Your five most desired improvements to ETW, excluding BAI

[Tim_Ward]

So, in light of what can only be described as today's announcement about CAs plans to upgrade their BAI to non-retarded status (which, if successful, will upgrade my Napoleon Total War Purchase Priority Status from NO ING WAY to BARGAIN BIN), we can expect from the future?

It would be foolish indeed to assume any other patch will be forthcoming, though I really do appreciate the gesture of the one they've committed to.

However, in the semi-unlikely event of a further patch beyond 1.6 (?), what improvements would you like to see? Excluding, obviously, BAI. You get five, and you must rank them in order. Please take into consideration the amount of work involved, so that we have lists of somewhat realistic suggestions.

My Five.

1. Improve the campaign AI, especially diplomacy.
2. Rework sieges into something, anything less .
3. Rationalize naval strategic movement. Make it so that ship of the line cannot catch small ships.
4. Make reinforcements work properly. At least three times now I've had experiences of MY OWN and the AI reinforcements coming onto the field in the same place. This never ends well.
5. Make pirates act like pirates, not the dominant early game naval power in the Caribbean. This means that they DO NOT have access to galleons, DO NOT have islands but rather spawn with fleets of small ships and raid trade routes. Thanks to 3) you will need frigates and other minor vessels to chase them and protect your trade routes thus providing the roll for small ships CA found it necessary to up the navel combat in search of. For extra bonus points, make it so the deployment of such ships near ports and trade routes deters the appearance of pirates.

These five would put the game well into 9/10 territory for me.

[Antissa]

I'd definitely agree with #1 & #2 Tim_Ward. Other improvements that would be nice is the 'immersion' factor ; more traits/ancillaries for generals & family members, and the option to choose an heir in the royal family.

[Gen. Uziel]

1. Custom battles options: maps, SP custom funds, any kind of SP team matches (1 vs 4, for example), not being limited by only having late and early options (in other words, freedom to choose techs, but this one is probably a little unrealistic to implement).
2. Diplomacy (especially peace offers being rejected by crippled nations, if a simple warscore like the one in Europa Universalis was internally coded into the game to help the AI make this decision maybe it'd be much better).

Probably some more things, but I'd be very happy with those two alone (it's a game after all and the most important thing in the end is the fun you get).

[Solar]

They've already said they would not mess around with stuff anymore, but after the fixing of the BAI, my major gripe would be with the fort assault system ("sieges", as in, "sitting outside a fort in the campaign map", work fine).

Basically, they'd have to substitute the grappling hooks for ladders, ala RTW (maybe keep the hooks in for a "fantasy" infiltrator unit, rare and small in size, if they must), and improve pathfinding so the defending units can more easily walk atop battlements, position themselves to shoot, and man the cannons.

With that done, ETW would be a completely playable game, imo.

[Humble Warrior]

Sieges, it has to be for me. One of my greatest disappointments ever with ETW. TW sieges are usually so good and I love attacking or defending a siege. I don`t think it will happen, I believe the fact that it`s not in NTW shows some kind of catastrophic problem regarding Siege BAIs. A total abortion if you want that they can`t (or won`t) recover. I`m still astonished at how bad they are when looking at CA`s pedigree in this area. They KNOW how to make a realistic siege.

I would like to see sieges work like this:

1. AI army attacks with cannons and ladders (ladders take a turn to make). They breach wall with cannons or use ladders to overtake walls. It should not be easy for the wall attackers (like with MTW2 or RTW).

2. If no cannons then AI army simply sieges until ladder built or city surrenders (like MTW and RTW).

I agree with Solar that grappling ropes could be kept for unique, small specialists units that could never take a Fort lone (if CA must have hooks), but could try a surprise gate open attempt.

These things would be the single greatest improvement since CAI was made to better than dead.

p.s. I would also like to see walls repairable and retreating CAI. These should be a relatively easy fix, easier than BAI even, why it`s not done, I do not know.

[Whatacad]

1. CAI retreats
2. Optional reinforcements.
3. Repairable walls.
4. Improve sieges
5. Release mod tools

If they fixed 1-3 I'd consider buying NTW. I could live without 4 and 5, though would give massive kudos were such an unthinkable to happen.

Now back to reality.

[brandbll]

Cut out Steam, addition by subtraction. Steam is alright for some games i've played, like Day of Defeat: Source; but i don't want them downloading content for me that i don't even have access to. It'd be interesting to read the Terms of Service for Steam and see if they even have the legal right to do something like that. Either way, it's ed up that they make you do that.

[Al Bundy]

CAI Retreats is a big one for me (and a realistic distance not to retreat 3 cities away)

[aeoleron9]

Just mod support. The other stuff are either too trivial or too broad to fix with a patch.

