| Medieval II: Total War Kingdoms | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Creative Assembly |
| Publisher(s) | Sega |
| Released | USA August 28, 2007 EUR August 31, 2007 AUS September 6, 2007 |
| Genre | Real-time tactics, Turn-based strategy |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, Multiplayer |
| Ratings | ESRB: Teen (T) |
| Platform(s) | Windows |
| Media | DVD DL |
| Input methods | Keyboard and mouse |
Medieval II: Total War: Kingdoms is the expansion to the 2006 PC game, Medieval II: Total War. The expansion was released on August 28, 2007 in the US and has four new campaigns, focusing on the discovery of the Americas, 13th century Britain, and crusader campaigns in both the Levant and Northern Europe.
Contents |
Campaigns
Medieval 2: Total War: Kingdoms has 4 new campaigns, each one focusing on a different area. Each new campaign must be individually installed and the entire expansion pack takes up about 4 GB of hard drive space.
Americas Campaign
The Americas campaign is set in the early sixteenth century, when war rages across Central America and the faraway European powers have begun to take an interest in the New World. Three distinct groups-Mesoamericans, North Americans, and Europeans-are colliding, each with separate interests. Spain is looking for wealth and power, slaughtering the natives along the way and aided by its superior weapons and armor, while simultaneously attracting the attention and respect of the King of Spain, but English and French forces are on their way as well, looking to carve out their own empires. Affairs among the Mesoamericans revolve around two issues: the dominance of the Aztec Empire and the arrival of the Spanish. The mighty Aztecs rule a greater territory than any of its neighbors, but is surrounded and divided by hostile powers that are fed up with its tyranny; however, both the Aztecs and their enemies are racing against time to unify the natives: the Spanish bring with them terrible weapons and devastating diseases, and if they cannot be stopped, they will sweep every last nation away. Finally, to the north lurk the Apachean and Chichimec tribes; both are removed somewhat from the chaos of Central America, and, being quick to learn the uses of the horse and the gun, are perhaps better equipped to resist the waves of Europeans that sail in from the east. However, both should take care that another faction, either native or European, does not unite Central America against them.
List of Factions
- Viceroyalty of New Spain - Well armed and armored infantry and cavalry, including dragoons and musketeers. Strong navy and good artillery. However, has only a small number of European units and must often rely on native mercenaries; Difficulty: Easy
- Aztec Empire - Lacking in technology and only has basic, poorly equipped infantry. Large armies and some fierce elite units; Difficulty: Moderate
- Mayans - Lacking in technology and only has basic, poorly equipped infantry. Large armies and some fierce elite units; Difficulty: Moderate
- Apachean Tribes - Excellent archers and missile cavalry but infantry is a little weak and wield mostly archaic weaponry. Can advance in technology and use horses and light rifles; Difficulty: Moderate
- Chichimeca (Unlockable) - Very strong infantry and capable archers but wield mostly archaic weaponry. Can advance in technology and use horses and rifles; Difficulty: Moderate
- Tlaxcalans (Unlockable) - Lacking in technology and only has basic, poorly equipped infantry. Large armies and some fierce elite units; Difficulty: Hard
- Tarascans (Unlockable) - Lacking in technology and only has basic, poorly equipped infantry. Large armies and some fierce elite units; Difficulty: Moderate
- New France (non-playable) - Powerful cavalry, heavy infantry and advanced technology.
- English Colonies (non-playable) - Powerful cavalry, heavy infantry, longbowmen and advanced technology.
Notable Features
This campaign implements the various conquistador armies that went to the new world by spawning large, formidable armies in the Americas with allegiance to New Spain. Once spawned, the New Spain faction can use these armies however they see fit. Also, when playing as New Spain, as you progress through the campaign, you will be presented with missions by the King of Spain, and when sufficient influence is gained, you may be granted a higher title of nobility, such as Baron, Count, etc. These titles unlock more advanced building levels for the player to use. Playing as the Apache you have access to the "warpath" ability which is equivalent of a Jihad in Medieval 2:Total War. The Apache can also use the technology of colonizing factions- after battling a colonizing faction such as New Spain, the Apache will be able to construct gun trading Tipis and horse trainers. The Chichimeca can also use enemy technology to their advantage. All of the factions that believe in the Sun God are able to sacrifice units instead disbanding them. They can also sacrifice populations upon capturing a settlement or they can sacrifice captured enemy troops. Sacrificing upholds the religion of the Sun God and increases the happiness of your people.
