Medieval 2's campaign maps

Thursday 3 August 2006
The latest shots of Sega's visually stunning RTS Medieval 2: Total War give us a glimpse at the campaign maps in the game, which are just as important to the game's mechanics as the epic battle scenes.

It's on these screens that you can develop your civilisation to make it stronger, creating a firmer base from which to launch offensives. For instance it's here that you're given the option to turn a fortresses into cities. This completely changes how that settlement works as it will then be able to produce different types of buildings, such as markets, which can help the economy.

Once a city is established it can be upgraded, but only by increasing the population. Only then it will be more vulnerable to attack than a fortress, due to the more exposed buildings. So in order to develop a successful civilisation you must be certain that your borders are safe.

The game is shaping up well for its 24 November release - expect more on this one very soon.