The Community Portal
Welcome to the TWC Community Portal on the TWC Wiki
Here you will find information and links to help you explore this vibrant community and see what else TWC has to offer beyond the Total War series.
Links from this page are designed to take you straight to the most relevant area of the TWC site, to view more information about TWC features on the Wiki start at the Total War Center page.
- TWC Competitions, Games and Awards can be found in the Enter and Participate section directly below.
- TWC Publications, User Generated Content & Archives can be found in the Reading Material and Information section below.
- TWC Discussion Forums are explained in the Where to Post section at the end of this page.
- For site queries please see the TWC:FAQ page.
- To learn more about the site please see the Total War Center page.
Enter and Participate
Do you have a competitive nature?
- There are lots of competitions on TWC where you can show off your intellectual and artistic skills or join in by supporting and voting for others. The medals available to winners of the contests can be viewed on the wiki here. The currently active competitions, games and awards are listed below with links to the relevant forums:
Writing
- Tale of the Week: TOTW takes an interesting picture, including winning POTW entries and other generally awesome images, and gives you the opportunity to write a short 'tale' about it. Members then vote on which entrant has written the best story, based on the materials given.
- AAR and Creative Writing Competitions: The Writers' Study hosts Monthly After Action Report Competitions (MAARC) and Occasional special creative writing competitions. MAARC is open to AARs posted on TWC.
- Post of the Fortnight: The POTF competition is aimed at promoting quality posting within the Discussion and Debate area of the forum. You can't enter your own posts for this competition but post well in the D&D section and you may find your post gets nominated.
Screenshots and Videos
All of the picture and video competitions can be found in the Screenshot Galleries.
- Picture of the Week: POTW consists of screenshots from all Total War games edited in any way, usually improving the graphics and the like, though from time to time creative twists are applied
- Unedited Screenshot of the Week: UESW allows exclusively unedited Total War Screenshots. The emphasis lies on the perfect shot at the perfect time, though the picture can be cropped, to leave out unit cards and the like.
- Game Picture of the Week: GPOTW submissions must be from a game other than Total War, submissions may be either edited or unedited screenshots.
- Video of the Month: VOTM submissions must be videos consisting of in-game footage from either the campaign map or the battle map of a Total War game or modification.
Role Playing Games and Hotseat Campaigns
- Total War Hotseat Campaigns: Hotseat campaigns for all Total War games, mods and submods are organized and conducted in this forum section. The use of modded games which allow play in fantasy worlds such as Game of Thrones or LotR are popular and role-playing is also encouraged in many of the games.
- Play by Post RPGs: RPG's are a complex and highly entertaining way to interact and "play" with other members on TWC. In general, all participants of one RPG choose one faction for the game and pick their characters (Family Members, Agents, etc) out of this faction. Then, everyone acts out his role or character to turn a simple Total War campaign into a vivid theatre play or rather, a novel! Most RPGs have introduced a complex game system with political aspects and structures.
Informal Thread Based Games
- Total Guess Competition: TGC is intended to reward those who are regular players of the various Guess/Name/Identify games around TWC, such as "Name that Battle" or "The Catchphrase Game"
- The Coliseum: As well as housing TGC this forum also contains many threads for other informal games and has sub-forums available for Mafia and Interactive History. The Coliseum is universally known as a good place to raise your post count without having to spam the Thema Devia or be chased by Moderation as a wannabe spambot!
Site Awards
The Site Awards are annual events where TWC members nominate and vote for fellow members, mods and modders, they are organised as follows:
- TWC Modding Awards: These Awards are meant to reward worthy mods (including tools and resources) and modders (including tools and resources makers) hosted or otherwise present at TWC. The Modding Awards have been held since 2005 and have evolved as the Total War games (and their popularity and moddability) evolved over time. Modding Award medals can be viewed on the wiki here.
- TWC Member Awards: These Awards are meant to reward worthy TWC members, as nominated and voted by the TWC membership itself. They include categories ranging from the Best Debater up to the Favorite Staff member, and they have evolved over the years as the site and its community evolved. The first edition was held in 2005. Members' Awards medals can be viewed on the wiki here.
Reading Material and Information
Looking for some reading material?
- You'll find interesting and informative posts throughout the forum but for something special check out the sources below:
TWC News
TWC's Home Page displays recent news announcements, coverage includes: releases, updates and previews of mods for Total War games; news of official Total War releases and updates; publication of articles, guides and reviews; notification of competitions and events on TWC, together with any other news that might be of interest to TWC members.
Previous announcements can be found in the Front Page Announcements section. To request a Front Page announcement start here.
Articles
The TWC Publications page contains articles published by TWC Content Staff. Current publications posting articles include:
- The Critic's Quill which offers readers reviews, articles and interviews about After Action Reports (AAR), Creative Writing and writing advice in general.
- The Eagle Standard which includes previews, reviews and retrospectives of TW games and modifications, interviews with TWC modders and coverage of the TWC Modding Awards.
- The Helios publishes articles and reviews relating to history.
Archives
- The Scriptorium is the place where copies of the Total War Center's most popular and well-written articles are stored. Articles are subdivided into catalogues, which include History, the Real World, the Total War Games, Modding, Computers and Games and more. The articles are chosen and catalogued by TWC's Librarians.
