A Total War Saga: TROY FAQ

A Total War Saga: TROY will reconstruct one of the greatest stories ever told. Inspired by Homer’s Iliad, TROY will let you forge a heroic legacy in the late Bronze Age, the furthest back in time the Total War franchise has ever travelled.

TROY will challenge you to uncover the truth behind Homer’s Iliad. An epic tale mixing legend with history, you will peel back the layers of fable, of gods and monsters, to reveal the truths that might have inspired them.

In TROY, the fate of Aegean civilisation will be in your hands – each choice you make will shape the lands from the mythical heights of Mount Olympus to the arid deserts of Lemnos. Experience history as it might have happened or shape the legend for yourself in this unique chapter of Total War.

The battlefields will tremble under the feet of renowned warriors like Achilles and Hector but it will take more than brute force alone to lay claim to the legendary city of Troy. You will need to deftly manage a barter economy, conduct diplomacy among friends and foes, and direct the beliefs of your people in the worship of the gods, all before etching your name in the annals of history.

FAQ

When will A Total War Saga: TROY be released?

A Total War Saga: TROY will be released on Steam in 2020 – add it to your wishlist here.

What is a Total War Saga title?

Total War Saga titles take the grand strategy and real-time battles of a core Total War game and channel them into an intense flashpoint of history, letting you experience and ultimately determine the outcome of pivotal moments in history when the future of entire nations hung in the balance.

Having all the depth, features, and mechanics of a major era Total War game, Total War Saga titles offer a comparable number of factions, heroes, and settlements to their core counterparts as well as hundreds of hours of gameplay potential.

Total War Saga titles are our chance to think differently in our designs, often leading to new ideas, mechanics, and perspectives that go on to influence future era titles.

For more information on different types of Total War title, check out the relevant section of our FAQ.

Why did you choose TROY?

TROY is a totally new period for Total War and is the furthest back we’ve ever gone in history. Unlike our major era Total War Games, our Total War Saga titles tend to focus on key flashpoints in history, often within a singular culture, meaning the 20-year war Trojan War is the perfect fit.

This period is also one of the most distinguished and mysterious within human history due to it being rich in the myth and legend of heroes and monsters, allowing us to explore a plethora of new ideas for our fans to experience.

How did you go about your research to this period?

Given that the Trojan War period is steeped in mystery, we took a unique approach to our research methodologies, using both mythological, after-period sources such as Homer’s Iliad as well as primary historical source such as archaeological recordings. This merging of source material not only gives us a more accurate representation of what the period most likely resembled, but also provided us with our core “truth behind the myth” design pillar.

Why did you decide upon the truth behind the myth approach?

The events surrounding the Trojan war are steeped in legend, with tales of mythological creatures, superhuman heroes and the intervention of Gods all vibrant within this cataclysmic conflict. However, little is precisely known about the real-world events that occurred during the late Bronze Age, with many of its kings, queens, and artefacts lost to the annals of history. As a result, examining the truth behind the myth of Homer’s Iliad has become a key design pillar for A Total War Saga: TROY as we ask the player to explore the truths that might have inspired this most cherished era.

What role do the gods play?

Gods and Favor is a new gameplay system for a Total War Saga: TROY. Similar to our truth behind the myth approach to mythical creatures, the Greek gods within TROY are a purely spiritual representation, but they influence the game in similar ways to their Homeric counterparts. Rather than the gods directly intervening with the conflict itself, it is the faction’s belief that the gods are intervening on their behalf which determines the bonuses they receive. Afterall, the more fervently a leader devotes themselves to a deity, the more likely their people are to espouse and live those beliefs. These bonuses are specific to each god and provide a range of benefits from strategic warfare buffs to growth and resource increases.

Will there be any mythical creatures?

Our truth behind the myth approach has allowed us to draw from a multitude of mythology’s most renowned monsters and include them within the battlefields of Troy as realistic representations of what their true form may have been. This approach has allowed us to expand the unit diversity by including unique warriors to the roster whilst adding an extra layer of tactical versatility to the conflict.

How is battle different in TROY?

There is a strong infantry-VS-infantry focus in TROY’s combat to reflect the realities of the age. With greater variances in speed and mass between light, medium and heavy infantry classes, fighting will be dynamic and tactically rich.. Many new active and passive battle abilities fuel this dynamism – so elite defensive warriors may be immune to flanking for example, while elite assault troops may be expert Flankers, increasing the negative effects of flanking on the units they outflank.

Horses were scarce and rarely used in conflict of this age; those that were pressed into service were generally used to haul chariots. Consequently battles in TROY will require new subtle, and not so subtle, masteries of battlefield tactics.

Which famous heroes will feature in A Total War Saga: TROY?

The Iliad features a multitude of history’s most iconic legendary heroes, with stories of their feats still regularly told centuries after their demise. As a result, we’ve included eight of the most prominent champions from both sides of the conflict, such as the Greek champion Achilles, and the Prince of Troy himself, Hector.

Will there be any duelling mechanics like in Total War: THREE KINGDOMS?

A Total War Saga: TROY has its own unique take on hero versus hero combat which ensures that these colossal faceoffs are worthy of the Olympian gods. The new challenge battle ability taunts opposing characters into one-on-one combat, creating a circular battle area around them that prevents other units from intervening. Heroes engaged thus will fight using a series of spectacular matched animations. However, the mechanics are more freeform than THREE KINGDOMS’ ‘lock-in’ Duel mechanics, so heroes can be directed away from a Challenge without penalty after the Challenge effect has worn off.

What role will diplomacy play?

As with all Total War games, diplomacy will play a key part in A Total War Saga: TROY. Taking inspiration from Total War: THREE KINGDOMS, TROY allows you to keep your allies sweet, your enemies in their place, and change the entire course of the Trojan war should you choose to. We’ll also be introducing new features which are unique to TROY – watch this space for more information as we release it.

How will the economy work in TROY?

A Total War Saga: TROY introduces a completely new multiple resource economy which reflects the Bronze Age setting. This economic system is a Total War first and reflects the advancing pre-monetary barter economy which was galvanized due to the growing influence of trade and international relations within the region.

The five different resources that are the building blocks of your empire are food, wood, stone, bronze, and gold – all of which can be found within different regions to varying degrees of scarcity. Food and wood are used to recruit early game units and construct simple buildings, but as the campaign progresses more formidable structures will require stone, and higher tier units will require bronze. Gold is the master resource and is vital for trade due to its universal rarity.

Will there be naval battles?

There is little documentation of Trojan naval warfare – but we know how important it is to our players. As a result, we’ve used Total War: WARHAMMER II – Curse of the Vampire Coast as our main inspiration for the naval combat in TROY. When two fleets clash at sea, they will disembark on a nearby island and settle the score in a land battle. As hinted above, armies dedicated in Poseidon’s favour will receive appropriate bonuses.

What can you tell us about A Total War Saga: TROY’s visual style?

With stunning visuals and a romanticised art style, TROY embodies an age of legend. You’ll see this echoed throughout the campaign overview and user interface, which blends the Hellenic artistry of the Iliad with a real-world representation of the Bronze Age Mediterranean.