What are you playing at the moment?

[Casimir Effect]

They were actually different armies, the first one is still alive and kicking. The one wich was lost had just joined an ally army on the interception of some gauls. Little time after we engaged my ally routed all of it's units, leaving me alone. After the last battle I was too proud, and made the mistake of thinking I still could manage to make all of the enemy troops route. I failed miserably, and right after I issued the order for retreat, the enemies commander rached mine and killed him.

That's Total War alliances right there. Always very one-sided and not really worth the hassle. I tend to accept them if offered and offer them if possible just for the extra bit of security and military access, but I'd never actually help an ally out in a fight or leave my border with them completely undefended.

I have to say though, Empire did allies better than Rome and Medieval did - never once was I betrayed in a ridiculous manner. In fact I would say it was a bit ridiculous how my allies stuck with me, even when our relations hit -100 or less, if not for the fact my prestige was several times bigger than everyone elses.

[sfighrath]

I cannot create a new topic, but try to play in a new indie game Space Swarm I will happy if anybody create a topic for it. You play for swarm and must eat planets with organic life (trees, grass, humans :) )



Old russian preview

[Casimir Effect]

Just started playing Napoleon Total War for the first time, choosing the Italian campaign. My very first fucking action of my very first fucking battle was to send some fucking troops to fucking garrison some fucking ruins, only for the fucking ruins to be fucking destroyed by their single fucking batch of 12-fucking-pounders within fucking seconds. 18 out of 160 survived and ran from the battle in terror.
I really, really hope this isn't going to set the tone, although I did actually win the fight thanks to cannonballing their general (that has got to be the name of some kind of sex act).

[Nalano]

(that has got to be the name of some kind of sex act).

It is now.

Also, yeah: Don't garrison buildings when there's artillery present.

[Fumarole]

Just started playing Napoleon Total War for the first time, choosing the Italian campaign. My very first fucking action of my very first fucking battle was to send some fucking troops to fucking garrison some fucking ruins, only for the fucking ruins to be fucking destroyed by their single fucking batch of 12-fucking-pounders within fucking seconds. 18 out of 160 survived and ran from the battle in terror.
I really, really hope this isn't going to set the tone, although I did actually win the fight thanks to cannonballing their general (that has got to be the name of some kind of sex act).

You're going to want to avoid buildings when the enemy has cannon. The reverse is also true: enemy occupied buildings within range of your guns makes for happy fun time.

[Heliocentric]

Wow, this is densely packed. Batman: Alternating Current, I mde the mistake of trying to play on Hard and then GFWL did me the favour of eating my saves, medium is much more fun. Everywhere i look there are quests and new tools, its quite the feat.

[Casimir Effect]

You're going to want to avoid buildings when the enemy has cannon. The reverse is also true: enemy occupied buildings within range of your guns makes for happy fun time.

Where were you a couple of hours ago?
The lesson is learnt, as is that Napoleon can be very different to Empire; where buildings stood up to prolonged bombardment from all but the heaviest artillery. And I do have to say, holy shit they've made artillery look, sound and feel even better.

[rider]

That's Total War alliances right there. Always very one-sided and not really worth the hassle. I tend to accept them if offered and offer them if possible just for the extra bit of security and military access, but I'd never actually help an ally out in a fight or leave my border with them completely undefended.

I have to say though, Empire did allies better than Rome and Medieval did - never once was I betrayed in a ridiculous manner. In fact I would say it was a bit ridiculous how my allies stuck with me, even when our relations hit -100 or less, if not for the fact my prestige was several times bigger than everyone elses.

Interesting. I found that nearly every AI nation declared on me, including my allies and countries I had brilliant relations with. It might just have been my continuing wish to play as Poland on Very Hard that did it, but it certainly wasn't as if allies actually "allied" to humans.

I've found that Shogun is acceptably good here though not nearly as it could be (the trade agreements conditioning is especially annoying).