- PotF; Hansard stores the nominations and winning posts from the Post of the Fortnight competition. These include the best posts in the Discussion and Debate section as nominated and voted for by TWC members. Topics typically include history, religion and politics.
- TWC Publication Archives contain articles published by TWC Content Staff prior to the introduction of the Front Page CMS system. They include: The Eagle Standard (modding); The Media Hub (Total War videos); The Illustrator (Graphic Arts); Gamer's Gazette (non-Total War games); The Helios (history and non-TW content); The Critic's Quill (creative writing).
Blogs
TWC members' blogs can cover any subject except for politics or religion. If you would like to join in and start your own blog see the FAQ page.
The Wiki
You're here already! If you're not headed directly back to the forum have a browse around, you'll find a lot of content related to the Total War Series, TW mods and about TWC. The search function on the wiki works very well so you should find what you're looking for, but if it's not here yet consider helping out and adding content. Information about the Wiki itself starts here
Where to Post
Not sure where to post for the best historical discussion, the friendliest chat or the most useful advice?
- Check out the forums suggested below:
Total War Games
The main part of the TWC forum index is devoted to sections for the Total War Series games. Each major game release has its own forum section, displayed with latest games nearest the top. Within each section you will find sub-forums for; general discussion, hosted modifications, modification threads and modding workshops. The easiest way to find and view this content is by scrolling down the forum index page to find the game you are interested in, then select the relevant sub-forum, alternatively use the quick links on the right.
The Download Section can also be used to post small mods, tools and resources for the Total War games, or for use elsewhere on TWC.
Other Games
The Non-Total War Games forum can be used to discuss playing and/or modding ANY Non-Total War game. There are individual sub-sections available for many of the popular computer game series, see the quick links on the right.
Arts
- "The Arts": visit The Arts forum to discuss literature, theater, cinema, music, the visual arts and more.
- Creative Writing: go to The Writers' Study to post and discuss and receive advice on your creative writing and AARs.
- Graphics, Painting and Screenshots etc: visit The Artists' Studio to post your visual artworks and meet fellow artists.
Discussion and Debate
- Current Political Events: The Political Mudpit is the place for robust discussion of current events.
- Political Theory: for discussion of political theory in the abstract visit the Political and Scientific Academy
- Science: discussion of science also belongs in the Political and Scientific Academy
- Religion & Philosophy: visit Ethos, Mores et Monastica to discuss ethics, morals, religion and philosophy.
- History: visit the Vestigia Vetustatis to discuss any period of history.
- Historical Resources: if you want to discuss the history and historical resources for an era related to a particular Total War game, you can also use that game's General Discussion forum.
Help and Advice
- Computers and Tech: visit The Basement to talk about computer hardware and software, smartphones, internet issues and anything else 'techy'.
- Game Technical Support: if you have problems running a specific game post in the General Discussion section (or Technical Discussion section if available) for that game. Similarly, if you have a problem running or installing a specific mod, post first in that mod's thread or forum.
- Graphics: the Graphics Workshop has a Help Section where you can post graphics related questions. The Graphics Workshop also runs a Modding Graphic Request service for items like UIs and mod logos, and an Avatar, Signature and Userbar service, where members will make custom graphics to your specifications.
- Modding: queries about modding should be posted in the Workshop section of the relevant game. To improve organisation most of these Workshops are also sub-divided into categories such as; Mapping, Sounds & Media, DB Editing & Scripting etc.
- Forum & Account Problems: if you have registered and logged in to TWC you can view the Questions & Suggestions forum and post there. If you haven't managed to get that far please see the TWC:FAQ for advice.
- Personal Help & Relationship Problems: the Personal Help and Advice forum provides an informal, but strictly moderated area, where you can discuss your personal problems and receive advice from fellow TWC members. A sub-section of that forum deals with relationship issues.
- Fitness: the TWC Spartan League Fitness Forum is a sub-section of the Personal Help and Advice forum which deals with advice and discussion of fitness and training issues.
Chat
- Travel: visit The Travelers' Lodge to discuss your experiences and share your tips on traveling to interesting places.
- Foreign Languages: for chat in any language other than English use the Foreign Languages Discussion
- General Chat: for discussion of sports, jokes and anything not covered elsewhere visit the Thema Devia. (No spam, porn, warez etc.)
- "Elite Chat": for Citizens only there is also the SYMPOSIVM.
Total War Center
The below are areas where you can post about issues with the site, or discuss the site itself:
- The Questions & Suggestions forum is the place to go if you have a technical problem related to TWC, it is also the place for most suggestions and comments to help improve TWC.
- The Prothalamos is an area specifically for the proposal and discussion of legislation and decisions to be considered in the Curia.
- The Curia is a Citizens only forum for the discussion of proposals for the betterment of the site and nominations for citizenship, awards, and elections.
- TWC's Living History Forum is a Citizens only sub-forum of the Curia which stores threads which are of historic significance to TWC. Citizens can add new threads here documenting their time and experiences on TWC.
- Infraction Appeals and Discussion provides a space where members can appeal to the Tribunal or Hexagon Council, or discuss Tribunal and moderation matters.
