Empire: Total War
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Empire: Total War (commonly abbreviated to E:TW) is a game in the Total War series of video games that is being developed by the Creative Assembly at the UK branch, by the team that developed Rome: Total War.
Gameplay
Empire: Total War is about exploration and conquest, founding colonies and fighting wars away from home, and is a strategy game spanning the 18th and early 19th centuries, in which you direct your nation to dominate Europe, North Africa, the Americas, the Indies, South East Asia and the Indian subcontinent. The player will use both complex strategies on the campaign map and fierce commands on the battlefield—both on land and sea. The game will feature gameplay correlating with that of the previous games in the Total War series, but with major additions to the campaign map and battlefield.
More than fifty factions will be included in the game, ten of which are expected to be playable. The confirmed factions are:
- Kingdom of Great Britain
- The Ottoman Empire
- The Kingdom of France
- The Kingdom of Prussia
- The Spanish Empire
- The United Provinces (Dutch Republic)
- The Swedish Empire
- Republic of Venice
- The Russian Empire
- Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
- Thirteen Colonies
It is also confirmed that changes in government may occur during the campaign as the rise of democracy becomes an issue in this time period. One instance is the United States of America may only come into existence if the rulers of that area are unable to maintain social order. The French Revolution is another example that may occur if the people of France are no longer satisfied with their sovereign.
Features
Empire: Total War will feature a new game engine as well as 3D naval battles, a feature new to the series, as well as large land battles with muskets, cavalry and artillery. Buildings and structures can be garrisoned, as well as being destructible, and there is a plethora of new formations and strategies to be mastered. The naval battles feature destructible sails, realistic cannon fire, grapeshots and boarding action. Weather effects are also a key chapter in naval battles.
The battles on land have been given a makeover too:
- The firing of cannons, arrows and muskets is made more realistic.
- Music makes its way into the battlefield in the form of bagpipes, drums, fifes and trumpets.
- Weapons may jam and misfire, and cannons can explode.
- Generals shout orders at their troops as the regiment goes into combat or fires at enemies.
- The battlefield becomes strewn with dead, dying and dismembered bodies. The game makes use of ragdoll physics to add to the chaos.
A full list of confirmed features can be found in the frequently updated TotalWar.org forum summary thread.
Campaign map
The previous title's diplomacy and military Game AI have been given major changes and have been completely refined. There are also new systems in place to draw armies out of cities, by the inclusion of barracks and mills outside the city walls to defend. The new animated campaign map features a huge cast of characters, and shows every single building and upgrade, rather than just the cities, castles and docks of previous games. The auto-management system is improved along with the advice system, and the game itself will feature better tutorials that makes the game easier to learn. There will also be an added focus on managing unrest in the player's empire, and the degree to which the player expands or denies political freedom to the population.
Press
- At the 2007 Leipzig Games Convention, GameSpot released some of the earliest information on Empire: Total War as it was announced.
- The November 2007 issue of Total PC Gaming Magazine (UK edition) published an exclusive Empire: Total War preview. It included an interview with lead designer James Russell and some never before seen screenshots. However, Creative Assembly denies the magazine's printed release date for Empire: Total War as March 2008 as well as the suggested 75% completion estimate.
References
External links
- Total War.com - Official developer website.
- Totalwar.org forum
