Empire:Total War FAQ
Hi guys,
We recently offered our forum community the chance to submit questions about Empire: Total War to the team. Here we’ve tried to address some of the most common themes.
Will the emergence of new governmental systems be reflected in the game? Will we be able to play as a monarchy or republic and will that affect the gameplay?
Revolution is a key theme of the era. In Empire there are three different potential forms of government. Players will have to decide how to contend with social changes as their society “progresses”. This is a really exciting area we’re currently developing at CA. Ruling a monarchy with an iron fist involves different challenges from governing a republic. The three government types have their own advantages and disadvantages and as pressure for reform grows, revolution and civil strife can occur, and players will have to deal with the consequences of that.
Will religion play an important role in Empire: Total War?
It’s clear that the Enlightenment caused a few headaches for some of the clergy of the time. With that in mind, religious issues are still relevant in Empire, but less important than in Med II. The Pope won’t be dropping Lord Nelson a line asking him to retake the Holy Land, but religion does play a part in social order and diplomatic relations.
Will diplomacy be improved?
The 18th century was a little more civilized than some periods we’ve covered in previous Total War games. To reflect this we’re giving our diplomatic AI a complete overhaul. Previously in Total War the diplomacy AI and the campaign map AI were separate entities but in Empire we’ve unified these two aspects so they work more harmoniously. Diplomatic relations are now much more closely linked to your activities on the campaign map. And you probably won’t get your ambassador’s head back in a bag.
Will trade be more important than previous Total War games?
Absolutely. Empire is a game about war AND colonialism. The expansion of trade was a driving force of the European colonial effort. Trade is the both the impetus for and the engine that powers imperial advancement so we’re obviously paying a great deal of attention to this area of the campaign system. Combined with the new naval battles, establishing and protecting your trade routes have become a very exciting new aspect of strategy.
Will you try to improve the computer AI during battles?
Again, the changes in the period require a massive shift in AI. This is as true of warfare as it is of diplomacy. The tactics of the 18th century battlefield require a completely different mindset to the largely simple tasks of running one bunch of men with sharp objects into another bunch of men with sharp objects. Winning the day on an Empire battlefield will require a more intricate tactical awareness than in previous centuries. It was less about pure brawn, more about brains. Our AI routines have had to change radically to reflect this fact.
War in the 18th century? Won’t troops just line up in front of each other and fire away?
Um, no. It’s a bit of a paradox that the “romanticized” idea of the warfare is one that can be interpreted as dull. Men did not line up in orderly queues to be shot while singing their national anthems (apart from anything else, there were no national anthems). Muskets are not modern assault rifles, and once you’d fired your gun you had to close with the enemy and use cold steel. There’s nothing tame about a battlefield of any era, and hand-to-hand fighting was still a major part of any engagement. The bayonet is invented during our period! Melee fighting was as vicious in the 18th century as it had ever been. Cavalry played an important role on the battlefield too, not only in some famous charges but as a vital harassing force, constantly menacing the enemy into formations which were vulnerable to artillery. Formation discipline was crucial to victory so players will have to learn and master these, making more intelligent use of formation and maneuver than before. Add to that the importance of finding cover from enemy fire plus the ability to occupy and defend buildings and you have an environment more diverse and tactically challenging than any previous Total War battlefield.
How are the physics of naval combat going to work? Are there going to be factors to do with the wind/weather etc.
Naval battles are one of the most exciting new things for us in Empire. We’ve wanted to do proper naval warfare for ages but this is the first time that the era and our technology have been up to the standard we’ve demanded. Those high standards had to include factors like wind and weather. The sea battles in Empire are not just lip-service to naval conflict, we’re as serious about them as we are about our land battles and that means, wind, weather and of course water. We’ve had one guy just working on getting the water to behave realistically for two years! We’re doing stuff like modeling every cannonball so we can map accurate damage to masts and sails, things that will make Empire’s naval battles feel truly authentic.
Will the game be moddable?
Of course. We’ve always wanted to encourage our modding community and help them out. There’s been a lot of great work created for previous Total War titles and we’ll be looking to encourage more of the same for Empire.
Will land battles suffer and lose attention, from the incoming sea battles.
