The Fallacy of Total War "Unit Diversity"

Like a criminal returning to the scene of the crime, secretly hoping to get caught.. fanboys can't seem to help but to put their weakest foot forward, to open the set with their worst joke. I can only take that on its merits.


The playlist for this video series:
   • Total Decline: A Total War Analysis  

The Reddit thread for this video series:
  / ideas_for_future_total_war_critique_subjects  

The brief coverage I already did of "diversity":
   • The Immolation of Total War's Player ...  
See for yourself:
https://www.google.com/search?q=%22un...
My Triplex Acies attempt in RTW:
   • Attempting the Triplex Acies in Rome ...  
Hastati and principes redundancy focus video:
   • Rome Total War - Principes Are Reskin...  
Rome 2's roster is one big copypasted reskinner box:
   • Analysis of Rome's Melee Infantry Ros...  
The AoE2 naval jostle:
   • Power of Portuguese & Vikings on Islands  
Encompassing the immense unit variety of all of Shogun 2:
   • The Unit Variety of Shogun 2  
Shogun 2's spears having inconceivably multiplicitous gameplay:
   • Shogun 2's spear units having more di...  
Absolutely bizarre juggernaut behaviour in 3K:
   • Total War Three Kingdoms - Juggernaut...  
Medieval 2's flamethrowers, used in conjunction with gunners and artillery:
   • Medieval 2 - Skipping Cannonballs Off...   ,    • Medieval 2 - Greek Firethrowers  
Homeworld introducing units with a red carpet:
   • Let's play Homeworld - "Garden of Kad...  
The podcast in the month after Rome 2 talking about reskinning:
   • Podcast Ep.7 - "Y U NO ROME 2?" - 28/...  
Intense barbarian vs Roman combat in RTW:BI
   • Battles in RTW:BI are way better than...  

#reskinnerbox #unitformity #dontcarelookscool

Thanks to @Total War CAT for the thumbnail once again. Subscribe to him for future gameplay collaborations.

0:00 Intro and context
4:05 "Diversity"
4:30 Devil's advocate
9:30 Skinner boxing
12:30 True unit variety
14:40 Shogun 2's "unit diversity"
17:15 Detracting units
26:20 Games that kill their own variety
29:55 Unit variety creating gameplay in Total War
31:30 Polish and actual gameplay consideration
35:45 Calling it 8 years ago, proving it today

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