[Sarge]

1) Repairable walls.
2) Ladders, not batman-style climbing ropes.
3) Fully destructible forts.
4) A wall cannon that fires canister shot/grapeshot/etc once you have the technology.
5) Soldiers that actually know how to line up on walls and use the cannons.

[JusTheory]

I would like to see friendly fire fixed. There is no logical reason a unit behind a friendly unit would fire volleys into said friendly unit's backside. This includes cannons blowing everyone, and themselves up while trying to aim at a unit on their flank. I'm not against micromanaging, but give me a break. You would never see a cannon fire grapeshot into the side of a friendly infantry unit to hit an enemy on the other side. I also don't want to see them go to far and force a unit not to fire because one guy in that unit would fire into friendly lines. Let the rest of the unit fire just not that one guy. That would be awesome.

[PrayForPlagues]

mod tools, I'll sort the rest out once those are released.

[Kaunitz]

1. Sieges. No, I don't want ladders! I want sappeurs to dig zig-zag-ditches close enough to bring siege artillery to bear! I want vauban-like fortifications! Units do not attack until there is a breach! And then again, the defenders are more likely to give up. However, if late 17th century was a part of the game, you could have ineresting siege battles - grenadiers actually using their grenades, troops fighting in the ramparts and ditches of the fortresses. And we could have (had...) mining and counter-mining

2. Reconaissance! I want this for both the battle map and the campaign map! You should be forced to anticipate the movements of your enemy and screen your own movements with light cavalry. Use terrain (no, I don't mean the "hide" ability of some units) to hide your movements and surprise the enemy! This is how battles were won - not by having the "better" units. Make the features of the battle-field count!

3. Morale! I want more realistic morale: seperate morale tables for infantry and cavalry, more factors to be taken into account. E.g. You get a morale malus when the weapons of your unit are not loaded. Also, the distance to the enemy should be a major factor. Add to this a proper mechanic for retreats and routs. Moreover, we could need a supply-system, otherwise, there isn't any reason for manoeuvering on the battle map!

4. Formations: There are no effects of "formation" in a 18th century war game. Units can not only walk around for hours in line formation without getting disrupted, no, they can actually run around in line formation! Okay, you first need to reduce the rank and file spacing to make units actually look like units. But then again, fire drills don't work....It feels like a skirmish game - friendly units can interpenetrate each other without any problems....This is a no-go for me!

5. Make battles count! When you feel like you're losing a battle, you should be inclined to withdraw, not to fight until the last man. A beaten army cannot be replaced in two turns! I hate it when hundreds and hundreds of stacks are coming up. It feels like WWI, not like 18th centruy!

6. Visually more authentic units (speaking of bearded officers and grenadiers, all soldiers wearing this ugly pony-tail instead of military queue, give units battalion colors and officers who are standing "behind" the line and don't get shot at the first opportunity....) Speaking of which, the campaign map-characters all look like Mel Gibson with glasses a ridiculous alongé whig.
A military queue:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

7. I think that the campaign map looks pretty ugly and has no atmosphere. I loved the "map" (un-realistic) look of Shogun and Medieval I. It had a lot of style! Moreover, there shouldn't be winter every second turn... it was quite hard for armies to carry out any sort of operations during winter.

8. Fire drills that work

9. Defender and attacker-roles in custom battles. It's so annoying to watch poor little AI stumble across the battle field in a totally disorganised manner just to blow it away with shrapnel shot....

[Fenwayb]

DIPLOMACY!!!
it sucks

[Darkpriest667]

DIPLOMACY!!!
it sucks

x2

[RO Citizen]

1.mod tools!
2.retrofit mod from NTW
3.better diplomacy and CAI
4.no more multiplayer problems such as "no response from host"

[Jaketh]

mod tools,mod tools,mod tools,mod tools,mod tools,mod tools,mod tools,mod tools,mod tools,mod tools,mod tools,mod tools,mod tools,mod tools, and some mod tools with a little more mod tools with a side of mod tools

[Sarge]

mod tools,mod tools,mod tools,mod tools,mod tools,mod tools,mod tools,mod tools,mod tools,mod tools,mod tools,mod tools,mod tools,mod tools, and some mod tools with a little more mod tools with a side of mod tools

Oh, you forgot to ask for mod tools with that.

[Archimonday]

Tighter Formations
More Accurate Ballistics
Bat.... wait a minute

[eugenioso]

1.- more dy namic battles. they are too slow, dull and boring as of right now.

2.- diplomacy. and i do mean the real sort of diplomacy, not the "lets flip a coin to choose who to declare war on today" thing.

3.- faster unit building. i understand waiting 2 turns for cannon, but a whole turn for infantry and cav is just boring and dull.

4.- more ship options. because as any faction besides britain you will most likely lose the sea war. and goddamn it i hate that i have to build military ports of no financial benefit at all for a warship.

5.- better economy. the lack of money in the game is just horrifying.