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Empire: Total War is the standard of historical strategy.

BORING STORY?

It always seemed to me that the 18th century was nothing compared to the bloody era of the Roman Empire or the world-shaping period of the Middle Ages. After some acquaintance with the encyclopedia, I realized that I do not know very much because of my dislike of history. That was the time of the industrial revolution - a time of great change. Mechanical engineering became the foundation on which a new industrial society began to be built. This step in the development of humanity helped Britain expand and increase its spheres of influence around the world. A busy period, right? This is only one century out of many, but humanity developed during this period so dynamically that even the Middle Ages (5 centuries) cannot be compared with the period of industrialization. Europe is completely transforming from an agrarian swamp into a technological society. Britain begins to impose its power in India, America ceases to be a colony ...

But there is another reason why the developers chose this particular historical period. You can see this reason in the screenshots with naval battles. Naval battles were of great importance for that period of history. The dominant country of the sea automatically controlled the main trade routes and received sufficient funds to support military action that was never cheap. In previous games in the series, naval battles were extremely unsatisfactory. The course of the battle was decided automatically and the player had no opportunity to intervene in the process.

The developers revised all naval battles in past games, but making them better turned out to be incredibly difficult. In addition, the banal lack of time affected.

TECHNICAL TREE?

Still wondering how much technology can fit in just one century? One of the joys of Medieval II was the tech tree. Gradually studying its "leaves", the player received more and more destructive military units and more advanced civilian buildings to improve cities. At first glance, there is no difference in muskets. Wrong, it is. Moreover, these differences are simply enormous. Units in Empire: Total War change more as you research technology than ever before. There is no need to send troops for upgrades, as this happens automatically. Better bayonets, better ammo, and more reliable muskets can be learned if you get your economy back on track. Your soldiers will run and kill the enemy with bayonets, and the enemy will gradually move to a new level of technological development and cut out your entire army.

Research is not only about economics, it is also about strategic planning.

There are many different ways to improve technology. But you will only play in accordance with your chosen strategy. For example, you can reform your government to make research more efficient.

There are three types of government that you can lead throughout your empire, and each of them significantly affects the state's economy and population, as well as the quantity and quality of military resources. As the ruler of a naval power, it is vital for you to improve and study the combat abilities of your troops in order not to let the fleet go to the bottom when meeting a stronger enemy. Each side has enough potential to build 10 to 20 types of ships. Depending on how you prioritize your research, you may have the opportunity to unlock technology that was not available in the 18th century.

AIM AND SHOOT?

Close combat played a major role in previous games in the Total War series, but gunpowder ruled the battlefield in the 18th century.Most of the infantry (and even some types of cavalry) were armed with muskets and the very first grenades. Artillery was used more than ever before. It was more powerful and accurate. At first glance, it might seem that the battles were akin to modern ones: shelling from a long distance, all kinds of evasion from close combat, and only then close combat and the last breath of the enemy killed with a knife. But this is a wrong impression.

Too long reloading of cannons and still a small effective fire distance will not allow you to shoot enemy forces without getting your hands dirty. The final victory must be wrested from the opponent with hands that will be up to the elbows in blood after close combat.

With the right tactical approach, you can pretty much beat up enemy forces from a distance. Especially if the distance is not too great and the enemy is marching in dense formation, and your soldiers have good muskets. But don't forget, the 18th century is the time of the bayonet, not the bullet.

Previously, during the battle, you could not use buildings to hide soldiers. In the new part of the game, everything has changed.

Empire: Total War fully reflects the nature of war. Shelters became more important in battle.

As soon as your soldiers capture the structure or hide behind the wall, you can order them to cover the second group of troops, which is moving forward along the front line. This is not the capture of control points, as in Company of Heroes, but this tactic is just as important and will allow you to bring your soldiers to the desired position with less losses.

According to James, battles, especially at strategically important points, are very intense and dynamic. Structures are the epicenter of the battle. The tactical approach to skirmishes arises and is developed by the player on an intuitive level.

Artillery is also of great importance, which significantly complements the repertoire of an expert gamer. For example, heavy artillery cannot move quickly; it is more profitable to use it when defending an object. But light artillery, which was transported with the help of horses, moves faster than infantry and can radically change the course of the battle. With its help, you can thin out the ranks of the enemy from one position, and then quickly redeploy to deliver another crushing blow.

In general, in the armies of those times, horses played a huge role in the course of the battle. It was also the age of the cavalry. The dragoons had the speed and maneuverability needed to fight to win, and enough "firepower" to resist until reinforcements arrived. When the enemy infantry has already reached the firing line to shoot your cavalry, the cavalry troops can easily leave the line of fire and enter the enemy from the flank. At the same time, your infantrymen will be able to approach the distracted enemy in relative safety and deliver a crushing blow.

If you loved military history, then you will surely have certain ideas about how and in what order it is better to place different types of your troops along the front line. Given the innovations in the new game, the developers had to work hard on the artificial intelligence of the generals, which are controlled by the computer.

IS THE CITY SAFE?

The very first information about the game Empire testified that the player will be able to fight at the same time from several states, while not capturing the opponent's state. I thought that the map would not fade into the color of the player's country.

