Empire Total War -- Special Forces Edition

[Martok]

Well this is interesting:


Link

In a time when a soldier’s life could be given easily and quickly, it took extreme courage and determination for a true hero to forge a reputation for themselves.

Whether through harsh and highly disciplined training, generations of successful military tradition or world-leading technology, the units available as part of the Empire: Total War Special Forces Edition are among the very best of the best.

The Special Forces Edition introduces six of the most influential military forces of the 18th Century. True to the period, these exclusive elite units become available on the campaign map via a certain faction or once a specific geographical region is under control.

Each elite unit brings with it the potential to open up dramatic new strategies and turn the tide of your campaign. A cornerstone of your Empire’s land or naval forces, each has the potential to be used to decisive and devastating effect.

The following elite units are included as part of the Empire: Total War Special Forces Edition. This premium packaged edition for aficionados of the Total War series comes complete with an illustrated campaign map and unique Steam unlock code. Once the game is installed and verified by Steam, players can enter their code and unlock these elite units which will then appear in the single player game.

HMS Victory:
The Royal Navy’s most distinguished and formidable first rate ship of the line; Lord Nelson’s 104 gun flagship is one of the most heavily armed ships of the 18th Century.

Rogers’ Rangers:
Major Robert Rogers’ company of rangers are highly trained elite light infantry, specialising in reconnaissance and special operations. They are extremely mobile in even the most challenging environments.

Ottoman Organ Gun:
A viciously powerful field gun, able to inflict incredible damage on the opposing army. Emphatic proof of the Ottoman Empire’s advanced knowledge of gunpowder and firearms technology.

Ghoorkas:
"Better to die than be a coward" has been the motto of these elite Nepalese soldiers for centuries. Disciplined, tough and courageous, they carry a deadly 18-inch long, curved knife known as the kukri.

Corso Terrestre Guerillas:
An independent light infantry guerrilla regiment, experienced in skirmish and stealth tactics. Surprise raids and ambushes are the guerillas’ favoured tactics, a way to compensate for their limited number and light armour.

Bulkeley's Regiment:
A French unit of Irish mercenaries with a fearsome reputation for hardiness. Exceptionally tough and resilient, they make for a highly flexible and dependable regiment.

[Mailman653]

In other words if you put down extra cash for the Special Ed, not only you get a nice box and other fancy stuff, you get special units that might not get included in the normal version. Hmm....
Well, at least the article states this is SP only, that would prevent any unfair advantages in MP between people with the SE and the normal version


Decisions, decisions decisions...

[batemonkey]

i don't like it, too gimicky

[rajpoot]

By the soundof it, the units are there in all versions, but you need a special code from the special forces edition to unlock them.............kind of.....funny........what of the modders? They tinker around with game files, what if one of them unlocks the units? Will it be illeagel? Or piracy?

[Mailman653]

I recall a game like that not too long ago, I forgot what it was where if you pre-ordered it you got access to some special item or map, and once it was released modders eventually figured how to get without the pre-order code. If I'm not mistaken, the publishers eventually included the special pre-order content in a patch I think.

[Pantsalot]

I recall a game like that not too long ago, I forgot what it was where if you pre-ordered it you got access to some special item or map,

It's a variety of places like play & Amazon that you can pre-order it from, it's shown on a list
in the pre-order section of the Empire website. The item you get for pre-ordering is US ship
called the USS Constitution.

I like the special edition units & it's good their adding something that will actually make me want
to get it instead of just posters & stickers & a nice shiny box. But me & another 70% of the world
personally h8 the US so I don't like what's included in the pre-order, Y don't they make it something
like a new mercenary unit? or a unit that all countries may have? I'm never going to play as US but
I may fight them..

Nice to hear that they're making a demo & you will only need to install with the disk & won't need to
play with it

[Marius Dynamite]

I won't buy it out of principle.

I don't mind buying special editions for things like artwork, but the actual software shouldn't be touched.

[darrin42]

Interesting? I think its a bloody disgrace! Just another money making scheme. They could just as easily, put them units into the normal game. Deff shall not be buying this.

[Martok]

I have to admit, I'm halfway tempted to get the SF Edition (assuming it's available here in the U.S.) simply for the box art. It looks much cooler than the regular cover. I've also always liked the idea of a paper map, even if it is superfluous -- I'm just a sucker for maps.

[Praxil]

I'm pretty sure that there will be someone who will quickly get these units out as an mod. And that probably doesn't take more than an hour to provide the link to download this mod.


Anyway, I find this way to make money highly questionable. This is a low blow in my opinion, and doesn't make any good for the reputation of the developer and the publisher.

I'm starting to think that maybe the game isn't that good after all. Exactly this kind of ways I can think of, if I'm not confident in my games ability to sell itself as an great game. I got great examples, Battlefield: Bad Company and upcoming Call of Duty: World at War.

I have to admit, I'm halfway tempted to get the SF Edition (assuming it's available here in the U.S.) simply for the box art. It looks much cooler than the regular cover.

I agree.

[edyzmedieval]

I always buy the Collectors Edition/Special Edition because I love to see the artwork that has been made, the cooler box and also the extras that come with it. I have TW Eras and M2TW Collectors, and I was very happy with both of them.

