Napoleon total war increase moves. Overview of the game Napoleon Total War. Factories - are they needed?

In the previous article, we analyzed the battles of Napoleon, but now it's time to put our military talents aside and switch to government. Grand strategy, this older sister tactical combat, throughout the existence of the series total war remained in his shadow. Despite the fact that the possibilities were expanding, the silicon enemy was getting smarter, and the graphics were getting prettier, all development ultimately boiled down to one thing - to survive until the next large-scale battle and recoup for hours of armies moving around the map. But what will change if we put instead of artificial intelligence live player?

In online battles, few players turn off the auto calculation of the battle. And they can be understood: one campaign eats away a decent piece of life, and even the smallest battle lasts no less than five minutes. Put your tactical genius aside. Machiavelli is our man.

I will not delve into the basics of management, they have not changed since Empire. Let me just say that the levels of popular unrest from the previous part have weakened and you can no longer be afraid of huge rebel armies, and in the provinces you can now build less, but this is good - land development has never been ETW's strong point.

On a note: the developers obviously messed around with the cabinet of ministers of all states. For many games, I never saw in them a single person with two control stars - that is, from the very beginning of the game, the entire vertical of power works as it should. And rightly so - there is nothing for us to rummage through the lists of officials. Only Austria flaunts an incompetent king.

Province specializations

Each batch begins with a convulsive inspection of the good issued by the developers. So, there seems to be a king ... and ministers too. Here are the farms, here we will make an agricultural paradise. Yeah, the factory - guns will be built here. It is very important from the very beginning to highlight what our lands are rich in, because it is on this information that we will later build our entire strategy. Conventionally, the buildings can be divided into three parts.

Agricultural. Everything is clear here - many, many farms. These lands will be our “resorts” for very shabby troops: agrarian affairs give a small but necessary plus to the speed of army replenishment in the region. In addition, they are usually located in the deep rear (as in Prussia), where the enemy cannot reach them. Also good money. Agriculture is very cheap compared to other types of buildings and pays off quickly - this gives us the ground for an effective "Khrushchev-style" tactic, the essence of which is to grow corn at an accelerated pace at first. But, alas, in late game the benefits of farming are not so noticeable, so you are very lucky if there is anything else in the lands with farms - for example, stables or logging. The former make cavalry cheaper; the second gives money and a discount on the construction of buildings, which makes the forest a welcome guest near big cities. Alas, you will have very few of both - somewhere around three or four buildings throughout the country. What a shame, the pluses are rather big. With a little stretch, vineyards can also be attributed to this group. A few words: there are few of them, but they slightly strengthen the financial condition and greatly improve the attitude of the people towards the royal person (well, yes - there are no bad kings, there is little good booze!). Build only with extra money, which has absolutely nowhere to go.
Industrial. These are mines, manufactories and workshops. If such buildings are in abundance in the country, then after the development of agriculture and the receipt of proper dividends, we quickly switch to this area in order to prepare a springboard for war. Alas, most of these buildings have a small drawback - uneducated people, seeing huge clouds of smoke over the fields, begin to worry. But this can not be taken into account - "-1" to the people's moods will not change anything.

But the benefits and money from such facilities change everything. If you do not switch from farms to manufactories in time, you are already a loser. And not only because of the huge dividends, but also because many buildings give excellent properties to their hands: for example, they reduce the cost of producing certain troops, such as infantry (gunsmith workshop) or artillery. It is necessary to make a choice between such structures (in one place, of course, you cannot build everything with manufactories), and it must be made depending on the direction of expansion and the location of the land. Infantry and cavalry will reach the battlefield quickly (that is, in the rear provinces we are building gunsmith workshops and stables), but artillery is dragged there slowly and with a sad creak of wheels.

Alas, the live player also knows about their usefulness, and if you build all the military buildings on the border, he will have the opportunity to destroy your entire industry. Therefore, somewhere a couple of "cheap" for slow troops is also needed in the rear - just in case.

Finally, mines are very expensive, and for further development they require a very serious kick in technology. But later, they will make your wallet so heavy that spending on them will seem like baby talk. From the very beginning, they can be skipped, but after the farms - by no means!

Cash. These are markets, supply points and their derivatives. You will not have such buildings for the whole region. Usually they are evenly distributed over all lands. And there are few of them: rich Prussia has no more than five of them at the beginning of the game. And either the market or the supply. The former greatly spur the economy, while the latter speed up the replenishment of troops in the region.

Where to build them? In the rear, the influx of troops will provide us with farms, that is, markets will go there. The supply is very useful in the occupied territories, from which it is very convenient to continue to expand the state. For example, for the same Prussia, this is the Hannover-Kassel region.

Another important point is the cost. It is clear that the markets quickly pay off, but in the early game the game is not worth the candle. Since industrial development also gives us capital, and even reduces the cost of troops, entrepreneurs fade into the background. Buildings for them are worth building, but after the state expands significantly, accumulates troops and the economy will need a big and powerful kick.

economic progress

By unknown reasons all states that can be controlled are in deep crisis at the beginning of the campaign. Let's take a look at Austria - well, what can you do with a measly 700 coins per turn? Unfortunately, Barack Obama is not in the game to borrow money from the United States, so we manage on our own. And, as already noted, these forces are agrarian, with their "corn" tactics, which we will then turn into a uniform development according to the precepts of capitalism. The money for the first two moves is entirely spent on virgin lands and timid industrial advances. We are also researching the first economic technologies - these are "Class economic theory" and "Population census". And do not forget to build magistrates and courtrooms, the tax system will thank you later.

The second kick to the economy is trade. If we have the opportunity to exchange goods with someone, but there is no agreement by default, immediately conclude it. The computer is usually happy with them. Another thing is a live player, but there is no reason to refuse him, despite the fact that you will soon become mortal enemies - everyone needs money.

With the development of technology, we will have a choice - already now to spend money on expensive improved versions of standard buildings or build their initial versions in undeveloped provinces. The answer is simple: if you can build more modern options in large quantities, do it. They will greatly strengthen your position and provide funds for the army. If there are only one or two of them, we continue to develop the country evenly.

After a few turns, you should already have a tax situation and raised agriculture. We are starting to take the first steps towards industrialization according to the plan “five moves in three!”. And while doing this, we look at the military advisers: if they report that soon you cannot do without a war, or at the beginning of the game you are already at war, like Austria and France, the money you earn goes to manufactories, gunsmith shops and the like. Otherwise, you can hit the entry-level mines. Right now they will not pay for themselves, but with the receipt of the “Steam Engine” technology, it will be possible to improve them - and then the money will flow like water. Especially in this regard, the inhabitants of Central Europe were lucky: there is a lot of gold concentrated in several neighboring provinces.

If everything goes right and there is enough money for the army and conquest, a little later the economy should start to fall. This is normal, and moreover, it means that our tactic of even development is going well. You can easily cope with this with the help of smart construction of markets and trading houses. In the future, the captured cities will become the main source of money. By the way, I do not advise you to release them - you do not need to reduce the amount of money entering the treasury with your own hands. In addition, the levels of popular unrest after the occupation of the city are now not as high as in Empire, and you can start taxing the population immediately while your army is resting there. Robbery is not only inhumane, but also unprofitable. We get little money, the city is in ruins, and after a couple of moves a very, very angry rebel army appears near the city. And not the fact that the auto-calculation will take your side.

Factories - are they needed?

located at the edges of the map. I do not argue, they are. And since the days of Empire are very useful. But this is where the scale of the game comes into play.

Remember the world of ETW? Three huge maps, where, under any conditions of victory, it was necessary to capture a lot of provinces. In Napoleon, the requirements for the player are much more modest. In campaigns with a computer, you need to capture either half a map or certain lands. In battles with a live player, it's even easier - we take his capital, keeping our own, and it's done. That is, a dozen armies of twenty detachments, as the "Empire" demanded, we now do not need. And since it is not needed, then the economy does not need to give us eighteen thousand a year.

The scale plays a cruel joke with trading posts. Why spend money on extra fleets, merchant ships and then fiercely fight the guards of trade routes if their increase in money is not particularly necessary? The captured cities pay regularly, the mines work without interruption, the markets are also not empty - and there is enough money from them. Trading posts are especially useless for the inhabitants of Central Europe: they will have to develop maritime technologies for a long time and fight for ports. Why, if we have many, many gold mines right next to us? Yes, Great Britain and France can try their hand at seizing trade routes. But for everyone else, the benefits will not justify the costs.

Ode to autocalculation

Without knowing it, CA in Napoleon made a terrible weapon that kills hundreds of soldiers publicly available. And there is no getting away from it: anyone who has ever played a campaign against a live player has probably come across this terrible product of English thought. Want to know what it is? His name is auto-calculation of battles.

Oh, this is a killer cleaner than howitzers! With his stupidity, he will "mow down" your soldiers without doubt or pity. And you know what? He has to be reconciled with. Few masochists disable this electronic idiot in their campaigns.

Therefore, take your Suvorov back. He won't help. There is only one way to win the battle: to pass the enemy strategically and numerically so that the stupid (and this is putting it mildly) computer manages to somehow win.

