FAQ

A collection of some of the most commonly asked Total War questions – please check here first!

You can find our game and DLC-specific FAQs over at the TotalWar.com blog here.

Contents

Community

Where can I go to get involved in the Total War community?

Take a look at our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram or pay a visit to our official forums.

I’m a YouTuber or streamer and want to make Total War content – can I work with you?

Head over to our influencers contact page or alternatively get in contact with our influencer relations manager Josh Williams via Twitter at @Joshingetorix.

Educational Use and Licensing

I’m an educator – can I use Total War games to teach my students about historical events?

Yes, of course!

If you’re intending to use Total War games not for profit in an educational context, we think it’s fine to do so. In fact, please tell us about it here because we’d love to hear about your experiences!

We have also taken part in multiple educational events in association with the Ashmolean Museum, having contributed to the Storms, Wars and Shipwrecks summer exhibition as well as illustrating War in the Time of Alfred with the help of Thrones of Britannia as part of the 2018 Festival of Archaeology.

Can I license Total War content, or use your games in a profit-making context?

Please contact our licensing team at SEGA here for further details. If you’d like monetise content on video sharing sites such as YouTube, please refer to the Community section of this FAQ.

Total War Access

What is Total War Access?

Total War Access is our Total War account sign-in that gives you access to exclusive content and free giveaways like game content, money-off deals, audio tracks, ebooks, and anything else we think you might enjoy.

You can also agree to us sending you regular email updates about Total War through it (but you don’t need to do that to get the free stuff).

We’re planning on expanding Total War Access over time to offer even more benefits in exchange for the opportunity to tell you about the latest Total War news and offers – find out more here.

Ultimately, being able to contact you directly is really valuable to us as it helps us tell you about new games and products we have coming up. In exchange, we’ll give you some great freebies and exclusives – even if you’d rather opt out of our mailing list. However, we hope our emails will prove so useful to you that you won’t want to opt out, so we’ll keep working on that to make them as entertaining and relevant as possible.

Do I have to sign up for Total War Access?

A Total War Access account is required for certain online and free-to-play games, like Total War Battles: KINGDOM, and to log on to our official forums.

Support

I’m having technical issues – where can I get help?

If you’re having technical issues with your game and need to get in touch with Total War support, you can do so at the Total War support homepage or by making a ticket with SEGA support.

Please make sure to disable all mods before contacting support.

How do I report bugs?

The best place to report a bug is in the relevant game section of the official Total War forum, for example:

What should I do if I have any post-purchase problems?

For any purchase-related issues – including non-functioning product keys – please contact the retailer that you bought your Total War game from.

Design

What’s the plan with Total War?

In recent years we’ve been really well supported by our publisher SEGA, with the aim of delivering more Total War games to more players across the world.

What’s important is that we continue to make really high-quality Total War games, but we also want to grow our capabilities to deliver more post-launch content, explore new and different types of Total War games, and support them for as long as we can and players enjoy them.

In recent years you’ll have seen free-to-play and mobile games, as well as us releasing fantasy-themed games for the first time. We want to bring more Total War to more people, but we always want to make our games as good as possible – because then we get to make more. We think that’s a good thing, because we love making strategy games and making the Total War series the best it can be.

The core historical epic-sized strategy game will always be at the heart of what we do, but you’ll see us continue to add new Total War experiences alongside that in the future – much as we have for the last six or seven years.

What’s the difference between Era, Character and Saga classes of Total War?

  • Era class Total War games are our big AAA main releases. They herald a new era in time as well as for the Total War series, and are a leap forward in both tech and feature sets for the franchise. Era titles include THREE KINGDOMS, EMPIRE, ROME, and WARHAMMER.
  • Character class Total War games are standalone follow-ups to the Era main titles. They typically follow on closely from the timeline depicted in those games, or are a prequel to them. Most importantly, they are themed around a notable character, telling the story of their life or being set in a time dominated or heavily influenced by them. Crucially they are expansions on the time, themes, and features of the preceding Era game. So, while there will be a host of new content and features, you can expect to see some familiar visuals and systems from the title they follow on from. Character titles include NAPOLEON and ATTILA.
  • Saga class Total War games are smaller standalone titles that focus on a flashpoint of history – one of those powder keg moments in time in which anything could have happened. Typically covering just a few years or decades, Sagas aren’t intended to have the scope and scale of an Era Total War game but rather focus on that pivotal moment, exploring all the potential angles and interesting new features for the series at the same time. Our first Saga title was THRONES OF BRITANNIA, and we have since welcomed FALL OF THE SAMURAI to the Saga family.

