Please CA, one thing. Just one.

**Sheogorath** · 09-21-2008, 18:42

Alright, its sort of a lot of things, but it can basically be boiled down to one request.
Please, CA. Please. Don't rush this game.
I know, its sort of the opposite of what people usually say, but hear me out here.

Rushing ruins games. It does. It really, really, does. I can't count how many games with potential to be the best game on the planet were shipped as buggy, semi-finished POS's. Look at those HoI-style strategy games (Superpower?) by Dreamcatcher. So much potential. A Hearts of Iron set in the modern world? Massive nuclear wars?
Unfortunatly the most fun to be had in that game was watching the little white lines shoot across the planet to unleash the nuclear firestorm. I did have fun launching the entire Russian nuclear arsenal at the town I live in, though.
Fortunatly Dreamcatcher seems to have learned their lesson.
EA though...we just won't mention them. Aside from a passing refrence to Spore, which seems to be less a case of 'rushing' and more a case of marketing. I'm sure CA won't even consider dumbing their game down to get more market appeal, but if they do...just consider what was promised with Spore, and what we got. For me, it was like being promised a flying supercar that could shoot lasers form its headlights and cure cancer, only to be presented with an alright car, which maybe got decent gas mileage and had one of those in-car navi systems, but was otherwise basically just an ordinary car.
Oh, and I could only drive it three times.[/obligatory dig at the 'DRM']

So please, CA, learn a lesson from history. A rushed game is a poor game.
I, while I'm sure I don't speak for everybody, would LOVE to hear that you're delaying the release of ETW by a month to work out the final bugs. That would be a happy day. The 'ship it now and patch it later (over a year or so)' policy of certain companies has led to massive frustration among the PC gaming community. I, myself, have several times met with the frustration of purchasing a game, only to be left unable to get it to work because my particular system doesn't agree with the game. Mass Effect being a prime example. Installed it fine, got it to run...crash five seconds into the first level. Every time.
So far, all support requests related to the constant CTD's (I'm not alone, apparently) have been ignored. They aren't even mentioned in the patch.

Fortunatly, CA's very good about that sort of thing, and have managed to produce some of the more stable PC games on the market today. I appreciate that sort of thing. Not being constantly worried that my game is going to crash and burn, quicksaving before every 'end turn' (or every minute, like in Oblivion). The only trouble I've had with a TW game is with Rome, and that's because there was an unfortunate accident with one of the CD's which apparently surgically destroyed all data relating to the 'faction destroyed' and wonder in game movies. And that's not CA's fault :P

So keep up the good work, guys. Stay at it and Empire will be great. We'll all love you and throw flowers and cheer in the streets. Or at least think about it.

**Monk** · 09-21-2008, 19:31

Originally Posted by Sheogorath

...

I'm sure CA won't even consider dumbing their game down to get more market appeal, but if they do...

Clearly, you were not with us for the dark times. Also known as the RTW years.

TW games have been very stable in that I don't think I've had a CTD once since I played MTW back during the days of the 56 year death bug. The problems in the total war franchise normally lend themselves to AI bugs, or just general wackiness making it into the game. Yet this go around there's been a lot of indications that CA has listened to their fan base and is learning from passed lessons, building better AIs (An AI barely alive.) and making an overall better experience for the player (Gentlemen they can rebuild him).

I'll admit, that when i first heard of ETW's release I wasn't all that excited... But I can't really help but just allow my horrible shriveled heart to exercise a little bit of joy after reading the last month's worth of reviews. (They have the technology) It really does appear that they are learning from the lessons of the past and are taking those into account for ETW. (Better than he was before). My experiences with the last few releases tells me that it won't be a flawless experience**(Better, stronger, faster) but I do believe it will be much further along and with fewer bugs than RTW and M2 were. At least that is what i whisper sweetly to myself each night to help me sleep.

In all seriousness and Steve Austin references aside, i think ETW is gonna be a lot of fun. If only my comp can run it...

**But honestly, how many top games have zero problems out of box these days? That's just the way of the PC gaming, some bugs will inevitably slip passed testing, the trick is catching the big ones.

**Sheogorath** · 09-21-2008, 20:13

RTW wasn't NEARLY as bad as Spore. Besides, in that case they weren't hacking out whole gameplay elements in the name of being corporate bastards.
And I believe they made the changes they did to make the game more fun. Good intentions and all that. Whereas, with Spore...
Well, just compare the early trailers with what we actually got :P

**pevergreen** · 09-22-2008, 10:50

They have already delayed ETW by a quarter of a year.

**A Nerd** · 09-22-2008, 18:23

I'm for delay if necessary...how good grandma's cooking was, 'good food takes time' she says...

