The Hornet's Nest

--Sunrise--

Reveille had already been called, morning roll call attended, and most men had already set to frying up some salted pork for breakfast.  A few scattered regiments, most of them new to battle --fresh units that had arrived after Fort Donelson-- were drilling off in the distance.  What ignorant bugler was playing revellie again?  Was he deaf? Maybe dumb. Both, most probably.  An officer was debating with himself,  --as he did most every morning-- deciding whether or not he should bother shaving.  He sighed. He'd rather save the water for his canteen and deal with the itch. An artillerist was just about to worm the bore of his crew's gun again when he heard a familiar, low, rumbling far away.  Every veteran ear in camp perked up.  Sergeants shouted orders, Colonels climbed onto their mounts; most men just grabbed their cartridge pouches and slung them on.  Before the green men knew what to ask, a battery opened fire, plastering the camp with shot and shell.

Your Mod is Calling

If you claim to be a gamer, yet you've no idea to what I'm referring, then you've either been living under a rock or you have a dial-up internet connection. 

I'm talking about game modifications, or "mods".  In this case, specifically those of the Total War games.  If you haven't tried one, or have been using one for as long as you can remember, I urge you to expand your horizons.  Try something new; it will enrich your Total War experience by leaps and bounds.  Here are a few suggestions to get you started, and tools to help you along the way. 

The Total War of the Future

As a long-time fan of Creative Assembly's Total War series, I have an intrinsic interest in what direction the developer is going to take following the release of Shogun 2.  Creative Assembly has already admitted that there is another title in development, but of course, the million dollar question is: which game is it?. The possibilities seem endless.

The internet has been a-buzz with everyone's thoughts and opinions on the matter.  Suggestions and ideas range from an era-spanning Civil War: Total War to games set in the fantasy universes of Warhammer and Lord of the Rings.