Armchair Dragoons Forums

Wargaming => Pre-Gunpowder => Topic started by: Martok on May 28, 2021, 03:56:54 AM

Title: Three Kingdoms Total War
Post by: Martok on May 28, 2021, 03:56:54 AM
(Huh.  Just realized we didn't have a thread for this one yet.) 




So the latest blog (https://www.totalwar.com/blog/total-war-three-kingdoms-patch-1-7-1-notes/) on the official site is a double announcement of sorts:  They've released the 1.7.1 patch for TW3K...and it appears it will likely be the *final* patch. 







In short, work has ceased for the current game, but apparently CA has begun development on a new title, still set in the Three Kingdoms period.  It sounds like they're planning to turn this into its own trilogy/series, not unlike the Warhammer games. 

I can definitely see the reasoning behind this move, but to say that a good chunk of the fan-base is unhappy right now would be an understatement.  It'll be interesting to see how -- or if -- CA addresses the community's reaction...as well as how things go with the future direction these games. 


Title: Re: Three Kingdoms Total War
Post by: Gusington on May 28, 2021, 09:57:57 AM
I can't believe it's been out for two years already and I still haven't played it.
Title: Re: Three Kingdoms Total War
Post by: bayonetbrant on May 28, 2021, 10:10:54 AM
I can't believe it's been out for two years already and I still haven't played it.

Lemme guess, though - you *do* own it, right?  It's just yet another game on the virtual "unplayed games" stack?  :whistle:
Title: Re: Three Kingdoms Total War
Post by: Undercovergeek on May 28, 2021, 10:55:41 AM
One of the 2 I haven’t bought - this and Britannia
Title: Re: Three Kingdoms Total War
Post by: Sir Slash on May 28, 2021, 11:26:34 AM
Ditto. I'm still fiddling with Rome 2 and Attila.  :-[
Title: Re: Three Kingdoms Total War
Post by: Gusington on May 29, 2021, 01:40:55 PM
I do own it, and have tons of dlc for it (not all). Thrones of Britannia was in that same to-play pile and I did actually complete a campaign a few months ago (lost)!

So I’ll get there...hopefully in the next few months.
Title: Re: Three Kingdoms Total War
Post by: Martok on May 29, 2021, 03:57:17 PM
I don't think you need to hurry at this point.  :P 

Title: Re: Three Kingdoms Total War
Post by: Gusington on May 31, 2021, 06:33:07 PM
Wow the NERDRAGE against CA on their 3K announcements is strong. Understandably strong...but I did not expect it. Guess I should have since NERDRAGE has become as popular as playing TW...maybe even  more so.
Title: Re: Three Kingdoms Total War
Post by: Martok on June 01, 2021, 03:46:19 AM
Yeah, it's a little insane right now.  Players are review-bombing the shit out of Three Kingdoms, and even other Total War titles, in retaliation at CA's announcement that they're abandoning(?) the game. 


To be honest, I can't really tell whether the community's reaction is justified or not (or somewhere in between).  My understanding is that the base game has sold very well, but that the DLC...less so.  if the latter is in fact true, then it may explain why CA made the decision that they did. 

if that is indeed the case, however, then they did a piss-poor job of breaking the news to the community...and it wouldn't be the first time they've managed to face-plant in such a spectacular fashion.  Regardless of how justified CA's reasons might be -- or not -- cutting off support & development to a popular, well-reviewed game only two years after its release is not a good look for them. 


Title: Re: Three Kingdoms Total War
Post by: Gusington on June 01, 2021, 09:50:06 AM
CA has that history of really stepping in it. With social media, Steam and all the rest, it's just magnified to the 100th power now. Maybe that's a good things for TW fans in the long haul?
Title: Re: Three Kingdoms Total War
Post by: Sir Slash on June 01, 2021, 12:48:29 PM
"Nerd-Rage Total War". I'd play that. And probably lose.  :doh:
Title: Re: Three Kingdoms Total War
Post by: Gusington on June 01, 2021, 03:00:40 PM
More people are playing it right now than any other TW title!
Title: Re: Three Kingdoms Total War
Post by: Martok on June 01, 2021, 03:17:05 PM
CA has that history of really stepping in it. With social media, Steam and all the rest, it's just magnified to the 100th power now. Maybe that's a good things for TW fans in the long haul?

