Total War: Warhammer

Jaymon · Post by **Jaymon** » Tue Oct 27, 2015 4:13 pm

Can you play as Dwarves, because thats all I really care about.

Max Peck · Post by **Max Peck** » Tue Oct 27, 2015 4:34 pm

Jaymon wrote:Can you play as Dwarves, because thats all I really care about.

According to the product blurb on Steam, the base game has 4 playable factions:

Empire
Dwarfs
Vampire Counts
Greenskins

Sepiche · Post by **Sepiche** » Wed Nov 25, 2015 2:37 pm

New trailer out that shows a bit of the campaign map:
https://youtu.be/bPf8UIU_YBI

Max Peck · Post by **Max Peck** » Thu Dec 03, 2015 7:17 pm

Alpha gameplay walkthrough - Greenskins campaign.

Max Peck · Post by **Max Peck** » Fri Apr 08, 2016 2:55 pm

Gameplay video: Empire vs Chaos Warriors

ColdSteel · Post by **ColdSteel** » Fri Apr 08, 2016 3:49 pm

Max Peck wrote:Gameplay video: Empire vs Chaos Warriors

Now they're just rubbing it in.

Max Peck · Post by **Max Peck** » Fri Apr 08, 2016 5:47 pm

ColdSteel wrote:
Max Peck wrote:Gameplay video: Empire vs Chaos Warriors
Now they're just rubbing it in.

He was playing against the Chaos faction -- you don't need the DLC for that.

Max Peck · Post by **Max Peck** » Wed Apr 13, 2016 3:25 pm

Another little gameplay video: Fear the Perambulating Dead

Max Peck · Post by **Max Peck** » Wed May 04, 2016 8:57 pm

I'm not sure when they changed this, but it appears that the Chaos Warriors race pack will be free for the first week following the game's release (24 May), to the benefit of those who want to see some reviews before buying. It is presumably a non-issue for those waiting for the $5 GotY bundle, though.

Toe · Post by **Toe** » Wed May 04, 2016 10:12 pm

Some interesting, detailed stuff on the game's factions and difficulty levels:

http://wiki.totalwar.com/w/Difficulty_a ... ncing_Blog

Max Peck · Post by **Max Peck** » Thu May 05, 2016 12:25 pm

Imperfectly good news on mod support:

Back when we originally announced Total War: WARHAMMER, we explained that we wouldn't be able to support the game with official mod tools, as unlike other TW games, it wasn't just our game we were making this time. However, I'm pleased to say that both Creative Assembly and Games Workshop have been working away on the paperwork over the last few months to see if we actually could get both the Assembly Kit and Steam Workshop support added to the title. And the good news is, we have.

Max Peck · Post by **Max Peck** » Wed May 18, 2016 2:20 am

Chaos Warriors campaign walkthrough video.

Little Raven · Post by **Little Raven** » Wed May 18, 2016 2:56 am

Man, I can't wait for this. I'm preordering knowing full well that it will probably be buggy on release, because ALL TW games are...but damn. This one just looks too cool, and besides, they always get them (mostly) fixed eventually.

Toe · Post by **Toe** » Wed May 18, 2016 8:56 am

Recently released trailer: What is Total War: WARHAMMER

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUW0UJWpfUQ

ColdSteel · Post by **ColdSteel** » Wed May 18, 2016 4:37 pm

I'm starting to want this game more and more. I'm going to wait until a few days after release to make a purchase decision though. I just don't trust CA, no matter how good it looks in the vids. If it's not broken at release, then now we're talking.

I see Stuie has 4 hours in the game. Are you a beta tester? Or a reviewer? If so, I assume you can't talk about it yet?

Little Raven · Post by **Little Raven** » Wed May 18, 2016 6:51 pm

ColdSteel wrote:I just don't trust CA, no matter how good it looks in the vids. If it's not broken at release, then now we're talking.

All CA games are broken at release. They always get around to fixing them eventually, though.

Course, I would have said the same thing about Bethesda, and while Fallout 4 wasn't perfect, it was definitely a hell of a lot more stable than any other game they've ever made, so hope springs eternal.

Holman · Post by **Holman** » Wed May 18, 2016 7:00 pm

I have been very good at resisting big titles recently. I've passed on Stellaris until it goes on sale. I've passed on X-Com 2 until it goes on sale. I almost passed on Fallout 4, but my sons wanted it so much that I let them spend their own small cash on it.

But TW:Warhammer is calling me. I've always been a sucker for WH and WH40K fluff, and I have a long history with the 40K games. The Total War series has always let me down as both history and wargame, but this one doesn't have that problem because it's a fantasy from the beginning.

My resistance is crumbling...

Max Peck · Post by **Max Peck** » Wed May 18, 2016 7:04 pm

Here, this should stiffen your resolve.

Seegah? Wot's Seegah?

Max Peck · Post by **Max Peck** » Fri May 20, 2016 12:34 am

Let the pre-release opining commence: Press and Youtube Review Roundup

GreenGoo · Post by **GreenGoo** » Fri May 20, 2016 8:25 am

Thought I saw 25% off. Not sure where. Sorry about that, but it might be worth a spin around the 'net to see if you can find it.

