The Total War Saga: Troy is a bit of a detour for the historical strategy series. It is the first full game by Creative Assembly Sophia and the most dated in Total War history. In fact, so far back in time as to be mythical, this is no fantasy romp. The team's new blog post delves into how they adapted the legend of Troy and rooted it in a historical sense.

The siege of Troy is perhaps one of the most famous stories of all time, but almost everything we know about it comes from one source: Homer's epic poem, The Iliad. The Bronze Age in general has similar problems.

As game director Maya Georgieva puts it, "Myth is far removed from reality."

Therefore, Creative Assembly Sophia had to use mythology, but with the help of archaeological evidence, geography, and the few history books closest to that period. Of particular note is the work of Heinrich Schliemann, who excavated Hisarlik, now considered the site of Troy. [Instead of abandoning the attempt to expand the series to this exciting period, Georgieva says. "We have decided to draw from that source very carefully and concisely, separating the impossible from the unlikely but feasible, until we can sort out the nucleus of what could be the nucleus of a great new total war game.

We then set out to explore what might be possible events that could give rise to such a myth. A volcanic eruption could be a battle of the gods. An earthquake could be the story of Poseidon, who was also the god of earthquakes and horses, taking revenge on the Trojans.

Sometimes the story could be as simple as a mythical monster who was just a man in a funny costume. That is why the team was able to include not only giants and centaurs, but also minotaurs and Cyclops. They are all human, but still possess some of the characteristics of the legendary animals. Centaurs are masters of mounted combat, minotaurs and Cyclops are giant men covered in animal skulls, and giants are mighty warriors capable of smashing down city gates.

In the "Iliad," wars are almost entirely the result of the machinations of the gods. To eliminate the gods altogether would have been a serious omission, but fortunately the team did not have to. For the people believed in the gods and acted upon their faith. Thanks to religious cults and factions trying to gain favor with the gods, their influence is still felt in the game.

It is unfortunate, though, that you can't cram soldiers inside a giant wooden horse.

If you want to learn about history, read the whole thing. For more on how Creative Assembly Sophia is trying to root the mythology, check out last year's preview of A Total War Saga: Troy.