Not a chance. As we’ve already mentioned the change in land warfare is so dramatic in this period that if anything we’ve had to concentrate on that aspect of the game more this time around than ever before. All previous Total War games have dealt with a largely similar style of combat. This time around we’re having to work and think extra hard to get authentic land battles that accurately reflect the period.
Will naval battles be fun and easy to command?
We’re working hard to get a balance between ease of use and depth in naval combat. We’re confident that we’re heading in the right direction and it’s already fun to play naval battles in the office, even roping in members of the CA staff who haven’t been working on the naval stuff, so it can’t be that hard to pick up!
Will multiplayer actually be considered when the game is created?
Multiplayer is very important to us this time around. A lot of the team are long-term multiplayer fans and we felt it was time to address their needs more openly. We’re trying some things out in multiplayer that are completely new to Total War which we hope players will find interesting.
Thanks to everyone for your questions, and stay tuned to TotalWar.com for all the latest Empire: Total War news and updates!
Take care,
Mark O’Connell
(aka SenseiTW)
Comment # 1
What are the PC requirements for Empire total war?? Video card, video memory, CPU speed, etc…BEST SETTINGS please!! and When is the game coming out?
Posted by TJ on October 24th, 2007 at 2:52 pm
Comment # 4
I have loved the total war games in so long. Huge fan! Any idea when the new game will come out?
Posted by bloommaster on October 25th, 2007 at 4:05 am
Comment # 5
what will system requirmnets be ie graphic card,memory etc
thanks for an excellent series of games i have bought them all from shogun onwards and look for to empires.
Posted by malcolm on October 25th, 2007 at 5:47 am
Comment # 6
Arg…I don’t know if I can stand the wait. Someone put me in a coma for six months or so, please?
Posted by Snall on October 25th, 2007 at 9:15 am
Comment # 7
Thanks for anzwering are questions err well C.A I cant wait to play the land battles i can finaly make use of those mannor houses dotted around the map maybe you could garison men in a African village
Posted by ceaser543 on October 25th, 2007 at 12:19 pm
Comment # 9
Good job. Total war is the best and I cant wait for the new one.
I have some questions:
Which campaings will be included? Napoleon?
How many troops will be able to show in a battle? Have you improve this too?
Thats all. Sorry for my English (I am a fan from Spain) and thanks.
Posted by Luigolas on October 25th, 2007 at 6:54 pm
Comment # 10
It is quite true that charges used to be quite decisive in that era, but usually either the charging unit or the defending one was running away before impact.
I’m not sure about 18th cetury statistics, but in napoleonic battles only 5% or so of the casualties were from h2h combat (bayonets, not cavalry).
Posted by Hokomoko on October 25th, 2007 at 7:51 pm
Comment # 11
Will you still be able to marry off family members to other factions to improve relations?
Posted by Eoin McGregor on October 26th, 2007 at 11:25 am
Comment # 12
Nice can we have another FAQ?
Posted by I'm a good buddy. on October 26th, 2007 at 12:47 pm
Comment # 13
hi,
are you close to any release date yet?
what requirement are needed to play it?
and please, not let the multiplayer mod ruin it, like multiplayer mods has done for so many games.
long time total war fan.
Posted by arn magnusson on October 26th, 2007 at 4:09 pm
Comment # 14
Hi Mark,
I have one question : why don’t you make a remake after Shogun Total War ( Medieval @ was a big succes ) and why don’t you make a game about… China Total War.
Cheers,
Andrei
Posted by Popescu Andrei on October 29th, 2007 at 11:07 am
Comment # 15
I have a question is there going to be ragdoll physics? I want to see men fly when they get hit by a large round ball
Posted by Waffles on October 29th, 2007 at 3:01 pm
Comment # 16
Will America begin at war with Britain or will they have to arrive at that position?
Posted by Brian Boru on October 30th, 2007 at 1:04 pm
Comment # 18
Hey this looks very intresting to me. I’ve been a huge Total War fan myself for almost seven years and I have but one question to ask. Is there going to be a system like in Kingdoms to command heroes such as George Washington or Napoleon?
Posted by Bradley on October 30th, 2007 at 8:32 pm
Comment # 19
In a naval battle can the troops being transported shoot with their rifles or assault the enemy ship?
Posted by Galder on October 31st, 2007 at 10:34 am
Comment # 20
Will there be paid more attention to battle music. It is terrrible more exiting to lead a cavalry charge accompanied by trompets than without.