Lorini · Post by **Lorini** » Fri May 20, 2016 9:20 am

Paid Steam price initially so in case I don't like it I can return it.

Holman · Post by **Holman** » Fri May 20, 2016 10:30 am

GreenGoo wrote:Thought I saw 25% off. Not sure where. Sorry about that, but it might be worth a spin around the 'net to see if you can find it.

Green Man Gaming has it 25% off with some code or other.

ColdSteel · Post by **ColdSteel** » Fri May 20, 2016 12:27 pm

I see this game will have Denuvo DRM. It's a Steam only game so I don't know why they feel they have to layer this DRM on top of Steam's DRM. It sounds like GW asshattery to me. It explains why it will never be on GOG, I guess. In any case, that's made my decision an easy one. I've gone from possible 1st week purchase to no sale.

AWS260 · Post by **AWS260** » Fri May 20, 2016 1:41 pm

ColdSteel wrote:I see this game will have Denuvo DRM. It's a Steam only game so I don't know why they feel they have to layer this DRM on top of Steam's DRM. It sounds like GW asshattery to me. It explains why it will never be on GOG, I guess. In any case, that's made my decision an easy one. I've gone from possible 1st week purchase to no sale.

It sounds like your mind is made up on this issue, but if you're interested, there's an FAQ about Denuvo in Total Warhammer.

Max Peck · Post by **Max Peck** » Fri May 20, 2016 7:13 pm

The Steam pre-load is up, and weighs in at a modest 9.3G.

GreenGoo · Post by **GreenGoo** » Fri May 20, 2016 7:20 pm

Their steam version should have the DRM removed imo.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Fri May 20, 2016 7:24 pm

Steam has plenty of games that include the dev's DRM on top.

tgb · Post by **tgb** » Fri May 20, 2016 7:44 pm

Every time I think about ordering this I have to remind myself I still have Attila sitting in my Steam library, untouched.

Maybe I should just install that.

GreenGoo · Post by **GreenGoo** » Fri May 20, 2016 9:06 pm

Isgrimnur wrote:Steam has plenty of games that include the dev's DRM on top.

Yeah, and those should remove their DRM as well.

Max Peck · Post by **Max Peck** » Sat May 21, 2016 1:26 pm

tgb wrote:Every time I think about ordering this I have to remind myself I still have Attila sitting in my Steam library, untouched.

Maybe I should just install that.

I'm glad you mentioned that. Attila is the only TW title I haven't bought yet, so I will keep an eye on it to see if there is a series/publisher sale to coincide with the Warhammer launch.

In which case, it will sit in my Steam library, untouched, for the foreseeable future.

Lee · Post by **Lee** » Sat May 21, 2016 11:34 pm

I get confused on this, but isn't Attilla the horrible one? Honestly I don't know which one is supposed to be good or not anymore, but the supposed variance in quality scares me off. I do love Warhammer though...

Max Peck · Post by **Max Peck** » Sun May 22, 2016 12:16 am

Lee wrote:I get confused on this, but isn't Attilla the horrible one? Honestly I don't know which one is supposed to be good or not anymore, but the supposed variance in quality scares me off. I do love Warhammer though...

I don't think so. IIRC, Rome 2 was pretty broadly panned, at least until they released the fixed-up Emperor Edition, but I don't recall anything negative about Attila.

Sepiche · Post by **Sepiche** » Sun May 22, 2016 12:46 am

3 Bretonnian armies, 3 Empire armies, 1 massive battle

tgb · Post by **tgb** » Sun May 22, 2016 7:41 am

Max Peck wrote:
Lee wrote:I get confused on this, but isn't Attilla the horrible one? Honestly I don't know which one is supposed to be good or not anymore, but the supposed variance in quality scares me off. I do love Warhammer though...
I don't think so. IIRC, Rome 2 was pretty broadly panned, at least until they released the fixed-up Emperor Edition, but I don't recall anything negative about Attila.

Max is right. Attilla was released in a much better state than Rome 2 was. And while we're on the subject (not to piss in anyone's corn flakes), but before you get too excited about the great reviews Warhammer is getting, I'll remind you that Rome 2 got a similar reception - at first.

Little Raven · Post by **Little Raven** » Sun May 22, 2016 10:36 am

tgb wrote:And while we're on the subject (not to piss in anyone's corn flakes), but before you get too excited about the great reviews Warhammer is getting, I'll remind you that Rome 2 got a similar reception - at first.

Attila was actually the exception - most TW games are considered to be a hot mess at launch. But between CA patching and a dedicated mod community, most things eventually get fixed.

But hey, Fallout 4 was definitely a damn sight more stable than any other Bethesda game has been, so maybe there's hope for CA too.

Lorini · Post by **Lorini** » Sun May 22, 2016 10:42 am

I was reading a discussion about this. Basically there's been a ton more video done for Warhammer than any previous title, so people are feeling pretty confident about the state of the game. Many reviewers/lets play, not only the publishers stuff.