What’s the difference between the various types of DLC (downloadable content) that are available for Total War?

We often refer to DLC that’s free for owners of the main game as “Free-LC”. Aside from general updates and improvements to the main game, Free-LC is sometimes released alongside normal DLC and can add a range of things such as new units, characters, and playable factions as well as entire new races and expansions. Any available Free-LC for your Total War game will be marked as free in the DLC section of the relevant Steam product page – make sure to check it out and pick up any you might be missing.

With a few exceptions, DLC for Total War most commonly comes in one of two types: Faction Packs or Campaign Packs.

  • Faction Packs (also known as Culture Packs or Lord Packs) typically add new ways to play through the main game. Depending on the title, these could be new playable factions or characters, and can include new campaign or battle mechanics, new units, and other new elements in support of the general theme of the pack. Typical examples include Empires of Sand and Slavic Nations for Total War: ATTILA, The King & The Warlord and The Grim & The Grave for Total War: WARHAMMER, and Pirates & Raiders and Nomadic Tribes for Total War: ROME II.
  • Campaign Packs typically add new expansive areas, entire new playable races, and/or new campaigns to the game. These will be particularly large expansions to the main game and will feature a considerable amount of new content. Typical examples include Hannibal at the Gates for Total War: ROME II, Age of Charlemagne for Total War: ATTILA, and Curse of the Vampire Coast for Total War: WARHAMMER II.

Why do you release Blood Packs for some Total War games? Why isn’t it just free?

Blood Packs (where available) are DLCs that add additional gore and blood effects along with additional mature-rated elements to game for those players of an appropriate age who wish to add them.

As released, Total War games are typically ESRB Teen or PEGI 16+ rated (or equivalent based on the local territory’s age-rating requirements). With up to a quarter of our player base under 18, we’ve no plans to increase the age rating for future Total War titles and prevent those players from enjoying our games.

Instead, as we appreciate some players might prefer a bloodier battlefield, we put extra work into creating a Blood Pack for some titles, which can be purchased by those who wish to add more claret to their games.

We don’t make Blood Packs available for free as, while technically it would then increase the base age rating of the game and so defeat the point, the main reason is that it costs us to make it in the same way as any other additional content.

We do understand that some players like to have blood in their games as soon as possible, so in recent years we have prioritised the DLC effort to start on blood effects soon after the main game is completed, shortening its arrival after launch.

Is working on the development of one game slowing down the development of another?

No – as you can see from all the new Total War games and DLC in the past few years, we’re able to get you more Total War content than we used to.

As a studio, we’re now ten times larger than we were when we made ROME: Total War. We’re one of the biggest in Europe, and we’re still recruiting. Each Total War project has its own team, and you can check out what they’re up to by reading our blog.

Patching

What is your patching policy?

There’s no specific “patching policy” for Total War. It’s generally efficient to patch the game as we release new content, though we do issue hotfixes and independent patches depending on the circumstances. We do know that players would like to see more frequent patching and balancing, and that’s something we’re looking into in great detail for future titles.

Pre-Orders and DLC

Why do you offer pre-order incentives?

We obviously want our games to be played by as many people as possible at launch, so it’s useful and very effective for us to reward early adopters.

We could promote the game’s launch through advertising in other ways (like buying adverts on websites) but we think that spending marketing budget on creating content for the game that can then be offered for free is also a good way of promoting it.

Why isn’t the collector’s edition available in my country?

Whether a collector’s edition is available in your country depends on both local retailers and market conditions, something that is unfortunately beyond our control.

Why do you make DLC?

At launch, a Total War game is a vast and epic experience, and we always strive to make the best possible game we can.

