3D Units and Faction Info Over At the Official Empire Site

[Polemists]

Yes,

My basic understanding about emergent factions, is that once they arise you can choose to stick with current faction or join them.

The only true example we have is 13 colonies, where if they rebel you can either join/choose to play as the 13 colonies, or remain as England. I would assume it would be the same for Ireland and the other factions.

Emergent factions are usually quite unique and I'm sure there are enough people who may enjoy playing them to be curious. For instance, if the Spainish area of North America rebelled during the same time frame the Brittish one does, it would be interesting to see a New Spain v 13 Colonies, even New France v 13 Colonies would be amusing.

You are technically right the map dosn't drastically change but CA is careful to point out that was a historic choice. The pieces are in place that the map *can* change drastically. I mean this is the time of England booming, now yes everyone grabbed all the land before the 18th century, no doubt. There is the possibility though for any nation to rise, and CA has pointed out there is more then one way to *win* this time.


As for

since the homeland's probably basically going to be invulnerable to attack from an AI-controlled mainland Europe).

I doubt that, while I don't think the AI has improved drastically I'm pretty sure there will be europe v europe at some point.

[Sheogorath]

I doubt that, while I don't think the AI has improved drastically I'm pretty sure there will be europe v europe at some point.

You mean the AI won't be the Godlike all-knowing, telepathic, superprocessing, alpha-and-omega, awesomeness based off the cloned brains of Napoleon, Suvurov, and Nelson? It won't be able to predict the future, solve world hunger, end war, and invent a newer, safer, more reliable wheel?
We've been LIED too!
Shame, CA. Shame.

In all seriousness, it's good to know, at the very least, that the good ol', "Errant captain leading an army consisting of a single pox-ridden peasant, armed with a stick and missing an arm, who feels like it's time to show you the what-for besieging one of your cities" shtick has been dealt with.
Funny how it took them two games to deal with that >_>

Still, it'd be nice to see some unique units in this little list they've got going. Next up will be 'musketeers' or something. Give us something interesting, ya slobs!

[Fisherking]

Ya!
One might think that with only 70 something days left and some 50 factions, be they playable or not, assortments of land units, ships of all kinds, technologies, and buildings, they could be releasing something every day and still have things to surprise you with when you load up the game.

[Arcana]

I keep hearing word on emergent factions: You get the option to play as them once they emerge. Let Martok confirm this.

Surely, that would defeat the purpose of trying with your original faction? If I wanted to, for example, play as the Thirteen Colonies, I would surely not waste time making Britain strong, especially in the Americas. I'd probably just disband the entire military over there to make my life a lot easier when I became the Colonies...

I'm not saying it's a bad idea, I just see it as being a tad abusable.

[Polemists]

You could do that, though disbanding would just put more money in your packet and why AI takes over they will spend, spend, spend.

I mean yes you could, but it's my understanding only two ways to play as 13 colonies is to either play the 13 colonies road to freedom campaign, or play as british and then choose 13 colonies as emergent faction when they revolt.

Which means to my knowledge only way you can play as Ireland is either mod or to start as England.

[Martok]

I keep hearing word on emergent factions: You get the option to play as them once they emerge. Let Martok confirm this.

Actually, aside from the 13 Colonies, I've not heard anything about being able to play emergent factions. It would be great if we could, of course, but thus far CA hasn't said anything about whether or not we can play as them.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Oh, Martok! You owe me a cake, btw.

What -- do you have a death wish?? Because I guarantee food poisoning would be in your future if I were to make you a cake.

Surely, that would defeat the purpose of trying with your original faction? If I wanted to, for example, play as the Thirteen Colonies, I would surely not waste time making Britain strong, especially in the Americas. I'd probably just disband the entire military over there to make my life a lot easier when I became the Colonies...

I'm not saying it's a bad idea, I just see it as being a tad abusable.

Well the caveat is that emergent factions only *might* show up -- and then only under the right circumstances/conditions. So if you're playing as Britain and you deliberately sabotage yourself in an effort to get the U.S. or the Irish to emerge....but then that faction fails to appear, you'll have done a great deal of damage to your own faction for no gain.

In any case, I think we're jumping the gun on this issue. As I just said, there's been absolutely no indication from CA that these emergent factions will even be playable (except for the U.S.).

[Pinxit]

Actually, aside from the 13 Colonies, I've not heard anything about being able to play emergent factions. It would be great if we could, of course, but thus far CA hasn't said anything about whether or not we can play as them.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

What -- do you have a death wish?? Because I guarantee food poisoning would be in your future if I were to make you a cake.

Well the caveat is that emergent factions only *might* show up -- and then only under the right circumstances/conditions. So if you're playing as Britain and you deliberately sabotage yourself in an effort to get the U.S. or the Irish to emerge....but then that faction fails to appear, you'll have done a great deal of damage to your own faction for no gain.