[Avish]

Played the first 5 minutes of Hitman: Blood money and my first impression - Console port with a lousy tutorial. I heard a lot of good things about this game, so I think I'll give it a fairer chance, with the hopes it will fill the time between completing TL2 and starting X-com.

But maybe I'll just rest from gaming a bit, between those two...

[Goateh]

Played the first 5 minutes of Hitman: Blood money and my first impression - Console port with a lousy tutorial.

The first level is an extended tutorial and it's terrible. The rest of the game is made up of normal Hitman missions with plenty of options, but that tutorial locks you into actions and misses everything that makes the games good. I'd highly recommend trying the second level before you give up, it gets much better.

[Casimir Effect]

Interesting. I found that nearly every AI nation declared on me, including my allies and countries I had brilliant relations with. It might just have been my continuing wish to play as Poland on Very Hard that did it, but it certainly wasn't as if allies actually "allied" to humans.

I've found that Shogun is acceptably good here though not nearly as it could be (the trade agreements conditioning is especially annoying).

I'm imagine the Very Hard was responsible for that. I don't trust the higher TW difficulty levels as on campaign map it makes everyone attack you while on the battle map it means their troops like-for-like do more and take more damage. There's only a small gain in actual AI to be had - the rest of the extra difficulty comes from AI cheating/insanity.

In Empire my game was on normal and I was playing the British. The United Provinces were my ally from start until only they were left alongisde me. The Ottoman Empire accepted an offer of alliance about 30 years into the game and kept it up right until the end when I ended it and attacked. The Maratha Confederacy accepted an alliance offer about 10 years into the game and kept it up right until I ended it and attacked (I needed India and they were expanding to S. America, which I also had plans for). And I think there was some American tribe I was allied with who I eventually broke off with and attacked.

So if anything I was the asshole who kept breaking alliances, and often took the diplomatic penalty for doing so while also having a massive penalty from Territorial Expansion. But my allies stayed with me, possibly because my prestige was massive or (hopefully) because the AI recognised to do otherwise would be foolish.

[Ravelle]

Played the first 5 minutes of Hitman: Blood money and my first impression - Console port with a lousy tutorial. I heard a lot of good things about this game, so I think I'll give it a fairer chance, with the hopes it will fill the time between completing TL2 and starting X-com.

But maybe I'll just rest from gaming a bit, between those two...

The way enemies died really put me off, it's like they're made of paper, they just fly away with a shot. The guns don't have any weight behind them as well.

[mnemnoch]

Not to self: Dont play GW2 or any MMO if your mouse is going crazy. I accidentally bought a cultural armor while trying to preview it. And I cant even wear it!! Its a heavy armor while my toon is a Necro. :(

Time to dig out those shmup in my steam backlog until I bought a new mouse.

[ZamFear]

The way enemies died really put me off, it's like they're made of paper, they just fly away with a shot. The guns don't have any weight behind them as well.

Pushing them into even the shallowest water is instant death, so maybe they really are made of paper...

[rider]

I'm imagine the Very Hard was responsible for that. I don't trust the higher TW difficulty levels as on campaign map it makes everyone attack you while on the battle map it means their troops like-for-like do more and take more damage. There's only a small gain in actual AI to be had - the rest of the extra difficulty comes from AI cheating/insanity.

In Empire my game was on normal and I was playing the British. The United Provinces were my ally from start until only they were left alongisde me. The Ottoman Empire accepted an offer of alliance about 30 years into the game and kept it up right until the end when I ended it and attacked. The Maratha Confederacy accepted an alliance offer about 10 years into the game and kept it up right until I ended it and attacked (I needed India and they were expanding to S. America, which I also had plans for). And I think there was some American tribe I was allied with who I eventually broke off with and attacked.

So if anything I was the asshole who kept breaking alliances, and often took the diplomatic penalty for doing so while also having a massive penalty from Territorial Expansion. But my allies stayed with me, possibly because my prestige was massive or (hopefully) because the AI recognised to do otherwise would be foolish.

