NTW: Special Forces Edition. Why?!? CA, why... :(

[KLAssurbanipal]

CA do not know the words of honor and dishonor

look this picture:

[gollum]

Its because TW fans do not know the words "boycot sub-standard products"...

[Fisherking]

The last one did very well in sales. Why wouldn’t they do it again?

There are always those who will spend a bit more to have some extras. Heck, look at the options in the auto industry.

It is just business.

[gollum]

Originally posted by Fisherking
It is just business.

When you are designing and creating a game - that is, something that by definition has the purpose to entertain, challenge and educate (through the process of learning it if not through nothing else) and you treat it first and foremost as a product and apply in its design and development process marketing principles something is really wrong, if you ask me.

It is "just business" for those who are getting a cut in the profits, so unless you happen to be one of them i can't see how can you take it that way.

[pevergreen]

They are there to make money. This is a product. If a person is willing to spend a little bit more to get a little bit more...

Are you going to start protesting against collectors editions for every game released? If not, then what is the difference.

[gollum]

I'm sorry Pevergreen.

[antisocialmunky]

:-\

Don't know why people are complaining. You don't have to buy it. The last special edition game I bought was in 2000 and gave me a OST. The last special addition I even remotely considered buying in a long time had some crappy but functional Light Amplification Goggles.

Maybe if it came with a hat like Napoleon wears on the box that you could actually wear I'd buy it.*hint*hint* :)

[gollum]

I'm sorry antisocialmunky.

[KLAssurbanipal]

All types of units should be in the original game. They should not ask for additional money from us for other soldiers....

[gollum]

Its just business King Louise Assurbanipal, since you're not going to protest for every game that has a special edition, let it go. They just want to make money, a little more and a little more and a little more. It doesnt matter, since other industries are doing the same greedy practices so it happens in this one. Give it a rest. And in the end of the day you can just not buy it. Dont protest.

[KLAssurbanipal]

I would like to buy all units but... standard price (as Rome TW or Medieval 2 TW).
I don't like CA's policy after EMpire TW....

[antisocialmunky]

Yeah its lame, but oyu cna mod units in eventually.

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

More DLC, meaning that they won't release modding tools because (in my overly cynical mind) they don't want us to recreate the units that they should have given us for free in the first place. I never buy DLC, and I probably won't buy Napoleon at all because of this, unless it gets very good reviews - from players.

[pevergreen]

Yeah its lame, but oyu cna mod units in eventually.

Unsure of legal standing, but one can presume its forbidden.

As sent 09/03/09 (third month of the year, this is a proper date format. )

Hi pevergreen,

Could you and the rest of The Guild moderators please remove any links to Special Edition/Pre-Order unit unlocking mods.

Thank you.

I had asked CA's official standing on the issue, since this was at the time of people talking and freely giving out the method to unlock the units. Presumably it has since been patched out.

However, since we are a fan site, we live by their leave.

As I understand it, the .Org's position is to not allow discussion on how to unlock them.

Please understand, I'm not attacking anyone, I'm saying this all in a neutral voice.

gollum: Come on. Apologising?

Think about how much you buy a game for.

Here? $100.

Retail stores buy it for say, 40-60. Maybe less

So, SEGA sell it for that much.

CA get, lets say, half. $20

So for each copy sold, the get (maybe) $20 AUD. A game that takes multiple years to build. Many people, computer upgrades, software etc etc etc

DLC skips a stage and brings money to them. CA are a good developer, they actually talk to their fans. Can you see EA listnening and posting in a fan forum?

[Krusader]

DLC skips a stage and brings money to them. CA are a good developer, they actually talk to their fans. Can you see EA listnening and posting in a fan forum?

Why would EA care? They aren't developers, they are publishers. Plus its EA again with its reputation. CA might talk to fans, but compared to Bioware as an example I wouldn't say too much.

Regarding Special Forces Edition, I'm not surprised and neither will I scream bloody murder as CA sees a way to earn more bucks. In their defense it seems there are 15 extra units instead of 6 in NTW Special Forces.
Anyhow, I will not buy NTW until it hits bargain bin and that is if other players say its worth it. Only reviewers I barely trust these days is Rockpapershotgun.

[antisocialmunky]

Unsure of legal standing, but one can presume its forbidden.

As sent 09/03/09 (third month of the year, this is a proper date format. )



I had asked CA's official standing on the issue, since this was at the time of people talking and freely giving out the method to unlock the units. Presumably it has since been patched out.

However, since we are a fan site, we live by their leave.

As I understand it, the .Org's position is to not allow discussion on how to unlock them.

Please understand, I'm not attacking anyone, I'm saying this all in a neutral voice.

gollum: Come on. Apologising?

Think about how much you buy a game for.

Here? $100.

Retail stores buy it for say, 40-60. Maybe less

So, SEGA sell it for that much.