[Praxil]

I actually like Bad company a lot, it's a great game and they made most of the preorder etc weapons available for everybody now, just go to the official site where they have posted the unlock codes.

They did that, because some people opened their mouths. No comments on the game though, since I haven't even played it. Though, after the demo I didn't see any reasons to buy the thing.

Each elite unit brings with it the potential to open up dramatic new strategies and turn the tide of your campaign. A cornerstone of your Empire’s land or naval forces, each has the potential to be used to decisive and devastating effect.

Hmm... Interesting. How did they balanced this crap? What, does this strategy game have now scaled difficulty? Or are they just for role-playing? So basically by getting these wonder units, I'm making this game sort of a bit easier for me? Whoppee!!! Yeah, like it's going to be that hard. I'm confused here. Not only that, you must use Steam to unlock them? Looks like crap to me. I thought that this developer were pro. I mean, I understand when they are asking money for some new suit or something like that in Sims kind of games or whatever, but this is strategy game after all. I'm probably just overreacting... No I'm not.

I like the box art though...

[hellenes]

I'm pretty sure that there will be someone who will quickly get these units out as an mod. And that probably doesn't take more than an hour to provide the link to download this mod.


Anyway, I find this way to make money highly questionable. This is a low blow in my opinion, and doesn't make any good for the reputation of the developer and the publisher.

I'm starting to think that maybe the game isn't that good after all. Exactly this kind of ways I can think of, if I'm not confident in my games ability to sell itself as an great game. I got great examples, Battlefield: Bad Company and upcoming Call of Duty: World at War.





I agree.

Then expect the IP protection Nazis coming this modders way...Oh and welcome to capitalism....where exploitation of the masses is on the daily agenda...

[Megas Methuselah]

You're scaring me, Prax.

Anyways, I'd buy the SF just for the map to hang on my bedroom wall. However, I hate the bonus units, though. In my opinion, it's almost like the old fantasy units(Roman Samurai, anyone?) from RTW.

*shudders*

Whatever, I still want the game. Nothing changing that so far.

[Martok]

In case some of you are wondering what happened to your posts, I split off the discussion about Steam and the most recent Gamespot article to a new thread. That way both topics can get their day in the sun.

[Fisherking]

The land units are all of historical interest to me and the two naval units mentioned online have value to me too.

I don’t know if there are unnamed units of these types in the game and these are just named elite units or if they are only available with the SF edition or other editions and if/when they will be included in the overall game.

So far as I have been able to find there is still nowhere you can preorder the SF edition or a price tag for it.
(I found it at play.com for 34.99 pounds and they say they are knocking off 10 pounds pluss the extra unit)

With some of these I just wonder if it means that other Irish and Scottish units will be included in the French Army and a whole lot more questions pop into my mind…

Does it mean that special land, sea, & artillery units are provided for each faction, or can be moded in, like say Ferguson’s Rifles or Marian’s Guerillas and so on…or that CA will add them as the game goes on???? Say like the Castle of the week for Stronghold…

Anyone else feel like speculating?

[The Outsider]

ok now i have done some research on this obviously in addition to 6 exclusive units u also get one additional unit depending on where u order from, in case of amazon.co.uk, u get amazon fighters which r female musket and saber wielding warriors from western africa, if u order from Game u get a special cavalary for french, and also theres the ship as mentioned before.

[Fisherking]

ok now i have done some research on this obviously in addition to 6 exclusive units u also get one additional unit depending on where u order from, in case of amazon.co.uk, u get amazon fighters which r female musket and saber wielding warriors from western africa, if u order from Game u get a special cavalary for french, and also theres the ship as mentioned before.

Great! You get amazons from amazon! The cool part about that is that I didn‘t think that that part of Africia was going to be playable.

Were there more detaled descriptions of those units that someone could post here?

Does anyone think that these codes can be shared or will they be just a one to a coustimer thing?

[Belgolas]

It has been stated several times at totalwar.com's forum that there will be 2 campaings. One just on the americans and another for the rest of the game. And as far as I know for EVERY single faction you can basically get 2 different factions. If you get a revolt playing as lets say spain then you could choose between either side. So USA is not the only emergent faction if the grand campaign. You can not start off as the united colonies at the beginning of the game because they don't exist. You have to have certain requirements/events to happen first.

Anyways maybe I could have a Canadian emergant faction :p.

[Polemists]

It has been stated several times at totalwar.com's forum that there will be 2 campaings. One just on the americans and another for the rest of the game. And as far as I know for EVERY single faction you can basically get 2 different factions. If you get a revolt playing as lets say spain then you could choose between either side. So USA is not the only emergent faction if the grand campaign. You can not start off as the united colonies at the beginning of the game because they don't exist. You have to have certain requirements/events to happen first.

Anyways maybe I could have a Canadian emergant faction :p.

I believe your right but this raises a question, what to call the other factions. I mean sure when 13 colonies revolt they get the 13 Colonies label. What happened Austria rebels, are we just going to see a faction called Austrian Revoultionists? I mean we are entering some unchartered historic water here.

[LadyAnn]

Like the kensai in S:TW/MI, the whole army in MP will be composed of special force units...

Annie