Empire Total War

[Eschatos]

I've only had time to play for about an hour, but here's wot I think:

It's a lot like older TW games, but more complicated.  Now there's towns to manage and you have to individually upgrade lotsa stuff.  Nothing really difficult. Also the tech trees make it a lot more customizable. The combat is good so far, but the unit pathing is terrible.  When I group up two or more units and tell them to attack someone, half the time they stand there and wait for the enemy to come to them even if they're hundreds of meters away.  The other half of the time they take that as an order to march through the enemy lines and then start shooting.  I really hope they fix it in a patch.  Other than that, the game is great.

[ZargonX]

My copy just arrived, so I'll be giving it a spin tonight.

[Tragic Hero]

The game is a lot more complicated than the last ones.  The micromanagement of your small towns, farms, etc and having your nation starting off spread out through europe and america makes it even more complex.  It's taking me a while to get the hang of it

[Wedge]

You are not British, don't pretend you're fucking British.

[cannedpeahes]

You are not British, don't pretend you're fucking British.

Wut.

And yes, pathfinding in TW is traditionally shite. I remember infantry in Medieval 2 that would bottleneck and leave half a unit not fighting anybody, cavalry that would charge past a routing unit I had told it to capture and not turn around, and artillery that would go out of it's way to set up shop behind - and then obliterate - my carefully-built siege towers.

[Eschatos]

Also, I've learned a helluva lot more history about the 1700s than I ever learned in AP World History and AP US History combined.

[ZargonX]

I was sieging a French fort in the first campaign, and they came out to battle me, and the computer set me up with the greatest terrain ever.  I started at the top of a bluff with only two narrow accessible hills leading to the top of it (from the front, anyway).  So, first of all, my cannons had amazing dominance from up there to begin with, and then the AI had no choice but to try and swarm up the two paths, giving my rows of rifleman ample time and angles to mow them down.  I was outnumbered 1500 to 800 and walked away with a loss of 20 men to their 1470.

[Eschatos]

I <3 grenadiers, carcass shot, carronade frigates, and rocket launchers. 

[Tragic Hero]

Playing as the French sucks.  You start off with good territories sure, but once Louis the XIV dies you end up going to war with practically all of Europe because Austria wishes to challenge you for the throne.

Not to mention its lame that according to Total War Native American Cavalry is immune to rifle rounds.

[cannedpeahes]

I was sieging a French fort in the first campaign, and they came out to battle me, and the computer set me up with the greatest terrain ever.  I started at the top of a bluff with only two narrow accessible hills leading to the top of it (from the front, anyway).  So, first of all, my cannons had amazing dominance from up there to begin with, and then the AI had no choice but to try and swarm up the two paths, giving my rows of rifleman ample time and angles to mow them down.  I was outnumbered 1500 to 800 and walked away with a loss of 20 men to their 1470.

God, I fucking love that. It reminds me of the monumental assrape you could deliver with a cavalry chage in M2. Full-on General's Bodyguard Charge + No Enemy Leadership - Pikemen = Mass Rout.

[Eschatos]

Playing as India is fun.  The one time I miss this game having blood effects is when I shoot at elephants with cannons.

[Eschatos]

So I downloaded the multiplayer campaign beta patch, which was the whole reason I bought the game for.  Turns out it doesn't have hotseat multiplayer, which makes it completely useless for me without buying another copy for my dad.  FFFFUUUU.

[Greatbacon]

So I downloaded the multiplayer campaign beta patch, which was the whole reason I bought the game for.  Turns out it doesn't have hotseat multiplayer, which makes it completely useless for me without buying another copy for my dad.  FFFFUUUU.

bwah?  Where can I find said patch?

[Eschatos]

[quote author=Eschatos link=topic=2449.msg128795#msg128795 date=1261764021]
So I downloaded the multiplayer campaign beta patch, which was the whole reason I bought the game for.  Turns out it doesn't have hotseat multiplayer, which makes it completely useless for me without buying another copy for my dad.  FFFFUUUU.

bwah?  Where can I find said patch?
[/quote]

Just go to the Empire section of the Total War website, it should be right at the front. 

[Greatbacon]

[quote author=Greatbacon link=topic=2449.msg128798#msg128798 date=1261764415]
[quote author=Eschatos link=topic=2449.msg128795#msg128795 date=1261764021]
So I downloaded the multiplayer campaign beta patch, which was the whole reason I bought the game for.  Turns out it doesn't have hotseat multiplayer, which makes it completely useless for me without buying another copy for my dad.  FFFFUUUU.

bwah?  Where can I find said patch?
[/quote]

Just go to the Empire section of the Total War website, it should be right at the front. 
[/quote]Awesome, me and my friend have been waiting for this for like a year now.