LOL! JD - The Steam fanboi [:D]
I did turn auto updates off after a while as I got very fed up with it wanting to install updates so often. I installed everything from the Orange Box and ended up getting something like 1Gb updates. It was ridiculous anwyay.
I would happily give away my nearly new copy of Orange Box, but as it's tied into my Steam account, I doubt it would be much use to anyone.
Empire Total War
Moderator: maddog986
RE: Empire Total War
2nd Lt. George Rice: Looks like you guys are going to be surrounded.
Richard Winters: We're paratroopers, Lieutenant, we're supposed to be surrounded.
Richard Winters: We're paratroopers, Lieutenant, we're supposed to be surrounded.
RE: Empire Total War
ORIGINAL: JudgeDredd
Far be it for me to stick up for Steam, but you can right click on your game and select "Do not automatically update this game"...the only downside to this, that I know of, is inconsistent online versions, meaning you will have issues playing against other people (like Team Fortress 2).
So you are NOT locked in to automatically updating games with that 400MB patch...you can switch it off.
And the game will not break if it cannot get a connection. You will be able to play as before.
Thanks alot you guys....making me stick up for steam [:@] [:'(]
Have you made a pact with the gentleman with the pointy tail?Have you no shame....[;)]
Seriously, that sounds better than I heard.......
My life is complete. 1000 Matrix posts.....
RE: Empire Total War
ORIGINAL: Joram
LOL JD. Before you know it, you'll be the Man!
I'm with you though, I have Steam and never had any issues with it since the early days of Vista. But they patched it up and it's pretty unobtrusive to me. I'm much more concerned with the gameplay and some of the bugs people have pointed out from the demo than I am about Steam.
Well, the one problem that I still get is that Steam absolutlely, positively refuses to shut down automatically when I want to shut down my system.Yes, I did everything but the damn program refuses to die and the only way to shut my system down is to sit there and handhold it until steam pops up and then manually terminate it. Or, if I remember to, go down into taskbar and shut it down there prior to shutting the system down...Too much work..imho
And anyways, I have issues with CA anyways and thier policies on Collectors editions elite units. It would be like Matrix popping out an Eastern front game and charging us 20 bucks more for the collectors copy because it has "elite "units.. Gee, guess what? you bought the regular? sorry charlie..no Guards and SS, they are in the collectors edition!Go buy another copy!
So the whole thing is Iffy for me right now...
Crap, while im on my rant let keep going.....
Another one... Is there going to be a problem making mods? If Billy makes a mod using the elite units, will it work on joeys vanilla edition? How about vice Versa? Is team going to create problems for mods? . What if at some point steam decides to charge everyone for being a steam member..Is my copy going to be bad if I refuse?I don't know as this will be possibly my first foray into steam and it's policies
SO the "Special Forces" edition has extras besides those units mentioned earlier..You get a DVD, a book and a handy dandy fold out map..ok, sounds like stuff that came in regular copies 15 yrs ago. Now, how and why the Hell is steam selling this? Why would someone pay them for a DL only Collectors edition, for 20 bucks more and just get what? scans of the extras? I just dont get it...Must be my age and meds..I dont understand the business and purchasing practices of these young whippersnappers........
My life is complete. 1000 Matrix posts.....
-
ilovestrategy
- Posts: 3614
- Joined: Sat Jun 11, 2005 8:41 pm
- Location: San Diego
- Contact:
RE: Empire Total War
ORIGINAL: apathetic lurker
And anyways, I have issues with CA anyways
What is CA?
After 16 years, Civ II still has me in it's clutches LOL!!!
Now CIV IV has me in it's evil clutches!
Now CIV IV has me in it's evil clutches!
-
JudgeDredd
- Posts: 8362
- Joined: Fri Nov 14, 2003 7:28 pm
- Location: Scotland
-
ilovestrategy
- Posts: 3614
- Joined: Sat Jun 11, 2005 8:41 pm
- Location: San Diego
- Contact:
RE: Empire Total War
Ahhh ok. Thanks! [:)]
After 16 years, Civ II still has me in it's clutches LOL!!!
