Medieval Total War Official Strategy Guide (Brady Games)

By Rick Barba

PC game Medieval: Total War is a real-time strategy sequel to Shogun: Total War and features improved graphics and new historical scenarios. This official guide provides coverage of the 12 playable... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 074400182X
• ISBN13: 9780744001822
• Release Date: January 2002
• Publisher: Brady
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 0.76 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.3" x 0.5" x 7.5"

Customer Reviews

Total War Rules!!!!

In my humble opinion, I am tired of generic replicas of Microsofts real-time Age of Empires. Don't get me wrong they are very-good games, but that engine is totally overused. Every single game that comes out now is based on it. Thankyou to the Creative assembly for making a new engine that combines the best of turn based games and adds a realtime battlefield system. Shogun Total War set the stage for the very deep and much enhanced second installment Medieval Total War. The wide selection of campaigns and factions allows for hours upon hours of interesting (dare I say addictive) gameplay. I am truely looking forward to Rome Total War which will blow the competition away!

Total War Rules!!

In my humble opinion, I am tired of generic replicas of Microsofts real-time Age of Empires. Don't get me wrong they are very-good games, but that engine is totally overused. Every single game that comes out now is based on it. Thankyou to the Creative assembly for making a new engine that combines the best of turn based games and adds a realtime battlefield system. Shogun Total War set the stage for the very deep and much enhanced second installment Medieval Total War. The wide selection of campaigns and factions allows for hours upon hours of interesting (dare I say addictive) gameplay. I am truely looking forward to Rome Total War which will blow the competition away!!!

Total War Rules!!!!

In my humble opinion, I am tired of generic replicas of Microsofts real-time Age of Empires. Don't get me wrong they are very-good games, but that engine is totally overused. Every single game that comes out now is based on it. Thankyou to the Creative assembly for making a new engine that combines the best of turn based games and adds a realtime battlefield system. Shogun Total War set the stage for the very deep and much enhanced second installment Medieval Total War. The wide selection of campaigns and factions allows for hours upon hours of interesting (dare I say addictive) gameplay. I am truely looking forward to Rome Total War which will blow the competition away!!!!!

Worth Buying ...

That's the first question I have when I consider this sort of computer game strategy guide: Is it worth buying?In this case, the anwer is a qualified "Yes!" The guide does have quite a bit of valuable information that will quickly help you make the transition from clueless newcomer to well-read newcomer. There's sound strategic advice on maintaining your kingdom, raising taxes, planning conquests, and a lot of solid tips on becoming a capable king. So in the sense of saving you some trial and error, there's valuble, time-saving help here. However, I think you'd get the same benefit just fumbling around and making mistakes on your own.If you already play the game fanatically (as I do), then you may just enjoy the book as a good read and an opportunity to pick up some useful gameplay tips that might have eluded you for some time. This is especially true when the book covers the real-time tactical combat aspects of Medieval:Total War. Here the author includes statistical information on all the troop types from peasant militia to chivalric knights (i.e., he doesn't just give you the useful, but somewhat vague, comments that the game does: "Has irresistible attack," "vulnerable to missile fire," "strong defence.")There is also an extensive discussion of both how to maneuver your troops, commentary on the strengths and weaknesses of various soldier types (for example, how peasant militia should not be lightly disregarded, as they can serve as cannon-fodder, spear-carriers, etc. Yeah, sounds harsh, but they're only electronic images, remember?). Most valuable to me was the explanation of how the real-time game mechanics worked, how the animations gave extra battle clues, and so on. For example, simple information on how "loose" formations were vulnerable to direct melee assaults because enemy formations could surround individual troopers, but were valuable for allowing skirmishers to withdraw through the formation with less delay. Or how staying in formation, rather than "engaging at will" increased unit morale and effectiveness, as soldiers support and encourage each other. There's also building information and statistical information on their value, as well as a collected list of such things as the effects of various personality "quirks" that your king may develop over time like being "addle-brained" or "impetuous." You could get all this information on your own if you are willing to spend quite a bit of time at the TotalWar.com forums, but the book saves you that time. If you're on a budget, or simply a careful person, don't buy the book, it's fun but not crucial.I'm glad I bought it since I'm fascinated with the game and want more. The book is fun to read, thought-provoking (in that, when I disagree with the author, I try to think of my own alternatives), but it doesn't have as much charisma as I would have liked: I'd have liked vivid drawings, more opinionated gameplay advice, more...exuberant writing. It was the age of knights, castles, religious