Britannia Campaign
Beginning in 1258, the Britannia campaign involves the vast but overstretched Kingdom of England attempting to conquer the British Isles. However the hungry throne of England has many enemies. The divided counties of Wales have finally been united by King Llywelyn ap Gruffydd who hopes to strike out at the thinly spread English and drive his forces in to capture the neighbouring English territories. Scotland has a thin alliance with England, but it won't be long until this thin thread snaps. The Scottish clans have been watching the English expand with growing unease and feel more threatened than ever- they must take action against the growing menace. The Scottish also have the invading Norwegians to worry about- the Scots may find themselves fighting on two fronts if they aren't careful. The Irish tribes have all been united by the brave chieftan Brian O'Conor. Now they have a chance of driving the English from Ireland and launching invasions on the other kingdoms of Britannia. Meanwhile Norway retains its grip on the Isle of Man and the Hebrides, hoping to perhaps invade Britannia while the other kingdoms are spread out and exploit their time of weakness. With more and more reinforcements from Norway arriving, the Norwegians hope to attack the Scots from the hebrides and strike the English from the Isle of Man, possibly resulting in another Scandinavian invasion of Britannia. England itself is weakened after many determined years of fighting the other kingdoms. However, the main threat to England lies within its own borders. Many English Barons question the laws and rules of the English Kings and are planning on rebellion while England's main forces are battling in the other regions of Britannia. A five way war rages on in the British Isles. Who knows what will happen.
List of Factions
- Kingdom of England - Strong heavy infantry and longbowmen but somewhat lacking in cavalry and spearmen; Difficulty: Easy
- Kingdom of Scotland - Excellent pike units and capable archers and infantry but somewhat lacks cavalry, gunpowder units and spearmen; Difficulty: Easy
- Kingdom of Ireland - Good cavalry, gunpowder units and javelinmen but has a poor variety of spear units and lacks decent archers; Difficulty: Moderate
- Kingdom of Wales - Great longbowmen and excellent spearmen however lacks heavy infantry; Difficulty: Hard
- Kingdom of Norway - Excellent infantry wielding powerful two handed weaponry but somewhat lacking in spearmen; Difficulty: Hard
- The Baron's Alliance (non-playable) - See England.
Notable Features
The presence of permanent stone forts placed in strategic locations (which can be garrisoned and provide free upkeep for a small number of units). These structures can hold out for a brief time against sieges and are automatically repaired after each battle. Certain units can only be trained if that faction's culture is high enough in a settlement making expansion into conquered land more difficult. A special, unplayable faction - The Baron's Alliance - similar in gameplay terms to the Eastern and Western Roman Rebels from the game Rome Total War: Barbarian Invasion. When characters, armies and settlements under English control rebel against their faction's control, they will become part of the Alliance, a faction with essentially the same strengths and weaknesses of the original faction, including the ability to utilize diplomacy and assassination to achieve their goals. Every faction gets paid an additional amount of florins every turn. This payment is referred to as 'The Kings Purse'. In Medieval 2: Total War some factions had a high kings purse payment every turn and some had a low payment, however rather than have a fixed kings purse, each faction in the Britannia Campaign has a Dynamic Kings Purse- the sum of money you are paid every turn can change. A number of special historical figures appearing either at the start of the campaign or at some later point. Though they lack the special abilities of the hero characters from the Crusades campaign, they are usually accompanied by a large army.
Crusades Campaign
Beginning in 1174, the Crusades Campaign is set several years prior to the outbreak of the Third Crusade, continuing into the Fourth Crusade and beyond. It follows the Kingdom of Jerusalem and Principality of Antioch as they attempt to strengthen the presence of Christendom in the Holy Lands, whilst the Turks led by Nur ad-Din and the Egyptians led by Salah al-Din attempt to drive them out. Meanwhile, the Byzantine Empire led by Emperor Manuel Komnenos slowly moves into the middle east to regain its lost glory, and attempts to drive back the armies of the Turks as well as deal with the rebels and the Venetians that harass them in the west.
