Three new previews!!

[Mount Suribachi]

Less micro management: One of the hassles of the Total War series since Rome (which introduced the concept of tile-by-tile moving units on the campaign map instead of the province-to-province, Risc style of Shogun and Medieval 1) was the many single-unit armies you were commanding: In order to get reinforcements to the front, you had to send them there. And although you could just tell them their target spot and wait until they reached it, they still cluttered the map. Empire Total War will have a different approach: Here, generals are calling for reinforcements, and they will be sent to them automatically from their home cities. You'll be able to see that reinforcements on the map, but in a way which makes clear that they are no active units, yet. In order to get reinforcements to your field armies, they need to be "land linked" to at least one of your cities. So after a naval landing, without securing a town on the same isle or continent, you won't get those reinforcements. By this new system, Creative Assembly wants to ensure that there are less playing pieces (Armies) on the campaign map, but each being meaningful. It will be still possible to split your armies, though.

Oh Joy! Does this mean the end of all those annoying battles against 1,2 or 3 enemy units? Soooo tedious and a waste of time - but you can't autoresolve them because of the high losses your 12 unit stack suffers. I'm only interested in the proper battles

[rajpoot]

But imagine, just imagine what if everything CA has said about this game comes true, what if every damn flaw in the previous titles is cleared away in this one..............I mean I don't set much store by optimism, but yet, just imagine.....what a game it would be!!!! Just thinking about it makes me dizzy with happiness :D

[anders]

that would indeed be a good thing India, but I wouldnt get my hopes too high. then again, the preview reports seem very promising.

[Sheogorath]

Oh Joy! Does this mean the end of all those annoying battles against 1,2 or 3 enemy units? Soooo tedious and a waste of time - but you can't autoresolve them because of the high losses your 12 unit stack suffers. I'm only interested in the proper battles

I got annoyed with those to the point where I was just auto_win'ing them. Technically cheating, but to me, it doesn't count if you're going to win anyway :P

Of course, sometimes it is fun to watch your king's personal army of elite cavalry and infantry utterly crush that unit of one-armed peasants the computer sent after you.

[Monk]

The two things I was hoping for in Empire was quite simply:

1. Improved AI.
2. Better and more in-depth Diplomacy options.

Until very recently both were only talked about except for using very vague language or the kind that a regular schmuck like me couldn't quite grasp. After these three previews, the gamers Global in particular; I have to say that for the first time I feel genuinely excited about Empire. After being a fan of the series since the STW days, when all we had was 3 states of being (ally, neutral, enemy) i've been wanting to see a full on diplomacy model that had an authentic feel. Rome and M2 came close to this, but the reputation system was bugged and we still didn't have enough options.

I'll say this. That if the AI in Empire is improved and can not only use the new diplomatic options but exploit them and really use them to it's advantage - watch out! We may have a true challenge awaiting us. We can only hope.

[Jolt]

Let's see if Portugal gets included as a playable faction as they should. Being one of the very few nations who could actually boast having a multi continental colonial empire.

[Sheogorath]

Let's see if Portugal gets included as a playable faction as they should. Being one of the very few nations who could actually boast having a multi continental colonial empire.

Aside from the British, French, Spanish, Ottomans, Dutch, Russians, and Oman, right? :P

[Martok]

Indeed.

However, let's not derail the thread into a discussion of which factions should/will be playable. (I started a separate thread for that.)

[Jolt]

Aside from the British, French, Spanish, Ottomans, Dutch, Russians, and Oman, right? :P

Exactly so. Only 8 nations.

[batemonkey]

After my British game, i think the dutch would present quite a challenge, stuck between the british navy and the french army. I can't wait to send my fleet out to capture strategic pinch points across the map