In any case, I think we're jumping the gun on this issue. As I just said, there's been absolutely no indication from CA that these emergent factions will even be playable (except for the U.S.).

What could you possibly gain from letting the United States emerge if you are playing as GB?

[Megas Methuselah]

Actually, aside from the 13 Colonies, I've not heard anything about being able to play emergent factions. It would be great if we could, of course, but thus far CA hasn't said anything about whether or not we can play as them.

... No... Way. I've been hearing so much about civil wars and political uprisings in this forum (i.e. This) that it would be an utter dissapointment from not being able to play as emergent factions. Sure, maybe we won't be able to play as an Irish emergent faction or something, but we HAVE to be able to be given the option to pick sides in a political uprising that determine your faction's form of government!



I am also in the opinion of Martok gifting me a cake, no matter the consequence.

[Martok]

What could you possibly gain from letting the United States emerge if you are playing as GB?

Well I imagine folks who want to play as the U.S., if nothing else....

... No... Way. I've been hearing so much about civil wars and political uprisings in this forum (i.e. This) that it would be an utter dissapointment from not being able to play as emergent factions. Sure, maybe we won't be able to play as an Irish emergent faction or something, but we HAVE to be able to be given the option to pick sides in a political uprising that determine your faction's form of government!



I am also in the opinion of Martok gifting me a cake, no matter the consequence.

I think we're suffering from a miscommunication here:

When I talk about emergent factions, I'm referring to those that can become their own separate country (U.S., Ireland, Scotland, etc.). It is *those* factions that -- with the aforementioned exception of the United States -- I have doubts as to whether or not they'll be playable.

If your faction has a civil war or revolution, however, then yes we'll get to choose which side we want to play as. That's not changed.

[Polemists]

You'd think with it pratically being December and there game coming out early early Feburary we could at least get some confirmation on game features.

I mean come next monday it's 6 days and 2 months and the game releases.

I mean for a while it was great with screenshots, and dev diaries and what not, but then it all kinda died.

I mean yes, knowing we can build a trade house is fascinating but how about confirming game features :P

[Megas Methuselah]

If your faction has a civil war or revolution, however, then yes we'll get to choose which side we want to play as. That's not changed.

()

[Martok]

You'd think with it pratically being December and there game coming out early early Feburary we could at least get some confirmation on game features.

I mean come next monday it's 6 days and 2 months and the game releases.

I mean for a while it was great with screenshots, and dev diaries and what not, but then it all kinda died.

I mean yes, knowing we can build a trade house is fascinating but how about confirming game features :P

I'm not sure how much stock to put in it, but one of the administrators over at the official forums said CA is supposed to be releasing the 4th gameplay movie next Friday. Apparently, it's going to focus on the new diplomatic system.

If this is indeed the case, then I will be very much looking forward to it.

[Polemists]

So are we talking Friday Nov 28 or Dec 5 friday?


That sounds AWESOME.

Hopefully that will answer most of my remaining questions.

I'm also hoping Dev Diary 5, cause i think we only get 5 will cover Governments, Rebellions, etc.

official forums said

Maybe, but I still think our forums beat the official forums anyday of the week :P

[Arcana]

I mean for a while it was great with screenshots, and dev diaries and what not, but then it all kinda died.

I smell release push-backs...

[Polemists]

I dunno, I don't think CA has been to bad on release date delays in the past.

Did shogun have a delay? or some other total war game?

To my knowledge I can't remeber any significant release delays.

[Martok]

So are we talking Friday Nov 28 or Dec 5 friday?

Nov. 28, apparently. I'll still believe it when I see it, but I remain cautiously optimistic.

[Polemists]

woot time to do the Empire total war dance of joy :)

[Megas Methuselah]

I dunno, I don't think CA has been to bad on release date delays in the past.

Did shogun have a delay? or some other total war game?

To my knowledge I can't remeber any significant release delays.

If they feel the game needs to be delayed, then so be it. I'd rather have a playable game than a rushed, buggy one.

[Martok]

I dunno, I don't think CA has been to bad on release date delays in the past.

Did shogun have a delay? or some other total war game?

To my knowledge I can't remeber any significant release delays.

Apparently, Rome was delayed a full year. It was supposedly originally slated for 2003, but CA requested more time (which Activision granted).



And I second Methuselah: I'd rather CA took their time and I wait another 6 months, if that meant the game would be reasonably bug-free.

[Mailman653]

I'll take the buggy game and a day one patch Every game has bugs, some are worse than others.

[Polemists]

yea, as much as I want a good game, I do want a game. Sometmes developers over do it with the whole release date delay thing.

