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Empire Total War demo!

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    #32
    T-b0n3
    Registered Users Posts: 3,459 ✭✭✭T-b0n3


    My download region was set to Japan. No wonder steam downloads where so slow!!:rolleyes:


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    #33
    pwd
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,284 ✭✭✭pwd


    Very slow load for me too. Agee with mst of what Blitzkrieg said about it. It really summons up a sense of being there very well - I really noticed that when I boarded a ship in the naval battle.

    I played each battle once. The AI wasn't too promising. I had a close victory in the land one and a cose defeat in the naval one, but I didn't play well, and didn't know what units did what etc. In the land battle there was one occasion where a platoon of enemy riflemen just stood right in front of my men who slowly killed them off until they routed. Bad. Then at the end of the battle I had two units left against their one. I had strange trouble in getting the units just to march over to the last enemy and kill them - they kept going off right down the other side of the map instead. They only responded how I wanted them to after the enemy engaged with them.

    Overall I suppose I'm not looking forward to it a much as I had been. The colonial times don't appeal to me as much as a setting as medieval or ancient times. I'm not sure if there is as much room for strategy with guns being the main weapon as there was in the previous games - I think it will be more of a case of who has the stronger force and less to do with maneuvres in the game.


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    #34
    BlitzKrieg
    Registered Users Posts: 14,685 ✭✭✭✭BlitzKrieg


    The colonial times don't appeal to me as much as a setting as medieval or ancient times.

    I'd be the opposite, I'd find the colonial times to be much more dynamic then medieval, so I am looking forward to the campaign map more then anything.


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    #35
    Stev_o
    Registered Users Posts: 9,249 ✭✭✭Stev_o


    pwd wrote: »

    Overall I suppose I'm not looking forward to it a much as I had been. The colonial times don't appeal to me as much as a setting as medieval or ancient times. I'm not sure if there is as much room for strategy with guns being the main weapon as there was in the previous games - I think it will be more of a case of who has the stronger force and less to do with maneuvres in the game.

    Well i think the dynamics of the game has changed completely now with the focus on muskets. Arc of fire has replaced on mass flanking in terms of priority and it seems that your use of artillery will be the deciding factor as they can win a battle alone it seems when used right.

    I can't wait, really looking forward to a 2v3 with my mates. Just hope that it won't turn into mass stand off's and the whole "no you go first" approach.


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    #36
    Sephiroth_dude
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 80,423 Mod ✭✭✭✭Sephiroth_dude


    Is the AI anygood?cant wait to download it.


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    #37
    Stev_o
    Registered Users Posts: 9,249 ✭✭✭Stev_o


    Sephiroth_dude wrote: »
    Is the AI anygood?cant wait to download it.

    Hard to judge as theres only two battles excluding the tutorials, the sea battle isn't hard once you know what your doing and the land battle is tricky but do able.


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    #38
    Ardscoil Ris
    Registered Users Posts: 1,020 ✭✭✭Ardscoil Ris


    Sephiroth_dude wrote: »
    Is the AI anygood?cant wait to download it.

    The Naval AI is solid imo. Seems to know when to strike and line itself up quite well. The only reason the battle is so easy is your fleet is far superior to theirs.

    The Land battle AI is a mixed bag. It's half scripted to hold the right river crossing, but half the army is free reign and adapts to the situation. The problem here is that they divide their army and advance into your united front being easily destroyed. It's not their fault really. The scripted AI takes away so key units from the army that advances.

    So, long story short, it's almost impossible to judge the AI from this demo. Another reason for this is the fact that there is no difficulty option so we have to take that into account as well.

    Hope this helps.


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    #39
    Sephiroth_dude
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 80,423 Mod ✭✭✭✭Sephiroth_dude


    it sure does thanks.


