Napoleon: Total War

[SW01]

owners of Empire will be able to upgrade their existing game with the new Napoleon engine, giving Empire a new visual lease on life.

 

That will be most interesting to see. It's a good move on CA's part, I say. Hopefully that will mean an instant fix to many annoying little bugs - like diplomacy on a whim. Or cannon firing if/when they please.

 

weather effects sound like a brilliant addition.

 

Indeed - it would be good to see upgraded locks actually giving a greater tactical advantage in bad weather.

 

Also, I have it on good authority that each turn shall represent 2 weeks of game time - making for around 182 turns in the Grand Campaign - not too far off the 200 turns it takes to play the 18th Century in Empire.

 

That's definitely good to hear - I was worried that we were going to have another Alexander, where you are finished in a couple of days and never want to go back...

 

I agree with you Astor - this is (sounding like) what Empire should have been. And coastline hazards - I very much hope we see them. In the .loc files, there are actually some lines for, I assume, the help popups that relate to running aground and shallow water - sounds like it was cut during development, which makes me hope CA put it back in this time.

 

I really want to see a naval screenshot - to see if the Royal Navy officers are in the correct uniform!

[ARC Cody]

I can't believe it. How can CA, in good conscience, release a new game when Empire still has so many little, and a few not so little, bugs and unresolved issues. They plan on releasing a full blown sequel less than a year after ETW was shipped out, despite the fact that there was a gap of several years between all of the previous incarnations, which leads me to conclude that they couldn't have spent much time refining ETW, as they were too busy developing this. CA has become all about the money.

[Astor]

I can't believe it. How can CA, in good conscience, release a new game when Empire still has so many little, and a few not so little, bugs and unresolved issues.

 

For their part, Creative Assembly have pledged to continue to support and improve Empire. They're by no means abandoning it.

 

They plan on releasing a full blown sequel less than a year after ETW was shipped out, despite the fact that there was a gap of several years between all of the previous incarnations, which leads me to conclude that they couldn't have spent much time refining ETW, as they were too busy developing this.

 

Creative Assembly have said that they had been working on both Empire and Napoleon concurrently - and although CA may be a relatively small company, with around 120 employees, that's more enough for them to have two teams working on both refining and patching Empire and developing Napoleon.

 

I hope i'm not coming across as a hopeless fanboy, but I really do think that the community should give CA the chance to put right their mistakes, especially when they have been shown to do this already.

[stingerhs]

^^^^

i absolutely agree. CA has a good history of supporting their games well after the release date with updates that address anything and everything from simple bugs all the way up to balancing issues with "uber-units" that people would spam their armies with in multiplayer skirmishes.

 

i can think back to Rome: Total War when that game had a lot of issues early on in its release, and its a similar situation to where we are now with ETW. the issues come with a new engine since there's so many variables to account for in the PC gaming market.

 

just my take on the issue.

[Astor]

There's a very nice 6 page spread in this month's issue of PC Gamer about Napoleon. Obviously, I can't write the whole thing out, but i'll put up some of the more interesting parts.

 

Firstly, a mention of the attrition system -

 

The reason you won't be able to stomp around Napoleon's campaign maps crushing all with your towering superkillstacks is the reason Napoleon couldn't do it in real life. Supplies.

 

In 1812 Boney's Grande Armee was reduced from a 550,000 strong juggernaut to a 12,000-weak shadow in a matter of months. The enemy that wrought this carnage wasn't the Brits, the Austrians of the Russians (though they did help a bit). It was an alliance of starvation, disease and bitter, bitter cold. Attrition to you and me.

 

Units operating in enemy territory will melt away like snowflakes on a hot cannon barrel if not marched via villages, towns or supply depots(a new placeable structure type).

 

A little bit about diplomacy it sounds like it might be more useful this time around (I should hope so, seeing as diplomacy was almost as valuable to Napoleon as his military strength) -

 

And as the six 'Wars of Coalition' fought against Napoleonic France amply testify, diplomacy was always important to Boney's opponents. Play Britain, Prussia or Austria, and you're going to stand little chance if you allow the alliance that exists at the start of the campaign to fissure and fail.