Well in one article I remeber it was predicted Empire Total War was coming out Mar 08, so I guess you could say they delayed this a year to lol, though they did say that article was wrong.

The game looks plenty playable so i'm not to worried.

[Martok]

I'll take the buggy game and a day one patch

You wouldn't necessarily say that, depending on how buggy a game actually is. Also, CA has never released a day-one patch for a Total War title -- it usually takes them several weeks (if not months) to do so -- so I would be awfully surprised if they had a release-day patch for Empire.

Given that, I would *much* rather they take their time and get it right.

The game looks plenty playable so i'm not to worried.

Unfortunately, that's not a good barometer by which to measure things: Just because it *looks* playable, doesn't mean that it actually is. Rome looked very playable in 2003, yet it was still buggy when it was released a year later. Many would say the same about Medieval 2.

Don't get me wrong -- I'm still looking forward to ETW. But there's a good reason why I won't purchase it until at least the first patch is released. (Indeed, that's pretty much my policy for all the games I buy now.)

[Polemists]

Well I think that depends who you are. This community is very critical, in a good way, so they see the flaws in a game and write e-mails, and patch.

The large part of casual gamers though don't do much with games (they don't mod them, they don't apply mods, and they only patch if it's a online process, aka game pops up telling you there is a newer version and to patch.)

I thought RTW and MTW2 were both playable and just fine, I never thought they had almost any bugs, and recieved very high reviews and very few mentions of bugs by reviewers.

I'm sure there will be bugs when it releases, there's always some, you can't stop that. If the game is playable though, and fun, it's probably just fine by me, for those of you who will wait until a patch, your not even getting it on release day so it hardly matters the condition they release it in since you'll wait until they fix it. My thoughts.

Oh and what's up with the Empire Total War newsletter, I don't think i've got any of them in the past couple months, are they just not coming?

[Sheogorath]

Fortunately, CA doesn't seem to be the sort of company that releases unplayably glitched/broken games. While, given, they tend to have balance issues and some annoying bugs, they're usually good enough to entertain without crashing every ten minutes.
I, myself, was quite pleased with MTW2 on day one.

[Sir Beane]

The Dutch have been confirmed, and added to the OP. Also I threw in the minimum system specs for good measure.


United Provinces

The United Provinces are a Protestant stronghold in North-western Europe, a place where science, trade and freedom of thought have flourished since the Spanish were driven out in the last century. Having tamed their land and held back the sea, the Dutch have also embraced the sea and become the foremost naval power in the world. A mere generation ago, the Dutch navy sailed into the Thames and burned the English fleet at anchor: this kind of bravado and expertise is not quickly forgotten.

Dutch merchantmen range across the world’s oceans, and the wealth of the world passes through Dutch ports. Dutchmen can be found trading in the Indies, where they give the locals a run for their money, and the Caribbean. They are everywhere, in fact, where there is a profit to be made. Spanish claims to the New World and its trade are cheerfully ignored, as are Spanish threats. The Dutch have learned to live with Hapsburg threats hanging over their heads. Having beaten off brutal attempts to bring them to heel, the Dutch now have little love for Hapsburg-ruled Spain or Austria. A distant Catholic emperor holds no appeal for them. An expansionist France, on the other hand, does bear watching, and guarding against.

Other rivals close at hand are now less of a threat than they used to be. The British have been… tamed is too strong a word… brought to their senses by having a good, honest Dutchman on their throne. William III of Orange was an acceptable Protestant ruler for the British when they needed one. His presence has done much to calm relations, especially as the equally-mercantile British have designs on world trade that should rightfully be Dutch!

For the future, the Dutch have much to be hopeful about. They have a strong navy, and a tradition of victory. There is wealth aplenty in every corner of the world, if only the Dutch have the will to go and take it!

Here are the minimum specs for Empire: Total War:

2.4Ghz single core processor
256MB Gfx card (DX9 compaitble)
1GB RAM (For XP, 2GB if using Vista)

[Sir Beane]

Russia has been confirmed! Rejoice all you Russophiles. This should make Monk happy.


Russia

“Muscovy”, as its rulers have previously called it, is a sleeping giant, with age-old traditions and ways of doing things. Here, the feudal way of life has become so entrenched that the serfs are as tied to the land as cattle, and with almost as few rights. It is a vast, deeply conservative and religious country: Mother Russia and the Orthodox Church are the two pillars of national belief. The Tsar may be the father of his people, but by tradition and practice he is a stern parent. Ivan the Terrible was well named, and he has not been the only ruler with an iron will. Russia needs a strong hand controlling the “Third Rome”, the true home of Christianity (according to the Orthodox Church) after the fall of Byzantium.

