Rome total war protectorate series#

Was it a challenge to devise prestigious, endgame units in a broadly historical setting that вЂ“ unlike Warhammer вЂ“ isnвЂ™t conducive to huge power gulfs between units?ДЄM: It was a challenge, but we ended up using some creative licence here and there. This can be seen in the unit cards, where more of the unit is visible through the fog than a standard unit, and in the more decorative armour elements and use of colour. So when it came to designing the elite units, we wanted to blur that line a little bit, and incorporate some of those elements to make the elite units feel like a hybrid of basic unit with a touch of heroic essence. The hero characters were the focus for colour, unique detailing, and design.

Pawel Wojs: Given our character-centric design philosophy, the standard units were always intended to be a вЂfaceless crowdвЂ™ devoid of much colour or any standout detailing.

The goal was to make it clear that these guys hit hard. They are amongst the heaviest-looking units, with special armour and heavy weaponry. They also typically look more flamboyant and special, with unique armour pieces, which helps to highlight their presence on the battlefield.ДЇor the Emperor-rank units, we wanted to make them look impressive. They usually have mixed weaponry, which signals their versatility. Jade Dragons, for example, are supposed to incorporate Wood aspects into a Fire unit, so they were meant to look durable and resilient вЂ“ other dragons similarly incorporate various elements into a single design. LW: The design was primarily driven by the elemental mixture of these units. The goal was to make it clear that these guys hit hard We picked up on this theme because it really suited the idea of hybrid units that incorporate the best of two Wu Xing forces/elements. вЂGentlemen Rapid as TigersвЂ™ were a hereditary guard, and вЂMen of the Feathered ForestвЂ™ were 1,700-strong elite units, made up of the orphaned sons of fallen fathers and grandfathers. LW: During the Han times, there were various elite units with flamboyant titles. Is there any mention of elite units named for coloured dragons in the Records or the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, or is this a bit of embellishment? They are cavalry that can break enemy lines, but also wonвЂ™t shy away if they get stuck in prolonged melee. Jade Dragons merge the toughness of Wood and the shock of Fire. Their вЂweaknessвЂ™ is the price tag: it takes quite a bit to train and equip soldiers to this level. They are pretty much the best infantry you can get in the game. So what exactly is, say, a Protector of Heaven or a Jade Dragon?ДЄM: Protectors of Heaven are the elite troops of the Emperor. I spoke with MohГЎcsi, senior designer Leif Walter, and art director Pawel Wojs about the inspiration for these elite units вЂ“ historical as well as philosophical вЂ“ and how the team brought such distinctive troops to life in visual terms. As it turns out, these mixed roles are another expression of Wu Xing вЂ“ once again, itвЂ™s striking how Creative Assembly has managed to weave this philosophy into the game at every level. As a unit concept, the dragons are unique to Three Kingdoms вЂњprimarily because of their mixed roles,вЂќ according to lead game designer Attila MohГЎcsi. This is a conceptual scheme of five interrelated transitory elements which underpinned the world-view of Han Dynasty China, and so has been elegantly incorporated into Three Kingdoms.Д®lsewhere, fans on the Total War subreddit have noticed that Three Kingdoms introduces a new category of elite unit вЂ“ multicoloured, multi-role вЂdragonsвЂ™ вЂ“ alongside true endgame units that only unlock when you proclaim yourself Emperor. One idea that took my interest as soon as I heard about it is Wu Xing. Fittingly, it promises to make a number of bold changes to the Total War formula.

Rome total war protectorate series#

When Total War: Three Kingdoms comes out on May 23, itвЂ™ll be the first large-scale historical game in the series since 2013вЂ™s Rome II.