Empire: Total War Summary Thread

Kind of expecting Martok to update this now.
Confirmed:

Battle map:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

- New engine
- Naval Warfare included
- Weapons will jam and misfire, cannons will seize up and explode
- Bagpipes, drummers, flautists and trumpeters will fill the air with play out over the crack of musket fire
- Formations will affect units, line formation for better firing, square for receiving charges etc
- An overwrite of the fire command is implemented (hold fire, then all fire at button press)
- Siege Battles are less important
- Infantry can occupy buildings. They will automatically take up defensive positions and fire out of windows/doors.
- Wind will play an important role in the battles. You can set the sails of your ship according to your desired speed. You can choose between three types of ammunition, damaging hull, sails, or crew respectively. (chain-shot for sails, lead balls for hull , shrapnel for crew)
- Dragoon units -- mounted men that you can order to dismount and fire and attack the enemy as infantry. Then you can order them to mount up again and chase across the field on horseback.
- Artillery units, some of which can be limbered up and moved around the field at speed by teams of horses. You can develop all kinds of exotic ammo for them to fire.
- On the battle map (both land and sea), the increase in visual quality and the number of men on the battlefield is incredible. The new engine has allowed huge improvements in graphics, terrain & vegetation, destructible buildings, as well as more advanced unit behaviour and abilities.

General:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

- The game will run from early 1700’s to around 1820
- The campaign map will be larger. It includes Europe, North and South America, North Africa, Central Asia, India, and Indonesia
- You will be able to build colonies. It will make a difference, whether you settle in the wilderness of the Americas, or whether you can use pre-existing infrastructure in India.
- Multiplayer battles are supposed to be improved. A ladder will be implemented.
- A technology tree that lets player's research pure technologies as well as construct and upgrade buildings. We have a host of different technologies that the player can choose to focus on. Some will give units new abilities on the battlefield, or allow your artillery to develop new types of ordnance. Some will improve ships' sailing and fighting performance, others will develop your economy and enable new buildings and infrastructure, and others will advance the educational level of your nation and speed up future research.
- really beefed up the diplomacy side of the game, and tried hard to make the AI factions behave in a more human way and respond to the player's treatment of them. Religion does play a role in terms of factions' attitudes towards each other, and it can be harder to maintain a close friendship with a faction with a different religion.

Campaign Map:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

- Agents: Gentlemen who can turn their hand to increasing the speed of your nation’s research, steal enemy technology or duel with enemy Gentlemen and Rakes. Meanwhile Rakes will assassinate, sabotage and spy on armies.
- The campaign map is no longer tiled as RTW and M2TW
- You can now recruit units on Generals.
- Historic Generals will appear (given examples: Peter the Great of Russia and Charles of Sweden)
- All infrastructure built within a province, will be represented on the Strategic Map. You can upgrade buildings, by clicking on them on the Strategic Map (eg ports). There will still be a capital though.
- Enemy armies can plunder or conquer buildings within provinces.
- Revolutions can happen, leading to the separation of countries. (As an example, a rebellion of the Scotts was given).
- You can change the form of government between: absolute monarchy, constitutional monarchy, and Republic. This will directly influence how you can deal with revolts and how fast you develop new technologies. Other factions will treat you according to your form of government.
- Taxes can be set seperately for Nobles, Burghers, and Peasants.
- The AI system will be reworked and improved. An example given is that the AI will be unified, meaning that no longer the military AI will try to conquer a territory, while the diplomatic AI is working towards an alliance with the owner of said territory.
- Diplomats, Spies and Assassins will no longer be represented on the map. A new system will be introduced.
- The mercenary system will be reworked. While you can still hire mercenaries they won't be incorporated into your regular army. How this works out exactly is not clear yet.
Regions in the Americas tend to start the game with low populations, and CA do model the migration of people from Europe to the Americas as a result of dissatisfaction with their lives in the Old World. Therefore, American regions can see extremely fast development, with population and hence new towns growing much faster than is possible in Europe. Colonial regions also tend to produce exotic commodities such as sugar and tobacco.

If I've missed anything, PM me.

Thanks to:
Icek - information
Omanes - some pictures rehosted
Ituralde - a load of information from the gamestar preview
J0Be – information summary from the IGN Q&A.



Playable Factions:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jack Lusted

Confirmed factions so far in Empire:

Britain
America
Sweden
United Provinces(Netherlands)
Poland-Lithuania
Russia
Prussia
Venice
Spain
France
Ottoman Empire

And there will be around 50 factions in Empire.

