No ETW Demo with latest PC Gamer mag

[Stiboo]

Hi all

I'm a long time reader but first poster, and a veteren TW player, i've been watching the demo thread with great joy, and when this month's PC Gamer magazine dropped through my door earlier my heart jumped at the thought of just maybe...the demo might be inside...but no...no...BAAAHHH

But it did have the first review of ETW that i've seen, and gives it 94% and a MUST purchase recommendation, the only negative points are the feeling of the sea battles and the problem controlling the sea battles, everything thing else was superb !

Regards to you all !

[Polemists]

Okay I know some of you hate spoilers but could someone who does not hate spoilers do a scan or something or this article. I'd like to read it, and sadly they don't sell the mag where I live.

Thank you

[Sir Beane]

Okay I know some of you hate spoilers but could someone who does not hate spoilers do a scan or something or this article. I'd like to read it, and sadly they don't sell the mag where I live.

Thank you

Actually scanning the magazine and posting it online is very likely a breach of copyright, and therefore not allowed here.

It would not be illegal for someone who has read the magazine to give us a summary in their own words however.

[Nelson]

Actually scanning the magazine and posting it online is very likely a breach of copyright, and therefore not allowed here.

It would not be illegal for someone who has read the magazine to give us a summary in their own words however.

Roger that.

Upon release there will be many more articles. We will need to respect everyone's property rights.

[Stiboo]

Hello again

didn't have much time to write much earlier, the PC Gamer review is not online yet, so will not post the whole thing, PC Gamer are big TW fans and one of the first to have the MTW2 demo, the back page of this issue tells what will be in the next issue (12th March)- but still no mention of the demo, so i'm assuming the DEMO will only be direct from Sega or Steam ?

the important snippits of the review that interested me -


1700 - 1799 in 6 month turns



" there had been rumblings about TW being simplified for the US market, especially with the mini campaign Road To Independence, but don't think the complexity of the main game has been sacrificed, ETW is more and better than we've had before, CA do not seem to have shirked their responsibility, or stepped back from including more features or more detail"

" The trade routes arc around the huge main map, the core map stretches from Iceland on the top left to Sri Lanka on bottom right, red yellow and green status marks show you who you're sharing a sea-route with and how threatened you are, Pirates camping the route will need to be physically removed. The trade routes snake off into the rest of the world, including the 4 trade regions - S America, Ivory Coast, Straits of Madagascar and the E Indies, these are purely coastal regions in which fleets can be placed to generate money, it's then down to diplomacy and the grit of your admirals to keep them open"

" The AI turns remain achingly slow...."


" An empire can have up to 4 educational establishments....one of the new agent types is a Gentleman, and these can be installed in schools to speed up learning, this means you can push industrial, military, agricultural, or social research at different levels. In fact the tech tree and research process is one of the areas ETW seems to have nailed down best. Early races into particular areas of tech really do pay off, especially when you combine them with diplomacy, trading tech supremacy with your friends, this truly is a multi-layered game of cold blooded strategy"

" CA intend to make the campaign map multiplayer, this feature won't ship with the game, but within a couple of months you and a friend could be taking on the Ai nations"

" Naval combat although spectacular is unconvincing...I think there's a reason why there are so few naval combat sims, and even fewer good ones, it's a deeply difficult task, and CA have done the best that the game template will allow"

thats all for now folks!

[Mailman653]

Can someone explain the 99 years in six months thing?

[CBR]

Can someone explain the 99 years in six months thing?

It says 6 month turns so two turns a year.


CBR

[Fisherking]

Well it is interesting. Thanks for presenting it to us Stiboo!

Sounds like they were not ecstatic over the naval combat.

The game seems to have depth to it though.

It’s going to be a long 25 days before we can judge for our selves though.

[Ituralde]

Thank you for the Summary it is much appreciated.

Although I have to confess it always baffles me how game magazines feel competent enough to judge a game of the scope and size of Empire: Total War one month prior to its release.

[Mailman653]

It says 6 month turns so two turns a year.


CBR

Thanks!

[Sir Beane]

Many, many thanks to you Stiboo!

Tech trading with allies sounds fun .

The review actually made a mistake, if the far left of the map was Iceland then North America would not be in the game.

[Alexander the Pretty Good]

" The AI turns remain achingly slow...."

Hopefully they just don't know about the "don't follow AI" feature (that is to say, hopefully such a feature has been included as in the other games).