CA get, lets say, half. $20

So for each copy sold, the get (maybe) $20 AUD. A game that takes multiple years to build. Many people, computer upgrades, software etc etc etc

DLC skips a stage and brings money to them. CA are a good developer, they actually talk to their fans. Can you see EA listnening and posting in a fan forum?

Its not illegal if you recreate each unit from scratch. Heck, just create everything form scratch and make it look better.

Its rather pathetic that they had to do it this way really. Do you see anyone else who is successful and doing this with the modding assets? No. They try to release quality DLC instead to compete with fan ones or other things that are very hard to mod in.

[Nebuchadnezzar]

Exclusive unis and DLC does not necessarily mean extra units. It can just as easily mean the core game has been deliberately denied sufficient unit diversity just as it had been with ETW. Maximizing profits is not the same as double dipping.

[Braden]

Ok, I fully understand the business model that’s kicked this out but…

1) Announcing it BEFORE the release of the normal game is perhaps a good thing. We’ll all know what we’re missing out on before we purchase the standard game and can make the informed choice.
2) However, it does sound like taking the phish. I’m not a fan by any means of uber elite units that only help to unbalance an already unbalanced game. If they’re normal units but LOOK different then, being 100% honest, as having been a collector of military figures in the past I can see the appeal.

Yes, I would like to see historical regiments (well, companies of…) in the game. Maybe, just maybe, some might be famous elite units that might have a marginal advantage in the game…but that’s it! From enjoyment of one aspect of the game its appealing but it doesn’t warrant as an excuse for adding Graphics to a game in-place-of better game play.

Come on now. Lots of us have cable or satellite TV…and conventional (Terrestrial) TV. Its up to us which we watch. We in the UK will gripe at the fact that we still pay a fee to the BBC for television that perhaps we don’t actually watch….ever…but its there if we want it.

This is how I see this pack. There if we want it…nothing else.

[Captain Fishpants]

Maybe if it came with a hat like Napoleon wears on the box that you could actually wear I'd buy it.*hint*hint* :)

I wanted the hat edition too, complete with a big hat box as the packaging. And given that I'm taller than our marketing people, I thought I'd win the argument.

Unfortunately, it would have cost far, far, far, FAR too much to manufacture, let alone store, ship and retail. Nice hats are not cheap.

Another idea shot down over the coast of conceptuality by the flak of reality.

[econ21]

I’m not a fan by any means of uber elite units that only help to unbalance an already unbalanced game. If they’re normal units but LOOK different then, being 100% honest, as having been a collector of military figures in the past I can see the appeal.

Yes, I would like to see historical regiments (well, companies of…) in the game.

My impression of the elite units in the ETW Special Edition and DLC is that they more or less fit the bill in terms of your criteria. They are historical and while they have nice stats, are limited in number and cost a lot, so they don't unbalance the game. People who just buy the basic game still get Guards and other elites; the add-ons just provide specific named variants which mainly add colour and flavour.

I bought the Special Edition, as it seemed to be priced similar to a regular game (indeed, my local Game store only sold the SE). I would have bought the Elite regiments DLC as again the price was very modest, but sadly I am finding ETW unplayable on my computer - after about 20 turns, it starts freezing during the AI turns.

[Braden]

My impression of the elite units in the ETW Special Edition and DLC is that they more or less fit the bill in terms of your criteria. They are historical and while they have nice stats, are limited in number and cost a lot, so they don't unbalance the game. People who just buy the basic game still get Guards and other elites; the add-ons just provide specific named variants which mainly add colour and flavour.

I bought the Special Edition, as it seemed to be priced similar to a regular game (indeed, my local Game store only sold the SE). I would have bought the Elite regiments DLC as again the price was very modest, but sadly I am finding ETW unplayable on my computer - after about 20 turns, it starts freezing during the AI turns.

I don't have the Elite regiments for ETW to be honest but my comments are mainly aimed at NTW as I'm hoping they've kept the same reasoning as they have in ETW as you advise. With even better graphics (*sigh*) prettier looking and more accurate depictions of historical regiments is possible and my fingers are crossed that this "Enhanced" version of NTW provides that...from a collectors viewpoint.

Me purchasing it largely depends on funds available at the time I feel the urge over takes me to buy ETW!

[antisocialmunky]

I wanted the hat edition too, complete with a big hat box as the packaging. And given that I'm taller than our marketing people, I thought I'd win the argument.

Unfortunately, it would have cost far, far, far, FAR too much to manufacture, let alone store, ship and retail. Nice hats are not cheap.

Another idea shot down over the coast of conceptuality by the flak of reality.

I don't know. Depending on how much other cheap stuff you stuff it with like a Napoleonic map, a fold-out unit reference sheet, posters, the extra units, special menu design, OST - you could mark it up enough to include a hat. I'd pay extra for the hat if I were buying the game.

Its a HAT for crying out loud. The reviewers love that sort of functional extra thing when they review special editions. :) Usef

[KLAssurbanipal]

Napoleon: Total War™- Imperial Edition Revealed
LONDON (24 November, 2009) – SEGA Europe Ltd. today announced that the next iteration of the critically acclaimed Total War™ series, Napoleon: Total War™ will be available in four different versions.

