Empire Total War

[Swoop]

Once they improve turn processing speed, change the mid range battle animations so troops actually walk instead of roller skate everywhere and fix the pause bug when selecting a fleet......it'll be a damn fine game.

[Treize69]

I am loving it, had it for a couple of weeks now. I actually enjoy the challenge of the campaign more than the battles- I managed to win the Prussian campaign without going to war against any western European nations (aside from the Dutch, who contested my succession and got wiped off the map for it and the Venetians who decided they didn't like me on their border and got likewise smacked down. But they started it.) I actually got the French to give me Alsace-Lorraine and stay my allies! And I managed to stay allied with and trading with the English, French, and Spanish all the way through without having to pick sides.

The trade infrastructure, technology research and whole protestant/catholic dynamic add new dimensions that Medieval didn't have.

[Motherland]

I actually got the French to give me Alsace-Lorraine and stay my allies!

Lol. I went down to North Africa and got rid of the Barbary pirates to trade their territories to France for Alsace-Lorraine

I would certainly say the game is worth buying. I thought so from day one. There are bugs but it doesn't detract too much from the game experience. It's really fun.

[Treize69]

Lol. I went down to North Africa and got rid of the Barbary pirates to trade their territories to France for Alsace-Lorraine

A big part of mine was that I was way far advanced over them in technology research. I traded them all the naval research I had that they didn't, as well as a few industrial and social ones (stuff that wouldn't improve their armies, just in case). I eliminated Austria and acquired all the territories I had to to win (I think it was 25, including the 19 you needed to "unify Germany"), but those damn Poles just kept moving east as I drove into their territory- I kept the campaign going just to see what happens, and right now its 1806 and they've almost driven all the way to Siberia, and won't stop raiding and invading my territories. I've been doing nothing but counter raiding and annihilating invading armies for almost 20 years now, and they keep coming.

I think its about time to add Poland-Lithuania to Austria, the United Provinces, Venice, Bavaria, Hanover, Saxony, the Rhineland, and all the rest on my rubbish pile of history. >:-}

[Motherland]

What difficulty are you playing on?

I played my Prussia campaign on 'Normal'. I like to track the progress of my campaigns on the laminated world map I have in my room (no comment necessary ). Here's what I had by the time I was ready to ta- I MEAN liberate Denmark from the Swedes. (thus dotted line. I have a system ) (sorry for the glare. Took it with my phone, explaining the crappy quality as well)
You may notice that I tried to avoid finishing off countries to keep my relations up.





Playing as Austria on Very Hard right now. An actual challenge, I like it







Need to figure out where the saves are, I want to continue my Austria campaign on my new W7 partition.
Spoke too soon, W7 doesn't seem to like Empire.

[Motherland]

Need to figure out where the saves are, I want to continue my Austria campaign on my new W7 partition.
Spoke too soon, W7 doesn't seem to like Empire.

Windows XP SP2 compatibility mode, duh 
Boots fine, I'll try to play tomorrow.

[mensa180]

I'm downloading the demo now, if it's as great as I hope it to be then I'll probably buy it tomorrow afternoon.

[Treize69]

What difficulty are you playing on?

I played my Prussia campaign on 'Normal'. I like to track the progress of my campaigns on the laminated world map I have in my room (no comment necessary ). Here's what I had by the time I was ready to ta- I MEAN liberate Denmark from the Swedes. (thus dotted line. I have a system ) (sorry for the glare. Took it with my phone, explaining the crappy quality as well)
You may notice that I tried to avoid finishing off countries to keep my relations up.

(Image removed from quote.)

Playing as Austria on Very Hard right now. An actual challenge, I like it
(Image removed from quote.)

Need to figure out where the saves are, I want to continue my Austria campaign on my new W7 partition.
Spoke too soon, W7 doesn't seem to like Empire.

I'm playing on "Normal" too, but I try to focus my aggression on Austria and Poland-Lithuania after I've unified the Reich. Aside from taking Denmark (which is required) I've been allied with and trading hard with all the Scandinavians, and I held off going after the Danes as long as I could. I worried more about taking out the other princelings first, then worried about expansion.

Plus I worked hard to build up my tech and all that fast so I could make the most of small, efficient armies instead of huge, expensive ones.

I've kept the campaign going just to see where it goes- I'm hoping I can end it (I think it doesn't let you go beyond 1826) with a peaceful, stable super-state smack dab in the middle of Europe.

[mechanic]

The year 1806 on hardest difficulty settings. GB owns the world. All that is left are the Russians, Native Americans, Mexico and Columbia.

For some reason my taxes no longer come in, maybe a bug, maybe a feature. Meaning in the next few years my empire will crumble into anarchy. Nothing i can do about it. I started again and am going to take the whole world before 1799.

[mensa180]

OK, I played the demo for 6 hours straight.  Best game ever, went to best buy and bought it today for 30 bucks.  We should all hook up on multiplayer some time.  Trade strategies.

[mechanic]

 I use an excellent anti cavalry formation. You take 4 battalions of line infantry and make a large square 3 ranks deep. Which ever side the cavalry charges into rushes forwards to meet the charge letting the horses ride into the middle. This leaves 3 sides of a square surrounding the cav and one battalion at their rear. All 4 battalions turn to face the inside and fire a volley into the cav at once, no battalion of horse in the game will stand around for a second volley.

Oh, this really only works on ultra unit size, or the square is too small and you shoot your own men too much.