Translated article from Computer Bild Spiele

[Martok]

on a mountain, one of the admins at the official Total War site, has provided a translation of an ETW article found at a German gaming site called Computer Bild Spiele. It includes several new tidbits about the game you might find interesting. Enjoy!

[PBI]

Excellent, lots of new info. These bits caught my eye:

# At the beginning of the campaign there will be no rebel provinces; provinces will all have historic names.
# There will be several cities in a province (note of the translator: yiiiiiiippppppppeeeee!!!!): A capital and several other cities, each with an individual name.

[Husar]

If there will be no playable USA faction in the grand campaign, I will be sad.

[CBR]

It does look somewhat intriguing. I hope when they write "There will be a new multiplayer system" they mean something that actually works.


CBR

[sassbarman]

The player will be able to build forts, and you can found your own cities.

this is an interesting bit.

[Mailman653]

If there will be no playable USA faction in the grand campaign, I will be sad.

That would be a little disappointing, Id like to see what if the US became a monarchy and expanded into an empire rather than possibly being guided by the game to become a republic whether I want to or not........what if I want to help Nap take over Europe?

But, I think if the game allows us to start by eras, then its possible that maybe a early era has the US represented as colonies and in control of Spain and England as that map suggests, a middle era with the US as 13 English colonies and a late ear with independent colonies of England; but I could be wrong.

Either way, this game will be awesome!What would be cool is some South American countries as well but then the map would be huge, its huge as it already is most likely.

[Martok]

@Poor Bloody Infantry: Yeah, those were two things that stuck out for me as well....both of which made me quite happy.

If there will be no playable USA faction in the grand campaign, I will be sad.

I won't be. Frankly, I still think it's bollocks that we get our own campaign. I'll admit that's kinda cool, but for the U.S. to be playable in the main campaign as well would be ridiculous -- it'd be like being able to play as any other minor faction such as Tuscany or the Cherokee nation.

That said, I believe that America does become playable should they appear. I remember reading somewhere that if the USA emerges, that you'll have the choice to either play as them, or continue playing as the British.

The player will be able to build forts, and you can found your own cities.

this is an interesting bit.

Indeed. 'Twill be interesting to see how that turns out.


I also found this piece quite intriguing:

Taxes can be set individually for the aristocracy, the burgoisie (evolving middle class) and peasants.

Sounds like it could be a mechanism for changing governments -- intentionally or not.

[Csargo]

The player will be able to build walls behind which units can hide.

I haven't seen anything about this before, but I like that.

Very good find Martok. Quite a few new interesting bits of information.

[Dutch_guy]

The player will be able to build forts, and you can found your own cities.

this is an interesting bit.

According to the article that is not the case - sadly.

The player will be able to build forts, but youcan not found your own cities. However, there will be a difference whether you build them in the american wilderness or for instance within the well-developed infrastructure of the indian subcontinent.

[Martok]

Gah! Quite right, Dutch_guy. It's understandable, though, that someone could accidentally overlook one innocuous yet crucial word ("not")....particularly given the inarticulate use of the word "them".

The player will be able to build forts, but youcan not found your own cities. However, there will be a difference whether you build them in the american wilderness or for instance within the well-developed infrastructure of the indian subcontinent.

Stupid pronouns....


On an unrelated note, I'm also quite curious as to how the agent system will work, seeings as they'll no longer appear on the campaign map.

[Rhyfelwyr]

That article has given me real hope for ETW.

I'm glad to see a map as well, I wonder how ships will get from the Meditteranean throught to the Red Sea though.

[irishron2004]

That article has given me real hope for ETW.

I'm glad to see a map as well, I wonder how ships will get from the Meditteranean throught to the Red Sea though.

To be accurate, all the way around Africa, like it was done before the Suez Canal was dug. That's why whoever controlled Egypt had to have two navies.

[Herkus]

Here are the comfirned facts about land battles:

* maximum of twenty controllable units.

Thats quite disapointing. Certainly not suitable for 18th century warfare tactics.

[Sheogorath]

I like that map. And here I thought we were gonna have to do some kind of magical timewarp to get to India. But it looks like the land-based powers will have a chance too :D

Also, it'll be interesting to see how they do the Persians. They were rather rich, as I understand it, making a nice income from selling scientific instruments and so forth, and were still regarded as something of a 'center of learning', even if the only people they could stand up to militarily were the Ottomans.

On a small note, it seems Portugal doesnt get any colonies. The little bit of Brazil thats showing is blank, although that is understandable, I suppose, given that the main effort was further south...

