Poll: Empire: Total War

[SimuLord]

I just remembered I have to mention that I love the changed role of cavalry in this game. The fact that it is no longer efficient to charge the enemy head on forces me to adopt more diverse tactics, which is a good thing; Because earlier, especially in Medieval II, I was prone to have most of my strategies and tactics rely way to much on cavalry.

I learned in the very first battle that my favorite cavalry strategy for disrupting artillery and getting them to break and rout before returning the cavalry to the battle line while my artillery pounded the enemy position...well, all that got me was having the enemy musketeers turn my cavalry into horse tartare.

Also, congratulations on being the first person I've seen on the Internet to spell the word "cavalry" correctly. I see "calvary" a lot, which always makes me wonder how soldiers can fight well when they're nailed to those big crosses outside the walls of Jerusalem.

 

[cherimoya]

So? Show me something on this year's list of releases that's a legit candidate to beat it out. And don't say any console game. A console game hasn't been worthy of Game of the Year status since 1995 (Chrono Trigger).

EDIT: And don't give me that crap about Fallout 3 being a 360 game. It's a PC game first and foremost, as any trip to the Fallout 3 Nexus rapidly proves. Ditto Oblivion, Portal (just because you CAN play Portal on the 360 doesn't mean you SHOULD), and any other PC game with a console port.

hahaha. you're so feisty and full of assumptions.

1. i have no idea what's on anyone's release schedule for the next 10 months.
2. i wish someone would have told bethesda that re: fallout 3's vanilla, un-darnified, interface.
3. the last game console i owned was a dreamcast.

my only point was that its a little early (65 days...) to be screaming "GOTY".

that being said, my copy of empire is downloading now. i'll see how i like it when i get home from work.

 

[Elurindel]

I am tempted to download Empire Total War through Steam, but I am loathe to do so, as the battles of the demo took so long to load, and I only have a 2.13ghz dual core intel. Sure, I have a Geforce 8800gts 512, but it seems not even that's enough to help out my ageing little processor. Any advice on how to make it run faster?

 

[RAKais]

It's hard to see a game topping it for Game of the Year this year.

it's the first week of march.

So? Show me something on this year's list of releases that's a legit candidate to beat it out. And don't say any console game. A console game hasn't been worthy of Game of the Year status since 1995 (Chrono Trigger).

EDIT: And don't give me that crap about Fallout 3 being a 360 game. It's a PC game first and foremost, as any trip to the Fallout 3 Nexus rapidly proves. Ditto Oblivion, Portal (just because you CAN play Portal on the 360 doesn't mean you SHOULD), and any other PC game with a console port.

Excuse me, Chronicles of Riddick: Assualt on Dark Athena would like to have a word with you about your choice of Game of the Year

 

[timmytom1]

They`ve made the diplomacy worthwhile? seriously the offers you got in game were a joke sometimes i remember playing as england ,i`d redueced the french to their last province i got sent and offer saying they would only accept a ceasefire if i
1:became their vassal
and 2:gave them a ridiculous amount of money
i said no and i crushed them the next turn

 

[S.H.A.R.P.]

I'm really looking forward to play this game further. I started the grand campaign with the Dutchies yesterday, but only had the time to look around the interface, assassinate someone's general and wage a battle against some pirates at sea ^^

It looks quite good overall, the sea was all shiny and stuff, I hope the land battles look good too. The campaign bit seems quite different then the older Total War series, so that might take some time getting used to.

Ever since reading about 20 books about this era (the Sharpe series by Bernard Cornwell), I'm really psyched about waging some nice battles. At first sight, musketry warfare may seem a bit dull and silly, but there seem to be quite some cool strategies involved which I can't wait to try out ^^

 

[Actual]

Ever since reading about 20 books about this era (the Sharpe series by Bernard Cornwell), I'm really psyched about waging some nice battles. At first sight, musketry warfare may seem a bit dull and silly, but there seem to be quite some cool strategies involved which I can't wait to try out ^^

Zomg serious knee-rubbage.

It looks great, and seems to be all the improvement on the previous iterations I could hope for. For some reason I can't drag myself away from the shooters to play it. Maybe at the weekend when I've got some time to fully experience it, on my first sit down I didn't have time to get through the first turn!