Now CIV IV has me in it's evil clutches!
Now CIV IV has me in it's evil clutches!
RE: Empire Total War
The new sea battles looks good. I might buy the new CoG too and this time with a printed manual (if such is available).ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins
Don't forget about the upcoming Crown of Glory: Emperor's Edition if you want detailed land and naval battles, great strategic gameplay as well as a great AI! [8D]
Allthough Im having some doubts about empire total war. The last game was beyond bad. I never lost a single battle. After conquering the whole europe with minor nation I didnt see what point there was to play anymore. I never played the original game. Just modded versions.
"99.9% of all internet arguments are due to people not understanding someone else's point. The other 0.1% is arguing over made up statistics."- unknown poster
"Those who dont read history are destined to repeat it."– Edmund Burke
"Those who dont read history are destined to repeat it."– Edmund Burke
RE: Empire Total War
The Special Edition stuff is all publisher/distributor/retailer driven, the devs get told to add 7 units into the game by the publisher (who pays the bills), the publishers turn that into a special edition, maybe a collectors edition as well (with a few random pieces of crap), and sell it for $10 or $20 more.
As for the steam haters.. try offline mode. If your pc is so crap you can't run a progam that only takes maybe 30,000 k of memory, and your internet is so poor you can't patch games (try the "do not download updates button), then maybe modern games aren't for you. I have 27 games installed via steam, and 8 which aren't installed, and I've never had a problem with it. Yeah, you might get launch day issues, but try having some patience.
Now as for the actual game.
I became interested in the game (and preordered it) from the new Naval action (I'm 14 books into the Aubrey/Maturin series, and recently finished playing a age of sail mmo), but going via the demo, it's not flash hot. It has pathing and formation issues (I tried to get my ships, who had passed the enemy in opposite direction, to turn around and get back in the same direction, 2 of them hit each other and a 3rd hit the enemy flagship), as well as some less than perfect behaviour (ships changing sail/speed when not told, ships that should be firing by doing slight turns to get their guns into position, instead just sitting there getting pounded). I think the full version and modding will help in this regard.
The land battles were extremely surprising. I really wasn't expecting that level of graphical quality, and at least IMO, looks like the full version will be challenging and AI able to punish errors. In the main version of the demo, once you head over the river the AI enables, and it moves it forces to counter you moving over the river (if you go the full front attack you are charging into half a dozen units + 8 x 24lbr cannons, suicide), and after you get the hang of the interface, you can end up in really fierce, close range gun battles, as well as having alot of tactical scope for how you do so.
There is also alot of modding availble for the demo itself, including deployment, unit size, play as america, activate rank firing, activate certain tactical abilities, for the land battles. Some go so far as to change the unit compositions, and I think you can also change it to the actual tutorial map as well, which is more open. Mods for the naval battle include activating a 2nd naval mission, and also being able to completely change the makeup of the 2 sides in the default battle, in scope from a 1v1 Surprise vs Acheron duel, to a Trafalgar near recreation with 20 ships a side.
Oh, there is also ways to improve load times (unpacking certain files), which also is required for the demo mods. I didn't find them that long anyway.
I do get one annoying bug, where the text doesn't show up properly, but that might be a GPU driver issue.
As for the steam haters.. try offline mode. If your pc is so crap you can't run a progam that only takes maybe 30,000 k of memory, and your internet is so poor you can't patch games (try the "do not download updates button), then maybe modern games aren't for you. I have 27 games installed via steam, and 8 which aren't installed, and I've never had a problem with it. Yeah, you might get launch day issues, but try having some patience.
Now as for the actual game.
