Man NTW really is the game that ETW should have been.
I look at NTW as a giant "Hey, fans, FUCK YOU"
Seriously I just paid $50 for ETW not too long ago and now they want $50 for a standalone expansion pack?
I seethe with generic rage
$40 if you don't need the extra stuff, which I don't think is really worthwhile. $40 isn't that far off for an expansion pack.
I'm more annoyed that ETW wasn't released with all the features NTW has. NTW would be even cooler/cheaper if they had a more solid base to work from. The reason that NTW is more expensive that the average expansion pack is that it changes gameplay quite a bit. A lot of new diplomatic options, attrition and liberating/occupying/looting settlements to name a few. ETW definitely needed more time in the oven and I feel the same as most of you because ETW needed more work done to it and it was made redundant so quickly.
Personally, I'd like to see a modder recreate ETW period in Napoleon (Seven Years War perhaps?) but quite a bit of the game is hardcoded compared to previous titles. We'll see, hopefully after an expansion for Napoleon comes out we'll get our hands on some modding tools.
Hmm, so what's this? I thought CA had dropped Empire;
(From Steam, March 31st)
SEGA Europe Ltd. is pleased to announce that "Update 1.6" for the award winning Empire: Total War will be available today. The update introduces a large number of revisions to the Artificial Intelligence in real time battles. Amongst many other improvements, the Battle A.I. now maintains its lines more rigorously, has better army movement and engages in melee more tactically. It is also better at protecting its own advance and engaging opponents with flanking attacks.
It remains irrelevant to me though, I just can't go back after N:TW. A shame really as I still go back to Medieval (I + II), Rome & even Shogun regularly.
I started a new game in Empire as France with a new strategic plan. Instead of getting bogged down in the New World, instead I approached that with a merely opportunistic strategy, only seizing territory when the opportunity presented itself. The majority of my forces moved into Italy to seize objective territories there. I kept a small garrison in Paris in case of attack by the Protestant Dutch heathens, but so far peace with them held.
Working quite well so far. When Britain declared war on me, I seized Maine, allied with the Huron, and am generally in a strong position, rather than over extended and in debt.
Haven't been able to play in a few days, though. Can't wait to check out the new patch.
Hmm, so what's this? I thought CA had dropped Empire;
(From Steam, March 31st)
SEGA Europe Ltd. is pleased to announce that "Update 1.6" for the award winning Empire: Total War will be available today. The update introduces a large number of revisions to the Artificial Intelligence in real time battles. Amongst many other improvements, the Battle A.I. now maintains its lines more rigorously, has better army movement and engages in melee more tactically. It is also better at protecting its own advance and engaging opponents with flanking attacks.
It remains irrelevant to me though, I just can't go back after N:TW. A shame really as I still go back to Medieval (I + II), Rome & even Shogun regularly.
well I'll be damned
good thing I never bought Napoleon since I bought Empire on release at full price and regretted it ever since. I guess I'll have to give it another whirl.
(speaking of Napoleon, it's 10% off on steam right now but that's still not cheap enough for me to give Creative Assembly more of my money)
Because I really used to love the series and I'm hoping they'll somehow turn it around. It's like a parent being disappointed in you but still hoping you'll succeed.
Because I really used to love the series and I'm hoping they'll somehow turn it around. It's like a parent being disappointed in you but still hoping you'll succeed.
I suppose if your selective memory allows you to forget the crippling flaws in previous titles, such a position is possible.
You have to admit Empire is considerably more buggy than the previous ones. There are plenty of design decisions I hated in older ones, but this game is simply broken.
No, the AI was just as laughably bad. Perhaps you don't remember the "passive AI" bug in MTW 2, where the AI just stands still and lets you shoot it to death. Or in Rome, where they would stand outside of your walls and let your towers shoot them to death.
I haven't really played MTW 1 in a long time, so I don't remember much about how the AI worked in that, though.
I actually just started up MTW 2 to do an epic siege battle. It consisted of the defenders all huddling in the town center, awaiting death.
No, the AI was just as laughably bad. Perhaps you don't remember the "passive AI" bug in MTW 2, where the AI just stands still and lets you shoot it to death. Or in Rome, where they would stand outside of your walls and let your towers shoot them to death.
I haven't really played MTW 1 in a long time, so I don't remember much about how the AI worked in that, though.
I actually just started up MTW 2 to do an epic siege battle. It consisted of the defenders all huddling in the town center, awaiting death.
To be fair, these games are trying to manage a shitload of things simultaneously. I've never been surprised at the weird things happening.
Hell, in the computer program WETA made for the LotR battles, the first time they tried to put two forces against each other the units just ran away.
Posts
I'm more annoyed that ETW wasn't released with all the features NTW has. NTW would be even cooler/cheaper if they had a more solid base to work from. The reason that NTW is more expensive that the average expansion pack is that it changes gameplay quite a bit. A lot of new diplomatic options, attrition and liberating/occupying/looting settlements to name a few. ETW definitely needed more time in the oven and I feel the same as most of you because ETW needed more work done to it and it was made redundant so quickly.
Personally, I'd like to see a modder recreate ETW period in Napoleon (Seven Years War perhaps?) but quite a bit of the game is hardcoded compared to previous titles. We'll see, hopefully after an expansion for Napoleon comes out we'll get our hands on some modding tools.
It was a stick.
(From Steam, March 31st)
It remains irrelevant to me though, I just can't go back after N:TW. A shame really as I still go back to Medieval (I + II), Rome & even Shogun regularly.
Working quite well so far. When Britain declared war on me, I seized Maine, allied with the Huron, and am generally in a strong position, rather than over extended and in debt.
Haven't been able to play in a few days, though. Can't wait to check out the new patch.
well I'll be damned
good thing I never bought Napoleon since I bought Empire on release at full price and regretted it ever since. I guess I'll have to give it another whirl.
(speaking of Napoleon, it's 10% off on steam right now but that's still not cheap enough for me to give Creative Assembly more of my money)
You have to admit Empire is considerably more buggy than the previous ones. There are plenty of design decisions I hated in older ones, but this game is simply broken.
The only reason AI flaws weren't so obvious in the past games is just because it was big melee piles. The idea of a melee bug was...well, lol.
Pretty much this, in the past games melee was the standard AI function of line troops, not range.
I haven't really played MTW 1 in a long time, so I don't remember much about how the AI worked in that, though.
I actually just started up MTW 2 to do an epic siege battle. It consisted of the defenders all huddling in the town center, awaiting death.
To be fair, these games are trying to manage a shitload of things simultaneously. I've never been surprised at the weird things happening.
Hell, in the computer program WETA made for the LotR battles, the first time they tried to put two forces against each other the units just ran away.