Or lead a scottich regiment by the sounds of bagpipes, or the french emperial guard escorted by fluits and drums etc. etc.
Posted by Ole Baej on October 31st, 2007 at 1:57 pm
Comment # 21
Will there be family trees and princesses to marry off etc.
Posted by C Eliasch on November 1st, 2007 at 2:36 pm
Comment # 22
If the game will have a multiplayer feature, why not have it turn based on the campaign map between two players, like on Civilisation 4, that way both players can experience the empire building side, but also the players will have the option to fight on the battle map between eachother or the cpu, when it occurs on the campaign map
Posted by David Cairns on November 1st, 2007 at 2:46 pm
Comment # 23
Will historical evets have any effect on the game during campain? Hope not.
Posted by Isidoros on November 1st, 2007 at 6:58 pm
Comment # 24
YOUR GAMES ARE UNBELEIVABLE GRAPHIC WISE AND SOUND TO DO YOU THINK THAT ONE DAY YOU WILL BE ABLE TO SHIFT THIS TO GAME CONSOLES LIKE XBOX 360 OR PS3 I TELL MY MATES WHEN IM PLAYING XBOX LIVE AND THEY THINK IM A LIAR CAN YOU IMAGINE THIS ON XBOX LIVE OR PS3 OH MY GOD SCARY THOUGHT IT WOULD BE THE ULTIMATE YOU WOULD CONQUER THE WORLD NOT JOKING IVE PLAYED YOUR GAMES FOR YEARS NOW AND SEEN IT PROGRESS FROM NOTHINK TO A MONSTER RESPECT TO YOU ALL BUT PLEASE THINK ABOUT CONQUERING THE WORLD
Posted by MARK on November 1st, 2007 at 10:20 pm
Comment # 25
How much of the Earth will be offered to be explore in empires?
Posted by Elliott Pinkerton on November 1st, 2007 at 10:32 pm
Comment # 26
Besides the inevitable expansion Napolean: Total War, When will you do a Total War based on the World Wars? There are so many cool scenarios you can do with the strategic style of gameplay of your series.
Posted by Boris Nepomnichy on November 2nd, 2007 at 2:32 am
Comment # 27
The AI in all Total War games has one extreme drawback. It will attack for no good reason and continue a conflict even when nearly destroyed. That simplistic mode is somewhat irritating although clearly it contributes to more battles. Will the AI ever be more realistic?
Posted by ted on November 2nd, 2007 at 3:30 pm
Comment # 28
Will Empires reflect the heavy reliance on operational manoeuvre and supply lines in the 18th century (before Napoleon revolutionized that aspect of warfare)? I’m thinking of Marlborough and mid-18th century land-based warfare, and AI sensitivity to supply bases, fortress-chains, etc. this would be a major advancement over previous TW games.
Thanks
Steve Smith
Posted by Steve Smith on November 2nd, 2007 at 8:40 pm
Comment # 29
Hi,
I have become a big fan of total war over the years.
The only concern I have for the Empire Game is if my computer will be able to play it. I am nearly at the limits of processor speed and graphic card capability on Medieval 2. What do you believe will be the system specifications for Empire?
Kind regards,
Ian Caira.
Posted by Ian Caira on November 3rd, 2007 at 12:39 pm
Comment # 30
brilliant, absolutely brilliant!
its a formative era to model, so as we recruit our new armies will we be able to name our new regiments? can we name our ships as they enter the fleet (to plot their histories)?
also, ive noticed on the screen shots that the ships masts look unrealistically bare. will they/can they have some ratlines (the rope ladders used to climb the masts) modelled, as i feel this will solve the problem?
oh, it’d be tops if we could design our own flags/banners too! just a thought.
love your work!
Posted by thruster on November 3rd, 2007 at 6:09 pm
Comment # 31
Will historical figures (particulary Napoleon) appear at the appropriate times during the campaign?
Posted by Anonymous on November 3rd, 2007 at 6:57 pm
Comment # 32
Will it be possible to play as Sweden?
Posted by Anders Mattsson on November 4th, 2007 at 9:50 am
Comment # 33
lol, all these questions where already answered in some interviews.
Posted by Celis on November 4th, 2007 at 10:52 am
Comment # 34
when will empire:total war be available to buy
Posted by ben hunt on November 4th, 2007 at 2:00 pm
