does this game have any new gameplay features?

is it just me, or does this new game not have any new gameplay features? I understand that we get a new user interface, we get 300 unique faces, all new hats, cannons that tear up grass when their cannonball hits the ground. But those are all graphics changes and don't actually affect gameplay (though they do increase immersion, a worthy aim).

There are 3-4 brand new mini-campaigns, but that isn't new gameplay - that is a new scenario - it adds variety to the gameplay but not a new dimension or a new dynamic. I also understand that they have decided to add in some features they have left out of ETW but were in previous installments such as the ability to rally troops with your general. While these are "new" in the sense that they didn't have time to include them in ETW, they are not genuinely new as in a new to the series. Similarly, the MPC isn't really a new feature either as it is in ETW already.

So, glancing over some of the confirmed features for NTW (and ignoring the claims of AI improvements which have yet to be verified and are not quantifiable anyway, and frankly are dubious), the only new gameplay features I could find were that ships can now repair themselves at sea, armies automatically replenish, and there are some attrition effects for armies on campaign. The only major genuinely new gameplay feature in NTW is the multiplayer drop in function.

so basically to conclude, there is a good bit about NTW that is different from ETW as i have outlined above, but it should play about the same.

is that about right or did i miss some features? Just trying to justify purchasing the game to myself, but am dreading paying for the same feature twice (MPC).

I hear it has observation ballons. :S

Basically as you said NTW is just a graphics update with a tiny amount of "new" "features".

Originally Posted by Isaristh

Basically as you said NTW is just a graphics update with a tiny amount of "new" "features".

yeh and these "improved graphics still pail in comparison to darthmod ultimate commander, really not looking forward to "comet looking white cannonballs" they look like ground balls in baseball! how is it possible darthmod also has far better explosions and smoke, it boggles my mind. NTW will really be quite epic once darth has tore it apart and rebuilt it.

Those sound really annoying...

1. Supply and attrition
2. 2 week turns, seasons, and weather effects
3. Drop in PC players for your campaign
4. Enhanced diplomacy
5. Enhanced general effects

Those all sound like pretty significant changes to me.

Originally Posted by Mikelus Trento

1. Supply and attrition
2. 2 week turns, seasons, and weather effects
3. Drop in PC players for your campaign
4. Enhanced diplomacy
5. Enhanced general effects

Those all sound like pretty significant changes to me.

2. That doesn't effect gameplay. We've had weather since Shogun, as well as seasons.
4. Has yet to be determined, we haven't played the game.
5. What are "enhanced general effects"?

Originally Posted by Isaristh

2. That doesn't effect gameplay. We've had weather since Shogun, as well as seasons.
4. Has yet to be determined, we haven't played the game.
5. What are "enhanced general effects"?

Yes, but it looks as though whether is going to make more of a strategic difference in NTW then in previous installments. Ie: weather combined with the new attrition system making campaigning more difficult in the winter rather then simply everything in snow. Up to now, weather has simply been visual or affected certain troops through fighting out of their native climate. In NTW, campaigning out of season seems as though it will have a more adverse effect, and thus play more of a role.

And the increased diplomacy options also make the game just a little bit more realistic. The ability to add trade embargoes and influence your allies is better then the current system in ETW where you cant really make your enemies life any more difficult by diplomatic means.

Now what bothers me about NTW is how it is taking a step backwards in terms of the campaign map. One of the major new features to empire was the addition of the 3 theaters, but restricting the campaign to Europe is upsetting. Hopefully some Mod will either add features of NTW into ETW or that NTW will just be a whole lot more modable then ETW has been.

When you look back at the expansions of Kingdoms and Barbarian Invasion and Alexander, those didn't add much in terms of "new features" but did add new campaigns/units into the mix. I haven't played them in quite some time, but as I recall all Kingdoms add was the addition of hot seat campaigns and permanent campaign map forts. In comparison, NTW is adding a ton more with the drop in multiplayer as well as a of in campaign improvements. To me, the perfect blend would be NTW with the ETW Grand Campaing.

Originally Posted by Isaristh

2. That doesn't effect gameplay. We've had weather since Shogun, as well as seasons.

Yes, but it will be the first time we've seen fall and spring since Shogun. It was summer/winter only in MTW, RTW, M2TW, and ETW. So it is nice to get back two seasons that have been missing since 2001. However, will the battlemaps visually reflect the seasons as well?

As for gameplay, I remember in Shogun that fighting battles in fall and especially winter increased the chances of bad weather: fog, rain, and snow storms with their ensuing effects on visibility, movement, and missle fire. Plus fighting winter battles in Shogun meant a shorter battle timer to reflect the limited amount of daylight (and I do remember losing winter battles in Shogun due to running out of time.) As a result, when contemplating a crucial offensive in Shogun I would take into account the season.

