Will you buy total war 3k?

[Fuzzybeard3]

Funny you mention two of the three explicitly blacklisted YouTubers (by CA...) (though, wait, isn't PrinceOfMacedon also blacklisted? Eh, w/e). The third (LegendOfTotalWar) is probably the most extreme and knee-jerk-y in his responses, but still with a modicum of merit.

Here's a question, however: does anyone outside of CA know what Classic mode looks like? Everything we've seen has been for Romance mode (unless the live-stream showcased something new, but I doubt it...).

Darren and Arch I tend to align with most. Darren primarily because to me is the most level headed and knowledge of how CA works. As for the classic mode I have no idea and would love to find out more. I've watched the recent live-stream and it was more romanticized game play so not much new stuff. Only stuff that seemed new was looking more closely at the settlement buildings. Classic mod worries me though as if its just a simple replace op single heroes with standard bodyguard units then that's extremely lazy in my book.

[TelperionST]

Another question: are we seeing anything else, except code that's several months old at best? What is the current state of the game?

[SckizoBoy]

Darren is a welcome voice in the internet sphere. But yea to me Republic of Play along with arch warhammer are spot on with being extremely wary of 3K. Some of the recent footage coming out just paints a sketchy picture. Some campaign stuff seems promising but just that. We have seen so called new mechanics be poorly implemented before. Everything else especially the battles seems poorly done. With AI looking to be one of the worst in the series.

Funny you mention two of the three explicitly blacklisted YouTubers (by CA...) (though, wait, isn't PrinceOfMacedon also blacklisted? Eh, w/e). The third (LegendOfTotalWar) is probably the most extreme and knee-jerk-y in his responses, but still with a modicum of merit.

Here's a question, however: does anyone outside of CA know what Classic mode looks like? Everything we've seen has been for Romance mode (unless the live-stream showcased something new, but I doubt it...).

[isturbo1984]

Probably not. But it will probably be given to me for free at some point in the future.

[gbullock32]

I am interested but I will wait a while to buy it, probably until it hits 50% off; mostly due to a huge back log and wanting the bugs to be worked out.

[Fuzzybeard3]

Darren is a welcome voice in the internet sphere. But yea to me Republic of Play along with arch warhammer are spot on with being extremely wary of 3K. Some of the recent footage coming out just paints a sketchy picture. Some campaign stuff seems promising but just that. We have seen so called new mechanics be poorly implemented before. Everything else especially the battles seems poorly done. With AI looking to be one of the worst in the series.

[SckizoBoy]

Eh, we will see how it shakes out in a few months - or a year or two from now. CA makes a lot of buggy games.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEegQ-yeQys

In case you weren't aware, this guy is ex-CA but left before Attila was released IIRC...

The long and short of it is that the tactical AI is the derpiest it has EVER been and with release barely weeks away, it is looking likely to remain that way. Certain aspects introduced to gameplay (duels) make it worse. He then observes how lazy CA has become with the development of 3K (comparison of necessary assets for Rome II/WH I & II vs 3K, naval battles etc.) so they should have improved this given how much less else was necessary.

[TelperionST]

No it is a buggy wreck, with the worst AI in a TW game. Which is saying a lot since the AI has always been pretty terrible.

Eh, we will see how it shakes out in a few months - or a year or two from now. CA makes a lot of buggy games.

[Chompy Said]

No it is a buggy wreck, with the worst AI in a TW game. Which is saying a lot since the AI has always been pretty terrible.

In city fights the AI uses archers to block gates, not spears. Can trap themselves with barricades. Holds units in reserve without using them. MrSmartDonkey fought a city battle against the AI where he only lost like 17 units, mostly due to hits by his own archers. The enemy engages then retreats, etc. The AI also doesn't know how to really use agents, the hit detection is crap too.

ArchWarhammer has videos showing units colliding with walls and dying, and the heroes attacking air instead of enemies.

[TelperionST]

Quill18 did a short-ish video on the topic of Three Kingdoms, which I found interesting. Most of the video talks about the interactions between romanticized characters and diplomacy. It sounds like CA is trying to add major diplomacy upgrade to their newest Total War title. Listening to Quill, it sounds like they have very big plans, which I would certainly welcome, if CA can make it all work. I'm once again slightly more enthusiastic about this game.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fCa4LKYM1s

[SckizoBoy]

One of my biggest gripes is it's still the same broken wars-cape engine which never worked along with the same legacy problems but seemingly worse(broken AI, path-finding, animations, unit collisions, balance, poor implementation of mechanics etc). Would not surprise my if they primed it to be a mobile game as you brought up as with CA's way of thinking anything is possible. I could go on but I'd be ranting to much lol.

I don't think there's much wrong with the engine, personally, it's just that it's being implemented really haphazardly. The AI will always have some pathfinding issues, but the behaviour of the units is not the remit of the engine and that's what's gotten a lot of people pissy about it. They had procedurally generated unit skins back in Medieval II and the animations back then were fine, if a bit off centre, but it seems like it's regressed for supposedly greater campaign depth what with the guanxi system and the revamped diplomacy, which doesn't mean shit to people who enjoy the challenge of difficulty when all it does is cheat making it purely artificial and early game penalty driven.

TelperionST Because I can't quote you 'cos w/e, but yeah, definitely agree. Warhammer II has its issues, but it's become a pretty good game, same with Rome II (if worse), but damn me why couldn't they start out that way, and it looks as though 3K will turn out that way, too. It'll release in a month and a half (or so) and be crap, and then take CA about three years to fix most of what's wrong to be in a broadly enjoyable and 'good' state. Rome II syndrome...

[TelperionST]

I don't know yet. When it comes to big strategy titles I tend to give them a month or two as a grace period after launch. If the game is still buggy and unfinished at the end of the grace period, then I'm going to wait for an entire year to see, if it gets any better. If after a year has passed from launch the game is no better then I won't buy it. This has happened more than once with previous Total War -titles.

I want Three Kingdoms to be good, but on the other hand I do have Total War: Warhammer II to play. If Three Kingdoms fails to impress I'm going to be disappointed, but life goes on.

[Fuzzybeard3]

Understandable buying at a dirt cheap given what we know currently. One of my biggest gripes is it's still the same broken wars-cape engine which never worked along with the same legacy problems but seemingly worse(broken AI, path-finding, animations, unit collisions, balance, poor implementation of mechanics etc). Would not surprise my if they primed it to be a mobile game as you brought up as with CA's way of thinking anything is possible. I could go on but I'd be ranting to much lol.

[SckizoBoy]

Well, Legend's probably sighing with resignation... at least he's happy with Anno 1800.

Anyway, I'll probably get it... at some point (but increasingly only when I can get it dirt cheap), but I'll only really play it to roleplay and interest in the era, rather than as a challenge, 'cos man, the AI dun derped worse than in Rome 1.

Campaign AI is likely to be just as derpy, given how they've increased its complexity. Also, wut?! 18 units tops?! How ass-backwards is that (do you buy into the notion that they're priming it to be a mobile game)?

Like Arch, though, I really want a Chinese language option, 'cos I'm Chinese and seeing them speak in accented Brit English bugs me... may as well be pre-6 DW days.

Now, I know for a fact that the Yellow Turban Rebellion will be DLC at the very best (and Lu Bu will be an early game rebel general sort of thing at best in all likelihood), while it would not surprise me if they have particular characters (such as the aforementioned Lu Bu), the Nanman faction plus their whole character roster, and elite recruitable units (including Red Hare, probably) are also locked as DLC.