Suggestions Compiled

[al Roumi]

In the vein of developing Joint/allied offensives, I'd like to suggest and extra couple of diplomatic options:

1. Declare war on [someone]
2. Target [x] region/city
3. Target [x] trade route/port

2 & 3 could be assigned on a "per theatre" basis -so each theatre has a different focus of operations.

The list could be extended to defensive operations too, e.g.: "Defend region/trade port".

These should help coordinate genuinely joint efforts between allies rather than the current "you cover my back, I'll cover your's" agreements and "oh! fancy meeting you here chaps" type military campaigns.

[SMZ]

great idea - i've always noticed how frustrating it is that you can't actually ask your ally to help you in a specific place, but didn't even think of that lack when making this list - but yes, that is a huge annoyance... and makes "allies" of dubious worth much of the time

your first suggestion was already at #16, so I added the next two at #17

[Forward Observer]

Empire appears to be the first total war game where the weather is just graphic window dressing, and it really bugs me to no end to have to fight a battle in a pouring rainstorm with black powder weapons. It is basically a total immersion killer for several reasons

1. Armies consisting of troops armed with black powder weapons (muzzle loading flintlock small arms and artillery) tended to not fight in such conditions since it would quickly render their weapons useless.

2. Commanders would have little or no visibility to aid in controlling their armies.

3. All would become mired up in the resulting mud--especially artillery and supply wagons.


Suggestion:

They need to add back the feature that has been in every other total war game to date--and by this I mean to add back the option for the player to delay the start of a battle in an effort to avoid unfavorable weather and at the same time make the weather realistically affect battlefield conditions.

Cheers

[aimlesswanderer]

The suggestions about getting Allies to do something specific are welcome, but they really need to improve AI.

Eg 1

My protectorate Italian States joined me in war with Spain. Italian States is bordered by Venice (peace), Liguria (Spain, war, 1 unit), Genoa (peace), and Naples (Spain, war, no units). Italian States have a full stack, but do they do anything with them, say by attacking defenceless South Italy? No, they just sit around watching the grass grow. Their fleet does something, but their army is unable to move anywhere. It is extremely rare for your allies to move even a single unit into neighbouring enemy territory even if they outnumber them by a large margin.

Eg 2

Different game. My protectorate Savoy is, as usual, at war with France. They have a full stack, and decide to all head for France. However, there is a half stack of French troops 3 squares away from the Savoyard (?) capital, and so, unsurprisingly, Savoy is destroyed next turn. Good going guys.

Eg 3

Different game. As Poland I have vacuumed up Prussia, Austria, the Balkans, and half of Russia. I am by far the most powerful and richest country. Denmark, who have lost Norway, declare war on Hannover, my protectorate, so we are at war. They just sit around in Copenhagen, until I burn down their school. The purpose of the war was what exactly?

Same game, about 10 years in UP declare war on my protectorate Courland, despite them not even having a port, and not being at war with any of the UP's allies. Huh?

[al Roumi]

Eg 3

Different game. As Poland I have vacuumed up Prussia, Austria, the Balkans, and half of Russia. I am by far the most powerful and richest country. Denmark, who have lost Norway, declare war on Hannover, my protectorate, so we are at war. They just sit around in Copenhagen, until I burn down their school. The purpose of the war was what exactly?

I've seen the same sort of behaviour you report, but the above example is probably Denmark's army getting stuck on the land-bridge. I've never seen it taken by anyone, and we all know how Sweden spends the game in a perpetual state of war with Denmark...

I've really only seen the Gibraltar land-bridge used.

[SMZ]

updated with the great point about weather