 

A little about the use of agents in Napoleon -

 

Agents are another area where change is in the air. Preachers won't be able to work their corrosive magic, so they're out. The rake transmutes into our old friend the spy, albeit with some new talents. As well as being able to slip into an enemy encampment to gather intel, he'll be able to delay armies through sabotage.

 

Gentlemen remain, but should be more useful, thanks to an ability to pen and distribute rabble-rousing pamphlets.

 

Finally! Pamphleteers!

 

Some info on Generals -

 

CA, inspired by the example of Boney himself, are keen to put battlefield leaders centre-stage again. The phrase 'warrior kings' was mentioned. They haven't quite decided how this is to be achieved, but don't be surprised if your Wellingtons and Alexander I's have potent special powers' buttons.

 

A little bit about the uniforms of troops -

 

There's the Brunswickers with their goth togs and silver deaths-head cap badges, there's Napoleon's Old Guard with their red-plumed bearskins, and the Highlanders in their extraordinary feathered bonnets. Most of the folk that die in a Napoleon Total War scrap will die dapper.

 

A little about Naval action and historical battles -

 

Naval action will obviously play a role in the Egyptian and Grand Campaign, but beyond some surprising talk of ironclad units and the news that Trafalgar will feature in the historical scraps, there wasn't much reason for desktop Hornblowers to dance the hornbrace or splice the mainpipe.

 

The contents of the historical battle folder - inexcusably empty in Empire - have yet to be finalised, but that famous engagement fought at South London's busiest rail terminal will almost certainly make it.

 

 

And a closing remark, reminiscent of the same preview of Empire this time last year -

 

Though it's barely more than a concept at present and there's still plenty of room for Retreat From Moscow-sized screw-ups, I'd be deeply if it didn't turn out to be one of the most startling and satisfying strategy experiences of 2010.

 

I apologise if there are any spelling mistakes; as i've had to type it out from the magazine. It's a really englightening article, which is full of so much more information, but I obviously can't type out the whole thing (although the thought had crossed my mind ).

 

If you want to see it for yourself, the article is in the October 2009 issue of PC Gamer (in the UK at least - but i'd imagine a similar, if not the same article will be appearing in the international versions very soon.)

 

The screenshots are very nice, but they still don't feel right to my eyes. Napoleon looks very authoritative on his horse, but why is he not mounted on Marengo? The Carabiniers shown in some of the first screenshots should have white coats, and the British infantry in some of the more recent screenshots, while looking nice, all seem to wear blue trousers coupled with a bizarre silk sash around the waist.

 

Ah well, just the rantings of a stickler for accuracy. The Uniform Editor that's said to be included with Napoleon will soon correct any mistakes.

 

AK.

[Sabretooth]

 

When I was of a much younger age, I'd only heard the name of the Battle of Trafalgar, and the only Trafalgar I knew was the square, from Midtown Madness 2. Later, I picked up that a certain Nelson had commandeered a victorious ship in it, which made me guess that the battle took place in the Thames.

 

I'm speechless today.

[SW01]

Units operating in enemy territory will melt away like snowflakes on a hot cannon barrle if not marched via villages, towns or supply depots(a new placeable structure type).

 

Ah good - I was wondering how General Winter was going to make his appearance! The Russian campaign would be rather false and boring without it, of course...

[Astor]

Ah good - I was wondering how General Winter was going to make his appearance! The Russian campaign would be rather false and boring without it, of course...

 

I'm not sure if it definitely means that winter will play a part in your attrition casualties, but we can hope.

 

Nonetheless, a functioning supply system has been something that people have been asking for for some time - so at least Creative Assembly is listening (sort of).

 

As an aside, PC Gamer has a page of (hilarious) misinformation about Napoleon on the last page of this issue. Some of the gems -

 

• Despite fighting the English, he was born in Dorchester, moving to France aged three.
  
• Napoleon's first wife, Joséphine de Beauharnais, was technically an arachnid.
  