I became interested in the game (and preordered it) from the new Naval action (I'm 14 books into the Aubrey/Maturin series, and recently finished playing a age of sail mmo), but going via the demo, it's not flash hot. It has pathing and formation issues (I tried to get my ships, who had passed the enemy in opposite direction, to turn around and get back in the same direction, 2 of them hit each other and a 3rd hit the enemy flagship), as well as some less than perfect behaviour (ships changing sail/speed when not told, ships that should be firing by doing slight turns to get their guns into position, instead just sitting there getting pounded). I think the full version and modding will help in this regard.
The land battles were extremely surprising. I really wasn't expecting that level of graphical quality, and at least IMO, looks like the full version will be challenging and AI able to punish errors. In the main version of the demo, once you head over the river the AI enables, and it moves it forces to counter you moving over the river (if you go the full front attack you are charging into half a dozen units + 8 x 24lbr cannons, suicide), and after you get the hang of the interface, you can end up in really fierce, close range gun battles, as well as having alot of tactical scope for how you do so.
There is also alot of modding availble for the demo itself, including deployment, unit size, play as america, activate rank firing, activate certain tactical abilities, for the land battles. Some go so far as to change the unit compositions, and I think you can also change it to the actual tutorial map as well, which is more open. Mods for the naval battle include activating a 2nd naval mission, and also being able to completely change the makeup of the 2 sides in the default battle, in scope from a 1v1 Surprise vs Acheron duel, to a Trafalgar near recreation with 20 ships a side.
Oh, there is also ways to improve load times (unpacking certain files), which also is required for the demo mods. I didn't find them that long anyway.
I do get one annoying bug, where the text doesn't show up properly, but that might be a GPU driver issue.
-
JudgeDredd
- Posts: 8362
- Joined: Fri Nov 14, 2003 7:28 pm
- Location: Scotland
RE: Empire Total War
Well, yes...the AI DID move units to it's flank from the main route across the river once I had decided to go that way (I think a unit of soldiers were already in the tress on the "grassy knoll!")...but it didn't do enough. The troops there were woefully inadequate for the force I sent, and it didn't seem to send anymore.
Now other people may well bitch if the AI had moved men from the "other" front line....that the AI had abandonded it's position too easily. I don't know what the answer is. I do think it kept too many troops back to protect the schoolhouse and if it was wanting to thwart the crossing, it should've sent more troops....or kept them back for the onslaught...what it did was react, but in a piecemeal fashion...and I don't think that was very smart. The 80 troops it sent to it's right flank were sent to their slaughter...insufficient as a task force and insufficient as a blocking force.
Once I started attacking the troops near the schoolhouse, I think it did move the troops from the main crossing back...but it was all too little too late.
To be fair, it did show signs of thinking, but I doubt it will be challenging. Also, there was no difficulty level...so it could be that it was the lesser for the demo...I would hope so.
I haven't fired the demo up since I got it, so maybe that says something!
Now other people may well bitch if the AI had moved men from the "other" front line....that the AI had abandonded it's position too easily. I don't know what the answer is. I do think it kept too many troops back to protect the schoolhouse and if it was wanting to thwart the crossing, it should've sent more troops....or kept them back for the onslaught...what it did was react, but in a piecemeal fashion...and I don't think that was very smart. The 80 troops it sent to it's right flank were sent to their slaughter...insufficient as a task force and insufficient as a blocking force.
Once I started attacking the troops near the schoolhouse, I think it did move the troops from the main crossing back...but it was all too little too late.
To be fair, it did show signs of thinking, but I doubt it will be challenging. Also, there was no difficulty level...so it could be that it was the lesser for the demo...I would hope so.
I haven't fired the demo up since I got it, so maybe that says something!
Alba gu' brath
RE: Empire Total War
I've had the demo battle go several different ways, but the AI does seem to react to the flanking attack differently depending on how fast/hard you flank.
In at least one battle where I threw the Brit cavalry in fast, followed by the light infantry and the rest following as fast as possible - the AI reacted with the American cavalry and light infantry/rifleman in what turned into a swirl of skirmish/cavalry melees until my line got across and formed up, when they fell back and tried to reform a line around the schoolhouse.
