Empire Total War Random Question Thread

[LightSpectra]

My main issue is with the fact that the AI will never settle for peace, due to its buggy nature.

See, the AI doesn't determine if it needs peace based on its treasury or state of its army. No, rather, it determines if it wants peace based on diplomatic relations. So if you have them blockaded, and their army decimated, and their capital taken, they don't like you; and thus will never settle for peace, ever.

That needs to be fixed. The AI shouldn't go for, "what spites the player most," but rather, "what's best the for expansion/survival of my faction."

 

[Antilogic]

I know it was a long rant, but LightSpectra's insight explains why the Dutch wouldn't sign peace. I managed to get a blockade against Amsterdam or whatever the little port is in that province for the last 8 turns of that war, figuring I would crush them economically and force them to disband troops. That plan didn't work, and it is costing me ~6000 to replenish my damaged regiments.

I'm still managing to make progress in the New World (I think I'll be able to take New England from the British, although Pennsylvania and Virginia will be a stretch for my limited Canadian resources) and catch up a little bit in technology, so maybe the game isn't FUBAR. Next time, I'm playing Russia so I have less to worry about.

 

[Maniacal]

The AI, especially at higher difficulties will get cash every turn as it is too stupid to use it effectively.

 

[Antilogic]

The AI, especially at higher difficulties will get cash every turn as it is too stupid to use it effectively.

I was wondering how Britain could put together two 3rd rates every couple turns, especially when I sacked their North American colonies (and the other half was conquered by the Cherokee menace).

 

[kibbles]

I have a question about troop placement. Do infantrymen directly behind another line of infantrymen with friendly fire on, shoot the friendly troops in front of them?

Actually, I have noticed that the troop AI is does reasonably well when avoiding ff. Only troops who have a clear unobstructed shot (including allies) will fire at will while the others will remain nonparticipant. It's actually quite nice! (gj CA )

 

[Antilogic]

I get aggravated with one minor detail in the AI firing routines--when I order my troops to fire, they don't. They stand there for ~20 seconds. Then the entire unit rotates slowly in the field to be directly lined up. Then they wait for ~20 seconds. In the meantime, about a quarter of my troops are dead from multiple enemy volleys.

I know I'm ranting a lot about this game, but I'm still playing. I just switched to Sweden on medium difficulty to try and get a feel for it instead of jumping in with France.

 

[Dachs]

I get aggravated with one minor detail in the AI firing routines--when I order my troops to fire, they don't. They stand there for ~20 seconds. Then the entire unit rotates slowly in the field to be directly lined up. Then they wait for ~20 seconds. In the meantime, about a quarter of my troops are dead from multiple enemy volleys.

Volleys? Did you not research Fire By Rank? Last I played, that revolutionized line infantry firing speeds and lethality.

 

[Antilogic]

Fire By Rank requires at least 3 technologies in the Military tree and the Drill School, I think. This was before I had the opportunity to get that technology (I just started again as Sweden, it's 1706 or so).

However, in the time it took my troops to reposition and finally fire, they took two normal, non-Fire-By-Rank volleys from the enemy.

 

[nonconformist]

Actually, I have noticed that the troop AI is does reasonably well when avoiding ff. Only troops who have a clear unobstructed shot (including allies) will fire at will while the others will remain nonparticipant. It's actually quite nice! (gj CA )

Not always

I had a unit of Light Infantry in their skirmish positions, which caused them to overlap slightly in front of one of my puckle guns.....needless to say the whole right flank of my light infantry disappeared in four seconds :/

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

I know the game is called Total War, but the AI really needs to lay off. I picked France for my first serious grand campaign (I played around with Spain and Prussia to learn what was different from RTW/RTR). In the end, I figured Louis XIV would be pretty powerful and give me a good balance of sea and land action. Catholic Frenching Christ Almighty was I wrong (CFCA is a TM of France)--the French are a paper tiger with no capacity to protect her colonies and her homeland simultaneously, and is especially lacking in good research capacity (or I just got bad luck and spawned no gentlemen randomly until 1713).

All the minor German states except for Hannover and Saxony declared war on me, along with all the natives, along with the Austrians, Dutch and since 1721 the British. Spain has been utterly useless and has only succeeded at giving Britain an even bigger navy to blockade me with (although I suppose I should be thankful they actually honored their alliances and declared against my enemies instead of me). The last 15 years or so have consisted of me losing massive amounts of trade income due to these huge British and pirate fleets (seriously, the pirates have a 16 ship fleet--more than I have, consisting of mostly huge galleons and warships with a few captured trading ships). And the British have a fleet with three 4th rates and three 5th rates...I can't even begin to challenge it until my income increases. My net naval increase has been one captured Dutch 5th rate, and I have built a fourth rate and a fifth rate. Not nearly enough, and still spread out.

