Getting around in Empire

[Sir Beane]

I was wondering if they are going to include the trade winds, so if you sailed the way you would in real life your ships get there quicker than if you just, say, sailed in a straight line across the atlantic?

Using them would mean you get there quicker and they act like the terrain in the land campaign map and help create points in the oceans where your more likley to be found/find the enemy rather than randomly sailing up and down the map untill you bump into someone

That is an extremely good idea, but sadly one that is probably too 'complicated' for CA to consider including. If tacking wasn't included in naval battles because people found it confusing then trade winds certainly won't.

On the campaign maps ships will probably act like they have engines, able to sail wherever they want, whenever.

[Sol Invictus]

CA definately mentioned a Transition Zone between the Atlantic and the Indian Oceans.

[pevergreen]

I think it will be just a genereic off screen thing, your ships enter, and travel the distance, but you can't see them. when they have passed the distance, they will appear on the edge of the map you sent them to. It takes out micromanagement and streamlines vast distances. If two opposing fleets use the same area, I believe there will be an option to attack or avoid.

[Polemists]

Well my understanding is your merely move your fleet to the edge of the map and then they go to wherever. At least last I read.

So I don't think it's everyone sail to this specific corner, rather you just sail in that direction and then at a certain point you'll probably be asked where you want to sail.

As for speed, sailing has to take a turn, CA has no other time frames. There are no in between turn actions. I guess they could make ships able to move twice or three times in a single turn but I doubt that.

CA has stated countless times that travel in this game is much faster. So while it's not instanteneous obviously or every nation would be attacking every other in a heartbeat, I think travel may be 2x or 3x faster.

Admirals do have traits and stats, just like generals. It was in a article, I can't remeber which one tho, read through some of the recent previews.

[Fondor_Yards]

There has been a bit of confusion as to how exactly players will get from Europe to India and vice versa, since South Africa is said not to be included in the game. How exactly will players get to India?

There will be transition zones between theatres. You sail into the transition zone, and some time later your ship arrives in the next theatre. To sail from Europe to India, for example, you would sail to the Canary Islands, transition of the Ivory Coast, transition of the Straits of Madagascar, and then transition to India. If you simply select India as target destination, your fleet will do all this automatically, but it can be intercepted on the way.

For you silly folks who don't go to both forums.

[Fisherking]

There will be transition zones between theatres. You sail into the transition zone, and some time later your ship arrives in the next theatre.

Thanks Fondor Yards! I couldn’t remember where I had read it.

I sure hope it is not going to take years to get to India, or any place else for that matter.

Now if someone can point me at the parts about Admirals I would be grateful.

[Sir Beane]

Thanks Fondor Yards! I couldn’t remember where I had read it.

I sure hope it is not going to take years to get to India, or any place else for that matter.

Now if someone can point me at the parts about Admirals I would be grateful.

I'll see if I can find something to confirm Admirals for you Fisherking. I think they wre mentioned in one of the interviews.

I wouldn't worry though. It would make no sense for Admirals not to be in game. Afterall CA need some way of having command ability affect naval battles. And since they are hyping up the naval combat side of the game admirals are almost a certainty.

[batemonkey]

That is an extremely good idea, but sadly one that is probably too 'complicated' for CA to consider including. If tacking wasn't included in naval battles because people found it confusing then trade winds certainly won't.

On the campaign maps ships will probably act like they have engines, able to sail wherever they want, whenever.

Too true, thats what i thought as i composed my message

shame though as capturing the leewards was going to be one of the first things i did!

still the transition stages will see some a lot of action

[Fondor_Yards]

Well admiral wise, there is this. In the 3/5 trailer, you can see in the french navy before it attacks the british one, are 3 units. 2 are SOL I think, or some I don't know. But the 3rd is the admiral *why isn't he at the front of the stack that he's leading like a general? very odd* by the name of Antoine-Laurent de Costentin. He has 2 stars, which I assume are his total command rating. He has 47 men in his unit, compared to the 37 of the other two.

And now that I'm looking at a big screen of it, you can also see the left side hull health, right side hull health, and sail health of all three units right there on the campaign map. So apparently specific damage done to a ship will carry over between battles.

[Megas Methuselah]

*why isn't he at the front of the stack that he's leading like a general? very odd*

You can probably pick which boat you want to put your admiral on. There's probably more units in his boat 'cuz it's a bigger boat than the other two.

[Polemists]

why isn't he at the front of the stack that he's leading like a general? very odd*

Well since CA has stated that Generals no longer lead armies as a battle unit perhaps it's the same for admiral. Perhaps he works best when his ship is in the back giving orders rather then charging at the fore front.

Plus most screen we've seen are beta, so could be they plan on changing it.

[Megas Methuselah]

Well since CA has stated that Generals no longer lead armies as a battle unit perhaps it's the same for admiral. Perhaps he works best when his ship is in the back giving orders rather then charging at the fore front.

Polemist, old friend! It's good to hear from you again!

However, I am inclined to point out a fatal flaw in the expanse of your understanding. You must understand what Fisherking meant was that the General was not in the first slot of the unit cards at the bottom of the screen in the campaign map, not that the General was not at the forefront of the battle line on the high seas in the battle map. What the general was not in life was what he was not in death, do you not understand my not-with held Nottingham knowledge was did not originate in Nottingham, as it did not come from England at all!

Enjoy life, my friend! Now, to the drinks and women! Woot woot!

[Fondor_Yards]

Well since CA has stated that Generals no longer lead armies as a battle unit perhaps it's the same for admiral. Perhaps he works best when his ship is in the back giving orders rather then charging at the fore front.

Plus most screen we've seen are beta, so could be they plan on changing it.

Huh? Generals still lead the armies as they always have. They still have their special general guard of various sizes and can die in battles. And I meant he wasn't the first unit in the army when you look at it in the campaign map.

[Polemists]

Well my understanding may not be supberb.

However CA has stated in a interview, and I don't remeber which one. That generals will now not be as useful in combat as in previous games. They will die far easier, they are not as armored, etc.

Basically the idea, that generals are now just a normal unit of soldiers, not a uber unit of elite guards.

There was even a whole topic on these forums about how people were scared that now a few sharpshooters could just randomly kill a general and troops would route.