Another Gamespot preview

**Martok** · 12-20-2008, 10:24

Link

One thing at least some people will be happy to know: You can, in fact, ram enemy ships in the naval battles. I quote a brief passage from a battle being fought by the article's author....

and one enemy ship-of-the-line, seemingly out of desperation, rammed our heavy frigate head-on, smashing the tip of our vessel's forward hull to splinters.

I hope that ramming will indeed be more of a maneuver born of desperation (and not a truly valid "regular" tactic), but it's good to know that it's being included.

**Fisherking** · 12-20-2008, 11:10

There was quite a bit more information on the details of the game, for once.

You have an idea of some of the technical advancements which seem to be subdivided by subject or disciplines.

A couple more of the Indian Nations were mentioned along with a few of the provincial names.

Nothing yet over rifles vs. muskets, though it is sure to be there in some form or another.

**Sir Beane** · 12-20-2008, 21:35

The description of naval battles was nice, as was the info on the campaign map. It went into more detail than most.

As for ramming. It sonds like a fun way to liven up a tedious battle where the enemy have sent a fleet of Sloops and you have a couple of First rate lineships.

**Megas Methuselah** · 12-21-2008, 01:22

Yes! This is going to be my trademark strategy! PREPARE TO RAM!!!

**Fisherking** · 12-21-2008, 02:02

Yes but, you saw what the heavy Frigate did to the British line. A squadron of four of those might be enough to out maneuver and chew up a larger force without becoming decisively engaged.

Lighter or faster ships that can cross a T and with draw before being engaged can really mess up your whole day.

**PBI** · 12-21-2008, 02:13

Plus, of course, good news from the point of view of ancient Greece/Rome mods.

**gollum** · 12-21-2008, 02:39

*Empire does have rock-paper-scissors-like unit balancing in that light infantry handily beat militia, heavy infantry beat light infantry, and pike emplacements beat cavalry (which we remembered only too late after hastily steering some of our dragoons around some fenced-off emplacements to cut off a routed enemy squad's retreat...only to get gored).*

Great rock-paper-scissors - it gets better with every release methinks

!it burnsus!