[quadalpha]

What's the PCG policy on review discs? Does this mean it's finished/release ready?

[The Fuzz]

It's a bit worrisome that the main feature that CA has been pushing (naval battles) is the part of the game PCG took issue with...

[mp84]

What's the PCG policy on review discs? Does this mean it's finished/release ready?

Well, I am not sure how it is for PC Gamer (UK) ..

But PC Gamer US policy is reviewing finished product only.

however, over the last couple of months that policy has slightly changed to gold games they get from the publisher that says "reviewable"

which is why you were able to see a DoW 2 review for last months PC Gamer (US) and the game is not even out yet.

I'm sure the UK counterpart has a similar policy.

MP

[Pinxit]

The review actually made a mistake, if the far left of the map was Iceland then North America would not be in the game.

Oh no, its there, but you cant trade with it .

More seriously: I believe they are saying that the main trade route which smaller routes connect to goes from Iceland, heads south, passes Africa and reaches Sri Lanka. That does not exclude the US, but simply ignoring the Pacific.

[Fondor_Yards]

" CA intend to make the campaign map multiplayer, this feature won't ship with the game, but within a couple of months you and a friend could be taking on the Ai nations"

Is this a joke? The whole game was delayed a month for a feature we probably won't get till July/August? What was the point in holding the release back if it's that far away from completion? Am I the only one upset by this?

[Sir Beane]

Is this a joke? The whole game was delayed a month for a feature we probably won't get till July/August? What was the point in holding the release back if it's that far away from completion? Am I the only one upset by this?

I don't think this is new info for most of us. CA's original message about the delay mentioned that Campaign multiplayer would not ship with the game.

It's a shame, but getting it late is better than getting Empire late.

[Pinxit]

I don't think this is new info for most of us. CA's original message about the delay mentioned that Campaign multiplayer would not ship with the game.

It's a shame, but getting it late is better than getting Empire late.

Its not like we dont have anything to do while waiting

[Stiboo]

and finally now my typing finger has recovered,

Land battles from the PC Gamer review..

" The battlefields are vastly more detailed than before, especially around towns, with the smaller scale details now coming into effect in the form of battlefield defences, use of buildings by troops, and accurate cover. Battles play out more convincingly than in previous games, thers's still some errant unit activity, but i've seen little evidence of units sitting around waiting to be killed, or getting lost, not perfect but certainly more robust. The harder AI has been an absolute bastard to take on, enemy generals work to split your ranks, or funnel you into firing line of cannons, or to avoid your flanking tactics, they'll drive through your lines and then fan back around, attempting to split and isolate your troops. When firing from buildings and harrying your troops with veteren skirlmishers it starts to feel like a more mature game....only a few units - certain cavalry, pikemen, and some foot soldiers of undeveloped nations go without gunpowder.... the possibility for battlefield variation is more wide open than ever, and consequently even more engaging"

"...I cannot do anything else other than play ETW compulsively, obsessively...I've still been overwhelmed with desire to keep spreading my flag across this glorious, beautifully detailed map. Hell you're lucky to get a review at all! If I had my way I'd be getting on with that invasion of India right now...."

The only other thing to say is....


pleeeaassseee give me the DEMO !!!!

I can't take much more waiting...sob...groan.....scream...bite dog..woof....dog bites me back...sob....

[Durango]

and finally now my typing finger has recovered,

Land battles from the PC Gamer review..

" The battlefields are vastly more detailed than before, especially around towns, with the smaller scale details now coming into effect in the form of battlefield defences, use of buildings by troops, and accurate cover. Battles play out more convincingly than in previous games, thers's still some errant unit activity, but i've seen little evidence of units sitting around waiting to be killed, or getting lost, not perfect but certainly more robust. The harder AI has been an absolute bastard to take on, enemy generals work to split your ranks, or funnel you into firing line of cannons, or to avoid your flanking tactics, they'll drive through your lines and then fan back around, attempting to split and isolate your troops. When firing from buildings and harrying your troops with veteren skirlmishers it starts to feel like a more mature game....only a few units - certain cavalry, pikemen, and some foot soldiers of undeveloped nations go without gunpowder.... the possibility for battlefield variation is more wide open than ever, and consequently even more engaging"

"...I cannot do anything else other than play ETW compulsively, obsessively...I've still been overwhelmed with desire to keep spreading my flag across this glorious, beautifully detailed map. Hell you're lucky to get a review at all! If I had my way I'd be getting on with that invasion of India right now...."

