Help for a beginner

Can anyone please offer me some help with the Italian Campaign. This is my first Total War game and I'm struggling to get started. The way I'm playing my computer is full of dead Frenchman.

Moved to Gameplay and Strategy Discussion.

Well, look through tutorials, the campaign tutorial in particular (if you haven't done that). It's a bit boring, but it gives you plenty of important info. Try to explore all the information scrolls. In order to sharpen your battlefield skills play a few custom battles (on low-medium budget; let PC choose your armies). This should give you a better chance in a campaign. After that start campaign again and see if you do any better. Play a few turns on easy. When you feel you got a good idea, start again on medium, for example, and try to see the campaign through.

Originally Posted by Copenhagen

The way I'm playing my computer is full of dead Frenchman.

and that's a bad thing?

Magister Equitum has some good advice there, one thing I would add is to watch the placements of your units ESPECIALLY your cannons, if you get units in front of each other you will suffer friendly fire casualties. Do a bit of practicing and pretty soon your computer will be littered with enemy dead instead of French

First, as said before, you should play all the tutorials and play a few custom battles with low funds (to get used to battle mechanics).
Then look here for a guide about first steps in Italy:
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=338151
Try to accomplish all missions, they are very helpful for your campaing.
Build roads and economic buildings before military and administrative buildings.
Be patient, this is a deep and complex game.

Thanks for pointing that up Atropos! (+ rep for getting there first)

Copenhagen, is there anything in particular not covered in the guide that you are having trouble with?

Here is another tip. In the first turn if Napoleon attacks the Austrians and defeats them you will get another mission to build a supply post and the reward will be a unit of troops when it is finished.

Then your second army can take the city. Save before the battle. If you can not seem to win just auto resolve. You should take it. Then you can build the supply post in the first turn. It will also allow you to besiege Genoa on the second turn and likely capture it.

If you are having serious difficulties restart the campaign on easy. The main effect will be to give you more money and it will be less likely that the other Italian States will go to war with you before you finish the campaign.

Wow first TW on NTW or ETW is bad i couldn't do that gl2u the advice they have given is pretty much spot on

Click on the link below to take you to my Youtube site where I have multiple commentary videos. I explain what I'm doing and why I'm doing it during the battle phase so there may be some things you can learn. Other than that become a regular on these forums and there's plenty of great people that can help you along.

Good luck!

http://www.youtube.com/twbattles

Thanks Fellers, starting to get the hang of it.