List of Factions
- Kingdom of Jerusalem - Very strong heavy cavalry but fields a bad variety of light units; Difficulty: Easy
- Seljuk Turks - Great mounted archers and infantry but lacks late period heavy cavalry; Difficulty: Easy
- Principality of Antioch - Strong heavy infantry and decent heavy cavalry but fields a bad variety of light units; Difficulty: Moderate
- Fatimid Egypt - Has very strong cavalry but lacks heavy infantry; Difficulty: Moderate
- Byzantium - Good heavy shock infantry, missile cavalry and archers but cavalry are pretty weak. Can also field the powerful Greek Firethrowers; Difficulty: Hard
- The Mongols (non-playable) - Strong cavalry but somewhat poor infantry.
- Republic of Venice (non-playable. Representing the armies of the Fourth Crusade) - Excellent infantry, militia and colonial units, but poor cavalry.
Notable Features
Generals in the Crusades campaign have the ability to construct permanent forts that remain even after vacated by troops. Hashashim guilds are available to both Egypt and the Turks, providing bonuses to assassins, offering assassination contracts on important figures and allowing the recruitment of battlefield hashashim. The Principality of Antioch and Kingdom of Jerusalem may make use of the Knights Hospitaller and Templar orders, respectively, thus giving them access to unique units - of whom only one of each may be present on the campaign map at one time. Each of the five playable factions owns a single region designated as a "Power Centre", with the loss of these centres dealing a major blow to that faction. For example, the loss of a faction's Power Centre will prevent the recruitment of certain troop types. Should a Power Centre be lost, reinforcements will often be sent to assist in recapturing that settlement.
Heroes
Each playable faction has access to a single "Hero" character, these powerful individuals possessing special abilities capable of turning the tide of battle.
| Faction | Hero | Ability |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom of Jerusalem | Richard the Lionheart | Immediately rallies any routing units. |
| Egypt | Salah al-Din | Briefly sets all non-routing units' morale to full. |
| Turks | Nur ad-Din | Briefly increases attack speed and morale of troops. |
| Byzantine Empire | Manuel Komnenos | Can cause infighting amongst an enemy unit, essentially removing them from play until order is restored or they are attacked. It can only be used once per battle. |
| Principality of Antioch | Philip II Augustus | Briefly increases attack power and stamina of troops. |
Teutonic Campaign
Starting from the date 1250, the Teutonic campaign centres around the conflict between Christianity - spearheaded by the Teutonic Order - and Eastern European Paganism - represented by Lithuania. (See Northern Crusades.) The Teutonic order are ruthless and are a threat not only to the Pagans but to the other countries also. Novgorod lies in the far east of the Baltic area and guard their rich city jealously. They have triumphed over the Teutonic Order in the past, but since then the Order has been rapidly expanding. Novgorod must build up their forces if they want to survive! The Duchy of Lithuania is desperate to drive off the Teutonic Order. If they want to be victorious, they must make use of their thick forests and quick forces to drive out the Order. However after much pressure from many of the Catholic factions the path of Catholicism may be inevitable for Lithuania. Lying to the west, the Danes hope to unite Scandinavia and from there launch attacks on the rest of the Baltic area. However, the mighty Holy Roman Empire lies directly to their south, and the Danes must make good use of their mass fleets if they hope to defeat their many enemies.
List of Factions
- Teutonic Order - All round powerful heavy units but lacks light units; Difficulty: Easy
- Kingdom of Denmark - Good all round except lacking in heavy cavalry; Difficulty: Easy
- Grand Duchy of Lithuania - Excellent light units, particularly light cavalry but soldiers lack order and discipline; Difficulty: Moderate
- Grand Duchy of Novgorod - Great variety of cavalry and missile cavalry but poor infantry and missile units in early period; Difficulty: Moderate
- Holy Roman Empire (Unlockable) - Strong all around, but lacks specialized late-period units; Difficulty: Moderate
- Kingdom of Poland (Unlockable) - Very strong cavalry units but poor infantry; Difficulty: Hard
- Kingdom of Norway (non-playable) - Excellent infantry wielding powerful two handed weaponry but have little heavy cavalry.
