Empire: Total War

Empire: Total War
Empire: Total War box art Empire: Total War's British box art. Regional variations show respective nations' colours and uniforms.
Developer(s)	Creative Assembly
Publisher(s)	Sega
Designer(s)	James Russell
Artist(s)	Kevin McDowell
Series	Total War
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows
Release	NA: 3 February 2009 UK: 6 February 2009
Genre(s)	Real-time tactics Turn-based strategy
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer

Empire: Total War is an upcoming 2009 real-time tactics and turn-based strategy in the Total War video game series that is being developed by Creative Assembly and published by Sega. Sega officially announced Empire: Total War on 22 August 2007. Empire: Total War is scheduled for release on 3 February 2009 in United States, and 6 February 2009 in United Kingdom and PAL territories.

Gameplay

Empire: Total War is about exploration, conquest, founding of colonies and fighting wars away from home. The game's timeline is set in the early modern period, spanning from 1700 to the early 1800s, in which players direct their chosen nation to dominate Europe, North Africa, the Americas, the Indies, and the Indian subcontinent. The player will use both complex strategies on the campaign map as well as command battalions on the battlefield—both on land and sea. The game will feature gameplay correlating with that of the previous games in the Total War series, but with major additions to the campaign map and battlefield.

Campaign map

The previous title's diplomacy and military artificial intelligence have been given major changes and have been completely refined. "Whereas the diplomatic and military AI in previous Total War games were separate entities, leading to some curious international actions, they have now been unified, which should result in more realistic diplomatic relations: more useful alliances and complex treaties". There are also new systems in place to draw armies out of cities, by the inclusion of barracks and mills outside the city walls to defend. The new animated campaign map features a huge cast of characters, and shows every single building and upgrade, rather than just the cities, castles and docks of previous games. Players can cut off supply lines, trade, docks and industry without tackling the main city.

The auto-management system is improved along with the advice system, and the game itself will feature better tutorials that make the game easier to learn. There will also be an added focus on managing unrest in the player's empire, and the degree to which the player expands or denies political freedom to the population. Armies and fleets can now be constructed around the generals and admirals. Units that players select to be built will be constructed at the nearest possible place and move to join up with their leader.

It is also confirmed that changes in government may occur during the campaign as the rise of democracy becomes an issue in this time period. For instance, the United States may only come into existence if the rulers of that area are unable to maintain social order. Another example is the French Revolution that may occur if the people of France are no longer satisfied with their sovereign. Factions will also have a varying number of objectives such as establishing successful colonies, trade routes and dominance in certain regions as victory conditions.

Queens are now portrayed to reflect the influences of historical characters such as Catherine the Great. Colonies can now be established, and it depends on whether it is made in the wilderness of the Americas, or upon the existing infrastructure of India. While religion no longer plays a central role as in Medieval II: Total War, it is still important in helping bring under control newly captured regions and in defining to some degree diplomatic relations between nations.

While in previous Total War titles army movements were restricted to tiles, in Empire: Total War army movement is completely free-form. The game also enables the player to establish taxes separately for nobles, burghers and peasants, and this can have several effects.

Rebellions and revolutions will occur, and are influenced by the form of government in place. When a revolution occurs, the player can opt to side with the rebellious forces or the loyalist troops. The type of government installed by the player in his faction will determine how other factions view the player and will influence their diplomatic relations.

In addition, new to Total War is a story mode, which will range in battles from the establishment of Jamestown to the American Revolution.

Factions

There will be around 50 factions in the game, with 12 playable from the beginning, including:

Playable;

• Kingdom of France
• Kingdom of Great Britain
• Thirteen Colonies
• Kingdom of Prussia
• Spanish Empire
• Ottoman Empire
• Mughal Empire
• Swedish Empire
• http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ac/Herb_Rzeczpospolitej_Obojga_Narodow.svg Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth
• Austrian Empire

Features

Empire: Total War will feature a new game engine as well as 3D naval battles, a feature new to the series, as well as large land battles with musketeers, cavalry and artillery. Buildings and structures can be garrisoned, as well as being destructible, and there is a plethora of new formations and strategies to be mastered. Players can change the form of government of their empire from an absolute monarchy, constitutional monarchy, and republic. The game will feature a full host of historical figures including Peter I of Russia, John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough and Charles XII of Sweden.