Overall, yes.  It depends on a lot of factors, though -- including whether the community can maintain a certain level of outrage high enough, and for long enough.  That's not easy to do, especially since I'm pretty sure TW players as a group have aged overall (Exhibit A: us :P ) -- I don't think we can sustain that "nerd rage" like we used to. 




"Nerd-Rage Total War". I'd play that. And probably lose.  :doh:
More people are playing it right now than any other TW title!

 :2funny:


Title: Re: Three Kingdoms Total War
Post by: Gusington on June 01, 2021, 05:38:45 PM
^Proven by the fact that I still buy almost all their games. That said, what has slowed my pace of purchase is the subjects of their more recent games. I'm just not as into WH or ancient Troy or China as I am into Japanese, western European or North African ancient/medieval/renaissance history.

And yeah I am probably too old now to really extend nerd rage for too long. It would probably only physically hurt only me anyway :/
Title: Re: Three Kingdoms Total War
Post by: Bison on June 01, 2021, 07:44:17 PM
I have very little nerd rage these days.
Title: Re: Three Kingdoms Total War
Post by: Sir Slash on June 01, 2021, 11:32:31 PM
You guys are doing all wrong. The older you get, the meaner you're supposed to get. It's what young people expect of us. So they can come-over, pat us on our heads, and say how cute we are now that we're old. Then give us a pill. Don't destroy the Tradition!
Title: Re: Three Kingdoms Total War
Post by: Martok on June 02, 2021, 03:14:47 AM
I mostly conserve what nerd-rage I have for the Star Trek and Star Wars heresy that has sprung up these past couple decades, and for the false prophets who would corrupt the masses with their counterfeit dogma. 


Title: Re: Three Kingdoms Total War
Post by: bbmike on June 02, 2021, 07:49:19 AM
Tell it, brother.  :bigthumb:
Title: Re: Three Kingdoms Total War
Post by: mirth on June 02, 2021, 07:57:50 AM
Tell it, brother.  :bigthumb:

 ::)
Title: Re: Three Kingdoms Total War
Post by: bbmike on June 02, 2021, 08:08:30 AM
Bait taken.  :ROFL:
Title: Re: Three Kingdoms Total War
Post by: bayonetbrant on June 02, 2021, 08:12:52 AM
I mostly conserve what nerd-rage I have for the Star Trek and Star Wars heresy that has sprung up these past couple decades, and for the false prophets who would corrupt the masses with their counterfeit dogma.

Meh.  BSG 2004 rebut > either of them
  :whistle:
Title: Re: Three Kingdoms Total War
Post by: mirth on June 02, 2021, 08:14:35 AM
Bait taken.  :ROFL:

Waiting for your rants about "Trek Wars" and "real Star Trek"  :idiot2:
Title: Re: Three Kingdoms Total War
Post by: mirth on June 02, 2021, 08:18:25 AM
Meh.  BSG 2004 rebut > either of them
  :whistle:

And now bbmike will rant about how Galactica 1980 is the "real Battlestar Galactica".  ::)
Title: Re: Three Kingdoms Total War
Post by: bbmike on June 02, 2021, 08:20:29 AM
Easy, big fella. I'll stop now.
Title: Re: Three Kingdoms Total War
Post by: mirth on June 02, 2021, 08:49:06 AM
Easy, big fella. I'll stop now.

But they had flying bikes!



Title: Re: Three Kingdoms Total War
Post by: Gusington on June 02, 2021, 09:32:39 AM
^That is a good thing.
Title: Re: Three Kingdoms Total War
Post by: Sir Slash on June 02, 2021, 12:43:35 PM
The only real Galactica was the one with the HOT blond in the red dress. I'd fly that anytime.  :hehe:
Title: Re: Three Kingdoms Total War
Post by: Martok on June 03, 2021, 05:55:51 AM
Meh.  BSG 2004 rebut > either of them
  :whistle:

And now bbmike will rant about how Galactica 1980 is the "real Battlestar Galactica".  ::)

I doubt anyone here is going to make that argument.  ;D 





The only real Galactica was the one with the HOT blond in the red dress. I'd fly that anytime.  :hehe:

I love Tricia Helfer.  Looks aside, she's also a genuine sweetheart.  :dreamer: 


Title: Re: Three Kingdoms Total War
Post by: Martok on May 17, 2022, 05:00:14 AM
So for anyone who's not been paying attention (which I imagine has been pretty much all of us :P ), Three Kingdoms is once again the most popular game in the franchise.  It's the first time in at least a few years that a historical(ish) title has been the most played Total War game...and that a Warhammer title *hasn't*.  Indeed, Total War historical games in general are seeing increased player numbers as of late, whilst pretty much all three Warhammer games have seen their numbers drop. 