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One of those is the Mughals of India.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

https://img89.imageshack.us/img89/91...ot03im9.th.jpg

https://img514.imageshack.us/img514/...ot04sz1.th.jpg

http://img111.imageshack.us/img111/2...ot05cd2.th.jpg

https://img218.imageshack.us/img218/...ot06kt5.th.jpg

http://s2.directupload.net/images/070825/aGVtVK92.jpg


http://s3.directupload.net/images/070825/eUlrVgig.jpg


http://s1.directupload.net/images/070825/6apjmM4x.jpg


https://i211.photobucket.com/albums/...nnounce_01.jpg


https://img405.imageshack.us/img405/6905/aaasmq2.png


https://i211.photobucket.com/albums/...nnounce_06.jpg


https://i211.photobucket.com/albums/...nnounce_07.jpg


https://i211.photobucket.com/albums/...-concept-2.jpg


https://i211.photobucket.com/albums/...-concept-1.jpg


https://i211.photobucket.com/albums/...concept-ar.jpg

Hi pevergreen,
May I request that you replace those image's linking code with the selection below - the moderators have an aversion to bandwidth leeching. Don't worry BTW, they are the same images.

[IMG]https://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb89/Omanes/Screenshots/ETW_announce_01.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]https://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb89/Omanes/Screenshots/ETW_announce_05.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]https://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb89/Omanes/Screenshots/ETW_announce_06.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]https://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb89/Omanes/Screenshots/ETW_announce_07.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]https://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb89/Omanes/Screenshots/gc-2007-empire-total-war-concept-2.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]https://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb89/Omanes/Screenshots/gc-2007-empire-total-war-concept-1.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]https://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb89/Omanes/Screenshots/gc-2007-empire-total-war-concept-ar.jpg[/IMG]

Thank you Omanes, I was having trouble uploading.

:bow:

you forgot about reducing the importance of siege battles.

if you can post a link, it will be moved to confirmed.

:bow:

I cannot. it was mention in this interview witch is now removed due mostly fact that it spread false information about poland being totally in hand of germans. In this interview it was stated that all military buildings will stand outside city walls so defenders will have to sall out to defend them from destroying.

1700 to early 1800? only 100 years, that's too short. why don't CA go from 1400 to 1860? i like long, long campaigns.

and it seems they are determined to make guns and muskets the major players on the battlefield. that sounds a little bit boring, as there's not much technique in gun fighting at that moment.

It is actually 1700 t0 1820.

And they could do one turn is 6 months so 2 turns equals a year. This, I am sure, would legnthen it out. Or turns equal seasons, etc.

As before, link or it doesnt exist. The infomation I have is from totalwar.com. :shrug:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Warluster

Or turns equal seasons, etc.

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Just like STW. Also Im sure the turns sequence will be moddable anyway.

:bump:

New infomation posted.

:bow:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by pevergreen

if you can post a link, it will be moved to confirmed.

:bow:

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I luv google memory mode:
http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cache...lnk&cd=1&gl=pl

quote: "Even better, they're aiming to draw armies out of the cities, removing the dominance of sieges. That's being done by making region improvements - structures such as barracks, mines and palaces - exist outside of the city, vulnerable to attack. Generals can no longer afford to hide behind their city walls in the event of an invasion. They must sally forth and chase the aggressor away."

Pevergreen (and others): thanks for the handing reference thread!
Nice work. :applause:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by icek

I luv google memory mode:
http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cache...lnk&cd=1&gl=pl

quote: "Even better, they're aiming to draw armies out of the cities, removing the dominance of sieges. That's being done by making region improvements - structures such as barracks, mines and palaces - exist outside of the city, vulnerable to attack. Generals can no longer afford to hide behind their city walls in the event of an invasion. They must sally forth and chase the aggressor away."

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This press release from CA also could allude to it

Empire Images And More Info!

Here's the relevant section

Quote:

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Empire: Total War contains a revolutionised Total War campaign spanning 3 continents and featuring new, enhanced systems for Trade, Diplomacy, Missions and Espionage. There will be an all-new fully animated campaign map with all buildings and upgrades visible. The campaign will also feature a huge cast of historical figures including Peter The Great, Malborough and Charles XII of Sweden. The game will include 10 playable factions including Britain, Prussia, France, Spain, America and the massive Ottoman Empire.

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Of course that could just be referring to the UI and not a barracks somewhere in a province.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BoyarPunk

Pevergreen (and others): thanks for the handing reference thread!
Nice work. :applause:

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Oops...that should read: "thanks for the handy reference thread"
Wish I could edit my posts ~:mecry:

You forgot the historical characters (Peter the great of russia and Charles of sweeden..