So will we see anything similar to the above in NTW's battles or is it just cosmetic?

Originally Posted by MKeogh

Yes, but it will be the first time we've seen fall and spring since Shogun. It was summer/winter only in MTW, RTW, M2TW, and ETW. So it is nice to get back two seasons that have been missing since 2001. However, will the battlemaps visually reflect the seasons as well?

As for gameplay, I remember in Shogun that fighting battles in fall and especially winter increased the chances of bad weather: fog, rain, and snow storms with their ensuing effects on visibility, movement, and missle fire. Plus fighting winter battles in Shogun meant a shorter battle timer to reflect the limited amount of daylight (and I do remember losing winter battles in Shogun due to running out of time.) As a result, when contemplating a crucial offensive in Shogun I would take into account the season.

So will we see anything similar to the above in NTW's battles or is it just cosmetic?

i only fight in summer in ETW as i find winter battle maps look horrible, i just autoresolve if im attacked in winter......

Originally Posted by MKeogh

As for gameplay, I remember in Shogun that fighting battles in fall and especially winter increased the chances of bad weather: fog, rain, and snow storms with their ensuing effects on visibility, movement, and missle fire. Plus fighting winter battles in Shogun meant a shorter battle timer to reflect the limited amount of daylight (and I do remember losing winter battles in Shogun due to running out of time.) As a result, when contemplating a crucial offensive in Shogun I would take into account the season.

Ah the good old times. There was even a season with thunder storms appearing regulary. As those appear regulary in Central Europe during summer it would be great to see heavy thunderstorms in NTW.
Also the shortened battle timer had been a good Shogun-feature. But I doubt that this will be implented in NTW.

Originally Posted by Mikelus Trento

1. Supply and attrition
2. 2 week turns, seasons, and weather effects
3. Drop in PC players for your campaign
4. Enhanced diplomacy
5. Enhanced general effects

Those all sound like pretty significant changes to me.

Don't forget the improved CAI and BAI.

New way of recruiting generals, all of whom are historical.

Online Campaign.

3 new campaigns, focusing on a historical character rather than age.

Quite a load of new features, actually might be the most feature rich game in the series.

Originally Posted by Cozur

Don't forget the improved CAI and BAI.

New way of recruiting generals, all of whom are historical.

Online Campaign.

3 new campaigns, focusing on a historical character rather than age.

Quite a load of new features, actually might be the most feature rich game in the series.

did u even read my OP? we're not counting AI changes. I already mentioned the MPC and the 3 new mini-campaigns. do tell me more about the way generals are recruited?

Originally Posted by dmcheatw

did u even read my OP? we're not counting AI changes. I already mentioned the MPC and the 3 new mini-campaigns. do tell me more about the way generals are recruited?

I think now they pop up again instead of you buying them.

This may have been mentioned, but
GENERAL POOL.
Good/bad generals that cost don't-know-what-points/money and have different traits. Historical, allegedly.

Originally Posted by Mikelus Trento

1. Supply and attrition
2. 2 week turns, seasons, and weather effects
3. Drop in PC players for your campaign
4. Enhanced diplomacy
5. Enhanced general effects

Those all sound like pretty significant changes to me.

1. Some of the reviews have stated that attrition effects are scarecely present.
2. How does that effect gameplay? It doesn't.
3. This may or may not turn out well. MP has never been a strong point of these games, and most TW players really aren't playing for the MP experience anyway.
4. This depends on whether or not the AI has been fixed. We can have all the diplomacy options we want, if the AI doesn't know the difference between going to war and making an alliance, what good is it?
5. More like 'unrealistic general spells.' Also, we have yet to see how this plays out.

Originally Posted by Mikelus Trento

1. Supply and attrition
2. 2 week turns, seasons, and weather effects
3. Drop in PC players for your campaign
4. Enhanced diplomacy
5. Enhanced general effects

Those all sound like pretty significant changes to me.

well every review has been unanimous that 1 barely effects gamplay at all, so that is why i listed it as a minor gameplay change, but you are right that is a new gameplay feature. 2 week turns are not a new feature, they are different length than in empire, but i don't see how that is a new gameplay feature (as in adds a new dynamic or dimension to the game) since we've always had a turn based system. 3 i totally agree is a major new gameplay feature which will be fun as hell if it works properly. 4 again is a dubious claim that you'd really have to be pretty naive to believe until proven otherwise which is why i didn't count any of the purported AI changes. and i'm not sure what 5 is. anyway in my OP i mentioned points 1 and 3, i was more interested to know if i missed any new features. perhaps 5 is a new feature i have missed but i need more elaboration on what exactly "enhanced general effects" are?

A rally button...

Originally Posted by DoomBunny666

A rally button...

Sounds pretty enhanced

Originally Posted by KingIzzystero

Sounds pretty enhanced

All the way back from the days of RTW