Empire: Total War Summary Thread

[rajpoot]

Woha!!! That's a real time battle shot??!!
This is just so awesome!

[Herkus]

Some new unseen Screenshots with usual navy warfare :P
http://www.canardplus.com/jeux-833-e...total_war.html

[Martok]

Interesting. I kinda like the last screenshot, with the one ship's rearward mast breaking and falling towards the water.

That said, I wish we would get some more screenshots of the land battles and campaign map. Even better would be hearing some info on diplomacy and AI.

[Csargo]

That said, I wish we would get some more screenshots of the land battles and campaign map. Even better would be hearing some info on diplomacy and AI.

Agreed.

[Rhyfelwyr]

That screenshot with the building is amazing. Can't wait to fight through the streets during sieges...

Although it is a little strange why some soldiers are not sheltering behind the walls.

[Flying Pig]

Is artillery going to be divided into cannons, horlwitzers and mortars? Because you can keep a mortar behind youyr line, but trying that with a cannon would be messy ! Ouch!

Can't wait to show those Frenchies why Britannia Rules the Waves!

[Captain Fishpants]

Is artillery going to be divided into cannons, horlwitzers and mortars? Because you can keep a mortar behind youyr line, but trying that with a cannon would be messy ! Ouch!

Can't wait to show those Frenchies why Britannia Rules the Waves!

There will be guns, howitzers, mortars, carronades (in naval battles) and a couple of other things that you'll find intriguing on the artillery side of things.

I've said too much.

I'll be locked in the cupboard for the rest of the day.

[rajpoot]

Please say a little bit more, when are we going to have the next comprehensive update? I jump everytime I see anyone has made a post in the summary thread, and have been dissapointed each time.

[aimlesswanderer]

As long as the diplomacy is actually linked to the military AI and you don't get things like:

- "we'll invade you with 1 our peasant VS your stack of knights". When the smallest, crappiest faction attacks you with a force which couldn't fight a militia unit.
- stacks of troops from neutral factions who either roam your lands or just camp near cities, and you can't get rid of the buggers without declaring war. There should be a "get your troops out of our lands" option in the diplomacy screen. If they don't you should be able to attack them without a reputation hit.
- being able to choose the faction heir, so the stupidest, most useless relo isn't always the next Faction Leader
- there are often times when I didn't want to wipe out a small faction, but the idiots attacked me and wouldn't quit. Total War is all well and good, but I don't want to have to attack every single faction I have a border with

If they can fix those problems I'm sure it will be a great game. All the previous games have been great, this will hopefully continue the trend.

[pevergreen]

I have no doubt all of that will be fixed.

[Belgolas]

you should update the first page....
http://pc.ign.com/articles/866/866990p1.html

The time span is going to be from 1700 - early 1900. So that means even the first world war might be in it.

[Jack Lusted]

you should update the first page....
http://pc.ign.com/articles/866/866990p1.html

The time span is going to be from 1700 - early 1900. So that means even the first world war might be in it.

That's not what the article says, Empire will go from 1700, and carry on through the 18th century(eg the 1700's), and touch on the 19th century(the 1800's).

[Matt_Lane]

That's not what the article says, Empire will go from 1700, and carry on through the 18th century(eg the 1700's), and touch on the 19th century(the 1800's).

Hay Jack, don't you know its Saturday, don't tell me SAGA have got you working weekends this far from the launch date. Back to topic, when is CA going to come off the fence with the time period and replace terms such as 'touch on the 19th century' with the game finishes at '18XX'

[Jack Lusted]

I'm at home and in due time should answer your 2 questions.

[PBI]

we have dragoon units -- mounted men that you can order to dismount and fire and attack the enemy as infantry. Then you can order them to mount up again and chase across the field on horseback.

We have artillery units, some of which can be limbered up and moved around the field at speed by teams of horses.

Units can hide behind walls and deploy various protective devices; we've also added occupiable buildings, and you can order units inside them on the battlefield.

The campaign map for example is treated in a completely different way, and is no longer based on Rome's grid system -- it's completely freeform. We've also taken buildings out of the region capitals and placed them on the map itself, so they are visible at a glance, easily upgradeable straight from the map -- and they are individually attackable.

I'm still intrigued as to exactly how this will work; I suppose I'm just going to have to wait and see.

the gunpowder magazine can be hit, wiping out the ship in a massive explosion

This worries me a little; will it be possible to have my brilliant battle plan go catastrophically wrong because a lucky shot blew up my flagship at the very start?

