Empire/Naploeon Total war

[Poldanski]

This is a game using a combination of Real-Time and Turn-Based Systems. The series is the total war series. The game I'm talking about is Empire Total War. it's Sequel is Napoleon Total war. Empire takes place in the 1700's. Napoleon is based on napoleons campaigns.

They both are single-player and online. But it takes a powerful PC to see them in all there glory. They both boast stunning naval and land battles. if anybody is interested in this time period then they should defiantly check them out.

[Wilpanzer]

I love both, ETW is fun if you can fix the bugs, NTW is a lot of fun, but I would've liked to fight on a bigger map.

All in all I would say both are must tries.

[Kahless]

I badly wanted to like Empire, but I just couldn't get past the anemic strategic AI. I can take only so many nonsensical invasions, pointless backstabbings, and refusals to make peace before quitting in rage/frustration.

[Phobos]

Originally Posted by Kahless

I badly wanted to like Empire, but I just couldn't get past the anemic strategic AI. I can take only so many nonsensical invasions, pointless backstabbings, and refusals to make peace before quitting in rage/frustration.

I tend to agree on this point, though I did stick with ETW for some time due to mod support. Nevertheless, every Total War game after the original Medieval has had a roughly similar version of terrible campaign A.I., so I can't act like it's a surprise. Tis a shame too, for everything from leader traits to agents, to your troop's growing experience inspires me to play through a full version of the campaign, but I just can't stand 200 turns of ridiculous A.I. backstabbings whenever the game decides you need more "entertainment".

[Kahless]

Yeah, I probably have should've known better, given how awful the AI in Rome was (on both the strategic and tactical level). However, CA had emphasized fairly heavily their focus on the AI for ETW, and that they "really really meant it" when they said it was going to be much improved this time around.

*sigh* I'm such a sucker sometimes....

[Gusington]

Kahless...try some mods. There are mods available for every TW going back to the original Medieval: TW that virtually transform the games. I am never too far from playing a TW game simply because of the modding potential of R:TW and M2TW.

Of course, Empire TW is hard coded and mod tools have never been released but modders have done some great work despite that. Napoleon TW has some mods available for it right now on the British campaigns in Africa in the later 19th century (think Zulu, Sudan, etc.)

Modding is the key with these games.

[Kahless]

I know Gus, but most of those mods don't -- and in all fairness, they probably aren't able to -- address the AI.


You know from my comments over on the Wargamer that I've never been terribly enthralled by the period covered in Empire -- aside from the naval aspect, it simply doesn't interest me very much. I'd stated numerous times that the only way the game was really going to grab me was if the AI (and especially the campaign AI) was at least reasonably decent....which it's not.

I'm just sick of the "Black Knight AI" phenomenon: Too often I've seen countries declare war on each other (especially myself) for no discernible reason, and/or when they frequently had little realistic chance of winning. Too often I've had allies backstab me for little or no purpose, other than that we share a common border. Too often a country refuses to sign a peace treaty, even if they're down to their last city and their army has been destroyed. It drives me up the wall to see factions display virtually no sense of self-preservation.


Now if there's an ETW mod out there that rectifies or at least partially alleviates this problem, then I'd certainly be interested in trying it out. I'm not aware of any such mod(s), however; and unless/until there is one, I will not be playing Empire again anytime soon.

[Shelldrake2]

I saw the ETW/NTW Gold pack in a big box store the other day and must admit that I am tempted if only to try out some of the mods that I hear about. I think I will add the game to my Christmas wish list since right now I have more than enough games to play.

[Bison]

Go for it Shell. They are fun games and as Gus says you can mod them up. Now I prefer ETW over NTW. I lost most of last October through December playing ETW.

[150935]

Originally Posted by Kahless

I know Gus, but most of those mods don't -- and in all fairness, they probably aren't able to -- address the AI.


You know from my comments over on the Wargamer that I've never been terribly enthralled by the period covered in Empire -- aside from the naval aspect, it simply doesn't interest me very much. I'd stated numerous times that the only way the game was really going to grab me was if the AI (and especially the campaign AI) was at least reasonably decent....which it's not.

I'm just sick of the "Black Knight AI" phenomenon: Too often I've seen countries declare war on each other (especially myself) for no discernible reason, and/or when they frequently had little realistic chance of winning. Too often I've had allies backstab me for little or no purpose, other than that we share a common border. Too often a country refuses to sign a peace treaty, even if they're down to their last city and their army has been destroyed. It drives me up the wall to see factions display virtually no sense of self-preservation.


Now if there's an ETW mod out there that rectifies or at least partially alleviates this problem, then I'd certainly be interested in trying it out. I'm not aware of any such mod(s), however; and unless/until there is one, I will not be playing Empire again anytime soon.

I have heard Darth mod has greatily increased the AI so maybe try that

[Kahless]

My impression is that DarthMod mostly only addresses the battle AI. While that's definitely welcome, it's the strategic AI that really bothers me and that I want to see fixed/improved.

[Lucky 6]

Originally Posted by Kahless

My impression is that DarthMod mostly only addresses the battle AI. While that's definitely welcome, it's the strategic AI that really bothers me and that I want to see fixed/improved.

I've played using darthmod quite a bit, and my impression is that the battle AI wasn't tweaked in a positive way at all. Units frequently tend to lose direction and often charge off on a tangent on a heading 90º away from the target. They modified unit cards a lot though; attack points, defense points, reload time, and so on.

The campaign strategic AI is still dumb as a doorknob; god, one can only endure so much backstabbing! The diplomatic AI seems to be far better though. For example, another nation will most likely sign on to a trade agreement with little to no wheeling and dealing, but will never give up tech secrets for any price, that seems more realistic IMO.

Just my 2¢

[mikeck]

Hmmm, I have a different take on darthmod. I find that it greatly improves battle ai so that it is actually fun to fight. Not a challenge mind you, but better than vanilla. Campaign ai isn't bad once its at war but diplomacy sucks. Either way if you are going to play empire, you need darthmod. Just look at how popular it is compared to others.

I play napoleon as well and the ai there is much better. The problem with napoleon is that the map is small and diplomacy is non existent. What I mean is, nobody really does much diplomacy so it feels like I am all alone.

[Lucky 6]

Originally Posted by mikeck

Hmmm, I have a different take on darthmod. I find that it greatly improves battle ai so that it is actually fun to fight. Not a challenge mind you, but better than vanilla. Campaign ai isn't bad once its at war but diplomacy sucks. Either way if you are going to play empire, you need darthmod. Just look at how popular it is compared to others.

I play napoleon as well and the ai there is much better. The problem with napoleon is that the map is small and diplomacy is non existent. What I mean is, nobody really does much diplomacy so it feels like I am all alone.

Don't get me wrong, it results in a much better game then the stock one; it just seems a bit glitchy overall. I doesn't have that feeling of a finished product, but what Mod does?

As for Napoleon, I was excited during the news updates and press releases, until I found out that the player was going to be tied to a campaign. I love how cinematic it all appears, but that's not why I'm a fan of the TW series. I like the oppurtunity to change history and conquer the entire world. So I agree with your points; and that's why, as of yet I have no interest in buying Napoleon: Total War.

[OJsDad]

Do either ETW or NTW require Steam to play the single player game. If I purchase a boxed version, do I still need a Steam account to play?