Diplomacy, taxation, and trade have been streamlined making micromanagement easier and simpler. Trade has been opened up on a global scale and split into three trade theatres: the Indies, the Americas, and Europe. Wandering scholars and assassins have been replaced with special units merged into just two units: gentlemen and rakes. The former handles diplomatic pursuits, and the latter does the underhand jobs. Gentlemen can engage in duels to politely dispose of key members of opposing factions, and can enroll at foreign universities and pinch research, all in the name of study. Armies are built through generals who recruit from nearby settlements—no longer grown all over the map and then moved to meet a leader. Even commands are streamlined so that orders are issued and then moves made, thus speeding up turn time.

The game will feature a tech tree for the first time in the series, that will allow players to research pure technologies as well as construct and upgrade buildings. Players can infiltrate their opponent's universities and acquire their technologies, which can save much money and time. Players can choose to focus on a whole host of different technologies that may give units new abilities on the battlefield, develop new types of ordnance for the player's artillery, or improve ships' sailing and fighting performance. Other technologies will develop the player's economy and enable new buildings and infrastructure, and still others will advance the educational level of the player's nation and speed up future research. As an example, this will offer players better infantry which can reload and fire faster, or change into different formations more quickly. As technology advances, this will be reflected in the bayonets used, ranging from plug bayonets, which prevent firing, to socket bayonets which do not interfere with loading, aiming, and firing. Players can also advance to a level where they can begin to use primitive gunpowder mines, which are unreliable but still quite deadly, and can be triggered by the player. Players are also able to advance to such a degree so as to be able to use steam ships, giving them an advantage over sail-based ships, even though steam ships are outside the game's time frame.

At the 2008 Leipzig Games Convention, Creative Assembly revealed several new features of the AI in a battle between British and Prussian troops using a demo of the game, where the British forces were controlled by AI, and the Prussians by one of the game developers. The battle showed that tactical decisions taken by the AI during a battle will depend on the strategic importance of the ground or settlement being fought over, and the AI's campaign goals. If it is defending its capital, the AI may be willing to fight to the last man. If it is simply defending a village of little importance, it will try to minimise losses while maximising enemy casualties. In the battle, the British did not consider the settlement they were defending to be of importance, so it tried to keep losses at a minimum. During the battle, Prussian reinforcements arrived, shifting the balance of the battle in their favor, and the British withdrew from the town to avoid additional casualties. Withdrawals are also far more organised as the AI fights delaying actions and uses rear guard units that may occupy strategic buildings to slow down pursuing enemies and help to ensure the retreat of the army.

The naval battles feature:

• Realistic damage model for ships. Tear sails and destroy masts with chain shots, cannon balls can kill men, destroy guns, smash through different parts of a ship's hull and sink it.
• Realistic cannon fire.
• Round shots, chain shots, and grapeshots.
• Players can order their troops to fire at the gun ports, the decks of the ship, or at the sails.
• Boarding action.
• Dynamic weather that has a major impact on naval battles.

The battles on land have been given a makeover too:

• Music makes its way into the battlefield in the form of bagpipes, drums, flutes and trumpets.
• Weapons may jam and misfire, cannons can explode.
• Units can climb over short obstacles such as stone walls and fences.
• Flags will be actually carried by a single member of a unit. If he is killed, the unit's morale will decrease accordingly.
• Generals shout orders at their troops as the regiment goes into combat or fires at enemies.
• The battlefield becomes strewn with dead, dying and dismembered bodies.
• A new cover mechanic. Units can take cover inside buildings and behind walls.
• When fighting in hand to hand combat characters will evade, parry and block attacks
• Field defenses can be set up before the battle and in real-time as well.
• Weather will affect troop maneuverability and the effectiveness of weapons on the field. For instance rain can prevent muskets from firing, cause the ground to become muddy making cannonballs sink rather than bounce off, and slow down the speed of cavalry.
• Artillery can now be ordered to fire at a specific location to discourage the enemy from advancing beyond a certain point.
• Some cavalry units can be dismounted before and during the battle, such as dragoons.
• Certain units, such as skirmishers or light infantry, will be trained to use a stance, in order to decrease vulnerability.

External links

Official Websites

• Official Total War: Empire Website
• Total War.com - Official developer website.
• Official Total War Blog