The only other thing to say is....


pleeeaassseee give me the DEMO !!!!

I can't take much more waiting...sob...groan.....scream...bite dog..woof....dog bites me back...sob....

I really appreciate the effort, lots of thanks

(On waiting: I could probably wait 25 years for ETW if it was promised to be the perfect game. Balance, AI, atmosphere and replayability that makes gods weep, and stuff. But then again, I won't be able to play ETW at release anyway, so a sort of Zen-like calm descends over me regarding demos and everything.)

[Incongruous]

Finally, affirmation on the quality if land battles, it sounds as if CA have really done a good job this time, with an AI that uses real tactics such as the dividing of an enemy line and setting up fields of fire

[Polemists]

Thanks for all the great info, the game sounds spectacular as I expected :)

As for Naval Combat, this is CA's first step in that direction, so I think anyone who expected a flawless naval combat simulator were setting there sights a little to high. It's playable, it works, and it's fun and for me that's what matters in the end.

Ai sounds more interesting as does tech tree and land combat.

On waiting, if it took 25 years to make a game every company would go bankrupt, kind of hard to pay your employees once every 25 years

It's a good game, it got very high marks, nothing is perfect and i'm sure some people will gripe regardless but for me it's just fine.

So bring on the demo.

Yes to my understanding the only way to get the demo will be through steam, and i'm sure when it's out steam will plaster it all over there front page.

[Megas Methuselah]

" The battlefields are vastly more detailed than before, especially around towns, with the smaller scale details now coming into effect in the form of battlefield defences, use of buildings by troops, and accurate cover. Battles play out more convincingly than in previous games, thers's still some errant unit activity, but i've seen little evidence of units sitting around waiting to be killed, or getting lost, not perfect but certainly more robust. The harder AI has been an absolute bastard to take on, enemy generals work to split your ranks, or funnel you into firing line of cannons, or to avoid your flanking tactics, they'll drive through your lines and then fan back around, attempting to split and isolate your troops. When firing from buildings and harrying your troops with veteren skirlmishers it starts to feel like a more mature game....only a few units - certain cavalry, pikemen, and some foot soldiers of undeveloped nations go without gunpowder.... the possibility for battlefield variation is more wide open than ever, and consequently even more engaging"

Oh, God help me...

[Polemists]

Lol, a few other tidbits I saw on other websites while browsing

Ports can be fisheries, trading ports or military ports.
The Knights of Saint John are a small faction which have Malta
Missonaries are a campaign map unit


This was taken from the UK PC gamer article, not sure if it's any different then the US one.


I found ports most interesting but apparently lots of people are excited that knights of malta are included. I assume as a nonplayable faction.


It sounds awesome...now if only I could play it..in some demonstration like form

[knoddy]

lol very subtle pole, i would assume fishery would give a pop growth bonus, trading port would give more trade routes and possibly trade fleets and military would give better fighting boats.


interesting i thought only 2 non combat camp map units, gentlemen and scoundrels or w/e they were called this is the first i heard of there still being a religious campaign unit on the map.

[Vuk]

Hi all

I'm a long time reader but first poster, and a veteren TW player, i've been watching the demo thread with great joy, and when this month's PC Gamer magazine dropped through my door earlier my heart jumped at the thought of just maybe...the demo might be inside...but no...no...BAAAHHH

But it did have the first review of ETW that i've seen, and gives it 94% and a MUST purchase recommendation, the only negative points are the feeling of the sea battles and the problem controlling the sea battles, everything thing else was superb !

Regards to you all !

The Euro PC Gamer mag did not have the demo? Hhmmm...that is weird, my US version has the demo. It is pretty good.

[Polemists]

Either Vuk is fibbing.......or he inviting you all to his house to go play the demo haha :)

So Vuk, what does the demo include exactly, since you say you have it?

The good news is if the demo was included in us version, those of you in states have a easy way to get the demo (Go to your closest mag store and buy the issue)

For the rest of us, hopefully in a day or two steam will post it up anyhow.

Though i'd hold up rushing out and buying the mag with CD until Vuk confirms he does indeed have the demo (by giving us details).

[Vuk]

lol, I am fibbing. :P Poor old Vuk is demoless like everyone else. :P

[Polemists]

Vuk has betrayed the honor of the demo legions. Demo legionares....you know what to do.



In happier news, as game gets closer, so does the possibility of our...demonstration possibilities