But, given the scale of our vision, we can’t realistically fit everything we want to into a single game while also asking a reasonable price for it. We could theoretically make a game twice as big for twice the price, but that would make us very nervous as not everyone would want that and we couldn’t expect to sell as many copies – it would be a significant risk to the studio. We would rather provide players with thousands of hours of possible gameplay at launch and then continue to add to that in interesting and varied ways post launch that players can pick and choose from.

As such, for the last ten years we’ve been adding additional content to Total War games after launch. Sometimes this is free content and sometimes it is paid for, but all helps us deliver more gameplay and choice to the player than we ever managed before.

We’ve learnt a lot in the last decade about DLC and, while some DLCs are seen as better than others, all have been very successful and enabled us to continue to make more content and more games. We do read and analyse all player feedback about DLCs, including what you would most like to see next, and have changed our plans in the past in order to match those expectations.

Have you released DLC for DLC titles?

This is something we haven’t done previously and currently have no plans to. However, that doesn’t rule out the possibility of us doing so in the future.

Mods and modding

What is a mod?

As their name suggests, mods are modifications to existing games. These fan-made add-ons are usually not officially supported by game studios, and can potentially alter almost every aspect of a game.

How do I get a mod?

The easiest way to download a mod for your game is to head to the Steam Workshop for the game in question (here’s WARHAMMER II’s, for example), where you can browse through the mods others have uploaded. If you find something you like, hit subscribe and the mod will be downloaded. If you no longer want the mod, click unsubscribe and it will be removed.

How do I activate or deactivate a mod?

When you launch your game, the game launcher will pop up. On this launcher, click the Mod Manager button to see a list of all the mods you have installed. Activate mods by clicking the checkbox next to them – a tick in this box means they’re enabled. Deactivate them by clicking again to remove the tick. Now when you play the game, the selected mods will load up and modify your game. If there’s an exclamation mark in the box, this means that the mod is out of date.

Are mods safe?

Mods are safe to install, but please note that in most cases these are fan projects made by one or a handful of individuals. As such, they are not subject to the same degree of testing and balancing as the base game. Because of this, when you use mods you may encounter bugs caused by them or have gameplay experiences that are very different to what you are used to. It’s best to keep experimenting until you find the right mods for you.

Can I use more than one mod at once?

Yes. However, be aware that some mods may change the same thing and clash, so always read the mod description to see what it is and isn’t compatible with.

Can I play multiplayer with mods?

There are many mods that can be used in multiplayer situations, both in battles and the campaign map. However, there is a higher risk that things will not work as intended in this situation. A good rule of thumb is that all participants in a multiplayer session should be using the exact same mod list.

What should I do if I have feedback on a mod?

The Steam Workshop gives you a place to make comments on a mod and talk to the author directly. Be polite, constructive, and don’t forget to thank them if you enjoyed it – making a mod can be quite a laborious process, and a little kindness goes a long way!

Can I make a mod?

Yes, and we’ve provided the modding community with a number of tools to make it easier to do so.

The Total War Assembly Kit (TWeAK) allows you to make edits directly to .pack files (which hold all the information in the mod “packed” up into a single file, hence the name).

For example, you can download TWeAK for Total War: WARHAMMER II by following these steps:

  1. Go to the Library drop-down menu in Steam
  2. Go to Tools
  3. Find Total War: WARHAMMER II – Assembly Kit BETA in the list
  4. Right-click and select Install Game

TWeAK includes:

  • DaVE (Database Visual Editor) – Most aspects of the game are stored in tables, whether it’s the cost of a unit, the turns it takes to build a structure, or the conditions that need to be met for an event message to pop up on the campaign map. These are all things that can be edited, deleted, or added to the game database through DaVE
  • Terry (Terrain Metadata Editor) – This tool allows you to create custom battle maps, giving you control over the environment, the objects in it, and the rules that define how battles take place within it
  • BOB (Build in One Button) – Whether you’re making a map, creating images, writing scripts, or making edits to the game’s database, BOB takes the edits you’ve made and builds them into a pack file ready for the game to read

Total War: Historical

Are Total War games historically accurate?