Max Peck · Post by **Max Peck** » Sun May 22, 2016 11:02 am

And yet, my cornflakes are soggy...

Matrix · Post by **Matrix** » Mon May 23, 2016 12:24 am

Last year, i heard it was launching, not much else. Just saw it on Steam tonight launching in 2 days and..... i could't resist. I dont think i pre ordered anything in last 10 years, not counting kick starters. Hence, this is probably my biggest move on pre order front. I love the Total war series and still play it occasional, and with Total war and War hammer, it was no brainer. Especially after the reviews came in.

Stuie · Post by **Stuie** » Mon May 23, 2016 2:05 pm

I am part of a mod consulting group that works directly with CA, and thus I've been playing this for a few days now. Thought I'd throw out some impressions (while trying to keep the previously admitted fanboi in check). I'll probably clean this up more and make it my Steam review, but you can read it here first.

So here goes....

First, I have not encountered any major bugs. The game appears to function as intended, and all the main systems seem to work. Balancing may need another pass, but that's easier to fix than the underlying systems. On to impressions, which I'll divide into Campaign and Battles.

Campaign

The campaign map features the usual settlement building now familiar from Rome 2 and Attila, but some of the negative effects have been removed, making the overall decision making much simpler. There are very obvious choices to be made, and no real tradeoffs for whatever approach you take. It's more a matter of "when" to build, not "what" to build. One interesting change is that techs available to research are now based on what buildings you have. Want to research army techs? Build a barracks. Seasons have been replaced with a generic "turn counter", so there are no seasonal effects or time dimensional attributes for characters (ie. no aging/dying from age).

omg there's no family tree!! I only put this here because I saw so much consternation over a lack of family trees in Rome 2. Well they are gone again. There is a system of offices somewhat like Attila, but it's pretty simple stuff. No aging and no loyalty system either, just heroes and lords and skill trees for each. The character skill trees are more dynamic than they were in the last two games, with buffs to either personal stats, army stats, or province/empire stats, each area having its own tree to customize as you level. This leads to some interesting choices which come early and often - heroes/lords level pretty fast, about once per battle/mission in my experience. Characters can also have equips (slots for armor, weapons, trinket), special mounts (achieved in the skill tree), and followers, all of which provide addtional buffs or abilities than can be invoked in battle. All in all, the characters provide a decent "role play" type experience.

The rest of the campaign map is pretty standard fare for a Total War game. There are settlements and provinces that will be familiar to players of Rome 2 and Attila. The diplomacy offers little new (although it seems slightly more transparent than previous iterations). One additional change is the "Winds of magic" that vary from time to time on the map, and determine how much magic energy will be available in a battle. Low winds - longer recharge for spells and such; high winds - you get the picture.

Battles

Let's get this out of the way: Lords and Heroes are completely overpowered, but they are meant to be. One lord can wade into a 90 man unit of swordsmen and just start demolishing them - swing their weapon and bodies fly everywhere. Or they can stand back and sling spells that buff/debuff as needed, or do direct damage (of assorted types) to the enemy. All this feels kind of like the General abilities from previous TW titles, but on massive steroids.

Next thing to note is that battles play out fast; I would have thought that mirroring a table-top game would lend itself to slower, more methodical play. Wrong. Once armies engage it is a rush to use abilities where needed, apply your lords/heroes to trouble spots, find the right match-ups for units and reposition as required.... Many times however, I've found the best option to be to take out the enemy leader, and then their army will usually crumble (quite literally when fighting Vampire armies). Regardless, most battles are over within minutes once the two sides engage. A more "thoughtful" pace would have been nice.

There's still the typical rock-paper-scissor set up among troops - missile units > swords > spears > cavalry > missile units - with some variation such as halberds excelling vs. "large" units. The battlefields themselves are mostly pretty plain once you strip away all the non-interactive backdrops. I've fought on some interesting hilly terrain, but the majority of the battles have taken place on level ground, often with pretty stuff in the distance.

The "feel" of each race is nicely differentiated; the Empire wants to form a line and hold their ground, while the undead usually want to swarm the enemy. Races are also differentiated by some not having particular units, thus enforcing a different "feel" to playing them.

Well?

I'm only about 20 hours in, but I'm enjoying the game more than I thought I would. I know next to nothing about Warhammer (and so will not comment on attention to lore), but I'm a fan of fantasy games and a Total War enthusiast (aka fanboi). With that said, the game checks all the boxes for me. However, I'm afraid tabletop Warhammer fans will be disappointed by the seemingly twitch-speed battles, while Total War fans may find the campaign over-simplified and the OP Lords slashing through enemy units somewhat laughable. The production values and attention to detail appear top-notch though, so perhaps the game finds the correct middle ground for all that and will please everyone. If anything of that rings true for you, then I would definitely recommend giving it a try.

$iljanus · Post by **$iljanus** » Mon May 23, 2016 3:12 pm

Thanks for the write up Stuie! Unlike the more historically based Total War games, I don't mind not having a family tree for this iteration but I do look forward to the RPG aspect of leveling up my heroes. Ended up pre-ordering this morning based on some of the game play videos. The fantasy setting is also a big plus for me.