The SEGA Blog reveals plans for Fall of the Samurai, a new standalone expansion for Total War: Shogun 2 coming in March 2012. This seems like a logical follow-up to the Rise of the Samurai DLC, and they say: "The scale of this expansion is significantly larger than anything we’ve produced so far for Shogun 2." This trailer shows off the new content, and here's word, which includes details on a revamp to online play they are calling "multiplayer 2.0.":

There will be whole new land and sea unit interactions, including the ability to call in offshore artillery support barrages. Coastal gun emplacements can conversely target enemy ships, bringing a new synergy to land and sea elements of gameplay. Players can even call in campaign map bombardments – bombarding armies and cities in adjacent coastal areas of the campaign map itself. It’s time to rethink your strategy…

You’ll also be able to get your hands on three new agent types: the Foreign Veteran, the Ishin Shishi and the Shinsengumi.

Multiplayer has also had a major overhaul, ushering in the era of “Multiplayer 2.0”. We’ll be introducing a new Conquest map, reflecting the 19th century setting, bringing with it a brand new Fall of the Samurai avatar, including:

Over 40 new retainers
Over 30 new armor pieces
A new 19th century avatar skill tree

We’re also introducing multiple avatars for the first time, allowing players to enjoy multiple careers and progression across Shogun 2 and Fall of the Samurai.

This huge clash of eastern culture versus western culture promises to bring with it a vast new experience for players. Expect a big campaign to get your hands on. We’ll bring more information on it over the coming weeks and months, so be sure to stay tuned to the Total War blog, forums, Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr for more information as it’s released.