The first dev diary of Total War Saga: Thrones of Britannia has dropped, and in it lead developer Jack Lusted addresses why Creative Assembly chose this particular topic for the inaugural entry of the franchise’s spin-off.
According to Lusted, the team had two choices when they decided on Viking Britain: 793 AD and the raid on the monastery of Lindisfarne; or 865 AD, when the The Great Heathen Army (aka the Great Viking Army) arrived in England. Both represent the start of very eventful periods for Britain – the first one lead to constant raids of coastal settlements, and the second eventually resulted in the Viking settling of England.
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Problem is, invasions are a pretty common topic for Total War. “Total War: ATTILA and Total War: WARHAMMER both feature large invasions by marauding forces, as did the Viking Invasion expansion for Medieval: Total War, but they don’t delve into what comes next.” says Lusted. “What happens after the invasion? How do countries and people pick themselves back up and adapt to the new reality they’re faced with?”
With that in mind, the team chose 878 AD’s Treaty of Wedmore as the starting point of Thrones of Britannia. Signed after the Battle of Edington, the Treaty allowed a brief moment of peace to the war-ravaged British Isles and represented a crossroads in time: while the major conflict was officially suspended, the battles were not.
“History unfolded in a way that defined what Britain is today, but at this exact moment, the future is wide open.” says Lusted. “It is perfect for Total War, and the sandbox nature of our campaign gameplay. History only happened the way it did because of the decisions of people alive at the time. What happens when different choices are made, another path is taken?” Guess we’ll find out.
Total War Saga: Thrones of Britannia is out on PC on 2018.
