Persistent Multiplayer Crisis of the TW series

This petition to be raised and put across the community in response to the growing and ignored discontent amongst the wider Total War community is in relation to the multiplayer system which is currently run by Gamespy, through IGN Entertainment (a unit of Fox Interactive Media Incorporation)

The issue which resides in the community is in relation to the Multiplayer system which exists in the Total War series, specifically in Rome: Total War, Medieval 2: Total War and its subsidiaries.

The issues that exist in the current Gamespy system are:

Constant errors relating to the Gamespy multiplayer mechanisms

Unexpected disconnections from the Gamespy Multiplayer Server

An infinite amount of errors relating to the creation and running of games under these servers games crashing upon a players entrance, games crashing due to Gamespy related causes (such as joining errors, etc.), games which become obsolete due to the incapability of the Gamespy servers to handle the volume of players joining a single game at any one time.

Un-regulated and un-administered lobbies where the total war community communicates in; as thus in-affective prevention of explosive, abusive and sometimes inflammatory conversations (Such examples: a person in the lobby making racist remarks with no subsequent punishment)

Unsatisfactory support given to problems which are encountered through the Gamespy service - Told to re-install in circumstances which required much less intervention.

Constant failures in the availability of the Gamespy multiplayer service, including hours to days upon end of un-connectable Gamespy servers (relating to long periods of server downage in Rome: Total War and MTW2 specifically)

Many other issues that have arisen in individual, group and community use of the multiplayer system.

As aforementioned, the situation of the Multiplayer system in the Total War series is dire and requires a large extent of attention in order to solve these problems which are concurrent in the current multiplayer system.

A consumer purchases such a product being guaranteed a game service upon entry to the multiplayer realm, and in the Total War series this is not as such; the Total War series does not deliver. The system is incredibly flawed and must be dealt with, either through intervention and subsequent improvement by Gamespy through pressures activated by Activision, Total War Inc., SEGA and The Creative Assembly which are the benefactors of the profits that are made from the Total War products we purchase;

OR the companies related to the games to embark on the creation of a unique multiplayer platform in order to accommodate and subsequently relieve the current failure in the multiplayer venture.


We, the signers of this petition whom are proud members of the Total War community, and creators of clans and communities inside it, demand immediate action to the problems which are everyday occurring in the Total War series, and demand the following to be advocated and dealt with by the powers that exist:

o Solution to the crisis as raised previously about the Gamespy multiplayer system through improvement, updates and as such to the multiplayer system, or through revolution and redesign

o Strategic plans put into place to prevent such issues occurring in the future

o Openness, honesty and absolute concurrence with the community in order to establish proper communication channels if problems exist and/or persist.

o Guarantee of a multiplayer system that will meet the operational standards of the community

o Solution created before the release of any other sequel to the Total War series

Comments from signers of this petition will follow, melding the problems of Gamespy with real life opinions from members of the Total War community.

We endeavour to see that these problems are solved in the interests of the Total War series and the entities involved. We the undersigned, therefore put our faith into the companies once again, hoping for subsequent improvement of the system.