Now, however, Russia is changing, awakening. It is beginning to look outwards, towards the best that the rest of the world has to offer in terms of ideas, culture and might. These things must be introduced carefully, to avoid the ills of free-thinking that beset some Western nations. When Russia does fully realise its strength, however, it will be formidable indeed. It has boundless resources to draw upon, and the steadfast courage of its people to bolster its armies. It can be a formidable foe, and a difficult one for an enemy to attack. One thing that Russia does have is endless space, and the lack of apparently defensible frontiers actually becomes a defence in itself. Invaders can be lured deep into the steppes, and left to the mercies of “General Winter” and Russia’s endless, empty lands.

To the west lies the wealth of Europe and access to the wider world through a port on the Baltic. That the troublesome Swedes are in the way is a bonus, for they will have to be crushed! To the south, there are fellow Slavs and Orthodox Christians in the Balkans to be incorporated into a Greater Russian empire. The infidel Turks have lands and wealth aplenty too, but possibly the strength to defend them.

And beyond, there is a wider world awaiting conquest by the sons of the Mother Russia.

[Sir Beane]

Ack no! A double post! But it seems it can't be helped.

After a drought of new info CA have released some another 3D unit over at the Official Site. Ladies and gentlemen I present to you:


Mamluks

Mamluks are fearless light horsemen, deadly when deployed against a broken or unsupported enemy.

Mounted on tireless light horses and armed with scimitars, they are commonly employed to harass an enemy force, restricting its space to manoeuvre easily. Once battle is fully joined, they will often time their charges to coincide with those of a supporting infantry unit, seeking to break the enemy quickly then wreaking havoc amongst them as they flee.

Mamluks were traditionally slave soldiers of the various caliphs and sultans of the Middle Ages, captured as children and raised in the Islamic faith to provide their master with a force of men unconnected to any other part of the hierarchy. Over time, the Mamluks accrued power of their own and even went as far as seizing control of Egypt; they founded a Mamluk Sultanate in 1250. Though the Mamluks’ strength enabled the Sultanate to repel several invasions by Christian crusaders and Mongols, it was eventually overpowered by the Ottoman Empire in 1517. The Mamluks so came into the service of the Sublime Porte.

And we also have a new Russian faction feature!


Russia

“Muscovy”, as its rulers have previously called it, is a sleeping giant, with age-old traditions and ways of doing things. Here, the feudal way of life has become so entrenched that the serfs are as tied to the land as cattle, and with almost as few rights. It is a vast, deeply conservative and religious country: Mother Russia and the Orthodox Church are the two pillars of national belief. The Tsar may be the father of his people, but by tradition and practice he is a stern parent. Ivan the Terrible was well named, and he has not been the only ruler with an iron will. Russia needs a strong hand controlling the “Third Rome”, the true home of Christianity (according to the Orthodox Church) after the fall of Byzantium.

Now, however, Russia is changing, awakening. It is beginning to look outwards, towards the best that the rest of the world has to offer in terms of ideas, culture and might. These things must be introduced carefully, to avoid the ills of free-thinking that beset some Western nations. When Russia does fully realise its strength, however, it will be formidable indeed. It has boundless resources to draw upon, and the steadfast courage of its people to bolster its armies. It can be a formidable foe, and a difficult one for an enemy to attack. One thing that Russia does have is endless space, and the lack of apparently defensible frontiers actually becomes a defence in itself. Invaders can be lured deep into the steppes, and left to the mercies of “General Winter” and Russia’s endless, empty lands.

To the west lies the wealth of Europe and access to the wider world through a port on the Baltic. That the troublesome Swedes are in the way is a bonus, for they will have to be crushed! To the south, there are fellow Slavs and Orthodox Christians in the Balkans to be incorporated into a Greater Russian empire. The infidel Turks have lands and wealth aplenty too, but possibly the strength to defend them.

And beyond, there is a wider world awaiting conquest by the sons of the Mother Russia.



Six down and six two go! Who will make the cut? Will it be the sleeping giant Wales? The ever popular and powerful Falkand Islands? Or maybe a suprise comeback by the old favourite The Republic of Easter Island and Other Places Named After Holidays?

I'm so excited!

[Mailman653]

"General winter"......does that mean weather will actualy play a big role in planning a campaign? There is a huge difference between invading Russia in the spring than the winter.

[Sir Beane]

"General winter"......does that mean weather will actualy play a big role in planning a campaign? There is a huge difference between invading Russia in the spring than the winter.

Maybe it does mean weather will play a bigger role, however it's just as likely that it's a throwaway comment to add flavour to the faction feature. Since weather has never previously been much of a factor, and since no preview or interview so far has mentioned it, I wouldn't get your hopes up.

[Sheogorath]

Huzzah!

I do hope they don't go overboard with 'General Winter', if that is an actual in-game effect.
But I also don't want to end up in another argument about it. :|