The disastrous launch of WH3, combined with the community's still-simmering anger & resentment over CA's facepalm-ingly idiotic decision to abruptly cease further development of Three Kingdoms, appears to be driving a lot of this recent trend towards the historical Total War titles and away from the Warhammer games.  I really like Cody Bonds' take on the situation, along with the criticism he lays against Creative Assembly. 





Title: Re: Three Kingdoms Total War
Post by: Gusington on May 17, 2022, 10:36:39 AM
I played my first Three Kingdoms campaign a few weeks ago - it’s a very deep game and all the factions were difficult for me to wrap my Western brain around. After about 25 hours I stopped…I did not lose but I just got kind of bored and exhausted. Will play it again one day.

Next up soon is Total War: Troy. No plans to start Warhammer III yet, for…clear reasons :/

I really hope there are big TW plans for a new historical game soon.
Title: Re: Three Kingdoms Total War
Post by: Sir Slash on May 17, 2022, 10:44:39 AM
I think the whole franchise has been steadily losing ground for Historical fans since Shogun 2. They've gone to slapping something together, then waiting for Modders to improve it. Or even make it playable sometimes. CA Has lost it's MoJo. Don't know if they will one day get it back or just slide into obscurity like SSI back in the past.  :'(
Title: Re: Three Kingdoms Total War
Post by: Undercovergeek on May 17, 2022, 11:03:35 AM
I dunno - I reckon apart from a few dlc/lots of dlc they’re pretty much done with the WH franchise - there’s nowhere else to go - there is in fact only so many races and once that’s done it’s done

Now if they want a proper go at mordheim or small tactical WH battles - the board game itself is generally 1500-2000 points centred around little villages with a few walls and a farm building - I don’t know if 3 is just too fantastical to appeal to WH fans - none I know of would ever have said yeahhhhhhhh let’s do 10000 point battles with all the demons we can get - it was a lot more immersive and cozy when it was 4 or 5 units of guys fighting over some VP in a village….. but that’s not a TW engine thing - so either they evolve the engine to be smaller and more intricate or it’s back to historical - there’s plenty to go and I’m sure more than half the community would kill for just Medieval 3 anyway, a reworked empire even
Title: Re: Three Kingdoms Total War
Post by: Gusington on May 17, 2022, 01:49:34 PM
I would kill for either a Medieval 3 or a reworked Empire…and CA have to know that.

Is it verified/bonafide that WH3’s release was indeed a true trainwreck?
Title: Re: Three Kingdoms Total War
Post by: Martok on May 18, 2022, 05:56:34 AM
I would kill for either a Medieval 3 or a reworked Empire…and CA have to know that.

For the past 3-4 years, every single player poll I've seen -- whether it was in the forums, on Reddit, or elsewhere -- has resulted in Medieval 3 and Empire 2 being the two top choices by a country mile, with M3 usually just edging out E2.  If one of those two games isn't the next major historical title, CA is almost certainly going to have a lot of (even more) pissed-off customers. 




Is it verified/bonafide that WH3’s release was indeed a true trainwreck?

Depends on your definition.  In terms of sales, I don't think there's much question the game did well.  While CA/Sega don't typically release numbers, Warhammer 3 was Steam's top-selling game for something like 3-4(?) consecutive weeks when it launched back in February, plus it had a large number of pre-orders, though we don't know how many.  Even if it WH3 hasn't sold as well as its predecessors, it's still made CA/Sega a lot of money. 

