Buying for Multiplayer?

[Mithrandir the White]

Hey guys,

I bought empire total war 5 months ago and i am really enjoying it.
Now my question is, should i buy 'Napoleon Total War' ? I am a real multi-player man so i don't play campaigns. Is Napoleon worth buying for only the multi-player ( I can get the game for 25 Euro).

Cheers,

Mithrandir the White

ps: Sorry for my bad English.

[evulclown]

Well I only play multiplayer. NTW is faster paced than Empire and the bulk of the competitive clans moved from Empire to NTW and didn't go back. It plays a lot differently to Empire because of the way key units work. I'd say go for it, but expect to have a learning curve until you get used to the new play style

You'll find cav a lot more useful, rifles less so -- lights are the new rifles, generals arn't just a 1/2 cav unit any more they can make or break a battle depending on your army. You'll find you're rewarded by aggressive re positioning during battles, as well as before them etc.

Is there any game function you "couldn't live without" from empire?

[AqwertyBqwerty]

I say yes.I didn't get empire, but I don't plan to cause ntw is just that good. The reload rates are alot faster, cav is extremely effective when used with line, the effects are nice, the maps are all good (even the camper maps like dresden and waterloo are fun),the AI is better when people drop although it still is more of an annoyance then a challenge, and there's an actual moral meter that shows how much your units can take,and an MP campaign and drop-in campaign battles where you substitute for the AI if you ever like that stuff.

Pretty much, NTW is a slightly smaller version of everything ETW should have been

[daniu]

Is Napoleon worth buying for only the multi-player

Well it's not worth buying it only for single player IMHO.

Whether it's worth getting it for MP is sort of a question of whether you're not content with ETW.
NTW has much better graphics and runs smoother overall, but both variety and balancing are a notch worse then ETW; technically definitely better, but gameplay-wise is a matter of taste really.

[Tyler_the_Great]

It's really a shame morec lans don't play empire. I would say don't get Napoleon. Simply because shogun2 will be comming out early next year and then nappy will be deserted like empire is. Save your money and get shogun2 on release.

[evulclown]

It's really a shame morec lans don't play empire. I would say don't get Napoleon. Simply because shogun2 will be comming out early next year and then nappy will be deserted like empire is. Save your money and get shogun2 on release.

See, I dunno if it will. People jumped all over NTW because it was an upgrade from Empire in many respects. At the end of the day they were fundamentally the same game with muskets and all so once you've moved to the new one why go back? Shogun is a totally different beast and i'm not sure it's gonna suck away all the NTW players forever. Maybe the first month or 2, but I think NTW will still be very popular after. It's probably going to grab a bunch more med 2 / rome players though!

[{GODS}Scipio_Africanus]

I would say don't, I found that the different styles are just more exploited styles. Empire's balances were almost perfect with concern to units. NTW's balances are a little off IMO. I find that the speed of the troops reload makes it close to impossible to charge cavalry head on without quite a few losses. The tactic of "meatshields" still works but is a bit more costly and cavalry are close to useless to anyone who has the tendency to watch his mini map and defend accordingly to cavalry charges. All together, it requires more general tactics as well as micro to play ETW than NTW IMO.

P.S. Please argue because I'm bored.

[AqwertyBqwerty]

cavalry are close to useless to anyone who has the tendency to watch his mini map and defend accordingly to cavalry charges...
P.S. Please argue because I'm bored.

UM,no.The whole purpose of cav is to force some squares and then get the heck out while your inf take free shots.Rinse and repeat.

And of course,if you can't charge, there's shooter cav

The unit balance I agree with though, there are really only 4 nations online now- france, prussia, GB and otto's. Port's not that bad though, and russia can also be pretty good.

[{GODS}Scipio_Africanus]

UM,no.The whole purpose of cav is to force some squares and then get the heck out while your inf take free shots.Rinse and repeat.

And of course,if you can't charge, there's shooter cav

The unit balance I agree with though, there are really only 4 nations online now- france, prussia, GB and otto's. Port's not that bad though, and russia can also be pretty good.

Portugal is by far the worst nation in NTW. not because it has bad units. It is just because it presents only one portion of the tactics on the battlefield. Skirmishing, past that you will have vanilla line infantry and the worst cavalry selection in game with horrible artillery.. great fun..

Also, Cavalry in Empire was used to cause total chaos and would actually listen to you when you told it to run around the square rather than get stuck right beside it to talk to the ppl in square having a good time using you as target practice. Also I find the ping issue for almost all games above 2v2 in NTW causes your cavalry in lieu of its orders to pull back from the charge into squares will charge head on and the initial losses from the bullets and the ppl flying off the horses will usually rout the cavalry or drop its morale so low that it will rout in the next volley. In ETW squares didnt totally massacre any cavalry within 10 feet and I liked that. I don't see how its better to have unresponsive cavalry. sounds like just an annoying bug rather than requiring "more skill".