And all this is a shame, given that the battles will now be much more frequent and large-scale. On the high levels the complexity of the small states in Europe and strive to chop off a piece from us. In addition, almost every country (Great Britain is sad) at the start of the game has troops with which you can capture a couple of provinces from the very beginning without any upgrades.

That is exactly what needs to be done. And we will use the tactics of "who managed to eat it" - that is, we will begin to push countries into one province. If we let them recruit troops, they will eat us. Alas, I will not say that the battles will be simple: you will lose a lot of soldiers, and nothing can be done about it. But the loot is worth it. First, there will be no threat to the growing state. Secondly, cities are usually very well developed on the occupied lands - which means many thousands to our treasury. And thirdly, it is usually convenient to continue further conquests from them. Especially Prussia: expanding slightly to the west at the expense of such powers (this is not too difficult if the command of the army is crown prince), she can pincer Austria on both sides and at the same time get her hands on a convenient front for defense against France, and a very rich one at that. England was unlucky, but they generally have the best infantry in the game there. It's wrong to complain. Austria will have to deal with the French lands and armies in the south and west of the country first - but this is not too difficult. Besides, perhaps the Russians will help. For me it was Kutuzov, who was great at chasing the French with a towel in the Innsbruck area.

Spies have become remarkably effective. As a result, a simple tactic codenamed "live and let die" works very well. Our bonds have two completely deadly (in the truest sense of the word) functions: an attempt on the general and sabotage of the army. This is one of your strongest tools in victory. Before each more or less important fight, always take out your hitmen and let them do their dirty work.

Withdrawing enemy troops from the city before the siege into the wilds (where they will perish) and cutting the commanders helps a lot. And it is vital to use agents against a living player. Alas, the opponent also knows this, so keep at least a third of the spies in your country for counterintelligence. And those who are abroad, let's have time to get used to the city and create our own spy network: efficiency immediately increases.

On a note: in addition, in favor of the scouts, the fact that they have a lower chance of getting caught than in Empire, and experience is gained much faster. In addition, new ones appear quite often.

Agents suggest: we do not need an honest war with a person, where two armies of equal strength go “wall to wall”. Before the start of active hostilities, we use all the tools of the sovereign: diplomacy and the fleet (we cut off trade routes for him), spies (we cut generals and sabotage armies), psychological pressure (nothing stimulates brain activity like an enemy detachment on a line that has nothing to protect ). The latter method sometimes works worse than the other two.

Keep in mind that at the same time he is doing the same, so we train counterintelligence, strengthen relations with neighbors and see where he attacks and where he bluffs. After losing on the strategic field, there will most likely be no opportunity to win back in tactics: the automatic calculation, indifferent to pleas, will judge everything for you. And sometimes the results of a battle can be, to put it mildly... startling. In both senses.

After the capture of small countries, it is time to think about a big war. We begin to fulfill the plan "hand over the old soldier to us - and get a new one!". That is, we are gradually changing the initial composition of the armies to a stronger one (light infantry is swept out immediately, and standard artillery is replaced by more lethal models). Start slowly building up the cities with barracks and drill schools, and in terms of technology, go to the elite infantry and missiles. If there are incompetent generals (like the three-star Prussian Blucher), we put the best in their place. Do not spare money! Auto-calculation turns the proverb "the miser pays twice" into "the miser loses twice." And we don't need it at all.

On a note: if, when capturing land, a path opens up to the main city of the enemy in the future, it must be taken, even if it is poor and belongs to a computer ally.

This is where another blank called “I take everything, wrap it up, please” comes into play. We limit the enemy's conquests as much as possible (that is, we capture those provinces that he needs for further expansion) and gain experience for our troops. In addition, if you're playing as Prussia or Austria, you need a line of defense against France. For example, having captured Hannover for the first, you can move both northwest and south. But the south is a long strip of land with rich cities and good fortresses. Northerners will wait. The Austrians, on the other hand, can, from the first moves, hit the teeth of the attacking units of France in such a way that the frontier French lands and Italy will become the line of defense.

We also need at least one incomplete army in the intended direction of the enemy’s attack, just in case. At the same time, it would be nice to have fast horse artillery in this corps so that the counterattack would not be slow and sad.

It's great to hire a couple of "flying units" of cavalry to unnerve the enemy with constant and elusive raids on his farms. Let him get angry, lose focus and make mistakes. Gradually stop the war for rich lands on the periphery and drive experienced units to the front with a new enemy.

On a note: diplomacy can be used for the same purpose. If it is clear that the war is not profitable for the opponent now, simply fence off his provinces from the necessary lands with a barrier from the allied powers. This is a dangerous (countries may then attack you), but an effective technique.

Finally, if you already have a lot of money, start buying allies for yourself. Even if they will not directly participate in the war (and they most likely will), the message that another country is at war against you is very annoying and makes you tense. And that's all we need.

You can, in principle, ask the question - why did we expand and fight with the computer at the beginning of the game, if we could immediately fight with a person?

Firstly, the zerg rush tactic does not justify itself. I have already said that each country at the start of the game has a combat-ready army. And if not - an advantage in geographical location (we look at the UK and France) or rich lands. In other words, until you reach the opponent, he will put together a powerful army and scatter your tired soldiers. Secondly, we were gaining experience for the soldiers, and for this, a computer dummy is ideal. And thirdly, we raised the economy and developed the industry - that is, the enemy, whom we tried to pinch in our lands throughout the game, is already a loser.

Let's start with global things. So, our main task is not to get involved in every battle, trying to keep the enemy on his territory. This also needs to be done, but in moderation. Until the endgame, the most important thing is to keep as many line infantry and artillery as possible from the start of the game and replace them as little as possible. And the point here is not only in experience, but also in the fact that replenishment after the battle usually flies a pretty penny.

And here all means are good. Alas, auto-calculation will ruthlessly kill your soldiers with its stupidity, but there's nothing to be done about it. Nevertheless, at least we can provide him with the conditions in which this very stupidity will not hit our wallet so painfully. Namely:

We use "claws" as often as possible. That is, we clamp a large army of the enemy on both sides with our two. The computer is very bad at managing control if your reinforcements come not from the flank, but from the rear.
Bringing artillery only in extreme cases. These are battles with a live player and especially powerful armies of the computer. The reason is simple: auto-calculation does not know how to handle cannons and in every battle, even in those where it is impossible to lose them in principle, it manages to “kill” several gunners.
The stronger the team, the better. That is, light infantry is removed from battles almost immediately. Grenadiers help (very healthy guys), heavy cavalry, elite infantry. You can forget about the formation of an army with a cunning tactical bias. A corps of medium but strong soldiers will be more efficient and more likely to survive until the end of the game.
If the armies are even, fights are best avoided.. Battles of the same armies are Russian roulette, and usually not in our favor. See how you didn't overpower the enemy strategically? Better back off.

But (very rarely) there are masochists who turn off auto-calculation. Here you can (and should) turn around. But the end does not change, only the means change:

Use ambushes as often as possible. The computer rival on them is conducted in such a way that it is a pleasure to watch. Often my riflemen, numbering forty people, carried grenadiers out of the forest, of which there were one and a half times more. In a battle against a live opponent, ambushes buy us time (the enemy is very careful when he sees a dozen units on the battle screen, and only five in the battle). Even the most obvious ambush can be useful: the opponent cannot ignore it, and this makes his actions predictable.
Take out the artillery. In any battle, she would be his number one target. Place defenders, choose your position wisely and don't forget about the most useful button - "Retreat".
Draw the enemy out of his position. Fortunately, the maps in the campaign are different from those in simple battles. There are more hills on them, and almost always you will have the opportunity to take one of them. Further - the matter of artillery: seeing how your cores "mow down" his ranks, and your artillerymen smear on the hill, any enemy will move the troops forward.
be careful. I myself have more than once lost several dozen guys just because I lost sight of how a foreign detachment returned from flight to the battlefield. If you did not kill more than a third of the detachment, and he ran, the soldiers will definitely return. And during subsequent maneuvers (for example, surrounding the remaining alien units), this should be taken into account.

I hope these tactics will help you win online battles and become the master of Europe. Good game!

Published in the magazine "Best Computer Games" №7 (104) July 2010
Material author: Alexander Krelin

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First of all, we can say that Napoleon: Total War gives the impression of a very thoughtful and well-balanced game. If it were not for the modest scale of the game and the modest significance of the decisions that can be made during the campaign, then we can safely say that this Best game in the Total War series.
AT this moment there are far fewer questions about Napoleon: Total War than at the time for Empire: Total War, since the game is similar to Empire in most aspects. If you didn't find the answers to your questions in this guide, then read the ETW walkthrough guide.
We divide our guide into the following sections:

I: Cities and buildings on the strategic map
II: Regional Capitals
III: Agents
IV: Government, types of political system, revolutions
V: Diplomacy
VI: Trade
VII: Technology Research
VIII: Army and Navy

Cities and buildings on the strategic map

Many changes have taken place with the cities on the strategic map. There are now three types of cities in the game: science centers, industrial centers and shopping centers. Each city has two types of buildings that can be built on the same slot, but you can only build one building, so you have to choose. There are other places on the map where you can build other buildings.
On the strategic map you will find pastures, farms, logging and mines. In such places, you can build only one type of buildings.
There are no "poor" and "rich" cities in the game anymore. All settlements have equal productivity. The welfare of the region is determined by summing up the indicators of ports, mines and other small settlements.