• Napoleon Bonaparte's middle name was Mary, although he would tell people it was Malcolm.
  
• Napoleon managed Ozzy Osbourne's early career.
  
• Napoleon's second wife, Marie Louise of Austria, was a cumulonimbus cloud formation he had mistaken for a person. His friends knew, but never said.
  
• Napoleon's descendents include Fiona Bruce and Margaret Thatcher.
  
• He was allergic to Maltesers.
  
• He was the first naval commander to use ships. Previous generals had attempted to march their armies into the sea and fight underwater - with limited success.
  
• And, most importantly, he cheated at draughts.
  

 

 

AK.

[Astor]

Sega have added an exclusive interview with Kieran Bridgen, Creative Assembly's Communication Manager.

 

Napoleon: Total War Interview

 

So, far, they're very keen to stress that Napoleon is going to be a perfection of Empire - which reinforces the belief that Empire was (rightly or wrongly) a test.

 

But then again, that's how Creative Assembly have often worked - Revolution, then Evolution (For instance, Rome was good, but Medieval II blew it out of the water).

 

Other things to take from the interview - it's incredibly likely that Britain, Austria and Russia will be playable factions in the Grand Campaign. No mention of Prussia, but Prussia was a fairly consistent thorn in Napoleon's side, so i'd be surprised if they weren't playable.

 

ALL of Napoleon's major battles will be included as historical battles, and can be playable from either side. This is great, because we won't be forced to play from one perspective any more. No mention of the Peninsula War, but it's likely too early for any major announcements.

 

And again, at the end, he seems very quick to almost disregard Empire, which I find almost distressing, considering that it still needs work to make it what it should be.

 

AK.

[e-varmint]

I am also liking the looks of this game. I even have a new avatar prepared:

 

 

I just watched the entire Horatio Hornblower series that A&E did, so I'm psyched for some Napoleonic War action!

[Astor]

I was beginning to get worried. This is the first thing i've seen since September relating to N:TW.

 

 

Link

 

Apart from a few accuracy problems, and spelling mistakes, an interesting read. And it has some very lovely screenshots, like the one above, and this interesting one of the campaign map.

 

 

They sound very confident that it'll be coming early next year - I'm a little wary of such an early release, especially considering all the bugs that Empire had on release.

[Litofsky]

It looks very cool, indeed. However, as you said, Empire had numerous bugs, glitches, etc. I'd rather them push it back a month to polish, but as CA's blog told us, SEGA's calling the shots.

 

At any rate, I'd love to see some of the concerns that I've seen addressed, especially involving the smaller bugs that really dull the shine of the game (I, for instance, would love to see the return of the crossed swords to mark heroic victories, and the reduction of such victories to rather rare; repairing forts would be another thing to be solved; diplomacy needs no mention [number one on my list to be fixed]).

 

Nonetheless, it's nice to see some updates! Thanks for posting this, Astor.

[Astor]

Some news on exclusive pre-order units (for the UK at least - I'd appreciate it if one of our friends across the pond could fill in the blanks for US exclusive units). And the different versions of the game that will be available on release.

 

First, exclusive units -

 

HMS Elephant: HMS Elephant is a ship of the line with an impressive broadside at close range. Good sailing qualities are secondary to the weight of broadside that she can both deliver and withstand. - Available with both standard and Imperial editions from GAME

 

Grand Battery of the Convention: With twice as many guns as an ordinary artillery unit, the Grand Battery is an exceptionally strong unit. Its cannons have both a long range and tremendous killing power. - Available with both standard and Imperial editions from Amazon.co.uk

 

Towarczys: The Towarczys lancers are a unique force in Prussian service: fast moving, and with high morale thanks to their self-belief. Trained to attack at the full gallop, their lances give them an advantage in the first few moments of hand-to-hand combat. - Available with both standard and Imperial editions from Play.com

 

Royal Scots Greys: The Scots Greys are a heavy dragoon unit that can also be used as effective shock cavalry. The men of the Greys are each armed with a flintlock carbine and the standard British heavy cavalry sword, a man-killing butcher’s blade of a sword when used from horseback in close combat. - Available with both standard and Imperial editions from Steam

 

And some info on the Imperial Edition:

 

The Imperial Edition is the collector’s version of Napoleon: Total War. The box copy version contains the full game in a special premium packaging, complete with an illustrated wallchart biography of Napoleon Bonaparte and a STEAM unlock code that can be used to download two exclusive unit packs.