Yep, that's very true. Yet, for some reason I do accept that the cheating AI plays "better" as in more of a challenge, and I guess it is just trying to get that covered. I would really like them to actually build a working diplomacy system, either create something which would learn from the human what alliances to keep or close enough. As in, it should not be just a logical puzzle that "A is too strong, I'll attack" but more of a calculation "A is very strong. My attack would weaken them, but my attack in ten turns could be better if their troops are away from frontlines and when I have fortified my bases." or something along those lines. OR maybe just forbid the AI from attacking after a certain point.

It is rather ridiculous the outcomes that are possible -- in one of my S2TW games I managed to end up with one ally fighting against five. Terrain percentage might have been something like 20% for us and 80% for the enemy "alliance" which made for an epic war but so much trouble.

Quite possibly the new CK faction-like system could accomplish something important (say that a TW alliance becomes conditional with the purpose of achieving something -- conquering province or killing x enemy armies). That's probably just a dream though. :P

[Giaddon]

The way enemies died really put me off, it's like they're made of paper, they just fly away with a shot. The guns don't have any weight behind them as well.

You really shouldn't be shooting anyone anyway ;)

[Casimir Effect]

Yep, that's very true. Yet, for some reason I do accept that the cheating AI plays "better" as in more of a challenge, and I guess it is just trying to get that covered. I would really like them to actually build a working diplomacy system, either create something which would learn from the human what alliances to keep or close enough. As in, it should not be just a logical puzzle that "A is too strong, I'll attack" but more of a calculation "A is very strong. My attack would weaken them, but my attack in ten turns could be better if their troops are away from frontlines and when I have fortified my bases." or something along those lines. OR maybe just forbid the AI from attacking after a certain point.

It is rather ridiculous the outcomes that are possible -- in one of my S2TW games I managed to end up with one ally fighting against five. Terrain percentage might have been something like 20% for us and 80% for the enemy "alliance" which made for an epic war but so much trouble.

Quite possibly the new CK faction-like system could accomplish something important (say that a TW alliance becomes conditional with the purpose of achieving something -- conquering province or killing x enemy armies). That's probably just a dream though. :P

I too long for a decent diplomacy system - the sort that means war isn't the only way. But I suppose that kind of goes against the Total War tagline, and encroaches on Paradox games territory.

One of these days I'll give a Darthmod a go as I hear that does nice things to the diplomacy, although I fear it'll come with too many unwanted features. I also had the Europe In Conflict mod (for Napoleon: TW)) recommended and that also seems to rework diplomacy in interesting ways.

[Heliocentric]

The best diplomacy is multiplayer diplomacy, the best multiplayer diplomacy is Solium Infernum[TRUE].

[rider]

I too long for a decent diplomacy system - the sort that means war isn't the only way. But I suppose that kind of goes against the Total War tagline, and encroaches on Paradox games territory.

One of these days I'll give a Darthmod a go as I hear that does nice things to the diplomacy, although I fear it'll come with too many unwanted features. I also had the Europe In Conflict mod (for Napoleon: TW)) recommended and that also seems to rework diplomacy in interesting ways.

Interesting... I tried NTW and I liked it least of all of them. For some reason RTW is very much my favourite (blame the Europa Barbarorum modification) while S2TW would come second. Empire has massive difficulties on my computer for some reason... Ah, wait, no, it was the failure of diplomacy which killed me every time and forced me to change to S2TW. I have tried Napoleon though and I wasn't impressed because I immediately suffered from the naval boarding bug where it freezes and doesn't enable continuing well. I think that was in relation to the computer specs though so I might be able to play it better in the future at some point.

Darthmod for RTW at least was quite good -- I enjoyed the tactical innovations that it brought in (i.e., AI actually did something useful for once). I haven't tried it in any later version though (indeed, M2TW my main experience is from the LotR mod Third Age Total War and Empire/Napoleon are both relatively little experience) so can't recommend it for anything later. [And for even Rome, EB and RTR were both better and with a grander scope so there was no actual need for DarthMod for me although I did try it -- I think it might have even run as part of RTR or something along those lines?]

[Giaddon]

Very very true.