P.S. This is totally better than watching T.V.

[evulclown]

P.S. Please argue because I'm bored.

kay

I would say don't, I found that the different styles are just more exploited styles.

I wouldn't agree. Due to the fast pace of NTW it rewards fast thinkers, adaptable people and people who can handle pressure. I'd say Empire is easier / more forgiving to people with slow micromanagement.

Empire's balances were almost perfect with concern to units. NTW's balances are a little off IMO.

I'll agree with this, Empire had a much larger harmony between country balance. Even minor nations essentially had similar stuff. But at the same time a lot of units in Empire were basically clone units... So, yeah you're gonna have a lot of "balance" when everyone has the same stuff.

I'd say the major nations of NTW all bring something vaguely unique to the table in a rock paper scissors fashion that has its own balance! There's no nation that carries all strengths in this game, not even France.

I find that the speed of the troops reload makes it close to impossible to charge cavalry head on without quite a few losses. The tactic of "meatshields" still works but is a bit more costly and cavalry are close to useless to anyone who has the tendency to watch his mini map and defend accordingly to cavalry charges.

I'm failing to see the problem with this. To think that you should be able to do an unprepared for, lazy head on charge into prepared line and succeed... listing this as an issue is... mind blowing. Cav have more of a glass cannon status in NTW compared to Empire, i'll give you that. But are so much more effective than in Empire...

You'll need to flank and overwhelm with your cav, choose different targets, mask their charges, time them perfectly pull charges out to recharge. Protect and shield them from bullets, they're there to support your line troops too and disorganize enemy line. So not getting a clean charge != a cav charge failure because you've caused their line to stop firing.

All together, it requires more general tactics as well as micro to play ETW than NTW IMO.

Again surely a good thing??

It's like saying, no don't buy this game it overall takes more skill and thought!!!

[Mithrandir the White]

OK guys really many thanks for answering my question, i think I'll be buying napoleon tomorrow or the day after!

[Tyler_the_Great]

I would say don't get Napoleon.

OK guys really many thanks for answering my question, i think I'll be buying napoleon tomorrow or the day after!

[{GODS}Scipio_Africanus]

Oh and Evul clown. You can do all of those things in NTW and ETW. I guess you're right, cavalry shouldn't be able to charge head on with no losses but it is what I liked to call outsmarting the enemy. take losses for cheap units to reap the benefits for your cavalry ten fold. In NTW I find that my meatshield falls to the line behind the first line which is ALWAYS THERE against pros. meaning that my cavalry is screened by a unit that just died, also meaning that it is about to get massacred by the second line and the second volley of the line infantry, oh and if its not at the last part of the game, it will die to squares forming not even half way right before you get there. they don't have to be anywhere close to forming the square, it just had to be clicked and your cavalry will die. The matches I've recently played against clans were on grassy and the enemy chose to have no artillery. I guess I should've realized it was idiotic to join the match and fight them but I didn't wanna waste another hour finding a match that didnt have "no response from host" and good players versing me. I ended up losing the skirmishing battle due to the fact that the enemy either chose britain or prussia. During the battle of attrition which i was losing in with skirmishers, I moved up line on the flank to start winning there but all that did was degrade my line by the flak from the lights, in the end their lights beat my lights, and took most of my front line infantry down while his line infantry hadnt even engaged. I know I am not the greatest tactical master but no matter how my attacks went, I was unable to make a dent in his line and due to that, his cavalry would surely have free reign on me after i inevitably degraded my line trying to kite my way out of a loss to his cavalry. It was not due to anything other than his light infantry that he won that fight in my mind. I tried all the tactics I know and he did nothing but fight the normal battle of attrition rather than out maneuver me and he still manages to win..

[evulclown]

Are you trolling us? I hope you're trolling us and not being serious...

[Carswell]

Scip mate don't argue with him. The fanboys will always argue that NTW is better. I'll take faction balance and SLIGHTLY slower gameplay over balance and SLIGHTLY faster gameplay anyday tbh.

[Krasnikof]

Scip mate don't argue with him. The fanboys will always argue that NTW is better. I'll take faction balance and SLIGHTLY slower gameplay over balance and SLIGHTLY faster gameplay anyday tbh.

empire fanboys will always argue empire is better

[daniu]

empire fanboys will always argue empire is better

And how is NTW more varied and balanced then ETW?

[{GODS}Scipio_Africanus]

You're probably right Carswell. That is why a lot of clans died when switching to NTW. TLG only survives in ETW. GODS just isnt alive other than me and cu roi ,achilles, termi, and tbone and only clans left are bsa dh and HM to fester these forums.

[terminator acheron]

? - last time i looked i still play about 30 hours of NTW a week

[{GODS}Scipio_Africanus]

I just dont understand why you find NTW any better or more skill oriented than ETW. I find the difference in skill in favor of ETW rather than the very stale gameplay of NTW.