Aditionaly, there will be 50 factions, but only 10 playable, i suggest that you split them up accordingly.. (dubt that the polish - lithuanians will be in the playable section.. )

Already in :bow:

:bump:

New faction infomation posted.

This thread needs pinning. Please Tosa?

:bump:

Loads of new confirmed information thanks to Ituralde.

wow thanks for this great info :D

When is release scheduled for?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Odin

Just like STW. Also Im sure the turns sequence will be moddable anyway.

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In M2TW you can edit it modifying a file, i play with 4 turns per year instead of 2.

:bump:

Sorry, but until sticky. :shrug:

Excellent thread! Thanks to all contributors. :2thumbsup:

Why isn't this stickied!?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by pevergreen

- Infantry can occupy buldings. They will automatically take up defensive positions and fire out of windows/doors.

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sweet :2thumbsup:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by pevergreen

- Naval warfare will be included. Each side will be able to command up to 20 ships within one battle.

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why is that? there were battles with more then 40 ships.

Which mag posted that extensive preview you posted in the screenshots section? I desperately need to read that article.

http://www.euratlas.com/history_europe/europe_map_1700.html
Thats a link to a map of europe in 1700(which if I'm correct is the start date) if anyone is interested. Oh, and thank you Pevergreen for having the sense to make this thread. It is greatly appreciated.

Edit: the link isn't working for some reason but the site is working.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by OliverWKim

Which mag posted that extensive preview you posted in the screenshots section? I desperately need to read that article.

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It's Gamestar, a german mag.
Luckily I live in Germany, so I'll be able to buy it!

Anyone knows of other magazines doing previews?

LZ

None as far as we know get.

I bought it and of course already read it and it's very interesting.

One already said here "in the magazine there is a screenshot with soldiers fighting in a dry channel and others firing from a bridge." That's what the description of the screenshot in the magazine says, but it is wrong though. It's not a dry channel but a massive fortress's dry trench it seems. So it looks like we're going to fight for really massive forts with bastions and trenches I think.

You are looking for these:





http://s2.directupload.net/images/07...el="nofollow">


http://s1.directupload.net/images/070825/6apjmM4x.jpg


[IMG]http://s3.directupload.net/images/070825/eUlrVgig.jpg[/IMG]


[IMG]http://s1.directupload.net/images/070825/8r8GCGTf.jpg[/IMG]


[IMG]http://s3.directupload.net/images/070825/ZUYy78Co.jpg[/IMG]


LZ

Yup.~:)

I just this morning saw a German Magazine with about a dozen pages dedicated to Empires...but I forgot to get the name of the publication...maybe later in the week if someone else doesn't post it before I get back there.

The Campaign map was a world map and there was something about Australian Colonies founded in 1788...I didn't realise it was that lately settled.

Sorry I don't read enough German to give a more compleat report but it sure looks like it is going to be a beautiful game if nothing else.

Was it gamestar?

It is one of the biggest German Game magazines, very good actually.

LZ

Quote:

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Originally Posted by pevergreen

Was it gamestar?

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Yes, it is very likely that it was. Sorry I didn't see the other post! But it should expand our knowledge a bit once we have a translation and some screen shots.

http://www.gamestar.de/magazin/heft/thumbnails/

this does not seem to be the full article so there may be more info there.

I hope this isn't Piracy, but couldn't someone please quote from the mag about what it says on AUssie, pretty please!

If you quote it, it has already been linked, so its fine. I cant read german, so you'd be best off IMO asking Ituralde.

Sir? That looks royally bitching.

In a good way.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Warluster

I hope this isn't Piracy, but couldn't someone please quote from the mag about what it says on AUssie, pretty please!

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Australia, China, Southern Hemisphere Africa, Antarctica are excluded as stated in GameStar. We can only wonder how weird their map would look like.

https://img175.imageshack.us/img175/...retotaloy0.jpg

Map taken from Wikipedia.

Disclaimer: The map was put together by myself, taking into account the mentioned exclusions of regions in the GameStar-article. The red line is an approach and not a definition of supposed map borders in ETW.

Actually I think the picture may be a bit backwards. I f they have india and some of the east indies on the side of the campaign map that Eastern europe is normaly on then you could expand over land with the Ottomans. And on the other side where the americas are now on the M2 map they would have the far east indies. That way you could take the seroiusly hard overland route to make it too the east. Or you could go west. @_@

Well lets hope you can conquer The Northern bit of Australia....
I can already see a expansion, one with new factions and a extension of the map to include Siberia, China and Australia....