• Napoleon: Total War - Standard Edition. Includes the “Elite Regiment” Special Unit Pack.

• Napoleon: Total War - Imperial Edition. Includes Premium Packaging, A3 Poster “The Life and Battles of General Napoleon Bonaparte”, the “Elite Regiment” Special Unit Pack and the “Heroes of the Napoleonic Wars” Special Unit Pack.

• Napoleon: Total War - Digital Download (Steam Only)

• Napoleon: Total War - Imperial Edition (Steam Only), includes the “Heroes of the Napoleonic Wars” Special Unit Pack

UK consumers who visit GAME, Amazon or PLAY to preorder either the Standard Edition or the Imperial Edition of Napoleon: Total War will receive an exclusive elite unit, delivering a new and powerful strategic option to deploy in the name of your faction. Once the game is installed and verified by Steam, you can enter a unique code and unlock your elite unit, which will then appear in single player and multiplayer games.

In order to play Napoleon: Total War and unlock your exclusive unit you must connect to the internet to verify your game and code once during installation.

Details of the exclusive elite units are as follows:

HMS Elephant (available from GAME) is a ship of the line with an impressive broadside at close range. Good sailing qualities are secondary to the weight of broadside that she can both deliver and withstand.

Standard Edition - www.game.co.uk

Imperial Edition - www.game.co.uk

With twice as many guns as an ordinary artillery unit, the Grand Battery of the Convention (available from AMAZON) is an exceptionally strong unit. Its cannons have both a long range and tremendous killing power.

Standard edition - www.amazon.co.uk

Imperial Edition - www.amazon.co.uk

The Towarczys Lancers (available from PLAY) are a unique force in Prussian service: fast moving, and with high morale thanks to their self-belief. Trained to attack at the full gallop, their lances give them an advantage in the first few moments of hand-to-hand combat.

Standard edition - www.play.com

Imperial Edition - www.play.com

Napoleon: Total War builds on the successful Total War series by taking all the features from previous games such as full 3D land and naval battles, detailed campaign map, and an in depth diplomacy system but taking them a step further.

Napoleon: Total War releases in February 2010.

[Durallan]

CA, I'm not going to buy the imperial edition for an A4 poster. Or an A3 poster. Or more units, I bought the Special forces edition of ETW out of faith after enjoying M2TW so much, enjoyed ETW but not as much, Please give us something kewls like tshirts or something besides just a poster! if all we get is a poster, what is the point? I even got a cloth map with my dragon age collectors edition.

[Beskar]

T-shirts have to be one-size fit all. Also the quality is very cheap (Cue: Half-life 2 Limited Edition)

[gollum]

I'd rather have some washing machine powder, or dish-wash liquid or a toothbrush/toothpaste set than t-shirts if its a choice. Or perhaps some pet-food. But i guess it wouldnt fit the target audience, so then maybe action figures would fit the bill better. Napoleon deafeats H-Man in Castle Greyskull, Napoleon crushes the fifth coalition of Thundercats, X-men and GIJoe etc...

[Fisherking]

Joking aside, if you want the extra units and what ever else, it was cheaper last time to order a hard copy and get the goodies than it was to download it from steam.

In fact, I got the game with the SF units for less than the steam download for the standard game...

But avoid the Royal Mail! My game was tied up there for 3 long weeks so you may want to look at Amazon...just my thoughts.

[antisocialmunky]

Just goto whatever equivalent of Bestbuy exists in your country. I don't think they'll be much of a run on these things...

[econ21]

• Napoleon: Total War - Standard Edition. Includes the “Elite Regiment” Special Unit Pack.

• Napoleon: Total War - Imperial Edition. Includes Premium Packaging, A3 Poster “The Life and Battles of General Napoleon Bonaparte”, the “Elite Regiment” Special Unit Pack and the “Heroes of the Napoleonic Wars” Special Unit Pack.

From the Amazon UK website, it seems the elite regiment pack has 5 units and the heroes pack has 10 with the Imperial edition costing £5 more than the standard. I wonder what the 10 will be? King Louise has posted a link to what the units are:

http://www.totalwar.com/napoleon/add-ons/?u=1
http://www.totalwar.com/napoleon/add-ons/?u=2

Interestingly, they seem to be mainly "line" regiments with distinguished histories, rather than named "elite" regiments like Coldstream Guards etc.

The grand battery sounds the most attractive special offer unit, IMO. "Of the convention" does that mean French? The idea of a grand battery as a "unit" is a little odd though, as a grand battery was just an battlefield formation rather than a distinct unit like a regiment of Hussars or a named ship. Maybe it is just one way of getting more cannon into your stack of 20 units, which I guess is reasonable given the constraints imposed by that cap.

[Braden]

Honestly from that list, I ain't bothering. Nothing "historic" for me to latch onto certainly.

If I can find a copy for the same price as standard, yup. If not, CA can keep it.