Science centers

In science centers, you can build a college or a club.
(gallery)napoleon/rukov/1(/gallery)
Colleges study new technologies and hire nobles. Clubs increase the satisfaction of the population and allow you to hire new spies. This whole mechanism works the same way as in Empire:Total War.

industrial centers

In industrial centers, you can build a factory or a weapons shop.
(gallery)napoleon/rukov/2(/gallery)
The factory reduces the cost of artillery and also increases the wealth of the region. Arms shop reduces the price of hiring infantry. At first glance, weapon shops may seem useless, but more advanced types of these buildings can be very useful, especially if you decide to make the city a training center for troops. This can save you a lot of money.

Shopping centers

In shopping centers, you can build either a market or a supply point.
(gallery)napoleon/rukov/3(/gallery)
Markets are quite promising structures. They will add prosperity to the region and increase the growth of the wealth of the population. Higher levels of these buildings (trading houses and banks) are very efficient and will boost your economy.
The supply post and its more complex variations do only one thing - speed up the replenishment of your army. Such points are best built on the front line, where you may need replenishment at any time.
I don't find supply points particularly useful. You must upgrade the item to the second or third level to get any visible effect. In their place, I often built trading houses, which greatly accelerated the growth of the economy. It makes sense to build supply points in surrounded and isolated areas that are far from your main territories and are constantly under attack.

Pastures, farms, logging and mines

These settlements differ from cities in that only one building can be built there.(gallery)napoleon/rukov/4(/gallery)

Pastures reduce the cost of cavalry and improve the welfare of the region, as well as speed up the replenishment of armies.(gallery)napoleon/rukov/5(/gallery)
Logging reduces the cost of building ships and buildings, increases the wealth of the region. The first level of this building gives a 10% discount, the second - 12%, and the third - 15%. This makes logging very useful, especially in places where you have to build a lot, such as in your capital. Some buildings can cost more than 10k gold, and a 10-15% discount won't hurt anyone. I noticed that my logging in France during the campaign saved me over 20k gold.
There are two types of mines in the game: mining for metal or gold. The mine that extracts iron ore, will increase the welfare of the region and reduce the price of infantry. The gold mines will increase and increase the growth rate of the wealth of the region.

Regional capitals in NTW

Region capitals are large cities that you capture in order to take control of all the relevant territory.
Regional capitals can have from 1 to 6 building slots. If the city has less than 6 slots, then you are given the choice of which building to build. You can choose a government building that increases the flow of taxes and repression, or a barracks where troops will be trained. You can also build an artillery factory that will make guns, or a theater that will increase happiness in the region. All these buildings allow you to hire a militia that will protect the city. Also in most cities there is a slot for building a bastion fortification.

Information about the capital looks the same as in Empire TW.(gallery)napoleon/rukov/6(/gallery)
This screen displays all possible information about the settlement.
The screen of satisfaction of the population is made very clearly. It displays information about the mood of the population in the region and all the factors influencing them.
The item on the welfare of the population shows the general state of affairs and all the factors influencing these figures. You will be able to understand why the level of taxes is this and not another. The wealth of the region changes every turn. It is necessary to keep this growth in a positive value, otherwise you will lose money.
The point about population is pretty useless. You can't convert people to another religion due to the rather short game time. In Napoleon TW, new cities do not appear with population growth, so population growth statistics are a rather useless thing.

Agents at Napoleon TW

There are two types of agents in N:TW: spies and nobles. There are no priests in the game, because The game covers a fairly small time period.
Spies can be used in different ways. They have enough good review and they can be used to explore enemy lands. They can also be used to kill player characters (generals, nobles and other spies). Spies can blow up enemy buildings and infiltrate cities. If you have successfully infiltrated the city, you will be able to see all the actions performed by the other player or AI.
A spy located in the city will begin to install a spy network. After five turns, the network will be completed and you will be able to see everything that is happening in the whole region. Spies can also sabotage enemy armies. An army sabotaged will not be able to maneuver during the next turn. Such an ability can be very useful, for example, to delay the advancing enemy army while you prepare for defense.
Nobles perform the same functions as in E:TW. They can learn technology, steal enemy achievements, and fight duels. If you put a noble in your college, he can speed up the process of learning technologies. If you place your scientist in an enemy educational institution, he will attempt to steal some technology. Your agent can also duel enemy agents. The weapon for the duel is chosen by the one called for the duel.

Governments, polity and revolution

Governments and revolutions work and take place just like in Empire.(gallery)napoleon/rukov/7(/gallery)
This screen is identical to that of the E:TW and contains the same information.

Types of state system

There are three state systems available in the game. These are the Absolute Monarchy, the Constitutional Monarchy and the Republic. The only difference with E:TW is that the elections are less frequent. France has its own unique state system - the Empire. This system implies a Constitutional Monarchy, but the cabinet is set up like an Absolute Monarchy and at the same time gives you bonuses available only for the Republican system (happiness, etc.).

revolutions

Revolutions happen and work just like in E:TW. If you want to move from an Absolute Monarchy to a Constitutional Monarchy, you must first bring your country to the Republican system. This is done for the emergence of the middle class in the state. Only then, having made another revolution, you will be able to establish a new political system.
The army of revolutionaries is now much larger. This means that if you have a small army and support the existing government, then you will most likely lose.
If you withdraw your army from the city and take the side of the rebels, then most likely you will win.
If you decide to switch to the Republican system, be prepared for the fact that your diplomatic relations with all Monarchic powers will deteriorate by -100 points. But at the same time, your relations with all republics will improve by +70 points. But you need to take into account the fact that the only republic in the game is the Batavian Republic (or the Netherlands) and the benefit from this is small.
Note that when playing as France in the European campaign, you will not be able to change the political system. Napoleon Bonaparte cannot be replaced.

Diplomacy Napoleon Total War

The game has three new innovations. Now you can ask other powers to cancel trade agreements, break the alliance and join the war.
(gallery)napoleon/rukov/8(/gallery)
In addition, diplomacy has not changed.
Here are some useful numbers:
A small gift to another nation will improve your relations by 5 points, a medium gift by 12, and a large gift by 28. A manually selected amount of money, regardless of size, will improve your relations with another nation by 1 point. You can donate one coin a hundred times, and then the relationship will improve by 100 points.
All forms of diplomatic relations deteriorate or improve by 1 point per turn.
Deterioration or improvement is indicated by a "-" or "+" sign on the diplomatic screen.

Trade

The trading system works the same as in E:TW. The only difference is in the goods sold. Resources can now be found everywhere on the campaign map. There are no plantations in the game. There are no special trading areas in the game anymore. Factories are scattered around the corners of the campaign map. In the northwest corner of the map you will find fur, tobacco and cotton. East of Ireland you will find another source of fur. In the southwest corner you will find sugar, tea and ivory. Along the North African coast, to the east and near the Turkish coast, you will come across coffee, ivory and spices. Near the eastern coast of the Black Sea, you can get hold of fur. Other than that, everything remains the same. You only need to place a merchant ship in a trading post to start collecting resources. How more ships you send to the trading post, the more resources you will receive. Tooltips have become much more informative. Just hover over the trading post and you will be told everything you wanted to know.(gallery)napoleon/rukov/9(/gallery)
You will also be able to see how much you earn by plundering the enemy trade route.
This will be shown in the tooltip.

Exploring technology in Napoleon Total War

The process of researching technologies and stealing them is completely identical to that in E:TW.
(gallery)napoleon/rukov/10(/gallery)
The tech tree is divided into three parts. The first tree is social technologies, the second is military, and the third is industrial.
It is worth noting that learning technologies has become slower compared to E:TW.
I would suggest that you have multiple colleges focused on each tree.
Be prepared for a long wait before you can learn new technology.
New technologies will make it possible to build ships and battleships, which will make naval battles more varied, and, in my opinion, more fun.

Army and Navy of Napoleon

The armies on the campaign map have undergone two significant changes. There was a replenishment and depletion of the army.
Another change concerns the transportation of the army on ships. If you decide to land or land an army from a ship / on a ship, then the troops and fleet will lose the ability to move and will stand motionless until the next turn. If you land or land an army from/to a ship in a port, your fleet will be able to move, while the army will still lose the ability to move and will wait for the turn to expire. Disembarking and embarking agents from/to a ship will not affect movement in any way.
Other interesting thing is that now each main faction has its own main general (for example, Napoleon, Arthur Wellesley, etc.). These people will not die until their faction itself is destroyed. If you kill the general in battle or with the help of an agent, then he will be restored in the capital of his state after a few turns.

