Question: How different is Empire from Shogun or Medieval II

[FlippantSausage]

So I'm considering buying Empire, but I own both of those games. I love em, but I kinda want something a little different considering the difference in time period and tech level.

So from a tactical perspective is Empire really a change from those previous two games? Does it model ranged attacks as being somewhat more lethal? I've never really liked using a gunpowder army in either of those, so a game where it has maybe changed how they function a little might be fun.

[Insaniac]

Gunpowder armies are pretty much everything in ETW.

[Solite]

Ranged units are the bread and butter of Empire. Though to be fair, in modelling after tactics of the century, the bayonet is still where push comes to shove. Tactics play around both of these things.

So to answer your question, there's still plenty of melee, but it's not the same as it is with Shogun or Medieval. Empire matched with Darthmod is one of the coolest, most inspiring Total Wars games, but that's just my opinion. I'd recommend buying it.

[traveller]

Give them cold steel. Most of your battles will be sieging forts. A couple of 12 Lb batteries to take out a wall and march infantry with bayonets ready. Your infantry can also climb the walls with ropes. It doesn't matter how you get in, you will be one on one and the bayonet is your tool. There are field battles, of course, and it is cool seeing long lines of infantry firing volleys into each other. After a few rounds I hit the button to set them to melee and charge.

[DOOMed]

The tactics are updated to the period. Though largely it is a case of guns instead of bows, cannon instead of trebuchets. Cavalry are still cavalry and militia are still peasant meatshields.

Most interesting addition is probably the naval battles.

[Morkonan]

Originally posted by FlippantSausage:

So I'm considering buying Empire, but I own both of those games. I love em, but I kinda want something a little different considering the difference in time period and tech level.

So from a tactical perspective is Empire really a change from those previous two games? Does it model ranged attacks as being somewhat more lethal? I've never really liked using a gunpowder army in either of those, so a game where it has maybe changed how they function a little might be fun.

Well, for one thing, ETW has something that no other TW game before it has: Naval Warfare (The "Blue Water Navy" kind in the Age of Sail.) And, it's fairly complex, as well. However, the AI usually does fairly poorly with it. BUT, that doesn't mean that it's not thoroughly enjoyable, once you learn the ropes. (Ships of the Line are not corvettes that can turn on a dime and there's a reason why the "Line of Battle" was a preferred naval tactic.)

Yes, gunfire is devastating - It's supposed to be. With massed volleys of what amounts to 50 caliber rounds slamming into a regiment, someone is going to die... likely many someones. Cannon are the Queen of Battle, as they should be in this period of massed line battles. Cavalry are the Hammers of line battles, with regiments of infantry acting as the Anvil, and, in certain cases, they're your Special Ops forces, able to quickly get behind enemy lines and take out unguarded artillery. But, an unsupported cavalry charge is not advisable anywhere - Cavalry are vulnerable when cornered or opposed by a regiment that is prepared for them.

Yes, there are significant differences and, if you haven't guessed it yet, there should be. It is a different age, after all, with much different weapons.

But, there are common battlefield tactics that work as they should. Regiments that are flanked are going to get nervous, just like in MTW2. Heavy losses, like from a sustained artillery barrage, can make a regiment route before it has even had a chance to come into contact with the enemy. While getting units in the backfield isn't as quite as devastating to morale as it was in earlier games, a unit that is attacked or charged on its flanks is doomed without close support.

Watch some "Let's Plays" of it. I recommend Lionheartx10 and EvilViking13's Let's Play vids - They're excellent. Though, many play with the very good "Darthmod for Empire Total War." (It's really a treat and it fixes a few issues and adds a bit more realism in certain areas as well as units and upgraded graphics and the like, all fully customizable from its launcher.)

In the end, if you buy the game I think you'll like it if you're a long-time TW fan. But, watch some Let's Plays of it, first, and get a good idea of how all the various game elements come together

Some Let's Plays

Lionheartx10 - Great Britain (Darthmod) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evVQ6B0k3EM
EvilViking13 - United States (Darthmod as well, I think.) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0UmQZ7fQaI&list=PLEoKsmldPgw1FoiGkqWqwJHLaI_5Z7no1
EvilViking13 - Mod - Brother vs Brother (US Civil War Mod) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOyzuPu0xFk&list=PLEoKsmldPgw3Ty5osirtDZJkzoZ4S3tN3

[FlippantSausage]

Good all this sounds like something i would like, thanks ^_^