I've at least taken two Iroquois provinces and conquered Amsterdam along with Flanders, the Rhineland, and Wurttemburg (or however its spelled). However, nobody signs peace. Ever. I took 2/3 of the Iroquois, no peace. The Dutch refused to give me even one technology or 500 gold in exchange for sparing their capital from being conquered. Any diplomatic venture undertaken by the Court of Louis XIV since 1700 is an utter failure. Oh well, now I'm just smashing Dutch rebels every 3 turns until they realize independence is a pipe dream. And lamenting the plight of Louisiana under their new Cherokee overlords.

Wait, I take that back, I have had one diplomatic success. I managed to sign a single trade agreement with Prussia (which now controls anything in Germany I don't control except for Saxony, and most of Austria and Poland). And I had to fork over 300 gold to sweeten the pot enough for them to trade with me. However, its a small price to pay to improve relations and try and avoid another major war on my borders.

It sounds like your experience has been remarkably close to reality thus far. France was the largest and most populous country in Europe until 1871, so everyone usually ganged up on them.

 

[Antilogic]

It sounds like your experience has been remarkably close to reality thus far. France was the largest and most populous country in Europe until 1871, so everyone usually ganged up on them.

I think the line where reality has been crossed is that peace is never signed until a country collapses due to the fall of its capital. If I'm not mistaken, Berlin was the only major European capital captured during the 18th century (Seven Years War). Wars, I'm expecting, to last for ~10-20 turns and then stop, or 5-10 years.

 

[nonconformist]

Does anyone else find artillery quite ineffective in general?

My arty never gets more than about 15 kills in an entire battle, so I use it mostly for morale-damaging value (though I have to say, I was surprised when my first mortar shot with an exploding shell plunged straight into a unit, and wiped out their general and 13 others withing 10 seconds, but then fired ineffectively hitting nothing for the rest of the battle).

And quicklime? What the hell? Completely useless. Useless. Gets 0 kills everytime, even when you drop it just in front of a marching unit.
I want my carcass back.

 

[Dachs]

Does anyone else find artillery quite ineffective in general?

My arty never gets more than about 15 kills in an entire battle, so I use it mostly for morale-damaging value (though I have to say, I was surprised when my first mortar shot with an exploding shell plunged straight into a unit, and wiped out their general and 13 others withing 10 seconds, but then fired ineffectively hitting nothing for the rest of the battle).

Canister and shrapnel shells are vastly superior and can rack up large numbers of kills; late-game artillery was often one of the most-promoted units in my armies. Round shot and everything else basically sucks.

 

[nonconformist]

I've just developped Shrapnel, and I'm about to deploy it for the first time


Do mortars by default airburst all the time?

 

[nonconformist]

Yup, Shrapnel rocks

Also, luring ******** soliders right into the path of canister shot rocks.

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

Canister is probably the most awesome weapon in the whole game. Whole companies will simply vanish.

 

[Antilogic]

Canister and shrapnel shells are vastly superior and can rack up large numbers of kills; late-game artillery was often one of the most-promoted units in my armies. Round shot and everything else basically sucks.

The other thing that boosts the effectiveness of artillery is your ability to move it once you get an upgraded foundry--those demi-cannons are nearly worthless, and I don't think I have ever made a unit of sakers (or whatever they are called).

 

[Dachs]

The other thing that boosts the effectiveness of artillery is your ability to move it once you get an upgraded foundry--those demi-cannons are nearly worthless, and I don't think I have ever made a unit of sakers (or whatever they are called).

Oh, yeah, that almost goes without saying - if he's mentioning mortars being ineffective, he's long past the saker-and-demicannon phase.

 

[Birdjaguar]

I was given a copy of Empire (retail store package with DVDs), but I cannot get it installed. It opens the install splash screen and after I choose "install", I get a "Failed to run install script" message every time I try.

 

[germanicus12]

Can anyone tell me how to get peace with the United Provinces, short of an invasion of their homelands?

As the US I have taken the entire New World, including New Spain and the Carribean Islands, London is mine as well as all of the British possessions minus Newfoundland which is now an American Protectorate under British rule.

I have continuously offered 15,000 gold for 20 turns for a peace with the United Provinces and still they refuse. I have blockaded every trade route they have on the seas and destroyed their navy, so I know they need the cash. I would invade them and just put an end to it, but I do not want to invade Europe proper as I am still at war with France, Spain, Germany and Russia and do not want to get dragged into a land war there.

Any tips?

Also, note, this is the longest war I have ever been in, in any Total War game... going on 50 years now... 1780 to 1830.