Feral News

Building Rome: The help function of ROME: Total War on iPad

Rome wasn’t built in a day – and for iPad it took a while. Here we describe our journey in a series of five enlightening dev diaries, from our first experiments with touch controls right through to completing the full and glorious experience of ROME: Total War on iPad.

When ROME: Total War reached the hands of testers who’d never played it before, some found it tricky to master Total War mechanics and touch controls at the same time. So we teamed up with the Advisor and set about making it easier.

First we took the help text displayed next to the Advisor and made it full-screen so it couldn’t be missed. We also implemented an archive feature, so you can swipe back through the help to refresh your memory.

After upping the accessibility of the help text, we implemented some extra crib-sheet style help for anyone needing a quick 'how-to' for their current predicament. As well as a manual in the pause menu displaying a list of controls, we added context-sensitive guides to show you what each on-screen element does. All you have to do to bring up these guides is hold your finger over the Advisor for a few seconds, anywhere in the game.

We made sure to keep veterans happy too, of course: the advice level can be lowered or switched off entirely.

ROME: Total War is now available for iPad on the App Store. Advance to the minisite for videos, screenshots, and tips on building and ruling your empire.

Glad Tidings We Bring — Tides of Torment Sweep Total War: WARHAMMER III on macOS & Linux

Tides of Torment are rising on macOS & Linux, with the release of the latest DLC for Total War: WARHAMMER III!

The High Elves, Slaanesh and Norsca all see their rosters expanded, with three new Legendary Lords, a host of battle units, thematic mechanics and narrative arcs in the Immortal Empires campaign:

  • AISLINN, THE SEA LORD: a ruthless and tactically brilliant High Elf prince who commands the entire navy of Ulthuan.
  • DECHALA, THE DENIED ONE: the most feared warlord of Slaanesh’s legions, and is as mesmerising as she is merciless.
  • SAYL, THE FAITHLESS: Norsca’s treacherous and mutated Chaos Sorcerer, known for his mastery of betrayal, manipulation, and dark magic.

All three DLCs can be purchased as one complete bundle or individually, unlocking your preferred Legendary Lord.

Today also sees the release of update 7.0, which includes free access to Total War: WARHAMMER’s 104th Legendary Lord, The Masque of Slaanesh. Also included are legacy updates for High Elves, Slaanesh and Norsca, allowing players to return to past campaigns with new improvements.

For all the details on Tides of Torment, and the latest update, check out the Total War Blog: https://www.totalwar.com/news/total-war-warhammer-iii-update-700.

To unleash the Tides of Torment today, head to Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/59473/Total_War_WARHAMMER_III__Tides_of_Torment/

Kislev Endures — Total War: WARHAMMER III Update 6.1 Out Now on macOS and Linux

We hope you packed your warm gauntlets. Total War: WARHAMMER III’s latest update returns to the frozen lands of Kislev to offer a fresh take on the Ice Queen’s dominion.

From sweeping updates to the faction’s technology tree to a complete overhaul of the Supporter race between the Ice Court and the Grand Orthodoxy — this is a Tzardom transformed. Also included is an update to the Devotion system which replaces the local Control mechanic, and a radical new take on the Ataman system for Kislev.

And the Changer of Ways is on the receiving end of some changes of his own, with Tzeentch’s Fragments of Sorcery system receiving a visual and mechanical overhaul.

Also included are two brand new units: The Nan-Gau Grenadiers for Cathay and Gnoblar Flingers for the Ogre Kingdoms, rounding out a bold update to many of the base game’s original factions.

Head to the Total War Dev Blog to get the inside scoop on Kislev and Tzeench 2.0, or to the Full Changelist to see everything that’s included in Update 6.1. Then, update via Steam to see the latest version in action!