Replenishment

Now you cannot retrain a full stack on the other side of the world in a few turns, as was the case in E:TW. Instead, your units are replenished automatically. Your troops will replenish if they are in a city under your control or in a region controlled by you or your ally. Replenishment also occurs only if there is a general in your army. Armies on enemy territory will not be replenished.
(gallery)napoleon/rukov/11(/gallery)
As you can see in the picture, the number of people in the squad is displayed on the bar. The green part of the bar shows how many people are in the squad at the moment. The gray part of it indicates how many people the squad will replenish per turn. If the squad is complete, then the bar will be completely gray.
The speed of replenishment of units depends on some things. Firstly, the closer you are to the allied regions, the faster the replenishment will go. Areas located far from the capital and surrounded by enemy territory will replenish more slowly. Replenishment also depends on the possibility of hiring a particular type of unit in a particular region. For example, if it is impossible to hire a large number of grenadiers in a city, then the recruitment rate will be several times slower. Replenishment also depends on the abilities of the general and on the availability of farms and supply points in the area.
Note that the cost of maintaining squads will be the same, regardless of the number of people in a particular squad. In other words, one person in the squad will cost you the same amount of gold as a full squad. I think this was done in order to recoup the cost of replenishing the army.

exhaustion

For the first time in a Total War game, attrition is present! Squads will take casualties as they advance through hot and cold places such as deserts and mountain passes. In other words, do not go to war against Russia in winter!

An army suffering from attrition will have a special flag. If the soldiers are freezing, then the flag will be blue, if your people are suffering from the heat, then the flag will be red. Units suffering from attrition cannot be replenished.
(gallery)napoleon/rukov/12(/gallery)
To avoid depleting your army, avoid very hot and cold places, or try to get your armies into cities. You can advance through the territory of Russia, capturing one city after another, moving from one settlement to another.
Attrition will affect units only after the end of the turn, so moving through the desert lands will not be a big problem. But don't forget to withdraw your army from such lands by the end of the turn, otherwise your people will die.

Squad experience

After each battle, your squads will gain experience, which is displayed as row tabs with a squad icon. Units earn experience by killing enemies. The more enemies a squad kills, the more experience it will gain. Your units will lose experience after replenishment, because. valiant veterans who fell in battle will be replaced by "green" recruits. The star next to the squad icon is equivalent to four badges.(gallery)napoleon/rukov/13(/gallery)
Earning a badge, the squad will receive the following bonuses:

2 to precision
+2 Reload Speed
+1 to melee attack
+1 to melee defense

Also, the unit will receive +1 morale for each even-numbered badge.

Hiring generals and admirals

Now the way to hire generals and admirals is completely different. By clicking on the "Recruit Admiral / General" button, you will see the following window:
(gallery)napoleon/rukov/14(/gallery)
Here you can select the right person and view all his features and useful abilities. At the same time, only four generals can be in your army.
With the study of new technologies and the construction of new military facilities, the number of generals that we can hire at the same time will increase.

Capturing regions

When will you take enemy city, you will see the following screen:
(gallery)napoleon/rukov/15(/gallery)
Now you can occupy, plunder or liberate the city. A new state will appear in the liberated city, which will be your protectorate. Also, with the liberation of the city, you will receive two or three units. Usually, this is the militia and a couple of units of line infantry, although sometimes you can get cavalry as well.
Although, sometimes you can get a general with a small army.

As mentioned above, most of the functionality in Napoleon Total War is identical to that in Empire Total war. In the future, this article will be substantially supplemented. If you think that I missed any important points, then feel free to leave comments on the site or on our forum.

The battle is not won by the one who gave good advice, but the one who took responsibility for its implementation and ordered it to be executed.

Napoleon Bonaparte

The story goes: it's better not to expect anything good from "nominal" additions to the Total War series. After "Alexander" and the sluggish promises of the developers about the "Napoleon", there were few hopes for a fresh incarnation of the adventures of the great Frenchman. But it was not for nothing that the Corsican said that reality makes adjustments to any plan. With a generous gesture of the sower, CA has placed new units in our hands, new balance and new cards. We will talk about all this.

Games with balance How to manage a "brothel on the road"? Cards

Games with balance

Impossibility is a word from the dictionary of fools.

Napoleon Bonaparte

I bet Napoleon had no idea that in the far future he would be the savior of the Total War series. Wizards from Creative Assembly did the seemingly impossible - they breathed into the lifeless combat system Empire a bright spark, combining with it the principle of "rock-paper-scissors" and shifting the balance. Remember the “squad approached-fired-volleyed-reloaded-fired-reloaded” style of ETW battles, while we only sluggishly transferred squads and controlled the cavalry? Forget them like a bad dream. Napoleon finally fixed the flaw that made the previous game feel like we weren't in control of the battle at all. Let's briefly go over the main provisions of the new military regulations.

Artillery is everything. The guns came close to the title of "god of war", almost throwing off the infantry from the pedestal. If in Empire they were only a pleasant and occasionally useful appendage to the army (especially, I remind you, howitzers distinguished themselves), then in Napoleon this is almost the cornerstone of the entire composition.

Grenadiers are the perfect defense. In Empire, these guys were quite useful - after all, the ability to eliminate almost a third of the enemy squad with one salvo was worth a lot. Now they have been made stronger and more lethal - as a result, the grenadiers will be able to protect a strategically important hill well or cover artillery from the side if you inadvertently put it in the wrong place. And when you need to arrange a protracted shootout on the front, they are right there. In addition, they are very good as fighters on the flanks.

The cavalry got stronger. Not only have the characteristics of the "six-legged" troops been improved, but also the infantry has become more susceptible to flank and rear strikes. In addition, it is now necessary to "plug" enemy artillery quickly and with a minimum of losses, for which cavalry is ideal. In addition, they strengthened the firearms cavalry, and it can be successfully combined with hand-to-hand combat: first you scare your opponent with some dragoons (his infantry immediately stands in a square), and then quickly withdraw your chassisers, knocking out a dozen people in a volley.

The shooters were weakened. Remember, in Empire, every battle started with a long "exchange of pleasantries" between long-range shooters? Now everything is about the same, but the characteristics and morale of these guys are reduced. The infantry should be brought to the place of the shooters much earlier, and with the skirmishers themselves - "lisping", sending the beaten detachments away from the enemy artillery in time. It often makes sense to push forward the line infantry at once, because the friendly fire of the troops now also does not shine with lethality.

By the way, about the guns: despite the fact that the arrows are usually dispersed, artillery for them is just as lethal as for the rest. Especially howitzers - fragments of shells "mow down" skirmishers in huge quantities.

Generals are strong. If in Empire they were a nice add-on, slightly increasing the characteristics of soldiers, then in Napoleon commanders are very important. If an alien core has ever killed your general, you have probably seen how the morale of the troops begins to go to zero along the entire front line. Yes, and the pluses to the abilities of the soldiers were strengthened.

Another change in the commander's camp - now you can choose your own general. In Empire, I remember, the only available general squad was the most basic, with terrifying parameters. Now each power has a set of historical figures. Naturally, the stronger the general, the more expensive he is. Commanders who smash foreign troops to dust with just their appearance, like Napoleon or Wellington, will cost a pretty penny and seriously limit your budget for the army. You have to choose: a lot of soldiers with a lousy commander, or few, but with Napoleon. I’ll add on my own that the commander really works off his money and it’s usually worth sacrificing a couple of regiments for the sake of a brilliant commander.

Gentleman's War

Let's briefly go over the basics of the Napoleon lobby. Initially, everything may seem cumbersome, but this interface is easy to get used to. Above - two blocks with lists of players. Asterisks are their rating. True, since the days of Empire, the system for recording player achievements has been working very badly. For example, I scored my five stars (“it's good when you see three stars ... but even better - when five!”) Scored in an hour of lazy battles against the local Kutuzovs.

Below is a list of troops. Icons with disks can save a specific set; other buttons operate on the actual set of units and the distribution of experience. The latter is recruited not for beautiful eyes, but for jingling coins. With regard to pre-game communication, I want to remind you that if the name of the game does not indicate its rules, this does not mean that they are not there. Be sure, even with a carcass, even with a stuffed animal, find out what prohibitions are here so that you don’t appear as a bully and a sociopath in the game. By the way, about the rules: excessively large detachments, howitzers, rockets and, in general, any artillery can be banned. Alas, some commanders do not like immigrants from Russia - this will also have to be taken into account.

How to manage a "brothel on the road"?

Infantry

Anything can be done with bayonets; you just can't sit on them.

Napoleon Bonaparte

Successful enemy attack. He sees me, but I don't see him

"Is there no light?"

Let's start with the deployment of troops. After you decide where to put the guns (this should be done first of all so as not to embarrass yourself further), start building shooters and a little further behind them - all variations of line infantry. But there is no need to make a vinaigrette out of the army and put the elite next to the recruits. Grenadiers usually go to the flank to cover their less powerful comrades from there. I put the elite a little forward - it will take the initial blow and then be able to hold positions for a very long time. However, if it is inconvenient to fight on a united front, stronger units are withdrawn either back or to the flanks so that they have further operational space.

Mentally (and using the keys Ctrl + number) divide the units into several groups. I usually divide by three, but their number depends on the battlefield. Then the desired group will be called by simply pressing the number key.

It is important: once again, do not put the infantry in several ranks, unless the map is quite huge! The cores will knock down the ranks of your guys so cool, and you shouldn’t increase the losses yourself. This formation is especially bad against missiles and the like.

What happens next depends on the map: we either take up defense or go forward. In the first case, make sure that a minimum of nuclei reaches you - a small groove or mound can save here. Ideally, all enemy projectiles should bounce off the terrain and fly past. If sitting in one place disgusts you or the position is unsuccessful, you will have to get to the enemy for a long and painful time, and then you will know the full power of artillery! And when you finally get there, the soldiers will already be tired and barely fire a dozen volleys with shaking hands before running. As in Empire, the attacking side is in a losing position, and only a card can save you. To the credit of the developers, CA still made a couple of battlefields where you can safely reach the enemy and win the battle. But more on that later.