- Mongol Empire (non-playable) - Strong cavalry and archers but poor infantry and completely lacks proper gunpowder units.
Notable Features
Crusading nobles, drawn to the conflict against Paganism in search of fame and glory, will request the assistance of the Teutonic Order in return for donations to the Order's coffers. The size of the donation varies depending on the nobles' successes. The Lithuanian leader will be rewarded by his council of nobles in the event that he should manage to kill any of these crusaders. When playing as Denmark, it is possible for you to form the Union of Kalmar. In order to do this you must first take the Scandinavian settlements of Kalmar, Gothenburg, Visby, Uppsala and Abo. After taking control of these settlements you must then kill the Norwegian king, either through assassination or a direct battle. Note that if you eliminate the entire Norway faction it is impossible to form the union. After forming the union, Denmark will take on a new banner, gain access to all the existing settlements and armies of Norway, and unlock the ability to build three new units. Early in the campaign an event will herald the formation of The Hanseatic League. The League consists of five specific regions on the campaign map that represent the group's most important assets. The faction controlling the most of these settlements has the greatest chance to be offered the option of building the Hanseatic League Headquarters - a unique building that provides significant financial rewards.
Features of the Teutonic Order
Due to the unique nature of the Teutonic Order, it lacks a family tree - thus leaving princesses and certain diplomatic options closed to them but making the faction less vulnerable to assassins. Instead it is lead by a Hochmeister, who, upon death, will be replaced by the most able General among the order's ranks. Finally, the Order's best units can only be recruited in heavily Catholic areas. Recruiting units such as Christ Knights, Halbbruder and Ritterbruder thus requires an extremely high percentage of Catholics to be present in Teutonic-controlled regions.
Features of Lithuania
Lithuania starts out as a Pagan faction, offering it the chance to utilize a number of powerful and unique units to make up for its technological shortcomings. There are a number of different building options in a settlement that allow the faction to devote temples to three different Pagan deities. However, whilst following Paganism, Lithuania is unable to advance settlements beyond City or Castle level. At some point during the campaign, Lithuania will be presented with the option of converting to Christianity. Whilst this can cause significant unrest and will force the faction to remove any Pagan-specific buildings, units and agents, it will also unlock new building options and make Lithuania a less tempting target to the Christian factions that surround it.
Features
- Four new campaigns
- 23 playable factions: 13 new playable factions and 10 existing playable factions
- Over 150 new units
- Command reinforcements in battles (though not directly)
- Hero characters with special abilities
- Build permanent forts and add moats to them
- Castles and Cities can be renamed in game (but not regions)
- New siege weapons including boiling oil
- New technology trees influenced by Religion and Prestige
- New mission types
- 6 New Multiplayer scenarios and 20 new Custom Battle maps
- Compatibility with the new Hotseat multiplayer mode (Up to 2 human players - no human to human battle capability).
- 9 new types of agents (though renamed versions of agents from the original game)
Glitches in the Script
Unfortunately there are a few glitches in M2TW Kingdoms' script. These include-
- In the Teutonic campaign, if you manage to form the Kalmar union when playing as Denmark, you do not get access to the three new units you should be able to access.
- When playing as Wales in the Britannia campaign, there should be a scripted effect when you capture all the towns on the Welsh/English border with Llywelyn. You should receive reinforcements of Welsh troops after capturing the towns, however a glitch in the games script prevents this from happening.
- When playing as Norway in the Britannia campaign, after William Wallace arrives with the Scots, you cannot keep Scot settlements under siege.
- In the Americas campaign, if you play as the Apachean tribes, you may encounter a bug. After winning enough battles and capturing enough settlements you should be able to recruit Onde's men, however a certain glitch in the script prevents you from recruiting them.
These glitches can be fixed by certain unofficial mods and fixes.
External links
| Shogun: Total War series: | Shogun: Total War (Mongol Invasion) |
|---|---|
| Medieval: Total War series: | Medieval: Total War (Viking Invasion) • Medieval II: Total War (Kingdoms) |
| Rome: Total War series: | Rome: Total War (Barbarian Invasion • Alexander) |
| Empire: Total War series: | Empire: Total War |
| Total Warrior series: | Spartan:Total Warrior |
