Empire: Total War

Suds

I'm surprised I couldn't find a forum topic on this.

The next Total War game has been announced, and it's going to take place in the colonial era.

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/38336.html

I watched the HD video of the naval battles and it just blew me away. I've never been much of a fan of the Total War games, although I still want to give Medieval II a solid try. This one just looks amazing though. I'll have to check it out when it is released.

Release date is Set for the beginning of February.

From the official site:

Command the seas, control the land, forge a new nation, and conquer the globe. Empire: Total War takes the Total War franchise to the eighteenth century Age of Enlightenment -- a time of political upheaval, military advancements, and radical thought, captured in stunning detail in Empire: Total War.

Empire: Total War introduces a host of revolutionary new features, including true 3D naval combat. For the first time in the Total War series, you will be able to intuitively command single ships or vast fleets upon seascapes rich with extraordinary water and weather effects that play a huge role in your eventual glorious success or ignominious defeat. After pummelling your enemy with cannon fire, close in to grapple their ship and prepare to board, taking control of your men as they fight hand-to-hand on the decks of these wooden behemoths.

In addition, Empire: Total War will see further enhancements to the Total War series’ signature 3D battles and turn-based campaign map. Real-time battles will pose new challenges with the addition of cannon and musket, challenging players to master new formations and tactics as a result of the increasing role of gunpowder within warfare. And the Campaign Map -- for many, the heart of Total War -- introduces a variety of new and upgraded elements, including new systems for Trade, Diplomacy and Espionage with agents; a refined and streamlined UI; improved Advisors; and a vastly extended scope, taking in the riches of India, the turbulence of Europe and, for the first time, the untapped potential of the United States of America.

War Bastard

I am psyched for this game and its a period of history I have always wanted CA to do, but considering its coming out Feb 09 I don't want to keep thinking about it until about Christmas lest I go mad from desire.

Carcharodontosaurus

If they can just make the diplomacy at least slightly reliable, I'm sold. As much fun as it is engineering Machiavellian scenarios to prevent your neighbors attacking you, it'd be nice if they weren't total sociopaths.

Dignified Pauper

HOLY COW! I have wanted legitimate sea battles since ROME total war, and now I'll finally have a reason for constructing my Armada to decimate ports everywhere!

Inquisitor

Carcharodontosaurus wrote: »

If they can just make the diplomacy at least slightly reliable, I'm sold. As much fun as it is engineering Machiavellian scenarios to prevent your neighbors attacking you, it'd be nice if they weren't total sociopaths.

The Total War games have always had a very active and committed team of modders. If the AI diplomacy isn't to your liking, you'll probably to be able to find one you do like a few months down the road.

After playing some napoleonic mods for R:TW I'm very excited for this game. This era of combat is very nail-biting and strategic and very, very lethal.

Mr Ray

Inquisitor wrote: »

Carcharodontosaurus wrote: »

If they can just make the diplomacy at least slightly reliable, I'm sold. As much fun as it is engineering Machiavellian scenarios to prevent your neighbors attacking you, it'd be nice if they weren't total sociopaths.

The Total War games have always had a very active and committed team of modders. If the AI diplomacy isn't to your liking, you'll probably to be able to find one you do like a few months down the road.

I'd really like the AI to just not suck, out of the box rather than a few months down the line when someone mods it.

I gave up on medieval 2 after I started playing as the Holy Roman Empire on hard. All my neighbours declared war on me pretty quickly, which was fine, except they would siege me constantly. Constantly. With armies that had no chance of winning. The straw that broke the camels back was when my best castle, defended by half a stack, was assaulted by four units of pavise crosbowmen.

CuddlyCuteKitten

I personally don't think the total war games have been that good since Medieval one. I'd like to go back to the old maps with territories, I liked them a lot better than the new ones. I also wonder if it's the added complexity that made the AI suck so much in the newer games?

Cabezone

CuddlyCuteKitten wrote: »

I personally don't think the total war games have been that good since Medieval one. I'd like to go back to the old maps with territories, I liked them a lot better than the new ones. I also wonder if it's the added complexity that made the AI suck so much in the newer games?

I couldn't agree more. I really liked the board game style maps.

Kartan

to be fair, the Battle AI never was very good and often relied on superior numbers and a hail mary charge. 5-6 units of musketeers won any battle in shogun and the cannae tactic always worked in medieval (melee in the center engages enemy melee line, cavalery at the flanks advances past enemy melee line, attacks down the center and kills the enemy archers then loops around and takes enemy melee line from the rear. Instant rout and battle won).

At least the new Battlefields made the tactical battles a bit more interessting in comparison to MTW 1 and shogun, where you always had to fight your way across a bridge if you assaulted a particular province.

However, the strategic AI really really sucked and failed to pose an actual challenge in RTW and MTWII. And the MTWII sieges were boring, especially since the AI crashed every so often and would just stand there.

DisruptorX2

While the older games were better, saying that Rome and MTW 2 aren't good is a bit of a stretch. I enjoy the hell out of 2, and Rome was good for what it was, though a bit of a disappointment.

MTW 2 seiges were also hindered by the fact that sword infantry absolutely blows in MTW 2, the same way spear infantry does in Rome.

Anyways, not news, but Empire is probably gonna rock and I can't wait. Given that MTW 2 fixed the main problem with Rome (its way too fast), I can see this game fixing alot of MTW 2's problems, most of which involved it re-use of the Rome engine.

rayofash

A total war game I might actually enjoy!?

Whoa....

War Bastard

I remember reading somewhere about why the diplomacy sucked so much in Rome and M2. Turns out they never coded the diplomacy side of things to work in tandem with the military side of things. Basically if a faction had a large army doing nothing it wouldn't care who it attacked so long as the army was put to use and that included attacking long time allies for no particular reason.

This time round they have coded them together: "Previously in Total War the diplomacy AI and the campaign map AI were separate entities but in Empire we’ve unified these two aspects so they work more harmoniously. Diplomatic relations are now much more closely linked to your activities on the campaign map. And you probably won’t get your ambassador’s head back in a bag."

ETW FAQ

Kalkino

Interesting about the diplomacy/military being separate - would explain a lot of the weird shit that went down in R/M

Carcharodontosaurus

Kalkino wrote: »

Interesting about the diplomacy/military being separate - would explain a lot of the weird shit that went down in R/M

It was always ironic for me that I had to fortify borders with my allies more than the borders with my enemies.

Taterskin

Carcharodontosaurus wrote: »

Kalkino wrote: »

Interesting about the diplomacy/military being separate - would explain a lot of the weird shit that went down in R/M

It was always ironic for me that I had to fortify borders with my allies more than the borders with my enemies.

Allies are just future enemies you are waiting to attack.