The campaign map now encompasses not only the whole of Europe and the middle-East, but also North America and the Caribbean, and the Indian subcontinent.

Does this mean South America and South East Asia are definitely out?

[pevergreen]

I have heard quite a few people say the game will end at 1820.

[Martok]

I have heard quite a few people say the game will end at 1820.

Yeah, I've read that in a number of places as well. In fact....

The game is set in the years 1700 to the early 1800’s, a turbulent age of gunpowder, revolution, discovery and Empire Building.

Granted, it doesn't list the exact end-date, but it does correspond with what has been said elsewhere. Here's the link for those who want to read the whole thing.

[Belgolas]

That's not what the article says, Empire will go from 1700, and carry on through the 18th century(eg the 1700's), and touch on the 19th century(the 1800's).

whoops my bad. Ah still going to be awesome though I would like my trench warfare :p.

Anyways this game is looking better and better with every single piece of info we get.

[Jedi Bruno]

Aaaahh... The more I hear about those artilleries, the more I can smell those burnt frenchies...
I just love barbecue!


One thing I would like to see is better formation options. Maybe even a customizable formation. That would for sure help to deal with the terrain. And stop with those annoying formation bugs.

[pevergreen]

First post completely redone. Much easier to read.

[Csargo]

Looks great pever

[Herkus]

New video about ETW
http://www.sega.co.uk/games/?g=238&v=696
And also new blog entry
http://blogs.sega.com/totalwar/2008/...-mo-cap-shoot/

[Praxil]

Is the music on the background of the recently released motion capture video from the Empire: TW soundtrack? Question is directed at the developers.

About the music in that video, sounds good to me whether it's in the soundtrack or not.

I wonder who is behind the soundtrack in general... If one of the names happens to be, Jeff van Dyck. Well then I know what to expect, an enjoyable soundtrack!

[mikec1088]

This worries me a little; will it be possible to have my brilliant battle plan go catastrophically wrong because a lucky shot blew up my flagship at the very start?

Probably, but as far as realism goes, I think that's a good thing. After all, lucky shots and the like did happen in real life, and perfectly-conceived battle plans often were screwed up terribly once the battle actually happened, so it would certainly make the game more interesting.

[rajpoot]

That doesn't sound good to me. Such lucky chances were one in a million, even lesser I believe. Quite like a large rock from a trebuchet hitting the enemy general, and that has happened too often to be realistic with me.

[PBI]

Indeed, I'm no expert but it is my understanding that the gunpowder magazine was designed to be almost impossible to breach; the only cases I've read about were instances where the ship was already heavily damaged and on fire, and the crew were unable to stop the fire, rather than a cannonball breaching the magazine directly. In fact, would that even cause it to explode if it did happen, unless the cannonball were heated?

Though it should certainly be possible for one side to get lucky and kill the admiral, a la Nelson at Trafalgar. I'm just a little concerned that it will be happening in every battle.

[Rick]

Indeed, I'm no expert but it is my understanding that the gunpowder magazine was designed to be almost impossible to breach; the only cases I've read about were instances where the ship was already heavily damaged and on fire, and the crew were unable to stop the fire, rather than a cannonball breaching the magazine directly. In fact, would that even cause it to explode if it did happen, unless the cannonball were heated?

Though it should certainly be possible for one side to get lucky and kill the admiral, a la Nelson at Trafalgar. I'm just a little concerned that it will be happening in every battle.

I agree. Lucky shots didn't sink a ship in the age of sail. They did sink much quicker when shells were used instead of cannon balls, but even then the target ship would take several hits before it sunk.

I understand it did quite a bit in the age of the pre-drednaughts.

[PBI]

I agree. Lucky shots didn't sink a ship in the age of sail. They did sink much quicker when shells were used instead of cannon balls, but even then the target ship would take several hits before it sunk.

I understand it did quite a bit in the age of the pre-drednaughts.

I wonder whether these will sneak their way in to the late game?

[rajpoot]

They're sure to have a lot of weapons and techs ingame. I'm sure they're having primitive machine guns in the game, the shells are going to be there too.

[mikec1088]

That doesn't sound good to me. Such lucky chances were one in a million, even lesser I believe.

Oh well don't get me wrong, I certainly wouldn't want it to happen with any regularity. However, I do think that if somehow it was randomized in such a way that it would only happen very, very, very rarely, it would be a good thing, just to simulate the "one in a million chance" of happening in real life.