Greek States Culture Pack introduces a variety of unique and especially elite and deadly forces.
  • Mercenary Veteran Hoplites – [available to all playable factions] From glistening spear points to earth-shaking tread, a phalanx is a sight and sound to inspire dread. With these veteran hoplites, that dread is sold to the highest bidder.
  • Thureos Hoplites – [Unique to Athens] While the linen breastplates worn by these men may look flimsy, they are cool, practical and surprisingly tough. As with all hoplites, the men inside are also practical and tough warriors.
  • Thorax Hoplites – [Unique to Athens] These heavy hoplites are marked by their bronze breastplate armour, a sign of wealth and status. They are armed with spears and hoplon shields, and use the phalanx formation to batter enemies into submission.
  • Agrianian Axemen – [Unique to Epirus and Macedon] The Paeonian tribe of Agrianes are fierce fighters. As well as terrible killing tools, their axes are also climbing hooks for rough terrain. No sensible general would not use them in an assault.
  • Aspis Companion Cavalry – [Unique to Epirus and Macedon] A king’s companions in battle are his nobles and esteemed friends. It is an honour to be a companion, to ride forth with javelin and kopis to fight for your lord and master.
  • Heroes of Sparta – [Unique to Sparta] Embodying the spirit of Thermopylae, the Heroes Of Sparta bear their spears and shields with fierce pride and unrivalled mastery.
  • Polybolos Repeating Scorpion – [Siege Deployable available to all Greek, Roman and Carthaginian factions] Able to make short work of even the most heavily-armoured opponents, this repeating bolt thrower sacrifices the ordinary Scorpion’s range in return for a rapid rate of fire.
  • Tortoise Armoured Battering Ram – [Siege Deployable available to all Greek, Roman and Carthaginian factions] Combining devastating ramming power while affording protection to its crew, used well the Tortoise more than makes up for its lack of speed and manoeuvrability in open ground.

   

• New Buildings:
  • The Monument of Lacedaemon – [Unique to Sparta] A symbol of Sparta’s overridingly martial culture, The Monument of Lacedaemon brings cost reductions to military recruitment, significantly increases the morale of land units in the province and a global morale boost to existing units.
  • Oracle of Dodona – [Unique to Epirus] This sacred grove is the domain of the priests and priestesses of Epirus. The Oracle of Dodona increases city growth, provincial happiness, wealth, and the global conversion of other factions to Hellenic culture.
  • Acropolis – [Unique to Athens] A symbol of Athenian high culture and engineering excellence, The Acropolis also provides extra garrison forces to Athens, improves the city’s abilities to withstand sieges, and increases Athenian agents’ Authority actions.

   

• Faction History:
  • Athens
    Athens has long been famed for its cultural achievements, from buildings such as the Parthenon, to the plays and works of Aristophanes, Plato, Socrates, and Sophocles. In many ways, Greek culture is defined by Athens. Its military focus has long been its navy; however, continuing the traditions of the classical era, its citizens are also expected to contribute both infantry and cavalry to its armies.
  • Epirus
    Epirus is a Greek kingdom formed of numerous small villages and towns, rather than the great cities of the south. An agriculture and fishing-based society, Epirus nevertheless maintains a balanced army on the Alexandrian model, consisting of cavalry, archers, peltasts, phalangites and war elephants. They also make extensive use of mercenaries from throughout the Greek-speaking world.
  • Sparta
    With every aspect of their lives and society geared towards warfare, Sparta dominated the Greek world and continues to produce arguably the finest soldiers of the Hellenic period. The slaves and non-citizens of Sparta enable their citizens to pursue warrior perfection as soldiers and champions. Trained and hardened in battle, their warriors and leaders are the embodiment of military discipline and virtue.