In fact, you will still be sending troops to capture territories. But depending on which nation you choose, your starting tasks will differ. Someone will receive the territory of a small state, which needs to be strengthened and protected from the enemy. Someone will get almost an empire that is interested in expansion at the expense of neighboring states. But to "paint" the card in your own color or not - depends only on which path of development you choose.

There will be cities scattered throughout the region that you can capture or simply sabotage there. A sabotage can affect the improvement of the city as a whole, or it can strike a specific blow, for example, against an agricultural structure or destroy a port in order to disrupt food supplies. Such techniques allow you to quickly capture the city you need and make an outpost out of it for further invasion. The neighboring state, in fact, can be captured without engaging in open battle. It is enough just to undermine the economy and lay siege to the capital. As a result, the government you do not like will be overthrown, and you will take a new part of the empire under your control.

Capitals still exist, but it will be much harder to hold them back than before.

For example, the British captured Paris, but if they held it, they would face the intolerance and aggression of the French who live in the city and in the country. In fact, holding Paris will be extremely difficult and exhausting for your troops. If, however, methodically "dig" for France, it will be strategically correct. Capturing and holding the city, accordingly, will become easier.

As for the global tasks, here the developers have slightly changed the concept of the new game in comparison with the previous parts of Total War. To win, it will not be enough just to capture a certain number of territories. Creative Assembly this time approached this issue more meticulously. Victory will now depend on many factors, such as the number and state of the colony, trade routes, world hegemony, etc.

NO MORE HEROES?

In the 18th century, the social structure changed significantly. The fall of the monarchical system was observed everywhere. In fact, the transition to democracy has begun. There were no kings who led their troops to victory on the battlefield. Princesses, priests, inquisitors, they all disappeared.

These changes are reflected in the game as well. Generals are no longer inherited. The commander will grow from an ordinary soldier who was once recruited, like thousands of others like him.

By the way, the number of commanders is limited. But they will still be a little heroic. Your representatives in the game world will be not only fictional leaders, but also historical figures: military and politicians. Each of them will do their own thing: war, politics, the improvement of the country.

The developers carefully studied the previous games in the series, and came to one simple conclusion: the player spent too much time collecting the army, collecting taxes and other government management, which was too much. In Empire, you can create armies and fleets around your generals and admirals. Units will be built in the nearest city, and then they will be transferred to the commander-in-chief as quickly as possible. If the player gets tired of creating an army manually, the whole process can be put on the “automatic” and management can take over.

But how will the enemy act based on the alignment of forces? To make the behavior and decisions of artificial intelligence correct and adequate to a specific situation, two programmers worked on the "brain" of the game. Previously, military and diplomatic AI were separate types of game intelligence. Now the picture has changed somewhat and they have been united into one whole, which made it possible to achieve a higher level of "intelligence" of the computer enemy. In Empire, diplomacy can be turned on at any time. In order to conclude any agreements with a neighboring state, you need to send a representative there.

Diplomacy has undergone a significant change. It will be much easier to understand how different factions treat you and why their attitude is that way. AI decisions have become more subject to human logic. This allows for a better understanding of an ally or enemy.

Many of the units actively used in the previous parts have disappeared. These are diplomats, priests, princesses, etc. Spies and assassins also disappeared.Instead of them, there is now only one unit that performs the same role, but at the same time can inflict much more damage on the enemy than all of the above units combined.

IS THERE A LOT OF NAVY?

Naval battles in Total War games have never been characterized by scale and scope, although they had their own charm. But the battle took place in a small area and always with a small number of ships. This in no way can be called a plus of the projects. Representatives of the developers at the press conferences held before the release of the game reassured the players: “Yes, indeed, ships are a whole complex. It includes the hull, sails, rudders and, of course, the crew. Each of these elements of the system can be controlled separately. But we expect that each side will have about 20 ships during the battle. We did not try to create a simulator, but we want, for example, the wind to influence the course of the battle in a certain way. If everything is static, it just won't be interesting. The game will have visual and audio support that will help the player understand the strength and direction of the wind and make it easier to use it for their own purposes. That is, the use of ships in battle has become simple and straightforward. "

Even if there are certain flaws in sea battles, they can be forgiven. After all, the sea is a new territory for Creative Assembly, in the previous games of which there was only solid ground.

Looking at the game graphics, you can estimate the scale of the work done. When you see splash from debris or a cannonball bouncing across the surface of the water ... You see a storm, huge waves and ships swaying on the waves ... The water in the Caribbean Sea is blue and in the North Sea is gray. This spectacle is simply breathtaking.

There are 10-20 types of ships in the game for each nation. The new ship will be available for construction only after the necessary technologies for its production have been researched. The difference in ships of different factions is not very noticeable. It concerns mainly the appearance, the arrangement of sails and cannons. Some ships can be equipped with unique upgrades, such as steam engines, which were invented in the 19th century. Naval forces gather around admirals in the same way as land forces around generals: they are built at the nearest shipyard, and move to the commander-in-chief. By the way, the navy serves not only to intimidate and destroy enemies. It is also entrusted with the important mission of protecting trade routes and colonies.

With the release of Empire, I realized how well all the great ideas and ambitions of the developers are embodied in the game. By adding full-fledged naval battles to the game, the developers have greatly increased the project's chances of success. I hope that Empire: Total War brings you tons of fun and that Creative Assembly will glorify forever.

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