(how come my smily faces don't work?!)

**Rhyfelwyr** · 09-22-2008, 20:34

I love every TW game.

Although I really hope that ETW is not rushed at all. Especially the game mechanics, the AI etc. They are the real foundations of a game. Even if its not historical, mods can sort that, but they can't do much about the game mechanics.

**ThePianist** · 10-01-2008, 07:57

Very much agree. It's better for the devs to have some weeks or even months extra to make the game well, than to rush it on a schedule and needing patches later. ETW has a very solid fanbase from MTW, RTW, M2TW that won't mind the game released in March, April, May or June, as long as the devs need time to make the game better.

**Polemists** · 10-01-2008, 09:00

Long as they leak the demo on time they can release it whenever they want

**Thermal** · 10-01-2008, 13:38

if they did soon bring a demo out, then id be willing to wait considerably longer for them to full kit out 20 factions or so, as a pose to 12

**katar** · 10-01-2008, 18:04

is this game still coming out with SecuRom?... if so then the game is dead to me before i even think of buying it.

**CrossLOPER** · 10-01-2008, 18:44

56 year old death bug ftw. Did anyone else think that added even more strategy to the game?

**Marius Dynamite** · 10-01-2008, 18:52

Although I really hope that ETW is not rushed at all. Especially the game mechanics, the AI etc. They are the real foundations of a game. Even if its not historical, mods can sort that, but they can't do much about the game mechanics.

I don't think CA would rush E:TW, but they would have set a schedule at the start of the development process and they have to try to stick to that. They will know themselves what an acceptable level of AI competence is and if that is reached they won't delay to improve it.

I've come to repect CA because they AI they try to put into their games has to be incredibly complex. I don't think they could add a few months to dev time and get any real improvement. I don't think they will rush the game out either. They seem to be nearing the end of development now with some time left to iron out the bugs.

**PBI** · 10-01-2008, 19:05

Originally Posted by katar

is this game still coming out with SecuRom?... if so then the game is dead to me before i even think of buying it.

That's the million dollar question.

No word either way as yet, I suspect we won't find out till the last minute.

I've come to repect CA because they AI they try to put into their games has to be incredibly complex. I don't think they could add a few months to dev time and get any real improvement. I don't think they will rush the game out either. They seem to be nearing the end of development now with some time left to iron out the bugs.

That's pretty much my thoughts; I'm willing to overlook the odd AI eccentricity because it seems to me that programming a really competent battlefield AI is a formidable task. The results may not be fantastic but I'm not aware that anyone else is doing a better job.

Of course, it's a bit off that the AI seems to have gotten worse as the series has progressed. But I have high hopes for Empire, from the noises CA have been making about the AI they seem to have really put a big emphasis on it this time.

**Martok** · 10-01-2008, 21:16

Originally Posted by katar

is this game still coming out with SecuRom?... if so then the game is dead to me before i even think of buying it.

CA has yet to make an announcement either way. They've hinted a couple times that -- because of SecuROM's immense unpopularity -- they're working on an alternate scheme for copy protection. There are thus far no details on it, however.

Originally Posted by CrossLOPER

56 year old death bug ftw. Did anyone else think that added even more strategy to the game?

Not for me, no. The bug was a little too easy to "game" IMO, much like how some players will deliberately prepare for the Golden Horde's arrival in in 1231 by stationing strong garrisons either in or near Khazar/Georgia/Armenia. I much prefer a little more uncertainty.

**justplayon** · 10-02-2008, 19:24

i agree take your time, though the sooner the better, cant wait

**Mikeus Caesar** · 10-03-2008, 18:06

Oh, and I could only drive it three times.

Just a point - kind old EA now let us drive our car five times. Very nice of them.

But yes, i do hope CA take as long as they want. Obviously, they work for a big company like Sega, that will only tolerate pouring money into CA for so long, but hopefully the time they're allowed is time enough to make a quality game.

I'm not putting my hopes too high (lest they be shot down, ala Spore), but they're still pretty high for ETW.

**TheDruid** · 10-08-2008, 11:18

never had that problem :) always bought MTW, RTW and M2tw as budget versions :P
Empire will be my first one to buy right after release.
(well except for cm08 and Kane & Lynch)
The problem with buying them that quick is that you have too wait long beforethe next one comes out lol

**JeromeGrasdyke** · 10-08-2008, 14:45

Originally Posted by Martok

CA has yet to make an announcement either way. They've hinted a couple times that -- because of SecuROM's immense unpopularity -- they're working on an alternate scheme for copy protection. There are thus far no details on it, however.