However, if one defines "trainwreck" in terms of quality of release, there's likewise not much question the game was released in poor shape.  There have been tons of issues, ranging from technical problems, to gameplay issues, to even core elements and/or fundamental parts of the design being poorly thought-out (which at this point can't realistically be fixed).  And we won't even get started on the Immortal Empires campaign -- the part of the game the vast majority of players wanted most -- not being available at launch (and almost certainly won't be ready for "primetime" until next year)... 


Suffice it to say, the DLC team has a ton of work ahead of them.  I do not envy their jobs. 


Title: Re: Three Kingdoms Total War
Post by: Gusington on May 18, 2022, 07:43:02 AM
There are YouTubers who have made careers off videos tracking Medieval 3 or Empire 2 gossip!

Guess I will hold off on trying WHIII for a long time :/

I should remove it from my hard drive too since it takes up so much room.

I’ll reinstall when I hear that game is worth playing.
Title: Re: Three Kingdoms Total War
Post by: Gusington on May 18, 2022, 08:17:56 PM
Hey look what I found.

Title: Re: Three Kingdoms Total War
Post by: Undercovergeek on May 18, 2022, 09:15:12 PM
WH3 gets some eye watering abuse in the comments there

I’m not seeing all 77 commenters represent the entirety of CAs clientele but nobody on there seems happy with them or their ability to deliver a decent historical
Title: Re: Three Kingdoms Total War
Post by: Gusington on May 18, 2022, 10:05:14 PM
Someone did mention they wanted a Medieval 2 remaster (like they did with Rome) and I definitely think that is next. Would be a nice tidbit to hold us over until the next 'big thang.'
Title: Re: Three Kingdoms Total War
Post by: Sir Slash on May 18, 2022, 11:22:55 PM
Big Thang Total War! I'd buy it. If it was on sale of course.  :biggrin:
Title: Re: Three Kingdoms Total War
Post by: Martok on May 18, 2022, 11:47:23 PM
There are YouTubers who have made careers off videos tracking Medieval 3 or Empire 2 gossip!

Guess I will hold off on trying WHIII for a long time :/

I should remove it from my hard drive too since it takes up so much room.

I’ll reinstall when I hear that game is worth playing.

At the very least, I would wait until Immortal Empires has been released.  Even better if you can wait until it's out of beta (though that's probably going to be a *long* time). 




Someone did mention they wanted a Medieval 2 remaster (like they did with Rome) and I definitely think that is next. Would be a nice tidbit to hold us over until the next 'big thang.'

I agree a remastered Medieval 2 is the next "title" to be released.  It's already available for phones, and Rome: Remastered followed a similar development path (phones --> PC's). 


Title: Re: Three Kingdoms Total War
Post by: Gusington on May 19, 2022, 02:10:58 PM
^Yeah I was thinking the exact same thing.

Big Thang Total War should be a real title or at least a character or faction in Three Kingdoms.
Title: Re: Three Kingdoms Total War
Post by: Sir Slash on May 19, 2022, 10:54:43 PM
One of these sales, I'm gonna pick-up Thrones of Britannia. Terminator says the, 'Shieldwall Mod' for it is excellent. Anybody tried it?
Title: Re: Three Kingdoms Total War
Post by: Gusington on May 20, 2022, 09:14:42 AM
I did, and I liked it. Thrones of Britannia gets a bad rap. There was a Total War sale on Steam this week - not sure if it is still on.
Title: Re: Three Kingdoms Total War
Post by: Sir Slash on May 20, 2022, 04:10:31 PM
No, it was just for one day I think.
Title: Re: Three Kingdoms Total War
Post by: Gusington on May 20, 2022, 05:31:33 PM
 :'(
Title: Re: Three Kingdoms Total War
Post by: Martok on May 24, 2022, 12:21:09 AM
Good grief.  So Creative Assembly tweeted out this hilariously tone-deaf message today: 


https://twitter.com/totalwar/status/1528768055836278787




It kinda comes off like a parent celebrating the birthday of their child they kicked out of their house...when they were still in elementary/primary school.  >:(  This company has completely lost touch with its customers. 


Title: Re: Three Kingdoms Total War
Post by: Martok on May 24, 2022, 12:22:15 AM
One of these sales, I'm gonna pick-up Thrones of Britannia. Terminator says the, 'Shieldwall Mod' for it is excellent. Anybody tried it?

