This means the historical basis for weapons of war is limited. Although based on myth, Troy is nonetheless the farthest back in time any Total War has ever gone. The other area where Troy makes big changes to Total War is battles. It’s extremely annoying and undermines what is otherwise a well-designed system. Unfortunately, it also means that AI factions are constantly pestering you with diplomatic junk mail, trying to get some ridiculous amount of stone or bronze for three twigs and one grain of wheat. It’s nice to know where exactly the resources are coming from. I much prefer the clarity of this system to the opaque trade routes of Three Kingdoms. Hence, I’d usually have several trade deals going at once with my allied factions. Playing as Agamemnon, because of my large armies I was perpetually short on food, but always had loads of wood to spare. Fortunately, you can barter with other factions for mutual exchanges of resources. Each settlement specialises in one resource, and if you own it, can be upgraded to produce more of that resource.ĭepending on your starting location, you may well find yourself with an abundance of one resource and a shortage of another. The five resources are food, wood, stone, bronze and gold, and are produced by a region’s provincial settlements (i.e.
Firstly, Troy introduces a whole new set of resources and rejigs the trading system to better reflect the game’s proto-historical setting. It gives you a strong sense of these leaders as unique individuals, and it’s fascinating to discover how each one plays.Īlongside this, there are two other ways in which Troy differs from other Total War games. One of the weirdest characters is Aeneas, who can receive “Orders” directly from the gods and carry them out as unique missions and confer with the spirits of dead warriors for different bonuses. On the Trojan side, for example, Hector and Paris compete for the favour of the father (and King of Troy) Priam, and earning it will confer bonuses onto their faction. From a mechanical perspective at least, Troy offers the best iteration of it. This idea of personality-driven factions is something Total War has experimented with for a while. Winning battles makes his fame grow and his faction perform better, but Achilles is also prone to frantic mood swings that can bolster his military or send his economy into chaos. Achilles’ leadership, meanwhile, is driven by emotion and his prowess on the battlefield. The King has the unique ability to create vassals and demand regular tribute from them, filling his stores with resources without having to pay for city upkeep. If you play as Agamemnon, for example, then your campaign is all about consolidating your wealth and power. On the side of Troy, the roster includes Hector, Paris, and Aeneas.Įach of these heroes leads their faction in a different way, expressed in unique systems and abilities that dramatically affect the trajectory of any given campaign. On the Greek side one can choose from Achilles, Odysseus, Agamemnon, and Menelaus. You only get to pick one of these states, each of which is led by a great hero of the Trojan war. These two forces are actually loose coalitions of multiple city-states. Yet despite the clarity of focus, playing Troy isn’t as simple as picking either the Greeks or the Trojans for a one-on-one grudge match. It’s a much more focussed experience than Total War usually is, with everything you do building up to one, climactic encounter. While the fundamentals of fighting battles, conquering cities, and growing your infrastructure are present as you’d expect, your efforts are all directed to one goal – the capture or defence of the ancient city of Troy.
It’s a bold and surprisingly innovative spin-off, although it doesn’t quite kindle the passion that is the driving force of the Trojan war.įrom Troy’s first turn onward, things are a little different from your typical Total War affair.
Where Three Kingdoms merely dabbled in the romances of Ancient China, Troy throws itself fully into Ancient Greek legend, building entire systems around ideas explored in Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey.
TROY A TOTAL WAR SAGA FACTIONS SERIES
The Total War series has conquered history and raided the shores of fantasy, but A Total War Saga: Troy marks the first time the series has invaded the realms of myth.
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