EDIT:
And I do hope they dont make the Russians red. That would be rather stereotypical >_>;

[Martok]

Thats quite disapointing. Certainly not suitable for 18th century warfare tactics.

Well as I and a couple others have said before (and no one has yet to contradict the point), I have serious doubts as to how practical (or even possible) it would be to manage land forces larger than that. It's hard to imagine a UI/control scheme that would allow one to effectively manage armies approaching the size of those that were fielded during the time period.

Not to mention which, larger armies in ETW would almost certainly require a lot more processing power, and it's pretty clear that the majority of PC's are going to be taxed trying to run the game as it is. To increase the size of the armies would make Empire unplayable for most fans altogether.


Sheogorath: Yeah, I too noticed the omission of Brazil as a Portuguese colony. Admittedly odd, but I wouldn't read too much into that map, at least not yet.

[Mailman653]

And I do hope they dont make the Russians red. That would be rather stereotypical >_>;

I thought they wore mostly green back then.

[Sheogorath]

Well as I and a couple others have said before (and no one has yet to contradict the point), I have serious doubts as to how practical (or even possible) it would be to manage land forces larger than that. It's hard to imagine a UI/control scheme that would allow one to effectively manage armies approaching the size of those that were fielded during the time period.

Not to mention which, larger armies in ETW would almost certainly require a lot more processing power, and it's pretty clear that the majority of PC's are going to be taxed trying to run the game as it is. To increase the size of the armies would make Empire unplayable for most fans altogether.


Sheogorath: Yeah, I too noticed the omission of Brazil as a Portuguese colony. Admittedly odd, but I wouldn't read too much into that map, at least not yet.

Aye, I mean, even in the older games two full stacks on both sides is kind of pushing it. I'd hate to have to manage MORE guys.

As to Brazil, it might've been left out for gameplay purposes...I mean, if I recall, its one major contribution to the period was to host the Portuguese royalty when they ran from Napoleon. Maybe the area was left blank as colony fodder. After all, Russia's gotta start out with something :P

I thought they wore mostly green back then.

Aye. Early Imperial Russian uniforms were primarily green (outside of the cavalry, who wore pretty much any color you can think of...but that applied to everybody), with some regimental color.

But looking at that map, the people at CA seem to be rather fond of red. The British, Polish, Russians, Norway, and Portugal

Admittedly, some of them are orange, but still...

[Discoman]

I'm glad that we can't build cities, that would just make it overly complex when it comes to trade among other things (Boundaries). Would be nice if the names would change if you took a natives' settlement as an imperial power, ie New Amsterdam becoming New York.

[sassbarman]

my apologies on the misquote not sure what i was looking at.

[Martok]

Aye, I mean, even in the older games two full stacks on both sides is kind of pushing it. I'd hate to have to manage MORE guys.

Indeed. Also, like I said, most computers are probably going to really be chugging running the game as it is. To significantly increase the number of men on the battlefield would likely bring our machines to a screeching halt -- they'd simply quit in protest.

As to Brazil, it might've been left out for gameplay purposes...I mean, if I recall, its one major contribution to the period was to host the Portuguese royalty when they ran from Napoleon. Maybe the area was left blank as colony fodder. After all, Russia's gotta start out with something :P

Well it's perhaps worth noting that one of the CA guys (forget his name) over at the official forums said that the picture of the campaign map looked like a very early version, so things could very well have changed since then. Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean Brazil will start out as a Portuguese colony after all, but at least it's still a possibility.

[Sheogorath]

Indeed. Also, like I said, most computers are probably going to really be chugging running the game as it is. To significantly increase the number of men on the battlefield would likely bring our machines to a screeching halt -- they'd simply quit in protest.

Or burst into flames :P

Well it's perhaps worth noting that one of the CA guys (forget his name) over at the official forums said that the picture of the campaign map looked like a very early version, so things could very well have changed since then. Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean Brazil will start out as a Portuguese colony after all, but at least it's still a possibility.

Pehraps. But who wants to play as the Portuguese anyway? I mean, wasnt their one role in this period of history to get flattened by the French, then fight a horrifically bloody guerrilla war with the Spanish? :P

[Husar]

Pehraps. But who wants to play as the Portuguese anyway?

I do.

I hope we get a lot of interesting playable factions, or at least unlockable by some txt editing or so.