 

[oliveira8]

Would someone who generally dislikes turn-based strategy games (but loves RTSs) find this game fun? I know it's turn-based for the most part (or at least, I think I read that somewhere), but the real-time battles look interesting enough.

The turn base part of the game in Total War is less complicated like in Civilization. Is much more straightforward and clean.

Its also the part of the game that grabs you after awhile. First is the RTS battles (some of them can last very long) that grabs you, then after awhile you become the "Just one more turn" type of dude. Of course the TB part of the game is most of the game. But when you get to do an epic battle of 2000 units vs 2000 units is all worth it.

 

[Zykon TheLich]

I would love to play it but I think my poota would probably have an e-brain haemorrage trying to run it at a decent rate.

 

[thiosk]

I love RTW, i've been playing it quite a bit recently in anticipation of empire.

Empire, however, I suck at. Battles are obviously different- team shotgun musket battles of course-- but I qualify as terribad. I still win all my battles, but most have been phyrric.

Most of this has to do with my limited understanding of 18th century tactics and etc. However, my key gripes are that when i try to move my armies in formation-- highlight the line and click ahead-- the formation scatters and I get green "im moving here" lines in every which direction.

I will master you, team shotgun, oh yes I will. And then I will wreck france with my mighty indian armies.

 

[Quick Ben]

I just remembered I have to mention that I love the changed role of cavalry in this game. The fact that it is no longer efficient to charge the enemy head on forces me to adopt more diverse tactics, which is a good thing; Because earlier, especially in Medieval II, I was prone to have most of my strategies and tactics rely way to much on cavalry.

I learned in the very first battle that my favorite cavalry strategy for disrupting artillery and getting them to break and rout before returning the cavalry to the battle line while my artillery pounded the enemy position...well, all that got me was having the enemy musketeers turn my cavalry into horse tartare.

Also, congratulations on being the first person I've seen on the Internet to spell the word "cavalry" correctly. I see "calvary" a lot, which always makes me wonder how soldiers can fight well when they're nailed to those big crosses outside the walls of Jerusalem.

That "calvary" bit made some really amusing pictures in my head. As for the spelling, don't congratulate me too much; I checked the spelling with Talendra above me, because my brain always tells me to write "cavalery" because cavalry is written "kavaleri" in Norwegian.

 

[ElArabDeMagnifico]

woah, an RTS where you get to play with old timey armies? Again? Still? well that sounds wonderful and also not intriguing at all!

Sarcasm aside, you have to admit that charging thousands of infantry on both sides and then watching them clash together is one of the things on the "coolest things ever" list.

 

[runtheplacered]

woah, an RTS where you get to play with old timey armies? Again? Still? well that sounds wonderful and also not intriguing at all!

Wait, what? What's another 18th century RTS? Or did you just encompass any game that's not modern as "old timey"?

Man, that would suck to have such narrow tastes.

Anyway, this game is fantastic.

 

[oliveira8]

woah, an RTS where you get to play with old timey armies? Again? Still? well that sounds wonderful and also not intriguing at all!

Wait, what? What's another 18th century RTS? Or did you just encompass any game that's not modern as "old timey"?

Man, that would suck to have such narrow tastes.

Anyway, this game is fantastic.

There are alot of 18th Century based RTS's theres...the Cossaks series, Age of Empires 3 and Empire:Total War...and I think thats it...

Also as for it being old timey I think that E:TW uses one of the least explored Century's in gaming. There are alot of games that include this age but its usually like a passing phase of the game, rather than based entirely on it.

Also I think that Empire can rival Rome easily. Also one thing I dont get is...why do I need to research the ability to make my back lines fire when the lines in front are reloading...I would think its commun sense.

"Hey George shouldnt we shoot when the guys in the front are reloading?" "Nah Tom I havent been instructed on that yet!"

 

[cherimoya]

Also I think that Empire can rival Rome easily. Also one thing I dont get is...why do I need to research the ability to make my back lines fire when the lines in front are reloading...I would think its commun sense.

isn't interesting how good ideas seem like common sense after they've been implemented?

 

[oliveira8]

Also I think that Empire can rival Rome easily. Also one thing I dont get is...why do I need to research the ability to make my back lines fire when the lines in front are reloading...I would think its commun sense.

isn't interesting how good ideas seem like common sense after they've been implemented?

