Empire Total War, Again

[Eochaid]

I wouldn't say 'more advanced' but certainly they were far better adapted to the local conditions.

They were better equipped (although reliant on Europeans) and their tactics resemble modern infantry tactics.

Kevin

[Alatriste]

I wouldn't say 'more advanced' but certainly they were far better adapted to the local conditions.

They were better equipped (although reliant on Europeans) and their tactics resemble modern infantry tactics.

Kevin

I don't think so, or rather, I think the question can't be considered in absolute terms better/worse.

The natives, with their rifled weapons and sharpshooting tactics, were better equipped in every sense of the word for fighting in the American woodlands. In Europe, where cavalry was far more numerous and heavier too, and ploughed fields were far more common than dense woods, their lack of bayonets and disperse order would have made them terribly vulnerable in the open to enemy charges from both infantry and cavalry.

There were very sound reasons for all European armies to favor close order formations, volley fire and bayonet charge tactics. They just didn't apply in America, where conditions were completely different...

On the European battlefields a force using modern infantry tactics with napoleonic or frederician arms against another army similarly equipped but using 'proper' tactics would be soundly beaten in a matter of minutes. The worst part would be their vulnerability to enemy cavalry, but even forgetting that flaw a deployment so disperse would make effective command impossible, noise and smoke would cause officers to lose control of their units as soon as the firefight began, and then the enemy bayonet charge would cut right trough them like a knife.

Further, the question is not merely one of pure theory. Ottoman armies, to a great extent, did the same than American natives. As far as I know they didn't use a significative number of rifles, but favored open order, skirmishing, individual sharpshooting with long, accurate fire muskets, raids, ambushes, and sudden rushes with hand-to-hand weapons. Experts agreed that, individually, Ottoman soldiers were better equipped than European ones and did show a degree of initiative and a willingness to fight at close quarters far superior. And on top of that, they counted with a superb light cavalry and reasonably efficient artillery and engineers... and still they couldn't cope with the close order formations employed by Austrians and Russians.

[Eochaid]

I don't think so, or rather, I think the question can't be considered in absolute terms better/worse.

I think we agree then, since I'm only comparing what is comparable: Natives vs Europeans in NA. 

The major difference between Natives and Europeans is whereas the former completely reformed their tactics in the second half of the 17th century, Europeans laboriously plowed on for another century using obviously inefficient tactics.

Kevin

[Tamas]

Is anyone playing with Darthmod 0.5? Worth starting a campaign with or should I wait for the official gameplay patch?

[Viking]

The Darthmod 0.5 is an improvement. The AI is much more agressive, which leads to larger conquests as the player beats the attacker. The battles themselves do seem to tend more towards linear tactics. The Indians are no longer supermen.

[MadBurgerMaker]

The game doesn't even work for me anymore.    CTD after the very first "Empire Total War" screen every time now.

Edit:  Hey...I got it working by deleting all my saved games.  My sound is weird and fucked now though, with random (shitty) firing noises when nothing is going on.

[Legbiter]

Just took two Prussian armies to India. That was rather fun and challenging since the Maratha had conquered the entire subcontinent except for Mysore.

[Syt]

Hitler hates E:TW
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCunixAzHOA

[Legbiter]

Hitler hates E:TW
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCunixAzHOA

Hitler tells it like it is.

[Cecil]

Hitler hates E:TW
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCunixAzHOA

Hitler tells it like it is.

I´m starting to seriously consider getting a gang together and take out every man and woman who review games.

[Josephus]

I´m starting to seriously consider getting a gang together and take out every man and woman who review games.

I thinkt the trouble with game reviewers is that they're in cahoots with the gaming industry. When a game company is taking out a two page ad for its game in your magazine, you're unlikely to want to piss them off.

I mean, I read all the great reviews that Paradox gets for its games, based on Alpha versions which we know don't work as designed.

[Liquid Poo]

You guys are impatient fucking assholes.

DarthMod fixes essentially the entire battle system. In a while, someone will fix the naval invasions. Combined with a few more bug fixes, this game will be awesome.


I just started a new campaign as Sweden. Attacked by Courland and Denmark. Denmark defeated in essentially a war of maneuver. Engagements rarely involved over 4 units except conquest of Denmark which involved a decent stack on my side vs peasants. Easy victory. So now my Danish conqueror arrives in Courland, which has been building up a sizeable army. I lay siege to Courland with my own force, they sally. Now I have about ~1550 troops to their ~2200 or so. 1200 of their men are peasant forces, backed by 500 militia and 200 line infantry. They have 300 horse to my 150 (60 of mine is bodyguard cavalry that isnt worth much except chasing routers).

I am on defense, so I deploy my men along a long wall section. 750 Line Infantry up against the wall, 250 line infantry in reserve in the center. 250 Militia on each wing. Then my 150 cavalry in reserve behind my extra line infantry.

The AI launches a multi-prong Cavalry charge that is actually quite damaging (but it did eliminate all their cavalry). I have to pull two severely damaged line infantry regiments off the wall and replace with my reserves. Just as my men move into position, I come under coordinated attack from a cohesive body of the enemy. Lots of fire is exchanged, despite the walls I am still taking some damage. My right flank is relatively untouched, so I shift my militia reserves entirely to the left flank, overwhelming the enemy flank and rolling it back some (but still not broken). As my militia forces move to spread out for maximum firepower against the enemy flank, their flank units shift to column and then back into lines facing the right direction. Finally, they begin to stress and as they near breaking I order my cavalry to charge. The enemy flank breaks and I roll them up with my cavalry.

I had to really work to get a 1:2 casualty rate on defense against a highly peasant force. I cant imagine how tough a nut Prussia is going to be to crack. Especially once artillery comes in. And this was after I killed their general in the very first maneuver of the battle (their cavalry charge).

This battle took over 30 minutes and was actually very fun.

So fuck you, naysayers!

[Habbaku]

Who the fuck are you?

[Ed Anger]

Dorkyen detected.

[Josephus]

Dorkyen detected.

Anyone notice that reinforcements come from the wrong end of the battlefield?