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    #40
    hinduhamster
    Registered Users Posts: 61 ✭✭hinduhamster


    I totally agree with Ardscoil Ris, The demo is nice and shiny but there is still a lot that isn't given to us. The lack of difficulty settings was a shame and I think 1 or 2 extra battles wouldn't have been overkill for a demo.....but hey, it's free as it is. I'm finding naval battles pretty addictive and can't wait for a large fleet engagement in the main game! My main concern is having played the demo, I intend to buy the game and go down the steam line of having games and I hope that that does not become a nightmarish ordeal of downloading and verification!!


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    #41
    Ardscoil Ris
    Registered Users Posts: 1,020 ✭✭✭Ardscoil Ris


    hinduhamster wrote: »
    I totally agree with Ardscoil Ris, The demo is nice and shiny but there is still a lot that isn't given to us. The lack of difficulty settings was a shame and I think 1 or 2 extra battles wouldn't have been overkill for a demo.....but hey, it's free as it is. I'm finding naval battles pretty addictive and can't wait for a large fleet engagement in the main game! My main concern is having played the demo, I intend to buy the game and go down the steam line of having games and I hope that that does not become a nightmarish ordeal of downloading and verification!!

    You can change the difficulty of the demo by going into the demos folders and editing a file.

    Naval battle do look fantastic, but I fear for a large scale battle as I found my own ships path finding rather poor.

    Also, you have to use Steam whether you have the digital version or the physical copy.

    Other then that, I can't wait to get my hands on this. :pac:

    EDIT: ATTENTION THERE IS A WAY TO REDUCE THE LOADING TIMES

    Follow the instructions in http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=227956 and unpack demo1.pack. After this, rename demo1.pack to demo1, without the ".pack". Copy the folders(beside the unpacked folder) in /data to somewhere else for backup, then cut and paste the unpacked files into /data. That's it.

    The first time I started the game after unpacking, the load time is still the same, but when I restart the game another time the loading time was halved. Have fun.


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    #42
    PonderStibbons
    Registered Users Posts: 157 ✭✭PonderStibbons


    Is it going to be possible to play this without an internet connection if it runs through Steam? I only have net access on an old laptop in college - my gaming machine is at home with no internet access at all... I'm going to be very annoyed if net access is needed - I've been looking forward to this for the last six months!


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    #43
    Ardscoil Ris
    Registered Users Posts: 1,020 ✭✭✭Ardscoil Ris


    PonderStibbons wrote: »
    Is it going to be possible to play this without an internet connection if it runs through Steam? I only have net access on an old laptop in college - my gaming machine is at home with no internet access at all... I'm going to be very annoyed if net access is needed - I've been looking forward to this for the last six months!

    You will need Steam running in order to run Empire. You can run Steam in off-line mode, so you only need to be on the internet once during installation and from then on you do not; unless you want to play Multi-player of course, which will again require you to be on-line.


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    #44
    Kirby
    Registered Users Posts: 13,084 ✭✭✭✭Kirby


    The demo didn't wow me but i've never been a fan of demo's. If you put too much in them, your game won't sell because most people get their fix from just the demo. Which leads to putting hardly anything in them, giving the impression of a shallow and buggy experience.

    Total war is one of the few game series that are an automatic buy for me. Im sure I will love it. I just hope like hell that if the have town assaults in this one that the pathing and AI is improved. Moving an army through a town in rome and medi is really frustrating.


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    #45
    sink
    Registered Users Posts: 4,314 ✭✭✭sink


    Bah just downloaded the demo today and I got a BSOD right when the battle was turning.

    It was the land battle and I had sent my lighter infantry to harass and distract the main bulk of the enemy at the first river crossing suffering heavy losses. I sent my heavier infantry to the second river crossing to flank them and sent my cavalry the same way to take out their poorly defended artillery. My plan was all coming together when it crashed. :mad::(

    Hopefully this is just a hiccup with the demo and the full game will run perfect. I have the settings on ultra at 1920*1200 and it was still very smooth while it was working. QX6700 @ 3.2GHz, 4gb pc2-8500, 2x 8800gtx SLi. Definitely buying it as I'm obsessed with total war games.


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