Total War: Warhammer

[Gusington]

^Me too, for like a year.

[undercovergeek]

^Me too, for like a year.

I always play the first game vanilla - I'll get back to you in a few months when my empire campaign kicks off, unless there's high elves or skaven by then and I'll mod her up

[Gusington]

I try to as well. But my first campaign will be the Vampires...I am contractually obligated.

[Freyland]

What else does that Steel Faith Overhaul do?

So, I just pulled this off the mod-page.  There is a change log which goes into greater detail, but I think reviewing that is largely pointless if you have not played the game yet.

- Primary focus on enhancing all units, with inspiration from Lore. All units are useful, and have a purpose throughout the game.
- Enhanced, longer lasting combat, with more impactful and dangerous Elite units. I feel I hit the right "balance" where combat lasts longer, but not too long, and still retains the action packed, chaotic feel of battle.
- Overhaul of Regiments of Renown. Also, they now gain experience, and benefit from technology and lord skills.
- Total overhaul and improvements made to magic and spells. Winds of magic are more plentiful, and can be used a bit more by Wizards.
- Improved artillery and munitions. (Technology matters)
- Overhaul of Lords and Heroes to make them all feel different and closer to their lore. Improved Legendary and magical gear, as well as Skill Trees.
- Enhanced Governing and Cities. **Including new, Public order effecting tax rate and income, and tier 4 minor settlements, opening construction chains, and improving the player and AI's ability to enhance their economy, recruit higher tier units, and still defend their cities.**
- Better AI army recruitment and compositions.
- Improved the flavor and importance of various buildings. Empire City States and Dwarf Holds even more valuable to control or destroy.
- Sieges changed, with emphasis on making each race siege feel different from each other. Emphasis on Dwarfs defenses being especially difficult to overcome.
- Enhanced garrisons, so attacking a city will not be as easy and disappointing, resulting in a longer, more difficult campaign. Garrisons have officer to lead them, while armies are away on campaigns.
- All hordes will respawn more now, and will pose a greater threat to the world. Beastmen and Savage orcs will be far more active in the campaign than in vanilla, and can appear to disrupt your empire when you may not be ready or expecting them. Warriors of chaos will invade in greater strength. (Savage Orcs, Beastmen, and Warriors of Chaos).
- Resized mounts and units for various units for most races. Reskinned human soldiers, to make each city-state and culture more distinct. This goes for all Empire factions, and Kislev.
- AI factions will exist longer, and confederate less easily.
- Balanced for large and ultra unit sizes. Either work well, and if you want longer battles, play on Ultra.
- All difficulties have been modded and shaped to fit SFO now. For best results Normal, Hard are still best, as it will not unbalance races like Dwarfs (who's primary weakness is high unit cost - higher difficulties make this not an issue for them anymore), and you will see each race have a more balanced conflict between each other.

Having played dwarves exclusively, I cannot tell you for certain how the various factions are improved, either directly or by gameplay changes.  My only three complaints presently are all actually embedded in the game itself, with very little he can do to improve.
1) AI combat tactics are generally predictable, with occasional exceptions.  He has, however, improved AI army compositions.
2) The AI does not recruit high tier units.  Again, a game limitation, but he is trying to get around that by implementing "minor settlements can go to level 4", so they are more likely to have the required buildings.  I have not played long enough in my new campaign since that change to determine if high level units are being deployed.
3) The orc and beastmen horde spawns still don't give this feeling of "oh crap".  In the vanilla game, they are trivial.  He has improved their composition and their frequency, but they have only been a minor nuisance for me so far.  Then again, I'm the dwarves. 

[Gusington]

^That is...copious :)

Thanks!

[Swatter]

I hate to say it, but I don't like TW: Warhammer.

I purchased the game on release, but haven't found the time to play it until recently. Its usually good that it takes me so long to play a game, it means its getting patched and such. Yet, I simply didn't like it when I gave it a try. I am personally shocked that I came to this conclusion. The game is solidly implemented and has good game mechanics. I don't even regret the purchase, because I think games like this need support. I don't fault Creative Assembly either, it was a solid effort.

I just don't enjoy playing it. For me, it mixed game mechanics that I don't like to see mixed. Its got awesome character development, but for me I never enjoyed it because it added another layer of micromanagement to a game already high on the micro side. Plus, it made battle more limited which limited my enjoyment in a major way.

I loved Attila because you actually felt like you were commanding Legions or hordes of barbarians. Positioning on the strategic map made a huge difference on the tactical battles. Cornering an enemy army with a pincer movement on the strategic map has a huge tactical impact. This is missing from Warhammer. Even with all of the super cool monsters, I still much prefer Attila.

[Gusington]

Just kidding. I still haven't bought it yet myself because I'm not sure how much I'll enjoy it. First TW game ever that I have not bought within three months of release.

[Fetrik]

I'm still playing this and got my 3rd short(ish) campaign victory a couple of days ago playing as Beastmen in the mini campaign.

I had planned to play Dwarfs or Greenskins next, but since the latest dlc only have regiments of reknown for VC and Empire and i have played VC already (still working on extending my short victory into a long) it's time for uniting and purging as the Empire.

When i was finishing up my Beastmen campaign i noticed Middenheim tearing down their defensive structure in their last city to build a stable to get some much wanted cavalry i suppose. It wasn't tactically correct since it made the last fight way easier than it could have been but i guess the Middenheimers where optimistic and kept planning for mighty but as history showed them imaginary future armies.
Anyway i think it's great that the ai finally can destroy buildings and adjust their building plans.

[FlickJax]

Just kidding. I still haven't bought it yet myself because I'm not sure how much I'll enjoy it. First TW game ever that I have not bought within three months of release.

Gus you are kidding yourself, you will love it........

[Freyland]

It's still all I am playing.

[Gusington]

Ok my new reasoning is that I "am waiting for a price drop and perhaps a game of the year edition." Also, The Witcher 3.

[Nefaro]

Ok my new reasoning is that I "am waiting for a price drop and perhaps a game of the year edition." Also, The Witcher 3.

Doesn't hurt, waiting for more of the major factions to be added.  I've not played it too much, yet, because I'm waiting for more faction variety on the campaign map to be added via DLCs.  Plus I played quite a bit of TW Rome 2 in the months before TWW was released, so I'd got my TW fill for awhile.

It's still a brilliant version of TW, and introduces some much needed differences to the series.  I enjoy the loosely historical-based ones, for just that reason, but the dark fantasy setting is a liberating breath of fresh air.  I want to start playing again every time I talk about it, so that's a good sign.

[Gusington]

^It definitely sounds like it will rule once I get around to it. My TW itch is currently scratched by Attila...my next campaign will probably be as the Britons or Lombards in the Charlemagne campaign. I feel that the GOTY edition of TW Warhammer will be quite epic.

[undercovergeek]

in 2018

[Gusington]

Well for this first Warhammer installment the GOTY edition should be out some time next year eh?