Reading this summary thread I think my possible appreciation for the upcoming ETW is increased :yes: (Of course I maintain skepticism.)

The fact that a large part of the world will be represented (according to that magazine) is good and that alone scores many points with me.

Going by that map how are you supposed to get to India by sea if the bottom of africa is cut off??? :help:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by lancelot

Going by that map how are you supposed to get to India by sea if the bottom of africa is cut off??? :help:

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I wonder about that too.

Quote:

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Disclaimer: The map was put together by myself, taking into account the mentioned exclusions of regions in the GameStar-article. The red line is an approach and not a definition of supposed map borders in ETW.

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not trying to insult but Australia ? i dont think they have any hope of making an apperance, i did australian history for a year in school (most unfortunatly) and they didnt do a thing until world war 1 (got shot to bits at gallipoli) , there was never any massed rebelions or wars, just a slow genocide , mainly through desease, but with the odd skirmish between natives and settlers

i couldnt really see what kind of units they would field anyway

any one have any idea if there will be any previews in any uk magazine soon?

Australia will not be in this game.

Gallipoli was really Churchills fault ( the 'mastermind') behind the plan :P
but hey, thats what you get from a totally dependant Foreign Policy i guess :P
hmmmm Australia would be a good tax place as well as a place to recieve Europes prisoners :)
i can see it now... a convict army :)

I have a question....Will the timeframe include 1878?

Sorry Galapagos. The timeframe is 1700-1800, although some sources do claim that it extends 1820. Sorry.

I wasn't sure they said early 1800's.It would have been to good to be true to include late 1800's.

I don't see why they don't extend the end date to the late 1800s. I don't think warfare changed too much until WWI when multi-shot rifles came into the picture, but I'm no expert I could be wrong.

Anyone know what the release date is/ is estimated to be ?

I'm kinda disappointed that the American Civil War wont be in cause of the timespan.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jeroen Hill

I'm kinda disappointed that the American Civil War wont be in cause of the timespan.

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Well, that makes sense in my opinion.
First from a marketing point, they can sell a expansion
Secondly - let's imagine the Americans are wiped out already by the British or a vassal.
Would anybody like a event Civial War then? Would make no sense!

Additionally the U.S. doesn't belong in the vanilla game, because they were just a colony by the start of the game - so leave the U.S. for a expansion like kingdoms.
A Napoleon/Civil War(but you would need railroads for this) expansion.

argh! :daisy: you lucky german's!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sinan

Anyone know what the release date is/ is estimated to be ?

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Well nothing's been officially announced yet, but I would be shocked if the game didn't come out around this time next year. Thus far, CA has faithfully stuck to a schedule of releasing new games in late summer of even-numbered years, and expansion packs in late summer of odd-numbered years. Ergo, ETW will most likely come out August/September 2008.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jeroen Hill

I'm kinda disappointed that the American Civil War wont be in cause of the timespan.

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I highly doubt CA will ever make the Civil War for the TW series regardless. With only two main factions, the American Civil War wouldn't translate very well to the TW style of play.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ichigo

I don't see why they don't extend the end date to the late 1800s. I don't think warfare changed too much until WWI when multi-shot rifles came into the picture, but I'm no expert I could be wrong.

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A great deal of military advancement happened in the American Civil War so I think the latest they could go would be about the 1850's.

.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by pevergreen

Confirmed:

- Real-Time 3D Naval Warfare

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If this aint no reason for BIG celebration, nothing is! :2thumbsup: Away for a couple months and CA surprises with my greatest wish in a TW. I'm happy! :egypt:
.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mouzafphaerre

.


If this aint no reason for BIG celebration, nothing is! :2thumbsup: Away for a couple months and CA surprises with my greatest wish in a TW. I'm happy! :egypt:
.

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Welcome Mouza to the TW.org! I know some members will be happy to know that you are alive!

.
LOL! Thanks mate. ~:)
.

1700-1800

meaning 4 turns per year?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Martok

I highly doubt CA will ever make the Civil War for the TW series regardless. With only two main factions, the American Civil War wouldn't translate very well to the TW style of play.

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Wouldn't need to be two factions, though. If it's done like Kingdoms, with one "mod" among others, you could have:

USA and CSA, are of course set, but you could have various allied states representing the border-wars of kansas and missouri and the like.

British, French, Prussians (as allies for one of the two Americas)
Mexicans threatening the South after the Civil War has settled in 1861. Just imagine if Juarez wouldn't have served as President and/or the French came a little sooner...

