In praise of the game.

**Owen Glyndwr** · 06-15-2009, 21:06

Originally Posted by Turbosatan

I love it when you post something like this, it literally saves me five minutes typing almost exactly the same thing, with the proviso that if it was me typing it I'd probably lose my rag thinking about over-privileged whining people & insult someone whilst you are always so polite!

Cheers mate!

PS: Added to which, people are so short-sighted they genuinely cannot see that however "offended" or "alienated" they are -- which of course says more about them than anything, that a computer game could affect them so -- that the changes that they demand & wax so righteous over are things which wouldalienate & offend a much much larger group of people were those features implemented.

Gnaaarrrggghhhhhh.

Well put man! Be happy that we have a product like this at all! Appreciate the time and hard work put into this stuff. And, based off looking at the Daily Update at the Com thread, be happy that they are making a concerted update every day to make this game as good as it possibly can be.

**Razor1952** · 06-16-2009, 02:37

I would like to add my voice to this. I recently intercepted a Barbary Galley with my brig and though it was a lopsided battle I marveled at the beautiful graphics ( even on my laptop) as I boarded the galley and took it as a prize. These small battles allow one to zoom in and enjoy the detail.

**peacemaker** · 06-16-2009, 08:10

one on one, two on two, even two on one, I still lose naval battles

i guess im just a bad admiral. For people like me, it presents a massive challenge compared to the relatively easy land battles(get fire by rank and you steamroll the campaign for the first 50 or so years)

**Xipe Totec** · 06-16-2009, 10:54

I've spent a whole lot of time on computer games since the 80's, and overall most have limited long term appeal. Either they are too easy to challenge or become boring and repetitive. Worst of all for me are 'mission' type games where you are shunted along a predestined path. Since I first played MTW I have spent more gametime on the total war series than all other games combined. The combination of inter nation turn-based strategy and fast-paced battle immersion has always kept my interest.

In contrast, capturing mysterious resource production sites and churning out dozens of kamikaze sprites with green health bars on the top in an exhausting click-frenzy makes me want to unplug the PSU forever.

The Total War series has broken the mold of rts games again and again. When it works ETW is a beautiful creation, combining the best elements of earlier games with graphics so sophisticated they often blow my 'came with the machine' graphics card to ruin. At first the sheer complicatedness of the strategy map made me feel like a lost child, until I learned to understand the many whirling animations.

The Naval battle struck an immediate chord with me and those responsible are to be congratulated on a superb implementation of an exceedingly challenging and complex world. The first time I lost a full stack of ships to a pirate fleet I knew I was in a real contest. It may lack the sophistication of sailing a real ship, but I don't have one of them. Or a battery of howitzers in my back garden.

Come on you whingers: this game is good by any standards. Yeah the AI armies need to run around and reform less and get on with attacking if that's what they are going to do. Sometimes they do it rather well and I almost start to worry about losing, which is enough stress for me.

Not many people have mentioned the genius of the science tree. This adds much to the desire to keep a long campaign going, and allows more choice of playing style. I think ETW is a huge leap forward from M2TW, which I felt was bogged down in repetitive slug-fests with regenerating Milanese crossbow militia and endless spear wielding peasants who took weeks to kill, but never did anything but mill about aimlessly. And annoying Popes.

Now I must get back to my Prussia campaign to see if my steam ships can evade the pirates in the Caribbean. I want to drop quick lime on those buccaneer sons of bitches!