AngryJoe talked to Total War: Rome II Lead Battle Designer Jamie Ferguson about the overhaul they've done for the game, from the Warscape engine to the combat mechanics.
Rome II will keep track of more details, such as how the conflicts are resolved. Animation has been overhauled thanks to having access to one of the biggest mocap studios in Europe.
There are 700 types of units, intended to represent as many different forms of combat and fighting in the ancient world. So, for example, they have the Ptolemaic Egyptians, in connection to the game's background, and will appropriately use the fighting techniques of that generation of Egyptians.
Naval battles will be a unique experience, as you deal with fighting across land and water at the same time. The ships themselves have been balanced out, so for example you may find maneuvering big ships cumbersome, but smaller ships will have a hard time with ramming enemy ships. Combat has been designed in such a way that it will both be a visceral, satisfying experience, and historically accurate.
The game has a new campaign map tradition mechanic, where armies can gain experience as a group under a single eagle. Based on this experience, they can develop specialties, such as infantry, or as a siege army. When your armies do fall, other armies can carry on tradition when they take up your eagles.
The game will have a new campaign map, with realistic environments, such as fish in the river, and elephants roaming environments. You can build your bases in such a way that you place yourself near where herds of horses roam, for example, and you will then gain a cavalry.
The game will have extensive AI elements, such as diplomacy. Diplomany will allow you to discover in-game what your enemy AI is thinking, so that you can take the necessary action.
The game's dynamic artifical intelligence is currently too good, so that the devs are having a hard time beating it. It will eventually be tweaked for a more balanced experience. Enemies can take actions against you that were not possible in older versions of the game, such as sabotage.
Siege warfare has been redefined so that you have more than one place to defend. The line of sight system also works so that you can't see everything all the time. As a result, you can no longer place all your soldiers into the central plaza to wait for the attack. Strategies like flanking are now tenable, and walls can be obliterated completely.
The interview ends with no details on online multiplayer, but Ferguson reiterated the september 3 release date and revealed there will be a preorder bonus faction. It's been almost a decade since the first Rome: Total War, so to say that this game has been anticipated for for a long time is practically an understatement.
