When will you purchase Empire?

[Martok]

This was partially inspired by Jack Dionne's question. Assuming that ETW doesn't include SecuROM or other invasive and/or potentially harmful copy protection software, how long after the game's release will you buy it?


Personally, I intend to wait until the first patch has been released. Such has been my general policy with PC games for several years now.

Granted, there's always the possibility that Empire will be relatively free of major bugs (i.e., on par with Shogun/MTW), but I admit I'm rather skeptical of the likelihood of that actually happening. Of course, I would love to be proven wrong.

[Quintus.JC]

Either getting it straight away or wait for the expansion pack. I got Medieval II straight away, while it was worth the money I can't help but thinking could it be better if I waited and bought the gold version with the expansion pack along with it, for the cheaper price.

[Warmaster Horus]

Probably going to try to pre-order it soon (or 'round January). Maybe I'll be able to prove Martok wrong.

What I've seen already makes me very enthusiastic. If I stay enthusiastic, why not pre-order?

Edit: Thinking about it a bit more, what I'm really waiting for is a demo. I'll be more decided after there's one, if there is one of course.

[Herkus]

Probably when the price will drop by at least 1/3.

[TevashSzat]

I'm probably gonna buy it really late when expansions come out since quite a few games will be out by then that I'll be busy playing and I don't want to get inundated with new games all at once. (watch me be a hypocrite and buy the game the day it comes out )

[anders]

depends on my work, home and business situation, if I have some free time Ill get it as soon as possible, otherwise Ill wait for patches and a price drop.

-who am I kidding, Ill run to the gamestore the moment its out..

[wayne0308]

I intend to pre-order this game as soon as I can.

But, I've heard of a lot of games being released with these DRM's. So that if I buy this game, I will only be able to reinstall the game 3 times. I clean my hard drive completely about every 3 months so if this is the case I probably wont buy it.
I've been a loyal fan of the Total war series and I still own all the games and expansion packs since the start. But copying EA's lead on the DRM thing will be too much for me.

[Enron]

Gah!

Since my PC is 4 years old I wanna see what the min specs are for the game.

I have a P4 3.4 HT Extreme 800 Mhz FSB
2 GB DDR2 SD RAM
ATI x1950 Pro Vid card
20" Samsung 206BW monitor

If the game requires a PC with more power than that then o well I'm out for a while and will stick with M2TW

[Slyspy]

When it is patched, expanded, modded and, preferably, in the bargain bin.

[woad&fangs]

If it can be played on a Mac then my answer is "whenever I get my shiny new Mac". Hopefully sometime in April or May. If it can't be played well on a Mac then I'm going to be very sad.

Of course, all of this depends on DRM.

[Thermal]

When it is patched, expanded, modded and, preferably, in the bargain bin.

you'll be waiting a while then! medieval 1 still sells 4 a tenna even now, so perhaps you might get it in 6 years time then...

[Dradem]

The day it comes out, I'm so looking forward to this one (and all the others before aswell)
I pre-orded it last week, I was the first one in the store. He didn't have a list before

[Thermal]

ill get it as soon as possible! but forget waiting for patches and the like, how could i wait???
wont pre order though, because any game pre ordered in the past still wasnt in stock when i went to pick it up, even though it was ment to be reserved stupid gaming service

[Monk]

I'm waiting for a couple of things. I'm waiting to see how it scores on the review and I'm waiting until i can afford to upgrade my comp. Poor thing is getting up there in the years, some of the screens from empire just make it cry. I can feel it.

[edyzmedieval]

I'll wait for reviews from magazines and fellow Orgahs....

[hoom]

I'd like to say I'll wait to see what others think of it/wait for obvious bugs to be patched but like previous iterations I'll probably wind up slightly pre-ordering or buying it shortly after release...

Notably though, I'm mainly only playing RTW +BI engine so-far even though I've got M2 & Kingdoms.
Will be very much looking forward to RTR on E:TW engine & EBII on M2:Kingdoms engine whenever they show up.

[pevergreen]

@enron: I dont know ati video cards, but it seems ok for the most part.
@W&F: Macs?

[Enron]

@enron: I dont know ati video cards, but it seems ok for the most part.
@W&F: Macs?

Thanks, for the encouragement Unless I'm wrong my card is equal to the Nvidia 6800 series.

[sassbarman]

It's a totalwar game what else am I going to do but buy it straight away, there is nothing else like it out there.

[Megas Methuselah]

Well said, friend. Well said.

[SpencerH]

Assuming no Securom

I'll be waiting until it goes "gold" or until the reviews by other players are comparing it to the brilliance of STW.

[Basileus]

I have not followed the developemend of the game this time so i guess i´ll wait for rewievs and peoples opinion before buying.

[Gray Beard]

I think I may skip this one.

I don't really enjoy the massed battles that much and really prefer a setup more like CivIV though hate the cheesy cartoonish nature of Sid Meyer's games

[Monk]

I'll be waiting until it goes "gold" or until the reviews by other players are comparing it to the brilliance of STW.

So there's absolutely no pressure, CA.

[Martok]

Monk: Indeed

Assuming no Securom

I'll be waiting until it goes "gold" or until the reviews by other players are comparing it to the brilliance of STW.

I suspect many of us are in that same boat (wanting to know how it compares to Shogun).

[JR-]

M:TW is the yard stick by which i will judge it.

[Fookison]

It's a totalwar game what else am I going to do but buy it straight away, there is nothing else like it out there.

Me too!!! Can't wait......

[Spino]

Empire looks phenomenal and CA's rewriting of the engine & AI is very promising. However given CA's track record with Rome & Medieval 2 I simply cannot bring myself to purchase Empire once it is released. To put it bluntly I don't believe Empire will be sufficiently challenging or balanced right out of the box. CA's penchance for taking an eternity to release precious few patches between the time of release and the expansion pack only worsens the prognosis.

However like Medieval 2 I'm sure Empire will be great once the expansion pack is released.

[Odin]

Always always wait for the 1st or 2nd patches. Most PC games get a good preorder crowd and a "I must have it crowd" who fill thier forum sigs with free fixes for the games they just purchased (genius's). Its an advanced beta process, that works look at MTW2 and the moaning about the shield bug etc, modder comes along and fixes it and bam! hes now working at CA (lusted).

Let the preorder boys beta it for you, wait for the patch or user fix then you purchase. Anything other then that then you really have no cause to complain later

[darrin42]

I clicked, As soon as its Released...though Realisticaly it will probs be a week or so after, before I have time to drop by and look for it.