Entire campaign map revealed from the start?

[MrRiXter]

I'm considering buying Thrones and watching some youtube videos. It looks like the entire campaign map with all the settlements is revealed from the start? i find that really strange for a total war game.

[CountMRVHS]

Well, it's a smaller scale than any other TW title, I think (with the exception of DLC like Wrath of Sparta; Troy is maybe smaller as well).

It might be a bit weird that Wessex knows where all of Circenn's towns are, but it would also be weird if, say, Circenn didn't know where Strat Clut's settlements were.

There is still a fog of war, though: you may know the locations of settlements, but you don't know the locations of armies unless you border a place or get an army nearby (or have trade agreements). No agents this time around.

[Ernavill]

Originally posted by paulrengland:

Well, it's a smaller scale than any other TW title, I think (with the exception of DLC like Wrath of Sparta; Troy is maybe smaller as well).

It might be a bit weird that Wessex knows where all of Circenn's towns are, but it would also be weird if, say, Circenn didn't know where Strat Clut's settlements were.

There is still a fog of war, though: you may know the locations of settlements, but you don't know the locations of armies unless you border a place or get an army nearby (or have trade agreements). No agents this time around.

This is true and I would also like to add that the fog of war prevents you from seeing what buildings are in a town until you 'discover' it. Wessex knows where Dublin is, from the start, but until you have 'discovered' the town either with an army or via trade, you won't know what buildings are in it or what level those are.

So it represents the fact that the leaders of a faction would have known (if they were at least somewhat competent) the important settlements in the other factions, but might not have any detailed knowledge of the places.
Also as the map covers the British Isles and a turn is a 3 month period, it would have been possible to receive news of political developments within a single turn (i.e. Wessex hearing about Norsemen invading Scotland). After all there was a lot of trade across the British Isles at the time.

[MrRiXter]

I'm just used to exploring in order to reveal the map at the start of a total war campaign.

[Ernavill]

Originally posted by MrRiXter:

I'm just used to exploring in order to reveal the map at the start of a total war campaign.

Well it saves you a boring step. Similarly, you no longer have to sign trade treaties. As long as you are not at war with a particular faction you'll trade with them. These are pretty much useless diplomatic steps that do not even accurately represent history, even in those days news traveled fast. Governments were not completely oblivious to anything that happened more than two settlements away from them.

[MrRiXter]

Originally posted by Ernavill:

Originally posted by MrRiXter:

I'm just used to exploring in order to reveal the map at the start of a total war campaign.

Well it saves you a boring step. Similarly, you no longer have to sign trade treaties. As long as you are not at war with a particular faction you'll trade with them. These are pretty much useless diplomatic steps that do not even accurately represent history, even in those days news traveled fast. Governments were not completely oblivious to anything that happened more than two settlements away from them.

It seems like a unique total war game why did it receive such a backlash? I've read it has the best historical combat. Every new total war feels very arcadey combat wise with barely any collision detection, super heroes etc. I'm going to buy Thrones.

[Ernavill]

Originally posted by MrRiXter:

Originally posted by Ernavill:

Well it saves you a boring step. Similarly, you no longer have to sign trade treaties. As long as you are not at war with a particular faction you'll trade with them. These are pretty much useless diplomatic steps that do not even accurately represent history, even in those days news traveled fast. Governments were not completely oblivious to anything that happened more than two settlements away from them.

It seems like a unique total war game why did it receive such a backlash? I've read it has the best historical combat. Every new total war feels very arcadey combat wise with barely any collision detection, super heroes etc. I'm going to buy Thrones.

It is a very good game, but the reason it received so much backlash is because people didn't do their research as well as you. Many people were expecting a full flagship title rather than a Saga title, and so they were disappointed by the number of new features and the scope of the campaigns.

It is unfortunate that this group of uninformed people gave a great game such a bad reputation. After all, the game delivered exactly what it set out to deliver, so if that's not to your liking it's not the game's fault.

[Mile pro Libertate]

Originally posted by Ernavill:

Originally posted by paulrengland:

Well, it's a smaller scale than any other TW title, I think (with the exception of DLC like Wrath of Sparta; Troy is maybe smaller as well).

It might be a bit weird that Wessex knows where all of Circenn's towns are, but it would also be weird if, say, Circenn didn't know where Strat Clut's settlements were.

There is still a fog of war, though: you may know the locations of settlements, but you don't know the locations of armies unless you border a place or get an army nearby (or have trade agreements). No agents this time around.

This is true and I would also like to add that the fog of war prevents you from seeing what buildings are in a town until you 'discover' it. Wessex knows where Dublin is, from the start, but until you have 'discovered' the town either with an army or via trade, you won't know what buildings are in it or what level those are.

So it represents the fact that the leaders of a faction would have known (if they were at least somewhat competent) the important settlements in the other factions, but might not have any detailed knowledge of the places.
Also as the map covers the British Isles and a turn is a 3 month period, it would have been possible to receive news of political developments within a single turn (i.e. Wessex hearing about Norsemen invading Scotland). After all there was a lot of trade across the British Isles at the time.

This ^

As Ernavill says, it would be totally expected historically to get word of significant developments through travelers, traders and such, things like Alt Clut falling to Norse, or a new Scots king, or Welsh vassals breaking away from Wessex.

Plus, trade routes still lift a lot of the fog of war (fow), both along the route and at the towns, just as they did in Shogun 2, Attila, etc.