If you nevertheless got to the enemy and retained at least three-quarters of the composition, put your shooters and start knocking out strangers. At the same time, slowly move the elite forward with line infantry and make careful maneuvers on the flanks. As striking force you definitely won’t like the grenadiers, but they defend wonderfully, and under their cover you can already start playing tricks with the cavalry. The shooters at this time hit exactly the weakest units of the opponent - let the domino principle work against him.

Now let's look at the countries. I like Great Britain - a lot of good elite infantry and historical generals. Highlanders are perhaps the best troops in the game in terms of price-quality ratio. And in addition, one of the best guard units in the game. And if you add Wellington to them ... however, the price literally bites off your fingers. Moreover, the general strives to declare that, they say, a lost battle is better than a won one. More - only in France, but there is still more expensive. But the old guard (the one that dies but does not surrender) grinds foreign troops with the efficiency of a meat grinder.

When the article was written, there were already rumors about the upcoming addition, and, most likely, by the time you read these lines, it will already be released. They promise to strengthen Russia and weaken the British. If nothing happens to the plans of the developers, we will move on to the French troops in unison.

As for shooters, I recommend Denmark. According to subjective feelings, they are a little stronger than the rest - the developers clearly love the work of Kenneth Branagh. And the sight of how a detachment called the "Norwegian Ski Infantry" is fighting at the pyramids will prolong your life more than once!

Artillery

If General Bonaparte had remained a lieutenant of artillery, he would still be emperor.

Henri Monnier

The poor Austrians do not yet know that I am now staging
I rummage the "Matrix" with the forces of my French guard. In the role of the dying Neo - every tenth

Do you want to know the answer to the most important question about Life, the Universe and Everything Else? Look at the number of survivors

It seems that the developers took Napoleon's words too close to heart that he owes a lot to artillery, and endowed the guns with truly deadly characteristics. Now, a cannonball fired by someone by chance during a routine volley may well kill a general, which was impossible in Empire. But you also need to be able to manage such things skillfully. A considerable reserve for victory is still in the stage of deployment of troops. The formula is simple: the faster your artillery reaches an advantageous position and starts firing, the more soldiers you will send to the next world before the infantry fight. Often the relief sets the bandwagon: it seems that this mound will do, but as soon as you bring the guns and put them in a combat position, it turns out that a small bump that spoils all the raspberries blocks the shelling.

There is also a heavy legacy of Empire - failures. Sometimes the artillery gets stuck, doesn't listen to orders and strives to show character in every possible way. There is only one recipe: do not press the buttons madly. Carefully withdraw the detachment from an unfortunate position and place it on another one.

There are very good places near small forests, because you can hide a detachment of defenders there. Even if the enemy does not fall for such a trick, you will gain a lot of time.

On a note: try not to put two batteries together - this way they will cover a smaller area, and it is easy to destroy large clusters of guns. Volleys from both flanks will be more difficult for the enemy to track, and the troops, receiving cannonballs from the right, then from the left, will run faster.

Do you think the grenadiers will not withstand such an onslaught? How will they survive! Endure, I said!

An example of the guards blocking the crossing. The enemy is locked up, fighting on two fronts and will soon run

In battle, cannons have two important things to do: plug other people's guns and "mow down" infantry. If you reach the enemy artillery from the very beginning, and he barely pulls them up to the front line, you are very lucky. Much more often it will be that the batteries on both sides begin to fire at the same time, and this is where your talents in the arrangement come into play. If you manage to knock out at least a couple of other people's guns, then the chances of winning will increase dramatically. If you have the Barrage ability, turn it on right away. Speeding up reloading has never bothered anyone.

A few words about rocket troops and howitzers. The howitzers have been slightly weakened, and now they no longer supply Charon with new passengers in batches. On the other hand, the rocket troops shine with all the facets of their hundreds in the “range” and “accuracy” parameters, arranging such color music on the battlefield that any nightclub would be ashamed.

They knock out other people's guns not bad, but still the main goal of these guys is to "carry out" the infantry. Therefore, do not get carried away and recruit such units for yourself in batches: leave room for traditional artillery. In addition, in many games in the rules such things are completely prohibited.

On a note: If the name of the game does not say anything about the rules, this does not mean that they do not exist. First of all, after entering the game, after greetings, start actively harassing everyone about the bans, so that later on the battlefield you don’t look like a gentleman.

A brief look at the countries reveals surprising results: in terms of artillery, the winner is ... the Russians, because they have absolutely lethal "Unicorns". Spain is recognized as an outsider with standard artillery. The position of Portugal, the Netherlands and Denmark is slightly better. In most other countries, the list of guns is the same and differs only in a couple of unique "barrels".

Cavalry

The big battalions are always right.

Napoleon Bonaparte

Finally, the cavalry, like Jack Shepard from the TV series Lost, clarified its purpose. Previously, we sluggishly drove her across the field, sending them to pursue the fleeing and flank attacks. Now these units are almost essential, because otherwise you can’t shut up someone else’s artillery.

Light cavalry flies out of the army immediately - since the fights among the "six-legged" have become more frequent, we need a lot of heavy and lethal units. You don’t run much in hand-to-hand combat, so the thicker and stronger your troops, the better, mobility can be sacrificed. And if you win a medal for the best horses from foreign troops, a direct path to enemy guns immediately opens up.

An example of the horse archer trick. While my chassisers are distracting other infantry, I have taken the "six-legged" into the forest and am waiting for the results.

Another argument in favor of heavy and strong units: the more of them survive in battles with their own kind and artillery, the better. When the guns are finished, you can start licking your lips at the infantry from the rear. Even if you lose on this front, the remaining cavalry can finish off the remnants of someone else's morale. The attack parameters from the rear have increased, so there is a good chance.

Light cavalry is only suitable for hit-and-run tactics (which have not worked since the last part) and psychological pressure. They drove such a detachment behind enemy lines, and let him sit and nervously look back at him.

The general guards stand apart. For obvious reasons, we will not get two hundred of Napoleon's bodyguards in our hands - the set of all countries is standard, twelve people each. But what a dozen! My record is more than a minute of pure melee with dragoons in the forest without a single loss. The enemy, of course, also lost little, but it doesn’t matter, right? The only pity is that the abilities of the detachment do not work. Or rather, they are activated, but there is no effect, except for a meager increase in characteristics. However, it is difficult to feel the full importance of the general if you do not lose him. Morale is dropping like Heroes ratings. Therefore, it is best to place the general behind some kind of hill - there he will not be reached by a stray cannonball.

Not for the sake of livelihood, but purely because of scientific curiosity, I conducted an experiment with generals' detachments. On each side, the general was equal in ability, hand-to-hand was on a perfectly flat area. The results are surprising - out of several battles, my squad lost in all, although it often cut off the head of a foreign commander immediately after the start of the battle. It seems to me that something is unclean here, so don’t go fighting “commander against commander” once again.

Cards

I am either a fox or a lion. The whole secret of management is knowing when to be one or the other.

Napoleon Bonaparte

CA listened to the wild cries of the gaming community, who have been screaming at every corner for many months about the wild imbalance of maps in Empire. It should have been for a long time - people simply filled their rating by luring newcomers to certain cards, realizing that it was impossible to lose in principle.

Now the situation has changed. There was a danger that in a rush to balance everything at once, the developers would make a bunch of uninteresting symmetrical maps. Fortunately, this did not happen. There are, of course, those, but CA themselves claim that flat and symmetrical maps are needed only for tournaments and those who like to use their strategic genius without any restrictions. Alas, not without the signature British awkwardness: many maps repeat the same archetype with a hill and slight variations. But those that are not subject to such a disadvantage are incredibly good. Empire's legacy is forgotten, and I definitely won't miss it.

Let's start with "Peaks of Austria". Both players are in lowlands in front of a high hill. It would seem that whoever takes the mound first will win, but not everything is so simple.

"I will shoot these Russians from seven notes!"

"Apollo 13 has gone!"

Firstly, there is absolutely wild terrain everywhere. Bumps, logs, trees - everything is in abundance, and this is very bad news for artillery. Putting it in such a way that nothing interferes with the shooting is a task beyond fantasy. In addition, in such conditions, it will move very slowly, bending around all the unevenness of the landscape, and this will definitely affect the result.

Secondly, there is a forest growing on the hill itself and a little lower on each side. And this is very bad for someone who will climb the hill and stop there: most likely, ambushes will hit morale hard. In these thickets, once, in a few seconds, two detachments of shooters were completely carried out with the help of landing gear. And that's just the flowers.

The conclusion suggests itself: the hill is not the way out. Here to get over it and put pressure on the enemy with all your might is a completely different matter. There is also operational space. It is very important to keep an eye on other people's guns - if you manage to keep them in the lowlands, they will not be able to shoot normally, and your troops from the hill will smash the enemy to smithereens. True, this does not apply to howitzers and rockets, but they are generally in a different league than the rest of the artillery. The main thing is caution on the hill, and then it's in the bag.