And of course: Indians! The Cherokee in the South, the Sioux in the North... Claiming indepence from the paleskins.

Not necessarily 100% accurate, but I'd play that. ;)

Nappy will be in. You may want to add that.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Martok

I highly doubt CA will ever make the Civil War for the TW series regardless. With only two main factions, the American Civil War wouldn't translate very well to the TW style of play.

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Not necesarily, a part of the problem of the US civil war was strategy had not evolved much since napoleonic times, generals were still modelling themselves on such men- having one arm in their coat etc etc.

Close order combat was still the norm- the problem was that while strategy and tactics had not evolved the weapons had- meaning that ranges were a lot longer in the ACW. You needed close order to have a chance of hitting anything in napoleonic times. Hence casulaties were much higher.

Combat-wise, Id say you could take the game to about the ACW times- not that much later tho. Of course- politically and map wise, perhaps not.

By the end of the ACW there was rather complex trench warfare.

Wow, that looks like a really cool game, i know im going to get that when it comes out :beam:

A thing i am shure off is that the CA have two options for expantion "naplonic wars" and "american civil war" .. well, as a Europeean i dont give a crap about your war, and wuld much more have a realy fun campain as the british defending my borders from the french, or french allie Denmark - Norway depending on the french sucsess in the war for my own suvival.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by lancelot

Combat-wise, Id say you could take the game to about the ACW times- not that much later tho. Of course- politically and map wise, perhaps not.

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It is indeed the political/diplomatic aspect that'd prevent CA from making an American Civil War game/expansion. (I concede that the combat itself could be interesting.) With only two primary factions -- the Union & Confederacy -- an ACW:TW game would be pretty boring.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by A Norsemen

A thing i am shure off is that the CA have two options for expantion "naplonic wars" and "american civil war" .. well, as a Europeean i dont give a crap about your war, and wuld much more have a realy fun campain as the british defending my borders from the french, or french allie Denmark - Norway depending on the french sucsess in the war for my own suvival.

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As an American of primarily Scandanavian descent (Syttende Mai is a major celebration in my mom's hometown), I'll assume you meant no offense by your words. ~:)

In any case, I largely agree with your assessment -- a Total War title based on the American Civil War would be extremely uninteresting to me. Not that I don't find the Civil War boring in & of itself, but (as I've said before and will continue to do so) it's a period that doesn't lend itself well to the TW-style of gameplay.

http://shoguntotalwar.yuku.com/topic/21848
Dont know if this have been posted before, nice little heap of info there

And yea, i did not mean any offence to americans, i youst dont care enogh about their internal wars to buy a game about it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by A Norseman

http://shoguntotalwar.yuku.com/topic/21848

DSunno if thius have been posted before, nice little heap of info there

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Thats a lot of info!

pever, update the first post.

Is this info oficially?

I didn't care much about this game, as I thought it was just gonna be another failure, but I was bored and stumbled in here, and holy !@#!@ I want to get this, the ideas and stuff sound amazing, dang I can't wait till this comes out, I'm hyped.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Waldinger

A great deal of military advancement happened in the American Civil War so I think the latest they could go would be about the 1850's.

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I'm not very good with technical parts, but what advancements? I've read that there is going to be earth walls in the game, which I assume is basically a trench.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by K COSSACK

1700-1800

meaning 4 turns per year?

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That would have been great in terms of seasons and all. But 400 turns? That would be a loong campaign. :juggle2:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ichigo

I'm not very good with technical parts, but what advancements? I've read that there is going to be earth walls in the game, which I assume is basically a trench.

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Gatling guns, small unit tactics, and balloon reconnaissance, to name a few. Much changed on both tactical and technical aspects of warfare.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Evil_Maniac From Mars

Gatling guns, small unit tactics, and balloon reconnaissance, to name a few. Much changed on both tactical and technical aspects of warfare.

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Gatling guns and small unit tactics are pretty out of the scope from what I've heard. 1700-1820, right?
Gatling guns were first used seriously just after the American Civil War. Small unit tactics came a little bit before, but I gather that the idea of this game is grand musket battles, and that we wont be seeing a significant rifle presence, which is what you need for small unit tactics to work.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sheogorath

Gatling guns and small unit tactics are pretty out of the scope from what I've heard. 1700-1820, right?
Gatling guns were first used seriously just after the American Civil War. Small unit tactics came a little bit before, but I gather that the idea of this game is grand musket battles, and that we wont be seeing a significant rifle presence, which is what you need for small unit tactics to work.

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Yes, I was talking about why the American Civil War couldn't be included, as tactics and weaponry changed over that time frame.