In others, where I have gone more slow and methodical with the flank - the AI tends to skirmish a bit with the rifleman/lights and fall back to a reasonably formed line near the schoolhouse. This one ends up being a fairly standard open field battle. The AI tends to lose either way, but it does react reasonably appropriately in my experience.
In at least one battle where I threw the Brit cavalry in fast, followed by the light infantry and the rest following as fast as possible - the AI reacted with the American cavalry and light infantry/rifleman in what turned into a swirl of skirmish/cavalry melees until my line got across and formed up, when they fell back and tried to reform a line around the schoolhouse.
In others, where I have gone more slow and methodical with the flank - the AI tends to skirmish a bit with the rifleman/lights and fall back to a reasonably formed line near the schoolhouse. This one ends up being a fairly standard open field battle. The AI tends to lose either way, but it does react reasonably appropriately in my experience.
RE: Empire Total War
As to graphics, I have a ATI cards and saw multiple words mangled in the land phase but none whatsoever in the naval portion..go figure..
On the issue of Collectors/SE version, do you see any need for steam to sell the coll/se version? After all, it is supposed to have a bunch of physical extras that the regular version doesnt. It seems thats it a way to part money from fools. No reason imho to buy the special edition via DL.
On the issue of steam. I could never figure out why anyone would buy via DL when you could go to a store and buy a boxed version.If game x was 10-20 bucks cheaper then yes, but full price? not me. Unless it only came via DL. I would be afraid of so many unknowns.. I figure steam will not now or ever go out of business but service can be interupted. I remember seeing lauch day issues for some games. Local providers can go pfft...The usual.I figure eventually everything will be DL only but until then I prefer to sit in my 20th century bunker.
Now one serious question to any who owned rtw or mtw2 via steam or really any heavily modded game. I know many of the mods required clean installs and it was semi easy to do it correctly with disks, but how does that work with steam? Could you install 2or more copies on your machine?
On the issue of Collectors/SE version, do you see any need for steam to sell the coll/se version? After all, it is supposed to have a bunch of physical extras that the regular version doesnt. It seems thats it a way to part money from fools. No reason imho to buy the special edition via DL.
On the issue of steam. I could never figure out why anyone would buy via DL when you could go to a store and buy a boxed version.If game x was 10-20 bucks cheaper then yes, but full price? not me. Unless it only came via DL. I would be afraid of so many unknowns.. I figure steam will not now or ever go out of business but service can be interupted. I remember seeing lauch day issues for some games. Local providers can go pfft...The usual.I figure eventually everything will be DL only but until then I prefer to sit in my 20th century bunker.
Now one serious question to any who owned rtw or mtw2 via steam or really any heavily modded game. I know many of the mods required clean installs and it was semi easy to do it correctly with disks, but how does that work with steam? Could you install 2or more copies on your machine?
My life is complete. 1000 Matrix posts.....
RE: Empire Total War
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=222206 [align=center]Everything you need to know about Steam and ETW.
[/align]
[/align]
Building a new PC.
-
Dreadnaught
- Posts: 23
- Joined: Wed Dec 26, 2007 4:04 pm
RE: Empire Total War
The load times are long. I just built a new system, not a monster, but new:
Intel Core 2 quad 6600
New EVGA mobo, forget which one exactly
Nvidia 524 MB 9800atx (no sli yet)
WD velociraptor HD
4gigs ram
vista 64
With that setup, I have some long load times. I wasn't really impressed. I love the TW games, since shogun, but it does seem like more of the same. The naval battle was cool, but like someone already said, it's a bit arcade-ish and may become boring quick. The thing w/ total war games is, they are awesome at first. then it fades quickly, and you wind up skipping battles (the best part) and just playing from the strategy map, which is very shallow. That said, i'll probably buy it, like I always do w/ TW games. however, I'm definitely going to buy Crown of Glory: Emperor's Edition. I bought Forge and love it, and I'm in the mood for some Nappy era games. Paradox's victoria was one of their best, but COG looks like it will be much more deep. I'm less experienced in the 'hardcore' wargames, but COG looks great.