Slightly different from her "Syrian Ridge". There the hill is not so high, but everything is in order with the relief. The whole party in this situation turns into the "king of the hill", except that you have to look behind the flanks - there the height begins to fall. If you missed the hill, do not despair - artillery works well from any point on the map, and you can get the enemy with infantry in those areas where the hill is coming to naught.

The same situation applies to "South Rocks", but to smoke out the enemy from the heights there is a difficult task. Get more fast units. like shooters.

All the same is happening on "Prussian Hills".

French version of the Washington snipers. I must say, damn effective.

Fortunately for my ally, the enemy has no artillery, otherwise the Spanish lake would turn red

"Lake in Spain" conditionally divided into two parts: a large plain with lakes and a narrow high hill. Two players usually fight on the plains while the rest fight on the hill. In this case, the second battle is much more important - even if your ally lost the battle below, and you managed to get your hands on an advantageous position, victory is yours.

The battle on the plains is a typical firefight in a united front. Unless there is not enough space, the infantry cannot be placed in long lines - and here the rank comes into play. And as we already know, the rank is a tidbit for artillery, which the "plain" commander should by no means ignore. The more guns the better. Pay close attention to the flanks - shelling from the hills can begin at any moment.

On the hill itself, everything is much more interesting. The key to victory is a sloping descent to the plain. Whoever manages to place his troops there and pinch the enemy in a narrow passage, he won. Pay attention to the fact that the advantages of different players are different: one has a closer key position, it is easier for the other to place the shooters closer to the descent and thereby seriously help his comrade on the plain. Take the bare minimum of artillery, there won't be enough room for it. But be sure to grab a couple of guns in case of the situation described just above.

"Hill in the Savoy" symmetrically divided in half: between the two plateaus opposite each other there is a small ravine. Each plateau on the left or right (depending on the player) opens onto a large hill.

This very hill is the key to victory. Whoever has time (and everyone has the same prospects) to transfer their troops there will surely win. But you should not climb as high as possible, our main task here is similar to the "Peaks of Austria": staying on the low part of the mound, defeat the enemy who remained in the lowland.

There is a great temptation to leave artillery on your plateau so that it can beat the enemy well from such a small distance. This is not worth doing: the ravine is crossed, otherwise going up and down the hill to protect the guns will look very stupid. Better to drag the guns upstairs and not worry about them than frantically rush about in case of any threat.

On the "Italian Meadows" in the middle and on the left flank of the map are low hills, next to each growing dense forest. It is impossible to occupy and hold both, so we take the first one (it is closer). Forest and ambushes are a very risky option, because you and your opponent are very close and it will be easy for him to track the movements of your troops. We fight in a standard way: we occupy an advantageous position, put up artillery and defend ourselves, in which case we go on a counterattack. By the way, here's another reason for you to take the middle hill: it's a little more convenient to chase other people's units from there.

AT "Siberian Plateau" there is also a hill in the middle, but this is not the case. In fact, it flattens out into a long plateau across the map, where the battle takes place. This is one of the symmetrical battlefields that I've already talked about, and they are used when the borders of the rest of the cards become unbearable.

Another such card is "Plain Meadows", where there is nothing like a hill. Just many kilometers of green plains.

On the "Settler's Plot" there is nothing remarkable, except for small mounds. The more you capture, the higher the chances of winning. If you miss a couple of mounds, at least try to place the artillery so that it is convenient for her to shoot at them.

It is important: very often the players using such cards are experienced commanders, able to incinerate an entire army with one glance. Be careful.

"Swampy Jungle" a more or less symmetrical map, where the winner is the one on whose side the maneuverability and strong defense troops. There is a lake in the center. To his right is a hillock overgrown with jungle, with a terrible relief, to the left - a hill a little lower, but more spacious. The task is to lure the enemy into maneuvers near the lake, and by ourselves circle him around the flanks and hit him from the jungle. I note that the first player has a little easier - there are several convenient positions for defense and the forest is closer. His rival can win only if he occupies both hills and has time to use at least part of the vegetation.

On the "Valley of Aosta" the same trick works: we lure the opponent onto an unfavorable route (the allegedly unprotected artillery works wonderfully in this matter), and we ourselves kill all their desire to fight with pinpoint strikes. True, there is little vegetation here, and maneuvers are limited to hills and rocks. Therefore, ambushes will have to be abandoned, and the place for their guns should be chosen especially carefully. Rocket troops are superbly good here - it's very nice to wake up and shy away at the accumulation of soldiers in a narrow passage! And then like Coppola: I love the smell of napalm...

The enemy fell for the trick with artillery, not noticing the old guard in the forest. Now I will take revenge on them for Waterloo!

An example of the location of "enticing" artillery. As you can see, I have already occupied the hill, so the enemy is obviously the loser.

And finally, the last card from the category of "outsmart him" - "Amazon Delta". It's not very popular, and we've known since Empire that unpopular cards are the best. So it is here: a complex system of several islands, each of which is connected to each other by very narrow passages. And narrow passages are terrible numbers in the final statistics in the “Killed by howitzers” column. Therefore, we do not climb on the crossings ahead of time, we are cunning to the last, let the enemy himself go swimming. Unfortunately, there are no crocodiles in the river, but if the opponent went to the crossing, and you caught him doing it, you can completely replace them. Naturally, in such conditions, shooters are very important - with their range of fire, they will easily lure line infantry into a disadvantageous position.

Finally, I want to say - glory to "Napoleon"! The game may not be as good as the cake of the same name, but it saved the mechanics from turtle disease and redrawn the dynamics, for which many thanks to her. Even after the release of the next game in the series, we will long remember those languid Italian sunsets and angry, eye-stinging smoke after a shot.

In the previous article, we analyzed the battles of Napoleon, but now it's time to put our military talents aside and switch to government. Global strategy, this older sister of tactical combat, has remained in his shadow throughout the existence of the Total War series. Despite the fact that the possibilities were expanding, the silicon enemy was getting smarter, and the graphics were getting prettier, all development ultimately boiled down to one thing - to survive until the next large-scale battle and recoup for hours of armies moving around the map. But what will change if we put a live player instead of artificial intelligence?

Province specialization
economic progress
Ode to autocalculation
military council
Alexander the Great is alive!

I will not delve into the basics of management, they have not changed since Empire. Let me just say that the levels of popular unrest from the previous part have weakened and you can no longer be afraid of huge rebel armies, and you can now build less in the provinces, but this is good - land development has never been ETW's strong point.

On a note: the developers obviously messed around with the cabinet of ministers of all states. For many games, I never saw in them a single person with two management stars - that is, from the very beginning of the game, the entire vertical of power works as it should. And rightly so - there is nothing for us to rummage through the lists of officials. Only Austria flaunts an incompetent king.

Province specializations

Each batch begins with a convulsive inspection of the good issued by the developers. So, there seems to be a king ... and ministers too. Here are the farms, here we will make an agricultural paradise. Yeah, the factory - cannons will be built here. It is very important from the very beginning to highlight what our lands are rich in, because it is on this information that we will later build our entire strategy. Conventionally, the buildings can be divided into three parts.

Agricultural. Everything is clear here - many, many farms. These lands will be our “resorts” for very shabby troops: agrarian affairs give a small but necessary plus to the speed of army replenishment in the region. In addition, they are usually located in the deep rear (as in Prussia), where the enemy cannot reach them. Also good money. Agriculture is very cheap compared to other types of buildings and pays for itself quickly - this gives us the ground for an effective "Khrushchev-style" tactic, the essence of which is to grow corn at an accelerated pace at first. But alas, in the late game, the benefits from farmers are not so noticeable, so you are very lucky if there is anything else in the lands with farms, such as stables or logging. The former make cavalry cheaper; the second gives money and a discount on the construction of buildings, which makes the forest a welcome guest near big cities. Alas, you will have very few of both - somewhere around three or four buildings throughout the country. What a shame, the pluses are rather big.

With a slight stretch, vineyards can also be attributed to this group. A few words: there are few of them, but they slightly strengthen the financial condition and greatly improve the attitude of the people towards the royal person (well, yes - there are no bad kings, there is little good drink!). Build only with extra money, which has absolutely nowhere to go.

Industrial. These are mines, manufactories and workshops. If such buildings are in abundance in the country, then after the development of agriculture and the receipt of proper dividends, we quickly switch to this area in order to prepare a springboard for war. Alas, most of these buildings have a small drawback - uneducated people, seeing huge clouds of smoke over the fields, begin to worry. But this can not be taken into account - "-1" to the people's mood will not change anything.

Triple your income in just a few moves! Here she is, the agricultural silushka!

Finally, the mines are very expensive, and for further development they require a very serious kick in technology. But later, they will make your wallet so heavy that spending on them will seem like baby talk. From the very beginning, they can be skipped, but after the farms - by no means!

Cash. These are markets, supply points and their derivatives. You will not have such buildings for the whole region. Usually they are evenly distributed over all lands. And there are few of them: rich Prussia has no more than five of them at the beginning of the game. And either the market or the supply. The former greatly spur the economy, while the latter speed up the replenishment of troops in the region.

economic progress

For unknown reasons, all states that can be controlled are in deep crisis at the beginning of the campaign. Let's take a look at Austria - well, what can you do with a measly 700 coins per turn? Unfortunately, Barack Obama is not in the game to borrow money from the United States, so we manage on our own. And, as already noted, these forces are agrarian, with their "corn" tactics, which we will then turn into a uniform development according to the precepts of capitalism. The money for the first two moves is entirely spent on virgin lands and timid industrial advances. The first technologies we also explore are economic ones - these are "Class economic theory" and "Population census". And do not forget to build magistrates and courtrooms, the tax system will thank you later.

