Empire: Total Nerd

**Bellicin** · 08-18-2009, 21:45

Greetings!

I'm a longtime fan of the Total War-series who's been eagerly awaiting Empire: Total War to get a) cheaper on the market and b) patched up so it's more playable than what appeared to be the case at release. So, as a steady lurker on these forums I noticed that this would be a place to get informative, mature and relatively insultfree answers to any questions I have about the game. Here goes:

* How do the armies function on the campaignmap compared to Rome?
As I spent a majority of my time in Rome sending armies here and there for reinforcing I've been looking forward to a smoother approach, and I heard that this might've been implemented in Empire.

* Have they replaced the old diplomats from Rome with any new characters or is the diplomacy simply run from a popup window or similar?

* Do you know any good litterature or films about the era (or aproximately the 18th century) that you can recommend?
Yeah, it's a bit offroad, I know. Being a Total Nerd I kinda like to get the feeling of the game's era before and while playing, and I'm pretty new to the age of Empire, if you pardon the reference to a lesser game.

Kind regards

PS Seeing as this is my first post I apologize in advance if this is offtopic or strays from any rules.

**Fisherking** · 08-18-2009, 21:59

On the campaign map the armies are pretty much the same. Generals can recruit troops and then they are built and move to the general, but you may find it easier just to do it your self.

Diplomacy is indeed a window, so no sending the little guys hither, thither, and yon to not get much done anyway...but you will still not get much done as there is hardly anyway the AI will make peace and tons of ways they involve you in wars.

If you are looking at military aspects of the period there are lots.

I don’t know what best gives the feel of the period though...

For thrills and adventure there is the Sharpe series and Hornblower but they aren’t really that great on strict historical accuracy.

**pevergreen** · 08-18-2009, 23:02

Wahey! Welcome to the .Org.

Fisherking has explained it pretty well, I can't add much apart from this:

Enjoy your stay

**Servius** · 08-19-2009, 01:40

ETW is lightyears ahead of RTW. At least in my opinion, RTW was the low point in the series. The introduction of a 3D game without the programming behind it to handle it.

ETW has essentially fixed all of the problems related to the transition to 3D and the new campaign map. Many other aspects of the game have been streamlined (like diplomacy) or expanded on (like trade). I've also noticed that the in-game tool tips are a lot more helpful and there's a lot more details available in the interface than there used to be, so that may excite the nerd in you.

ETW's biggest problem, as always, is the AI. The diplomatic AI has been acurately described as the Black Knight from Monty Python's Holy Grail. It's very stupid in that it constantly makes decisions that are not in its best interests AND are very irksome to the player. The campaign map AI is vastly improved from RTW (no more headless, 1-2 unit stacks randomly roving around the map for years) though it's no strategic genius either. I can't really comment too deeply on the battle AI. It's better than RTW I think. I don't really remember M2TW much at all anymore (a pity really)

**Tsavong** · 08-19-2009, 11:16

Originally Posted by Servius1234

ETW is lightyears ahead of RTW. At least in my opinion, RTW was the low point in the series. The introduction of a 3D game without the programming behind it to handle it.

I agree RTW and I didn't get on I got the game then went back to MTW with the XL mod heh.
I like the intercept zone they added to armies and navies in in ETW it was all to easy in RTW and M2TW to just avoid armies you did not wish to fight.

I think the battle AI is improved in ETW I had a AI army come out of a fort in a battle after I took down a wall with artillery and it realised it could not win the artillery duel

**Slaists** · 08-19-2009, 14:26

Let's be frank. The battle AI is a joke in ETW. The campaign AI is a disaster due to the described Black Knight Syndrome and the fact that the AI has no clue how to earn money via trading/building up economy (i.e., following the game's rules). The only thing that keeps it afloat is scripted cash injections.

**batemonkey** · 08-19-2009, 14:34

I just read Marlbourgh 'Britain's greatest general' who was doing his stuff in the early part of period.

It gave me a real taste of warfare in the age, counter manouvre, bloody seiges, grand aliiances.

Unfortunatley it also showed me how inadequate ETW is in portraying any of these at all

**Bellicin** · 08-19-2009, 17:43

Thanks for all the replies! It would appear the game is worth trying out, even it could use a twink or two before perfection ;)

Any book with a title including the words "greatest generals" has my full attention, thanks for the tip!

Kind regards

**Durallan** · 08-20-2009, 14:41

The Hornblower Novels or the Video Series if you want to get excited about the Napoleonic Expansion or naval warfare or playing the brits and fighting the french, or being the french and fighting the british!