The term we use in our approach to history and its representation in our games is historical authenticity. We aim to create games which evoke the feel and spirit of an age as much as the events that actually occurred in it, and this is influenced by many things: chiefly our research and reading around the period of course, and we consult closely with leading period historians.

But we are also influenced by media portrayals, in cinema and TV for example, as these are also important cultural touchstones for the people who’ll be playing our games. These may affect the colour palette we choose for a game, or the visual direction we take. Total War: THREE KINGDOMS’ design language, for example, blends ancient Chinese ink-brush techniques with modern aesthetics. It’s not historically accurate overall, but is designed to grant a sense of authenticity to today’s sensibilities.

When it comes to Total War, accuracy is a granular term. You can apply it to parts, but not the whole. We actually aim for accuracy with many elements of the game: arms and armour, tactics, fighting styles, and historical events which occur during the course of a campaign, for example. These elements help to make the overall experience more authentic, and accuracy is therefore a very important part of the mix.

At the outset of a historical Total War campaign, we aim for a relatively accurate starting point, with all the major factions, cultures and characters portrayed as best we can in the year the game begins. But the moment the player moves their first army, the experience immediately becomes ahistorical. Player agency in the historical sandbox is the major foundation of the series. If we were to force players down the road of a linear historical narrative, it would cease to be a Total War game.

And ultimately, Total War is a computer game. It is not designed to replace history books or documentaries. It’s designed to entertain people in today’s age. This doesn’t stop us aiming for accuracy in certain aspects, and nothing thrills us more than hearing from players whose fascination with history began with playing a Total War game. In the final count, if an aspect of history prevents us making an enjoyable game, we take licence and design with fun as the objective.

Total War: WARHAMMER

How do I get my 30th Anniversary Regiments of Renown?

You can download your 30th Anniversary Regiments via the Total War Access dashboard.

For more information about the 30th Anniversary Regiments of Renown, check out the blog post.

Do I need to have Total War: WARHAMMER installed in order to play the Mortal Empires campaign in Total War: WARHAMMER II?

No – as long as Total WAR: WARHAMMER is in your Steam library, you don’t need to have it installed in order to play the Mortal Empires campaign in Total War: WARHAMMER II.

Is Total War: WARHAMMER a trilogy?

Yes.

Everything that has an army book in 8th edition is fair game for potential inclusion, and we intend to make a complete trilogy within the limitations of the source material.

None of these answer my WARHAMMER question!

We’ve got more information in this AMA with the developers – your question may very well be answered there.

Total War: THREE KINGDOMS

What is Total War: THREE KINGDOMS?

The latest major historical title in the award-winning Total War PC strategy series, and the first to be set in Ancient China. The game begins in the year 190 CE, and charts the events and conflicts that began with the collapse of the Han Dynasty and led to the formation of the three kingdoms of Wei, Shu, and Wu. To learn more about the game, head over to its Steam page.

How do I get started playing the game?

THREE KINGDOMS overhauls many existing Total War gameplay systems and introduces many new ones. For new players, we recommend first playing as the warlord Cao Cao, whose campaign is relatively forgiving. The early turns of the campaign will provide you with some scripted guidance to help you get to grips with the game.

We’ve also produced a number of tutorial videos – and a complete glossary of terms – to help you understand the game, from the basics of how to generate income, raise armies, and go to war to advanced espionage actions and managing character interactions. From launch onwards, you’ll be able to find guidance on all such matters over at the Total War Academy.

Can I play THREE KINGDOMS on Mac or Linux?

Total War: THREE KINGDOMS is available on both Mac and Linux via Steam, and is also available on the Mac App Store.

Can I make or download mods for THREE KINGDOMS?

We announced mod support for Total War: THREE KINGDOMS in July 2019.

Where can I learn more about the Three Kingdoms period?

There are many online resources to learn about the Three Kingdoms period, such as its Wikipedia entry. We also highly recommend Oversimplified’s excellent, easily digestible video history of the period on YouTube.

Our webcomic also provides a nice visual dramatisation of events, and for detailed backgrounds of some of the key personalities of Three Kingdoms China – who also appear in the game as playable faction leaders – check out our warlord profiles.