 

The “Heroes of the Napoleonic Wars” pack gathers the most superb infantry and cavalrymen who fought during the great Napoleonic battles: 10 exclusive units, which will all make a difference during key engagements, whether using formidable weapons or exceptional tactical skills.

 

The “Elite Regiment” pack is a collection of 5 of the most Elite Forces of the Napoleonic Wars, from all the major European factions. They proved their bravery, discipline and excellence in key battles and will dramatically expand the player’s strategic options on the battlefield.

 

These exclusive elite units become available on the campaign map once you have made a specific technological advancement or own the relevant territory, and can be used in single- or multiplayer games.

 

I fail to see the point of the exclusive pre-order units, seeing as CA then proceeded to release those same units on Steam for everyone, so I think it would have been better if they were just part of a DLC pack after release.

 

The Imperial edition looks interesting, but again, these 'exclusive unit packs' will likely be available to all a few months after release. But, i'm a sucker, so I think i'll just go and make my pre-order...

[SW01]

The Imperial Edition definitely looks nice - though as you say, it is tempting also to just go for the normal edition and then get the other units when/if CA puts them on Steam. The choice of a difference in price of a tenner or a couple of quid is compelling...

 

Though, it is very tempting to go for that edition - Empire became more interesting, imo, once nations had very unique units (mods help though ), so it might be better having them from the get-go. Certainly, I had been considering buying the Special Forces edition after I bought the standard edition to get the new units, but then CA went and did something nice by putting them up as DLC!

 

Now...the tricky bit...pre-orders. Promise of a nice unique unit makes it much more worthwhile to do, but causes a serious dilemma - which one???

 

I think I'd probably go for the Royal Scots Greys. It would be between that and Elephant to me, and land units look nicer and (generally) more distinctive than ships (Victory, for instance - only difference was the wrong figurehead...). Though that's from Steam which means trying to download a likely very large game.

 

On second thought, I'd probably end up with the Elephant and hope that all of these ended up as DLC too!

[Astor]

The Imperial Edition definitely looks nice - though as you say, it is tempting also to just go for the normal edition and then get the other units when/if CA puts them on Steam. The choice of a difference in price of a tenner or a couple of quid is compelling...

 

I'm leaning more towards the Imperial edition, mainly because Total War is my favourite game franchise, and I did get the Special Forces Edition of Empire (more money than sense, I think ).

 

Though that's from Steam which means trying to download a likely very large game.

 

On second thought, I'd probably end up with the Elephant and hope that all of these ended up as DLC too!

 

I think I shall be pre-ordering from GAME for pretty much the same reasons - if it's anywhere near the size of Empire, it'd take me more than a day to download (it took me 7 hours to download the demo for Empire, and that was only a little more than a Gigabyte).

 

Anyways, a quick look at game reveals the special units available in the Imperial Edition -

 

Heroes of the Napoleonic Wars

 

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7th Lancers – France: These cavalrymen are armed with lances that make them particularly deadly when charging. The lance allows the user to put all his weight, and that of his charging horse, behind one very sharp point.

 

Brandenburg Uhlans – Prussia: They are some of the most experienced cavalrymen in Europe and can persuade their steeds into breathtaking acts of speed.

 

1st Hussars – Austria: The 1st Hussars are, without exception, superb horsemen, and all have a certain independence of spirit that makes them ideal for chasing down widely scattered men.

 

15th Hussars – Great Britain: The 15th Hussars are made up of veteran cavalrymen, deadly in close combat and at the charge. Their speed makes them ideal for chasing down skirmishers and for dealing with artillery units.