Moscow is a typical example of a “neither fish nor fowl” province. It seems to be rich, but there is absolutely nothing to build.

With the development of technology, we will have a choice - now to spend money on expensive improved versions of standard buildings or build their initial versions in undeveloped provinces. The answer is simple: if you can build more modern options in large quantities, do it. They will greatly strengthen your position and provide funds for the army. If there are only one or two of them, we continue to develop the country evenly.

After a few turns, you should already have a tax situation and raised agriculture. We are starting to take the first steps towards industrialization according to the plan “five moves in three!”. And while doing this, we look at the military advisers: if they report that soon you cannot do without a war, or at the beginning of the game you are already at war, like Austria and France, the money you earn goes to manufactories, gunsmith shops and the like. Otherwise, you can hit the entry-level mines. Right now they won’t pay for themselves, but with the receipt of the Steam Engine technology, it will be possible to improve them - and then the money will flow like water. Especially in this regard, the inhabitants of Central Europe were lucky: there is a lot of gold concentrated in several neighboring provinces.

If everything goes right and there is enough money for the army and conquest, a little later the economy should start to fall. This is normal, and moreover, it means that our tactics of uniform development are going well. You can easily cope with this with the help of smart construction of markets and trading houses. In the future, the captured cities will become the main source of money. By the way, I do not advise you to release them - you do not need to reduce the amount of money entering the treasury with your own hands. In addition, the levels of popular unrest after the occupation of the city are now not as high as in Empire, and you can start taxing the population immediately while your army is resting there. Robbery is not only inhumane, but also unprofitable. We get little money, the city is in ruins, and after a couple of moves a very, very angry rebel army appears near the city. And not the fact that the auto-calculation will take your side.

Factories - are they needed?

The same Kutuzov. He still does not know that I accidentally sent a huge army of Italians in his path.

Here, from the back rows, they shout that to raise the economy there is also such a thing as trading posts located along the edges of the map. I do not argue, they are. And since the days of Empire are very useful. But this is where the scale of the game comes into play.

The scale plays a cruel joke with trading posts. Why spend money on extra fleets, merchant ships and then fiercely fight the guards of trade routes if their increase in money is not particularly necessary? The captured cities pay regularly, the mines work without interruptions, the markets are also not empty - and there is enough money from them. Trading posts are especially useless for the inhabitants of Central Europe: they will have to develop maritime technologies for a long time and fight for ports. Why, if we have many, many gold mines right next to us? Yes, Great Britain and France can try their hand at seizing trade routes. But for everyone else, the benefits will not justify the costs.

Ode to autocalculation

There is only one way to win the battle: to overwhelm the enemy strategically and numerically.

And all this is a shame, given that the battles will now be much more frequent and large-scale. At high levels of complexity, small states in Europe strive to chop off a piece from us. In addition, almost every country (Great Britain is sad) at the start of the game has troops with which you can capture a couple of provinces from the very beginning without any upgrades.

The plan succeeded, and the defenders of the city went out to fight. Autocalculate will work in
my favor.

Benefits of choosing a southerly direction in the Prussian dilemma. Now I will kill two birds with one stone: I will take Stuttgart and put Austria in pincers.

That is exactly what needs to be done. And we will use the tactics of "who managed to eat it" - that is, we will begin to push countries into one province. If we let them recruit troops, they will eat us. Alas, I will not say that the battles will be simple: you will lose a lot of soldiers, and nothing can be done about it. But the loot is worth it. First, there will be no threat to the growing state. Secondly, cities are usually very well developed on the occupied lands - which means many thousands to our treasury. And thirdly, it is usually convenient to continue further conquests from them. Especially Prussia: by expanding slightly to the west at the expense of such powers (this is not too difficult if the crown prince is in command), she can pincer Austria from two sides and at the same time get her hands on a convenient front for defense against France, moreover also very rich. England was unlucky, but they generally have the best infantry in the game there. It's wrong to complain. Austria will have to deal with the French lands and armies in the south and west of the country first - but this is not too difficult. Besides, perhaps the Russians will help. For me it was Kutuzov, who was great at chasing the French with a towel in the Innsbruck area.

Spies have become remarkably effective. As a result, a simple tactic codenamed "live and let die" works very well. Our bonds have two completely deadly (in the truest sense of the word) functions: an attempt on the general and sabotage of the army. It is one of your strongest tools in victory. Before each more or less important fight, always take out your hitmen and let them do their dirty work.

Withdrawing enemy troops from the city before the siege into the wilds (where they will perish) and cutting the commanders helps a lot. And it is vital to use agents against a living player. Alas, the opponent also knows this, so keep at least a third of the spies in your country for counterintelligence. And for those abroad, let's get used to the city and create our own spy network there: efficiency immediately increases.

On a note: in addition, in favor of the scouts, the fact that they have a lower chance of getting caught than in Empire, and experience is gained much faster. In addition, new ones appear quite often.

My Bond did a great job. The city can be taken even now.

On a note: if, when capturing land, a path opens up to the main city of the enemy in the future, it must be taken, even if it is poor and belongs to a computer ally.

On a note: diplomacy can be used for the same purpose. If it is clear that the war is not profitable for the opponent now, simply fence off his provinces from the necessary lands with a barrier from the allied powers. This is a dangerous (countries may then attack you), but an effective technique.

Miracles of diplomacy. In two years I will burn all of Prussia to the ground.

You can, in principle, ask the question - why did we expand and fight with the computer at the beginning of the game, if we could immediately fight with a person?

Firstly, the zerg rush tactic does not justify itself. I have already said that each country at the start of the game has a combat-ready army. And if not, an advantage in geographical location (we look at the UK and France) or rich lands. In other words, until you reach the opponent, he will put together a powerful army and scatter your tired soldiers. Secondly, we were gaining experience for the soldiers, and for this, a computer dummy is ideal. And thirdly, we raised the economy and developed the industry - that is, the enemy, whom we tried to pinch in our lands throughout the game, is already a loser.

We use "claws" as often as possible. That is, we clamp a large army of the enemy on both sides with our two. The computer is very bad at managing control if your reinforcements come not from the flank, but from the rear.

Bringing artillery only in extreme cases. These are battles with a live player and especially powerful armies of the computer. The reason is simple: auto-calculation does not know how to handle cannons and in every battle, even in those where it is impossible to lose them in principle, it manages to “kill” several gunners.

The stronger the team, the better. That is, light infantry is removed from battles almost immediately. Grenadiers help (very healthy guys), heavy cavalry, elite infantry. You can forget about the formation of an army with a cunning tactical bias. A corps of medium but strong soldiers will be more efficient and more likely to survive until the end of the game.

If the armies are even, fights are best avoided.. Battles of the same armies are Russian roulette, and usually not in our favor. See how you didn't overpower the enemy strategically? Better back off.

But (very rarely) there are masochists who turn off auto-calculation. Here you can (and should) turn around. But the end does not change, only the means change:

Use ambushes as often as possible. The computer rival on them is conducted in such a way that it is a pleasure to watch. Often my riflemen, numbering forty people, carried grenadiers out of the forest, of which there were one and a half times more. In a battle against a live opponent, ambushes buy us time (the enemy is very careful when he sees a dozen units on the battle screen, and only five in the battle). Even the most obvious ambush can be useful: the opponent cannot ignore it, and this makes his actions predictable.

Take out the artillery. In any battle, she would be his number one target. Place defenders, choose your position wisely and don't forget about the most useful button - "Retreat".

Draw the enemy out of his position. Fortunately, the maps in the campaign are different from those in simple battles. There are more hills on them, and almost always you will have the opportunity to take one of them. Further - the matter of artillery: seeing how your cores "mow down" his ranks, and your artillerymen smear on the hill, any enemy will move the troops forward.

be careful. I myself have more than once lost several dozen guys just because I lost sight of how a foreign detachment returned from flight to the battlefield. If you have not killed more than a third of the detachment, and he ran, the soldiers will definitely return. And during subsequent maneuvers (for example, surrounding the remaining alien units), this should be taken into account.

I hope these tactics will help you win online battles and become the master of Europe. Good game!

Game: Platform: PC Genre: add-on, strategy Release date: February 23, 2010 RF: February 26, 2010 Developer: The Creative Assembly Publisher: SEGA RF publisher: 1C-SoftKlab Localizer: SoftKlab / Hunt total war never ends. And total war always comes back. But usually any subsequent strategy of the series comes in a brand new dress. Either we see a Japanese kimono on her, then medieval languid armor, then she will appear in a bronze Roman cuirass. Well, for the last time she was published in a military uniform of the 19th century. A couple of years have passed, and my daughter The Creative Assembly never tried on either the uniform of an officer of the First World War, or any other, but continued to wear her own old uniform. Only now it's blue. For everyone to know - she serves Napoleon. And I only trust him...