Yeah I guess....Then again in this game after awhile the back lines actually become usefull unlike Rome were the back lines only steped in front when the front one is all dead(Yeah this how it worked in reality but Roman tactics made the back lines step in front to replace the front line, eliminating the tiredness effect. Meaning that way your forces wouldnt get tired opposed to your enemy.)

 

[Scarecrow38]

Would someone who generally dislikes turn-based strategy games (but loves RTSs) find this game fun? I know it's turn-based for the most part (or at least, I think I read that somewhere), but the real-time battles look interesting enough.

The turn base part of the game in Total War is less complicated like in Civilization. Is much more straightforward and clean.

Its also the part of the game that grabs you after awhile. First is the RTS battles (some of them can last very long) that grabs you, then after awhile you become the "Just one more turn" type of dude. Of course the TB part of the game is most of the game. But when you get to do an epic battle of 2000 units vs 2000 units is all worth it.

That's so true what you said about being sucked into playing 'just one more turn' or taking one more town. I've just started out as Prussia and the game's met all my expectations, though it's a real learning curve having to guard the whole province and not just a city. I learnt that the hard way when some tiny faction took all of my exterior buildings in one turn.

 

[oliveira8]

So, with a few more battles finished with, I can definitely say that I approve. I'm not perfectly versed in the combat system yet, but I'm starting to figure out the differences between units. Indeed, I like the way that units aren't too disparate in their methods of fighting, because that way, I can adapt better to different factions.

I'm having a bit of trouble deciding what to do in the campaign mode, though. I'm playing as Great Britain, and you don't start off with many armies or territories. I suppose I'll probably try to take over the Native American territories first, if only because I'm facing them with well-drilled infantry and cavalry, and they have bows and pointy sticks.

I thought that and got my ass kicked, till I snaped out of it. Those are some pointy sticks!

 

[LewsTherin]

It's hard to see a game topping it for Game of the Year this year.

it's the first week of march.

So? Show me something on this year's list of releases that's a legit candidate to beat it out. And don't say any console game. A console game hasn't been worthy of Game of the Year status since 1995 (Chrono Trigger).

EDIT: And don't give me that crap about Fallout 3 being a 360 game. It's a PC game first and foremost, as any trip to the Fallout 3 Nexus rapidly proves. Ditto Oblivion, Portal (just because you CAN play Portal on the 360 doesn't mean you SHOULD), and any other PC game with a console port.

Excuse me, Chronicles of Riddick: Assualt on Dark Athena would like to have a word with you about your choice of Game of the Year

It's on PC as well if I'm not mistaken.

 

[Eclectic Dreck]

I just remembered I have to mention that I love the changed role of cavalry in this game. The fact that it is no longer efficient to charge the enemy head on forces me to adopt more diverse tactics, which is a good thing; Because earlier, especially in Medieval II, I was prone to have most of my strategies and tactics rely way to much on cavalry.

Agreed. The game dynamic didn't really change at all from Shogun to Medieval to Rome to medieval 2. Spearmen are the best generic force you can get, cavalry is devistating on the attack and weak on the defense, and so forth. In fact, I have essentially used the same tactice again and again in total war and it always works. On the attack, ensure I have superiority of fire (more archers/seige weapons). Then, blast the hell out of the enemy with seige weapons outside infantry ranged weapon combat area. Then move in the archers and whittle down the defenders. Finally, begin my entire line on a slow advance against the enemy while my archers rain fire while my cavalry fan out to the sides. The moment battle is joined, the AI will almost inevitably send IT's cavalry to one side or the other, leaving my second group free to give a devestating charge to the enemy's rear, and once the cavalry is dispatched it's right into the enemy's rear line, followed shortly by the routing of the entire opposing army. It was so effective agains the computer that all notion of skill in the endeavor was lost. Hell, there were times that the computer seemed so concerned with numbers in it's army that I ended up killing or routing most of the army even though I was drastically outnumbered with nothing but seige weapons and arrow fire.

I've only played the demo so far and I find it incredibly intriguing because the sudden focus on ranged combat as ar rule versus melee has really changed everything in the tactical battles.