 

1st East Prussian Grenadier Battalion – Prussia: Only the largest, bravest men can become grenadiers; this size and strength makes them an impressive sight in a charge, and gives them an edge in melee.

 

6th Regiment d’Infanterie Légère – France: Historically, the 6th Regiment saw action in over forty battles during the Napoleonic Wars and were awarded seven battle honours for their achievements.

 

17th Jäger Regiment – Russia: Able to fight in loose skirmish formation or fire a massed volley when organised in line, the Jägers are an adaptable response to enemy tactics.

 

1st Regiment Emperor's Own – Austria: The 1st Regiment “Emperor’s Own” is made up of battle-hardened Czech troops, as deadly with their bayonets as they are excellent marksmen.

 

18th Regiment d’Infanterie de Ligne “The Brave” – France: The 18th Regiment are revered by their fellow countrymen, who know them as “The Brave”. They are experienced soldiers and that makes them valuable on the battlefield.

 

Moscow Musketeers – Russia: Formed into a disciplined line, they can unleash a massed volley into an enemy then, while the enemy is reeling, follow it with a decisive bayonet charge.

 

Elite Regiments

 

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5e Regiment de Hussards – France: Light and fast, these veterans of the American War of Independence can quickly reach areas of the battlefield where they are most needed, cutting down the enemy with their curved sabres.

 

Pavlograd Hussars – Russia: All hussars have “dash” and a touch of derring-do in their collective attitude towards war. Pavlograd hussars are, without exception, excellent horsemen, ideal for chasing down skirmishers and overrunning artillery units.

 

8th Life Regiment – Prussia: The steadiness displayed by the men of the 8th Life Regiment is amazing, and on the battlefield they will encourage nearby troops to follow their example. As with many Prussian line infantry units, these men are incredibly disciplined and trained.

 

47th (Czech) Regiment – Austria: These veteran soldiers are adept at close and fire combat. When formed in a disciplined line, they can unleash a massed volley of fire and then move forwards to engage in melee with the enemy.

 

88th Foot "Connaught Rangers" – Great Britain: A little rough around the edges, but courageous and professional on the battlefield, the Connaught Rangers are an Irish line infantry regiment. Whether pushing home a bayonet or forming a disciplined firing line, these men will stand and fight.

 

So, a plethora of units available with the Imperial edition (and, i'm pleased to see a good variety of cavalry units) - although I feel there is one glaring omission, and i'm sure SW01 will agree with me on this one - where are the 95th Rifles, damnit?

[SW01]

Okay, the inclusion of the Connaught Rangers might just tip the balance in favour of the Imperial edition! (Still hoping to see some more Irish units included in the UK roster - Inniskilling Dragoons and the Royal Irish Regiment (18th Foot) for starters. Royal Irish Rifles would be nice too!)

 

there is one glaring omission, and i'm sure SW01 will agree with me on this one - where are the 95th Rifles, damnit?

 

Indeed! Can't have the Napoleonic Wars without the 95th's sharpshooters to snipe Napoleonic Generals at 300+ yards.

 

I'm really starting to lean towards GAME as well - £40 doesn't seem too bad for the Imperial Edition (pre-order)

[Astor]

Okay, the inclusion of the Connaught Rangers might just tip the balance in favour of the Imperial edition! (Still hoping to see some more Irish units included in the UK roster - Inniskilling Dragoons and the Royal Irish Regiment (18th Foot) for starters. Royal Irish Rifles would be nice too!)

 

That would be good, as the Irish regiments were at the forefront of a lot of the fighting, and their reputations were well-earned. Although, I fear they won't be included by CA (I seem to remember that there were a lot of complaints about Britain getting more 'unique' units in Empire - although they seem to be very evenly spread between the major factions so far)

 

One thing is certain, however - if they're not included by CA, there'll be a mod for it.

 

Indeed! Can't have the Napoleonic Wars without the 95th's sharpshooters to snipe Napoleonic Generals at 300+ yards.