[Belgolas]

In some ways I would like the US to be playable but if you make the US playable then you would have to make every other minor nation playable. Besides historically the US couldn't even think of invading Europe. First its navy was crap at the time and European nations had larger armies then the US had people. So historiacally it wouldn't make much sence seeing as there are only 10 playable factions. Besides the US get there own campaing anyways.

[Sheogorath]

In some ways I would like the US to be playable but if you make the US playable then you would have to make every other minor nation playable. Besides historically the US couldn't even think of invading Europe. First its navy was crap at the time and European nations had larger armies then the US had people. So historiacally it wouldn't make much sence seeing as there are only 10 playable factions. Besides the US get there own campaing anyways.

Yeah, but wouldnt it kick ass if the US invaded Hannover?

[Discoman]

According to Wikipedia America had a population of 2.5 million, in 1790 it was nearly 4 million. Its not too bad, besides America's cash crops should offer a steady amount of cash.

First its navy was crap at the time and European nations had larger armies then the US had people.

Well if the U.S. takes some European cities that shouldn't be a problem.

[Mailman653]

Lets not turn this thread into another nationalist debate. I think the spirit of the TW games is to take a nation, regardless of its place in history and create your own history.

[Martok]

Indeed. We're starting to get a bit off-topic here.


I'm quite curious as to how provincial control will work. With provinces now containing multiple cities, it could add an interesting dynamic to the military and diplomatic side of the game. Will you have to hold the province's capital city in order to claim the territory overall? Or can you control the other cities in a province and surround the capital, and then negotiate with the faction that originally owned the province?

Also, I almost overlooked this bit:

The AI has been redeveloped from scratch. According to the developers it re-evaluates the situation at the beginning of a battle every time, even if the starting conditions of a battle are exactly the same, and will thus act differently every time.

Brilliant.

[Lusitani]

Or burst into flames :P





Pehraps. But who wants to play as the Portuguese anyway? I mean, wasnt their one role in this period of history to get flattened by the French, then fight a horrifically bloody guerrilla war with the Spanish? :P

Hmmm no. To start with we weren't flattened by the French, the court moved to Brasil escorted by the Royal Navy, so basically they just settled in without much fighting due to the obvious confusion and took most of our professional army with them to die in far away places like Russia ( the ones that didnt go to Brasil of course).
Also the fact that there were 3 invasions of Portugal by the French must mean something no?.!?!
Although there were constant guerrilla actions against them the real fighting was done with the help of the English with armed and trained a newly formed portuguese army, which by the way, comprised more than half of his troops in the Peninsular War, to the point of being praised as the "fighting cocks" of his army...and i dont think that they were very good singers.... not to wonder though, since most of the times they were the 1st sent in :P .

Roughly around the time period of ETW Brasil as a colony reached its peak and importance. Actually i find quite absurd that Portugal is in the game considering that most of the World under Portugal's control and influence doesnt even appear in the game's map. Besides Brasil, there's the obvious omission of several african territories(even if they only gained its importance in the 2nd half of the XIX Century), and most of the Asian ones except the indian sub-continent that seems to be part of the map.

I am not sure however if, with the mention of guerrilla war with the spaniards, you mean agaisnt the French alongside the spaniards or against the Spanish. If you meant against the Spanish you are mistaken of course, because we have always dealt with them ( and the other way around) in plain, normal military encounters even though i am sure that sporadic "guerrilla" tactics might have been used here and there.

Finally considering the fact that Portugal was the 1st european country to start a globalized empire in 1415 which lasted until 1999( technically since some european countries still hold sovereignty of overseas territories against the will of at least some of its native inhabitants). And also the fact that i find interesting that around 1415 Portugal had around 1 million inhabitants and still managed to reach far corners of the World...sometimes being the 1st europeans to do so.

So...I for one would like to play as Portugal as of course other factions that might pose an interesting challenge.


PS: I am more interested however in seeing a good AI specially in what comes to diplomacy and more importance given to supply chains affecting army/navy operations.

[PBI]

It occurs to me that the fact that CA have stated that there will be no rebel territories means that surely a lot of smaller factions (at least in terms of European land area) will have to be there, in order to fill up all the land not occupied by the big powers.

[Martok]

It occurs to me that the fact that CA have stated that there will be no rebel territories means that surely a lot of smaller factions (at least in terms of European land area) will have to be there, in order to fill up all the land not occupied by the big powers.

Indeed. While the picture isn't of the highest quality, if you look at the map in the article carefully enough, you can still see that Europe is entirely occupied by one faction or another.