GT: Are the real-time battles as large as in Shogun? How many units can be involved in a battle?

MS: Actually, they’re bigger! Players can fight battles with over 10 000 individual troops in battle. We’ve also added several new interface and gameplay features to the Epic Battles. Despite the huge number of troops in these battles, they are incredibly easy to control.

GT: Will there be any new terrain types or weather effects in the game?

MS: Yes. There are three types of terrain: lush grasslands, desert and arid conditions. Wherever players fight battles, the terrain (and weather) will reflect the part of Europe/North Africa that they’re attacking. For example, an attack against Switzerland will be fought on a map with snow-peaked mountains, whereas an attack into Arabia will be fought across a vast desert. We’ve have about 400 different maps in the game (and each can support these three terrain types). This really helps add to the immersion and atmosphere in the game – as well as providing a new layer of strategy as different units and army types are more specialized in different terrain.

Weather is also very important. There are a wide variety of potential weather conditions such as: Sandstorms; snow storms; lightning storms; blazing sun etc. These different weather conditions will affect the performance of certain troops. For example, archers are less effective in the rain (due to damp bow strings) and armored units get more fatigued in the desert.

GT: Will there be castle sieges in Medieval: Total War?

MS: Oh yes. Medieval: Total War boasts some of the most spectacular castle assaults ever seen in real-time. Attackers can use a wide variety of siege weaponry (e.g. catapults, cannons, bombards, mortars) to pound castles into the dust. Castles, in turn can be defended by artillery towers, catapult towers, gun towers, palisades etc. The castles are huge – and provide a completely different style of battle. They really have to be seen to be believed.

GT: What kind of multiplayer games will be included? Will some also involve the strategic component of the game? How many players per game will be supported?

MS: Players will be able to fight Epic Battles over LAN or the internet. Internet play will support up to 8 players – and will be run through Gamespy.

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