 

They've probably already got Rifle units in the game, yet I would have thought that the 95th would have been top of the list for 'special' units. Oh well, mods once again...

 

I'm really starting to lean towards GAME as well - £40 doesn't seem too bad for the Imperial Edition (pre-order)

 

It's a pretty good price - about the same as Special Forces for Empire, and there's a lot more in the Imperial Edition than there was for Special Forces.

[mur'phon]

Nice, though I'm not sure if the "good for chasing down artilery" part of the description of some units applies to the Grand Battery of the Convention. Having husars charge into grapeshot tend to be a bit of a gamble even in Empire, doing it against twice the number of guns seems, well a waste of flashy uniforms.

[Darth_sidek]

It was a very good idea to dedicate an entire chapter of the series to the Napoleonic Wars. Looks pretty awesome.

 

Now if they'd only make a chapter dedicated to the American Civil War...

 

Meh, that'd be too small IMO... I say they make one that covers all the wars in NA for a while, starting with the war between the French and British in Canada (Ending at Quebec, with Wolfe's defeat) and going through the American War for Independence. The first part is a war sadly devoid of any war games. I guess they'd need a food-for-troops component to the game to really capture the spirit, because several major battles in that period were lost or won or almost lost/won because of lack of food and ships not being able to go into Quebec during the winter: EX http://www.britishbattles.com/battle-of-quebec.htm, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invasion_of_Canada_%281775%29

 

And yes, all my examples are in Canada... it's the history I know best.

[Astor]

SEGA and CA have released a trailer for the Story Mode of N:TW, narrated by Jason Isaacs.

 

You can see it here.

 

EDIT: Having watched it, i'm a little more positive about the game - the graphics, while still essentially the same as a Empire's, look a little slicker, as does the action - the cinematics look great, and i'm pleased to see that the uniforms are beginning to look more realistic.

 

Hopefully now, with two months till the expected release date, we'll be seeing a lot more of these updates.

[Astor]

Well, Napoleon will soon be hitting shelves in the US and the EU (23rd and 26th respectively), so I guess it's time I updated this with some more information.

 

Firstly, those all important system requirements -

 

 

System Requirements

Minimum:

 

OS:Microsoft® Windows Vista®/XP®/Windows® 7

Processor: 2.3 GHz CPU with SSE2

Memory: 1 GB RAM (XP), 2 GB RAM (Vista®/Windows® 7)

Graphics: 256 MB DirectX® 9.0c shader model 2b compatible GPU

DirectX®: DirectX® 9.0c

Hard Drive: 15 GB free space

 

Recommended:

 

OS: Microsoft® Windows Vista®/XP®/Windows® 7

Processor: 2.6 GHz Dual Core CPU

Memory: 2 GB RAM (XP), 4 GB RAM (Vista®/Windows® 7)

Graphics: 256 MB DirectX® 9.0c shader model 3 compatible GPU

DirectX®: DirectX® 9.0c

Hard Drive: 15 GB free space

 

They seem pretty much unchanged from Empire, which is hardly a surprise considering they are using the same engine. However, it has been reported that Napoleon will not, as previously expected, augment Empire's performance.

 

Factions - there are 11 playable factions in custom battles (I'm not certain on the factions for the actual campaigns, but I'd expect Britain, Austria, Prussia and Russia to be making a showing against the French). The 11 confirmed factions are:

 

Austria

Britain

Batavian Republic/United Netherlands

Denmark

France

Ottoman Empire

Portugal

Prussia

Russia

Spain

Sweden

 

There are also a few more historical battles this time around - they are -

 

Arcole (1796)

Austerlitz (1805)

Battle of the Nile (1798)

Borodino (1812)

Dresden (1813)

Ligny (1815)

Trafalgar (1805) - trouser melting stuff, if i'm honest.

Waterloo (1815)

 

In the way of some reviews/impressions, Green Eyed Devil from TWCenter has been to New York to see the game for himself, and posted his impressions here - it looks promising, and it's great to hear that the woefully broken AI and Diplomacy from Empire has been fixed, or at least improved. Of course, the game isn't perfect, but it's great to hear that it's looking to be an overall improvement on Empire.

