![total war three kingdoms sale total war three kingdoms sale](https://cdnb.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/020/936/761/large/sung-won-kang-.jpg)
Equally, we looked closely at the population and migration systems of the period and how those shaped the territory in the north. These imperial recommendations are now in the game as a detailed court system. There was a prominent class of officials that was very important for managing the vast land. There was a system about basically imperial academy and how people were recommended for service. Janos: The agriculture garrisons that Cao Cao set up is something that is featured prominently in the game. What have you found from your research of the period that has inspired new gameplay mechanics and ideas for your team? It wouldn’t be factual, but you can do it because you can drag history with you and our games will react in a way that’s as authentic as possible. In Attila we let them achieve early knights around 500 – which is absolutely not accurate. What if a player focuses their technological research on one specific thing? Well, that would never happen in history but if the player really wants to drive it, they can. So you could say, what if Dong Zhuo in the Three Kingdoms period of time is not going out as this big evil guy, but instead offers peace to everyone? We make sure that if the player chooses to create their own story within our game, the history in our game reacts in an authentic way. At that point, our responsibility becomes making sure that the world reacts in the right way. But once a player starts, they can change anything. We start making our games with a setting that is as authentic as possible. Is it challenging to find the balance between historical accuracy and what might be fun to play? Total War is known for its high level of tactical control and the need to use your troops in smart and effective ways If you go into the Napoleonic era, you get biographies or books about the major players but not the wider set – it’s very interesting to have that broader material so we can show how the wider cast of characters each made their mark on this incredible period of conflict. There are certain things that were interpreted later when the book was written that aren’t totally accurate, but you still get a lot of insight into the motivations of people we’re focusing on. Suddenly we had compelling characters and motivations to help us tell the story. The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, in particular, showed us an interesting perspective and helped us make the period more appealing and relatable. It was very early on that we found more information that helped us see how we could delve deeper into the era and make it connect with a broader audience. Three Kingdoms is something that people have wanted us to do for a while. Janos: We look for interesting stories that can connect with people who aren’t necessarily history fanatics. The scale of the conflict is absolutely gigantic, a lot of the interplay between characters fit what we wanted to do with our character system, and it let us dive into complex details like government, reforms, and construction. We looked more closely into it and realized it’s an extremely cool and extremely different period of history than we’re used to tackling. Pete: It’s something both we as a studio and our fans have been talking about for a long time. What drew you to the late Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms as an era that could work for you? We look at what’s popular with our fans and what they’re interested in, and of course there are certain periods that stand out to us that we’ve always wanted to do.
![total war three kingdoms sale total war three kingdoms sale](https://cdna.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/030/361/094/large/teodora-petkova-wei-yan.jpg)
Janos: We start by looking for conflict – either periods in history with prolonged war or even flashpoints of civil war. How do you go about settling on a new historical period to tackle in the Total War series?
![total war three kingdoms sale total war three kingdoms sale](https://cdnb.artstation.com/p/assets/covers/images/027/734/977/large/fey-vercuiel-fey-vercuiel-total.jpg)
We’ve done this across ancient Rome, Japan, Napoleonic France, the age of Sale, the Medieval period, and now Three Kingdoms. Pete Stewart: It’s all about building your empire. You get a deep understanding of the era through this authentic recreation of the time. You’re not just making high level decisions – you’re managing settlements, you’re managing agriculture, and you’re managing construction and technological advancements. The other thing is Total War is many times about immersion. But it’s all about the stepping into the shoes of someone like Caesar or Napoleon, someone who is bringing a nation or group of people forward through history. Janos Gaspar: Total War is a grand strategy game featuring real-time tactics battles.