Intel Core 2 quad 6600
New EVGA mobo, forget which one exactly
Nvidia 524 MB 9800atx (no sli yet)
WD velociraptor HD
4gigs ram
vista 64
With that setup, I have some long load times. I wasn't really impressed. I love the TW games, since shogun, but it does seem like more of the same. The naval battle was cool, but like someone already said, it's a bit arcade-ish and may become boring quick. The thing w/ total war games is, they are awesome at first. then it fades quickly, and you wind up skipping battles (the best part) and just playing from the strategy map, which is very shallow. That said, i'll probably buy it, like I always do w/ TW games. however, I'm definitely going to buy Crown of Glory: Emperor's Edition. I bought Forge and love it, and I'm in the mood for some Nappy era games. Paradox's victoria was one of their best, but COG looks like it will be much more deep. I'm less experienced in the 'hardcore' wargames, but COG looks great.
Fanaticism obliterates the feelings of humanity.
Edward Gibbon
Edward Gibbon
RE: Empire Total War
Having tried the demo, I am quite disappointed. The battles just seem like the usual clickfests you see in the 'shoot'em up' games that are so common these days. Medieval II was good, but then this was melee fighting, so not insane shooting everywhere.
RE: Empire Total War
ORIGINAL: Aurelian
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=222206 [align=center]Everything you need to know about Steam and ETW.
[/align]
p
I get it..I don't like it, but I get it.. Most likely I will fall into temptation and buy it day 1. Hopefully the problems that plagued the Steam DL of MTW2 are behind them. Reading through the forums I noticed that once it is activated, you cannot sell/give the game away as its tied to your steam account. Not to sure on that but I never sold any of my TW games so hopefully......
My life is complete. 1000 Matrix posts.....
-
NefariousKoel
- Posts: 1741
- Joined: Tue Jul 23, 2002 3:48 am
- Location: Murderous Missouri Scum
RE: Empire Total War
I'd probably purchase ETW sometime, but requiring Steam just lost them a sale.
I have many and more colorful words for the situation, Steam, and DRM in general, but I'll save you the bleeding eyes.
I have many and more colorful words for the situation, Steam, and DRM in general, but I'll save you the bleeding eyes.
RE: Empire Total War
ORIGINAL: NefariousKoel
I'd probably purchase ETW sometime, but requiring Steam just lost them a sale....
Same here.
This war is not about slavery. --Robert E. Lee
RE: Empire Total War
ORIGINAL: Greybriar
ORIGINAL: NefariousKoel
I'd probably purchase ETW sometime, but requiring Steam just lost them a sale....
Same here.
Amen!
RE: Empire Total War
Another bad thing I noticed with steam and E:TW.....No manual, not even in pdf form..Or so many are complaining about..Granted, the manuals that
the Total War series put out werent great, but not including one with a DL? Boggles the mind.....Oh yeah, some complaints about servers being busy and therefore not being able to play....Maybe time for me to get and play a non-steam driven game.
I like the concept of Steam, but somehow the execution is lacking, especially with the "big" releases.. It seems to handle small games fine. Maybe i'll try it out on one of those bargain games first before spending 50 at gamestop and letting Steam control my fun.
EDIT: The no manual part is only for the direct download from Steam, not the boxed version.
the Total War series put out werent great, but not including one with a DL? Boggles the mind.....Oh yeah, some complaints about servers being busy and therefore not being able to play....Maybe time for me to get and play a non-steam driven game.
I like the concept of Steam, but somehow the execution is lacking, especially with the "big" releases.. It seems to handle small games fine. Maybe i'll try it out on one of those bargain games first before spending 50 at gamestop and letting Steam control my fun.
EDIT: The no manual part is only for the direct download from Steam, not the boxed version.
My life is complete. 1000 Matrix posts.....