Game of Thrones: The Battle for the Great Vortex
Unlike the original, the campaign of Total War: Warhammer II revolves around a common goal among all factions: to take over
the power of the Great Vortex . This stormy cluster lies in the center of the Ulthuan Islands, home of the High Elves and responsible for their creation. It had a specific purpose in times past: to overthrow the demonic forc
es of Chaos that ravaged the world we know today. It acts as a portal that absorbs magical winds from all corners of the universe, so its appearanc
e is that of a whirlpool. However, recently it has suffered assaults by numerous oppressive forces, which has allowed its strength to decrease. That is, it can be the object of interference for all those with sufficient mystical power.
Beyond the possibility of obtaining a victory for domination – capturing a certain number of settlements, among other tasks – our main motivation will be to usurp the power of the Great Vortexto use it in favor of common interests within the faction. For
this, we must perform a total of five rituals through obtaining a magical resource that will vary depending on the race we use. This ‘currency’ special and complementary to the gold we love can be achieved in various ways. Some sp
ecial buildings will supply us with a small amount for each shift, raising the total if it is in a settlement rich in these supplies. In addition, the fulfillmen
t of the periodic challenges -missions raised randomly during the passage of shifts- will also report this wealth according to the degree of di
fficulty posed. The number of magical resources as a requirement to perform them will increase as we progress through the levels.
Once a ritual is done, our capital and two random settlements will magically link with the Great Vortex for the next ten turns. Our plans for domination will be known from that moment by all the inhabitants of the New World, which will alert those who do not want us to rise to victory. The forces of the horde will begin their approach to these poi
nts of the territory. If we go to war with another faction that also has interests in the Vortex, it can send mercenaries to try to interfere with the ceremony. This storm of war should be alleviated as soon as possible if we do not wa
nt to lose valuable turns in the race to get the final goal. When we discover that other races are also trying to seize it, we will have the opportunity
to do exactly the same. There are three mercenary degrees on a scale from lowest to highest price. The higher it is, the greater the force of war, the greater the chances of upsetting rival plans.
From Creative Assembly have wanted to provide the races with a small narrative thread with which to know exactly the motivations that lead
them to enter the struggle for power. As soon as the game starts and when performing a ritual, a cinematic scene will bring us up to date on what the leader intends to do as he goes through this conflict. It is appreciated the inclu
sion of these narrative brushstrokes , we lacked a greater use of the background of Warhammerat the time of proposing plot pieces. We will control at all times the progress of the other powers in the progress bar located at the top of the screen. Reachin
g the Great Vortex is a long distance race where hurries are often accompanied by errors in the planning of the war map. Be very careful about how you administer your armies and settlements. Sometimes est
ablishing alliances with groups of mercenaries or neighbors is usually the key to success … Or not. As usual in the franchise, within the diplomatic m
enu we will know the racial characteristics of each leader, as well as a brief summary of their degree of confidence regarding the decisions made. In this sense there are no changes in weight, artificial intelligence continues to make its own with some changes of view more typical of Civilization.