I had been holding off on installing that mod since it was very much unfinished the last time I checked it out, but it's been a while.  Looks like it might finally be time to install it and fire up the game again.  :D 


And Gus is right -- you absolutely need to get Thrones and play it! 


Title: Re: Three Kingdoms Total War
Post by: Gusington on May 24, 2022, 06:23:05 AM
That is a weird tweet. I would almost guess that maybe they are rolling back their abandonment of the game…almost.
Title: Re: Three Kingdoms Total War
Post by: Sir Slash on May 24, 2022, 01:35:30 PM
They DO seem to have problems picking a direction and sticking to it. Who can tell with that lot?
Title: Re: Three Kingdoms Total War
Post by: Martok on May 25, 2022, 04:47:58 AM
That is a weird tweet. I would almost guess that maybe they are rolling back their abandonment of the game…almost.

We can but hope.  I wouldn't actually lay odds on it, mind you, but every now & then they do surprise us. 

Otherwise, I'm wondering if the next Three Kingdoms title (apparently they have their own team separate from both Warhammer and the main historical series) will be given free to all those who purchased the original 3KTW prior to a certain date as a peace offering.  Yes, doing so would obviously be expensive, but I could see it still being worth the cost. 




They DO seem to have problems picking a direction and sticking to it. Who can tell with that lot?

Indeed. 


What's odd is, CA *did* appear to have found its footing & direction again with both the Warhammer franchise and their historical games with the release of Three Kingdoms.  Despite subsequent DLC's being of...variable quality, 3K and the first two WH titles were all successful, both critically and commercially. 

This rather abrupt stumbling about from the past year or two -- both with their project management and community engagement -- is utterly baffling, not to mention frustrating/infuriating. 


Title: Re: Three Kingdoms Total War
Post by: Gusington on May 25, 2022, 08:14:10 AM
Free?? Crazytalk.

So they'll probably do it.
Title: Re: Three Kingdoms Total War
Post by: Martok on June 24, 2022, 04:58:13 AM
So this latest horseshit is why my hard drive is suddenly 14 Gb fuller...  :kling: 


https://twitter.com/totalwar/status/1539277037201940483




...And with that, I do believe I'm done with CA.  I'm sick and tired of their crap.  No more Total War for me.  Good luck to them, they can burn in hell for all I care. 


Title: Re: Three Kingdoms Total War
Post by: Gusington on June 26, 2022, 02:53:39 PM
I don’t use The Twitter but your anger is almost as hot as my sunburn.
Title: Re: Three Kingdoms Total War
Post by: Martok on June 27, 2022, 02:19:24 AM
I can barely stand the platform myself.  However, I reluctantly concede it can be somewhat useful for gaming news, as well as keeping track of certain games & developers I'm interested in.  Indeed, if not for Twitter, I wouldn't have had a clue as to why Three Kingdoms was suddenly downloading that big-ass update...or that it was completely f-ing useless. 

I just can't get over how shitty, how unbelievably *stupid* CA has become.  I realize that's a hilariously naive take, for many reasons -- they've undoubtedly been this way for a long time, it's simply only become obvious in the last year or so -- but the whole situation still has me shaking my head in disbelief. 


Title: Re: Three Kingdoms Total War
Post by: Gusington on June 27, 2022, 10:14:34 AM
I haven't had a 3K update yet...did it come from Steam?
Title: Re: Three Kingdoms Total War
Post by: Martok on June 28, 2022, 04:33:54 AM
Yep, that's how I noticed it. 


Title: Re: Three Kingdoms Total War
Post by: Gusington on June 29, 2022, 09:26:06 AM
Hmm ah I see...I uninstalled 3K. 
Title: Re: Three Kingdoms Total War
Post by: Martok on June 30, 2022, 05:34:47 AM
As did I.  I like the game, but not at the cost of 14 Gb of garbage/nothing on my hard drive.  :nope: 

Title: Re: Three Kingdoms Total War
Post by: Gusington on June 30, 2022, 10:45:03 AM
^I didn't even know about that. I enjoyed the campaign that I lost but that era is just uber-confusing to me.
Title: Re: Three Kingdoms Total War
Post by: mickysuchy6 on November 11, 2022, 10:28:43 AM

More people are playing it right now than any other TW title!