Empire: Total War

[Typhoid]

Now, first. This isn't a review thread. I haven't played the game, nor do I really feel like giving specs on it.

I do however, just want to know who here has played it, and what they have to say of it first-hand. I know Strangie is pretty much the only other person here who loves Total War games.

But I was reading about it last night in a dazed stupor (much like I do most things) and it sounded really good, especially how certain events can take place (IE the french revolution/american revolution) if your people aren't happy with the governments.

But my question would be is it worth paying 55 bucks for? Why/why not?

[Professor S]

I was disappointed in the beginning, but once I started getting into the naval and economic portions of the game I really started the like it. The Revolution part of the game is a huge bonus, too, as it plays out completely unlike the grand campaign but is just as satisfying.

If I were to have any complaints, it's that pretty much every faction plays out the same with virtually identical units, except for the two Muslim factions, and they both have pretty much the same units. Not nearly the variety of Medieval TW and certainly miles away from the extreme variety available in Rome TW, (to date, my favorite TW ever)

That said, the strategy involved with gunpowder units is incredible, much more deep than that with melee weapons, and the new tech tree function makes technology the true ruler of the battlefield, where something as innocuous as a ring bayonet or firing by rank can make the difference between being routed or decimating the enemy.

Warning, the game is a hog, and I have had an issue or two with it crashing on my 3 year old gaming PC. Highly recommended.

[Typhoid]

I was reading that you research things, ala Civilization-esque. How does that work, considering everything is pretty much gunpowder-oriented?


I'm fine with the identical units. It's the 1800's, that would be moderately expected.

Is it entirely different than Rome:TW?

[Professor S]

Technology - Much more intricate. First, you only start with one school, and all research must be done with schools. The more schools you build and upgrade, the more technology you can research concurrently. Technology isn't just for war, there are also economic, agricultural and industry advances.

How it affects battle.

You first start with no way for infantry to engage in hand to hand effectively, because there is no bayonet. You first advance will be the socket bayonet, but this sucks. Why? You have to manually command troops to fix bayonets in battle, and once you do, the guns no longer fire because they have a bayonet stuck in the barrel.

So you advance to the next advance, ring bayonet, and this allows you to fire when the bayonet is fixed, and you don't have to manage the bayonets in battle (they're always fixed).

Next you have firing. When you first start out your infantry can barely tie their shoes, mucb less fire with any kind of organization. They just randomly fire, so you'll need to research firing by line, in which your infantry fire all at once, which has a much bigger effect on kills and hurts enemy morale. After that, you'll want to learn firing by rank, which has sections of infantry fire after one another, creating an unending volley of hot metal death.

Then there is artillery, where you can research lime shot, scatter shot, cannister, exploding shells and carcass shot.

Just get the damn game. It's good as hell.

[Typhoid]

Hahaha, alright alright.
I'll grab it sometime next week then.


I assume it still doesn't have an online capability to it.

[Professor S]

I believe it does, but I don't PC game on-line, so I've never confirmed it.