 

I haven't really got much more to add, I suppose, apart from suggesting that it's worth checking out both TWCenter, and the Napoleon homepage.

 

Oh, and if you're in the UK, GAME currently has the Imperial Edition at a pre-order price of £27.99.

 

Now, I think i'll go and watch Waterloo.

[Astor]

PC Gamer 211 has a review of Napoleon: Total War, giving it a reasonably respectable rating of 82%. I don't really have the inclination to write out whole portions of the review, but there are a few important points -

 

What I think can be concluded from my experience is NTW's strat AI struggles to produce plausible play, and the new logistics element has been so timidly implemented it's barely worth having. I'd pictured supply working something like the current trade routes system - a network of lines snaking over the country that could be disrupted with crafty interdiction. What we've ended up with is a bif slab of full-cream fudge.

 

Depleted armies will automatically replenish just about anywhere as long as they've got a general. Supply posts can only be built in economic satellite towns, and are far from essential. Attrition - which should have been a major pain in the rump - only occurs in midwinter and desert conditions. Elite units are immune. In short, Creative Assembly have bottled it. The enhancement that should have prevented that classic and increasingly tiresome TW phnomena, the rampaging MegaKill Army, barely impacts it.

 

There's also criticism of the diplomacy system (which again, seems broken and piss-poor), but there is praise for the battles (despite the occasional bad decision by the AI - kamikaze generals are apparently still present). According to the review, the multiplayer aspect is remarkably better than that offered by Empire, and there is also some praise for the historical battles.

 

The review's summary probably says it best.

 

I'm not going to insult your intelligence by claiming improved multiplayer campaigns excuse the dodgy strategic AI. They don't. If you're going to make a game about one of the greatest military geniuses or all time, it's vital you give him some worthy sparring partners. By delivering dunderheaded opponents and a half-hearted supply system Creative Assembly haven't done themselves or Boney justice.

 

What the hell happened to the CA of five-six years ago?

 

I should of course say that reviews aren't everything - after all, this is the same magazine that gave Empire (the vanilla, unpatched Empire, no less) 94%, so this could easily be a load of rubbish, but it is concerning.

 

EDIT: Still, looking at the screenshots both online and in the magazine, the battles do look beautiful, and from an accuracy point of the view the units seem to have been vastly improved. Doesn't make up for the reported lack of features and bad AI, but it's something, at least.

 

If you want some eye-candy, there's plenty here.

[SW01]

I suppose we'll find out on Friday, one way or another. I am looking forward to it, just hoping Steam somehow manages to cope with the inevitable mass-authentication...

 

Disappointing to read about the AI, though - seemingly in spite of CA's protestations that the broken Empire AI was in no way representative of Napoleon. And it's a bit of a let-down (perhaps connected?) to hear that (again) despite CA's claims Empire won't be overhauled by Napoleon.

[Astor]

I think that from now on the best policy is to ignore everything CA promises - Empire promised a lot, delivered little, and was a mess from the start, and while early reports from those who have played the game seem promising (sort of), it's still not going excuse the fact that it's not what's been promised from the outset.

 

Still, i've seen a few screenshots from people who already have the game, and i'm liking them. The new, portrait-like er, portraits for politicians, agents and generals look very nice, as does the overall interface -

 

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Unfortunately, however, it seems that we're stuck with those bizarre Marines from Empire - and it just looks like the ships have been reskinned, which is not what many were lead to believe -

 

[Astor]

The Imperial Edition of Napoleon: Total War landed on my doormat about 15 minutes ago - after opening the parcel and looking at the shiny box, I put the disc in the computer for installation, input my activation keycode and...

 

 

:¬:

 

I realise that the official release date for the UK and EU is tomorrow (26th), but i'm annoyed that I can't at least install the game. But it's not surprising, apparently the release has been messed up - some people are apparently playing when they're not supposed to be (according to Steam).

 

Ah well, I guess I'll read the manual. For the next twelve and a half hours.