Short, but historic. Review of Total War Saga: Thrones of Britannia

The Total War series has a very strong community, which is gradually becoming more and more. This allowed Creative Assembly studios to release a real blockbuster in the form of Total War: Warhammer first, and then diversify their portfolio of strategies, dividing them into large and small ones. Thrones of Britannia — the first of a series of small.

We know very little about the first centuries of the post-Roman period in the history of the British Isles, but already about the era of the invasion of the great army of pagans, the struggle of Alfred the Great and subsequent events written a lot. This time, though still legendary, with heroes like Ragnar Lothbrok and his sons, but still a little less romanticized than the invasion of William the Conqueror. However, movies and TV shows a lot about him, but the game is not enough.
Total War Saga series itself is an attempt to focus on a certain short period of time and on a small piece of territory. Therefore, it is not surprising that the first game of the series is dedicated to the era of the Anglo-Saxons. This is the time when on a relatively small island faced five different cultures: Scandinavian, gel, Anglo-Saxon, Welsh and Celtic. Each of them is represented in the game by two different factions with a similar set of troops, but absolutely different starting points and advantages.

Thrones of Britannia is a real outlet for those who love history. Despite the mention of Ragnar Lothbrok in the introductory video, in this part more diligently treated historicity than in the same Medieval 2. The game features all the key factions, the right leaders, the right religions and a realistic balance of power.

Of course, the factions in Thrones of Britannia a little less diverse than in the same Total War: Warhammer, but the strategy of the game for them, too, quite different from each other. Thus, the unconditional leader-Wessex, under the leadership of the stunning in all respects General Alfred, depends heavily on the occupied territories, which bring the faction points "firda". The more "third", the more troops you can hold. In the biggest faction at the start has the most to suffer from restrictions on the size of the armies.
Kilkenny that represent clans, who later became Scotland, a little more loose in hiring. Special condition — the rule of law. You can get it by combining the native gelsie of the earth. Spend the "legitimacy" either in a bloodless annexation of the factions with the same culture or in different shapes. Gwynedd-proud Welsh, for whom most important "heroism" extracted in battles. Given that at the start of this Kingdom has only one region and very few resources, will have to win thanks to your tactical skills, not the number of troops.

In the Thrones of Britannia has introduced automated trading. You are habitually going to climb to enter into trade agreements with neighbors, but now it is enough just to grab a suitable port, and from there will go ships loaded with goods. It is assumed that no one will give up the money. Especially Scottish clans.

In General, the war in Thrones of Britannia is more like that of Attila and Rome 2. You hire troops from the available at the moment, and they appear in the army all at once, only in a third of its maximum. That is, after hiring you need to camp and wait for replenishment of groups. This helps to respond to threats on your territory, because even moving on it, you will receive replenishment. But this is not suitable for a quick and powerful invasion of enemy territory. In addition, detachments need to be fed. They just do not eat themselves, so the power of your armies will depend on the ability to feed them. Gold to pay for the services of the troops is also needed, but it needs quite a bit, and even three full army will quickly empty your coffers. Naturally, there are fractions more victorious and richer, but in General, the main thing you need to worry about is food and supply. Supply is also extremely important-it is an indicator of how much the army can fight in enemy territory (consider it a stock of food and ammunition). If the supply is over, your soldiers will quickly scatter.
In Thrones of Britannia there are many constraints that prevent rolling half of the island in the mud at the first steps. In addition to supply, there is an indicator of fatigue from war. At high levels of difficulty enough to lose a couple of battles or open more than one front, and the people will start to murmur. And there before the riots in the neighborhood.

That will very much enjoy siege master all the provincial capitals now have very solid walls. This Thrones of Britannia is very similar to Medieval, was a truly epic siege. In addition, the system of provinces became more like Total War: Empire with its defenseless estates. In fact, only provincial capitals matter-the rest of the settlements will be passed from hand to hand a hundred times.

Riots can be arranged not only peasants, but also to know. In the Thrones of Britannia returned the measure to the loyalty of your generals and governors. If it drops to zero, you have a straight side formed by the separatists. For loyalty you can influence how the usual bribery, and appointment to various posts, the results are pre-built in the regions of estate and development branch of the priest in the retinue of subordinates. In addition, it is necessary is banal to be the most influential and terrible aristocrat in the district — then they will listen. In General, the system is already familiar from previous games, but it is not everywhere.
Thrones of Britannia looks like a kind of experiment to combine elements of past games in the series. Something turned out very well. Factions feel really different even in the condition of the similarity of the troops. In addition, Thrones of Britannia very meticulously painted a map of the British Islands with all the Straits, bays and hills. And the landscape in the game means really a lot. For example, in the North, it directs the expansion of different factions in a certain way. In addition, due to the mountainous terrain changing strategy and diplomacy. Attacking some neighbors is simply unprofitable. Due to its locality Thrones of Britannia manages to show much deeper conflict and struggle for resources, while not losing sight of even small provinces.

But, as it happens in the case of experiments, to make mistakes also managed. For example, in the press there are quite strange technical problems like cavalry, breaking through the closed doors. Enemies naturally pushed each other to the city through the two feet of the tree. Ridiculous act, and periodically invading the Islands by the Vikings and other foreigners who sailed in search of profit. Their armies are strong, but tactics are no good. But the biggest problem of the game is the vague goals. Each faction tasks are limited to the capture of a province or the destruction of a certain enemy. Moreover, a quick victory is achieved for almost the first fifty moves, and the long requires just twice the time. Of course, we can recall that in the old games of the series there were no jobs at all, but you get used to it quickly, and even Total War: Shogun 2 now looks empty.
As a result, Thrones of Britannia has probably the shortest campaigns in the history of the series. They take four to eight hours. You can stretch them, but it still does not go to any comparison with the "big" games of the series.