Although the release became clear even before Empire appeared on the shelves, it still seems as if the developers released it only to correct the errors of the previous project. The last strategy came out very diverse. On the one hand, the picture changed, but on the other hand, it was not such a development of graphics as from Medieval to Rome. It seems that the gameplay has changed a lot, but with all this, the musket was still worse than the sword. And there was something to tell, but the story somehow did not stick together, it turned out very in general terms and uninteresting.

At first you think: “God, why does the game have 20 GB on the hard drive ?!” But after screensavers with such detail, you understand almost everything ...

And only dissatisfied clicks were heard after the release of Empire, as The Creative Assembly immediately reminded me that there is Napoleon where everything will be different, and most importantly - better. Much better.

But after getting acquainted with the press version, we could only be sure of one thing - the other in Napoleon really a lot. But how is it really better and does this add-on even have the right to bear the name total war? Did the developers do something very different? That's what we're talking about for now.

The first campaign for Napoleon is a campaign from one town to another.

Huge steps of a small person

Unlike all other strategies in the series total war, in Napoleon there is a real campaign. In other words, it doesn't come down to the mentor's three phrases: “Now is not an easy time, but you have a great future. Bend them down, son!" Here before us is the whole history of Bonaparte's life. And each of her steps is a separate chapter.

As I noted earlier, the first four chapters of the campaign are a mixture of "King Arthur" with the traditional total war. On the one hand, everything seems to be old-fashioned. Generals are walking, dragging soldiers behind them, capturing settlements, and on tactical map measured by the length of the blade and the strength of the army. But at the same time, we do not see the whole world or even a quarter of it, but only the place where Napoleon was outrageous in those years.

Have you chosen the Italian campaign? So here's a recognizable "boot" and a few additional provinces in the environment. Everything else is locked behind the impenetrable fog of war. Headed to Egypt? The path to Europe will be cut off. There is nothing for you to do there.

There are four factions available in the Coalition Campaign. One of them is Our Motherland.

And in addition to fights, there are also various tasks. And there are even more of them than in all others total war. Yet there we had freedom, choice. Whoever they wanted, they put on their knees and forced them to ... suffer. There is also a main goal, to which you want or don’t want to, but you need to come. And come as soon as possible. Hence the wealth of simple secondary missions. Capture that city, kill that general, don't go here, go there, finish it faster. The strategic component has been reduced to a minimum.

Is this exciting total war? I don't think so. It is no better than Empire or Rome, there is nothing that would make it "tastier" than those global conquests. But with all this, it is very curtailed (if you don’t come up with a tougher word), and besides, it is inferior to the recent King Arthur, where there were artifacts, true quests, dialogues, fascinating plot.

In Moscow, the map ends. Isn't it surprising?

Epic is with us again

But as if in merit for endurance and the fact that we were still able to better find out what Napoleon was still doing, not counting the chill in Moscow and roasting on the St. Lena peninsula, the developers in last chapter stories ... reintroduce the actually real total war. With politics and freedom.

But again, a little special. What do we usually have to do? Make alliances, slowly develop your power. Immediately, all of Europe is against us, and those who decided to make friends with Napoleon are simply so weak and helpless that capitulation or war could be virtually irreplaceable.

But part of it is funny. Well, not just funny, but catastrophically reckless. This is where the character of Napoleon is visible. When you challenge everyone and are ready both to give a slap in the face to the arrogant Great Britain, and to tame the restless Russian spirit with all the Bolkonskys uttering an ode to the sky right in the heat of battle, it turns on. But not like Maria-Rose, like the battle of Borodino or a bold campaign against Moscow.

Diplomacy here consists of 2 sections. Communication with normal countries and ... the rest.

And although it is quite historical, there is no complete adherence to reality, as in "Victory Day". In other words, if you wish, then Moscow will burn down in 1807, or maybe you will take St. Petersburg right off the bat. And let "Cher Alexander" pray that you leave Russia in the world at all ...

But again a comparison with other strategies of the series is imposed. total war. We had a lot of time in them. And what exactly to do is somehow unclear. You can go east, you can go west. Start intensively making alliances, or immediately find people who just want to be genocidal. Well, what choice did Napoleon have? On the left are the enemies, on the right are the villains. You even look up, and there the British show their teeth - everyone is against us. So the developers do not let us turn around and play the traditional total war.

The field is in smoke, the camera snatches the juiciest moment, and we convulsively lead the defense. What a beauty.

Show the French guy

They practically don't. For besides the Napoleonic adventures, there is also a campaign for a coalition. And here, for the first time, we have the opportunity to elect a state and really somehow get involved in politics. They began to reign in Russia - so it will be necessary not only to help Europeans, but also to deal with neighbors. The Swedes have gone completely sick, you can eat several provinces on the sly. In the south, the once majestic countries now look pitiful, and if they are occupied at the moment, then later it will be easier to give Bonaparte a neck.

In general, there are plenty to choose from. Although, of course, it is difficult to compose long-term strategies. If you get involved in some large-scale military campaign, then you may not have time to prepare for the arrival of the French. Spill the army, capture the cities, but you will not be ready for the main confrontation of the era.

I think the essence of the strategic part is clear. This is more of a plot, “closed”, so to speak, game. But the developers did not try to make a full-fledged newest part. It's still an addition to Empire: Total War. The development of her thoughts and the opportunity to show something different, not what we have been seeing for so many years. Did it work out? Not really. Bye The Creative Assembly baked my own "Napoleon", another company released a similar "King Arthur". But it turned out better there. In any case, specifically in the global mode.

Battles at sea have become more exciting, but to this day they are very inferior to the Corsairs. Whatever.

Let there be a fight!

But, as they often say, they are most valued in total war tactical battles. What happened to them in "Napoleone"?

The main thing is that they got better. They became really exciting and more complex. In Empire, the fighters correctly thought the bullet was stupid; they liked the bayonet and saber even more. And so the strategy was half-hearted. As if you can already shoot, and hacking is still excellent.

But the action takes place later, when it was the musket that allowed the commanders to prevail over the enemy. If the fighters rush to a well-armed enemy, then at first they will be mashed with cannonballs, and later they will fall from 3 volleys of shooters. So whether you like it or not, you will have to accept the new rules of military affairs.

And, you see, hardly anyone will begin to regret the old days. Contractions in "Napoleone" one of the best in the entire series. First of all, they look great. Secondly, the strategy here, although quite laborious, is very difficult and cunning.

Just imagine. Enemy on global map overtook us near a small settlement. The terrain is bumpy, not easy for a quick run. Yes, even going is not easy - either up or down. Plus, it's still raining, the fighters slow down and constantly complain about wet gunpowder. We have a better position: there are several houses behind, there is a forest on the enemy’s way, and a small grove to the right. You can hide, take a more profitable position and hit with artillery while the enemy is advancing.

Taking the town now is a trifling matter. There are no walls, houses are rapidly collapsing. Well, no one forbids running into the building and chopping everyone there.

Orders are given, drumming and cries of French officers are heard from afar. The soldiers point their guns, and two detachments of hussars spread out in different directions and hide in the forest on the flanks. And here the camera shakes terribly, at first it throws it up, then it sharply lowers it down, thunder is heard. It turns out that the artillery fired a volley. And it's really, really epic. Every shot shakes the ground.

And after a few seconds, the enemy guns also begin to peel. As soon as the strategically important building was intact, and we had hopes to shoot at the Frenchman from it, it collapsed right before our eyes, and dead soldiers poured out of it.

Enemy artillery continues to rumble over the battlefield. And since our fighters are standing, almost every hit is clear. 10 corpses, 20, one detachment is already about to flee: he sees how the French are approaching, but he still cannot do anything. And from the sky, time after time, death flies. It's hard not to panic...

And here we let in the hussars, who demolish the artillery with a quick swoop and turn around to strike the French infantry in the rear. But she obviously has time to maneuver, takes a comfortable position, even raises her muskets, preparing to fire. But the cavalry will not storm. At this moment, we give the order to artillery to fire a volley at the stopped enemy. Immediately, 6 cores fall exactly in the center of the French formation, and while the enemy is regrouping, panicking and not realizing what to do, we send the shooters closer on the run and command: “Fire!”

The historical battles are perhaps the best in the series. Napoleon himself knows what he wants to do and how to act. Should he be trusted? And who is more of a military leader - you or him?

The rumble of muskets is divine! Shutters click, fire bursts out, smoke rises to the sky. It's hard for us to comprehend what's going on. Everything seems to be in a fog, and it's still raining. Someone yells in Russian, someone obviously swears in French, but the hussars ... no, they don’t crap at the piano and don’t pester Natasha Rostova, they catch up with the retreating ones and do not allow the enemy to regroup.

It just needed to be released. For only this game was able to unleash the full potential of battles with the use of muskets. After it, returning to Empire is simply unrealistic ...

Yes, even if the strategy map is not so good and does not allow us to remember the days that we spent playing Rome: Total War. But this addition allows you to fight and test all the strategies that Suvorov, Bonaparte, Kutuzov came up with.

Pros: notable music and voice acting; complex and noteworthy tactical battles; good style, everything is drawn and presented professionally.
Minuses: a very linear campaign for Napoleon that does not reveal the character of the hero; the game slows down. about the rating system of games