A few years ago, I tried to run what is essentially a play-by-post version of Total War, with nations created by players and myself taking the position of the computer, set in a D&D setting with D&D rules alongside some nation-building rules I had created. A fellow DM found this old game, which had been abandoned around turn 5 just because of its complexity and the poorly thought-out nature of its implementation, and asked for a copy of the rule set. Sadly, those rules are long lost in the mire of transferred data from my old laptop to my new one, but it did encourage me to reread the adventure. What I found is that my deep-seated love of Total War comes, not only from the battles and tactics, but from the very agents and characters and specifically, their traits.
Traits are a fun consideration for a game. I feel they let the character grow over time, and prevent the sort of mismanagement that many hero-type character get in games (namely that they are either always at the battlefield or languishing away in some city). Because of the nature of traits, and the fact that you can get bad traits as well as good in any setting, they almost cultivate carefully training and weeding out "bad" agents and generals and cultivating the good. I recall a number of times i had a great general with one bad trait, and was playing a game against time until the RNG decided that trait got worse until it made him untenable. That said, almost all my battlefield generals had chirugens and horribly scarred in Rome Total War, because the General Bodyguard unit is the earliest heavy cavalry you get, and the Faction Leader and Faction Heir have good sized bodyguards.
Traits also add a level of personality to your generals and agents you wouldnt get otherwise. That spy that you've sent around everywhere? Well, he has a small child he uses in his missions, perhaps he cares for the kid and is responsible...or perhaps he's exploiting the little bum for his profit. And that general that has conquered all of your enemies? Well, he's going around with an entourage of a mercenary captain, a chirugen, and captive slaves from all over the world. Even as RNG effects, they at least give a "hmmm" moment, and that is worth some depth of storytelling.
In the campaign I ran, I did not have a list of traits, but I had a range of effects. First I'd roll for a trait to happen, then I'd roll to see if it was good or bad. Finally, I would roll to see what the effect was, and how severe. Sometimes this would add a trait, and sometimes it would modify an existing trait. For example, I had a player who had a mistress, which added an assassination chance to his character (but if he offed the mistress he could easily remove that chance). A random trait came up to increase his chance of recruiting certain agents. I changed the mistress into a Well-connected mistress, which had the assassination chance, but also an increased chance to recruit agents. This simultaneously built up his relationship with his mistress (who eventually sired him an heir), and gave him a more difficult choice (keep the assassination chance or loose the mistress and her well-connected trait).
One of the more fun sides I had was a warforged side, who had a lower population, but a steadily increases birth rate (increased by 1% every 10 years). The leader had a trait that made him prone to malfunctions (negative traits), but he rolled very well and only got one by the time the game ended. It was an interesting story point, and the player played it very well.
Link to the original game thread
Thanks for reading,
-VG
Monday, April 8, 2013
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Napoleon Total War European Campaign Walkthrough
Now for one of the tougher campaigns: Europe.
Starting Advice: Napoleon loves artillery, and so should you. Artillery, set up in good positions will win this game time and time again. Now, it needs support by infantry and cavalry, but artillery is powerful when used well. Canister shot is a great defensive measure, and you should keep an eye on your guns. If the enemy has guns, then move your cavalry around the flanks to take out their artillery. Killing the enemy guns is worth your horsemen, sacrifice them if you must. Once you have gun superiority, you will win the map. Remember, infantry in buildings will be killed if you destroy the building.
When fighting cavalry with infantry, the square formation is your friend. Some sides (Prussians) love cavalry formations....they love them so much you'd think they were playing Rome Total War. Putting your infantry in squares will help break up the charges and massacre the enemy forces. Square formation is a vital tactic in the fight against Prussia, so use forces that can utilize the formation and research it early.
Remember, good terrain is worth several units. Place artillery on high, defensible positions. Utilize river crossings and bridges on the campaign maps. Make the enemy come to you during sieges. It is always worth letting the enemy attack a defended position, rather than attacking a defended position yourself.
Setting up for success: You get a mission from the start to take Vienna and dismantle the Austrian threat. It might seem like a good idea to go for it immediately, but you have an Empire to consider first. Take a moment and build up a solid base to operate from. First, establish a college in Liege and a University in Orleans (be sure to staff them with gentlemen). Economics is very important, so build up mines and roads throughout the empire. Farms are also a good investment. Build up naval vessels for trade, conduct diplomacy to get trade routes and any allies possible, and improve your position over the first few turns.
Austria: You start with three armies in the north, the largest of which is Napoleon's. You should move one to Paris, for defense and to buff it up with new units as they become available. The other two should be sent towards Austria. Its in your best interest to allow Austria to take Munich, so you can retake it and add it to the empire. It is always a good idea to let your smaller allies be eaten, as it damages the enemy armies, and you can absorb the provinces they formerly had, boosting your production, economics, and overall power. Send a spy to Vienna to see what the defensive situation is there, and use any information you gain to your advantage.
Once Munich is safely in French hands, send Napoleon to Innsbruck. Use your second army to defend Munich. You should bring up your southern army to support Napoleon's advances. You should continue East, taking what you can from your enemies. Russia will begin to resist you, and the War in Europe is going to get hotter. You should capture Prague before taking Vienna, as it is a valuable reinforce and rebuilding point for your armies. Siege Vienna, and let the Austrians counterattack. Wear them down and take the city, spelling the end for Austria.
Prussia: The Prussians will eventually attack Hannover, so you should try to defend it as best you can. They like cavalry, so infantry in square formation is a good counter. You should send the army you kept near Paris, which should be strong now, after the Prussians in Cleves. Once Cleves is secured, Hannover is no longer an exposed position, but the end of a supply line from Paris. Move your army up and attack Prussia properly. (also build an army in Paris to defend against the inevitable British landings, and secure any ports you have in that part of the world). After leaving a decent force in Vienna to prevent uprisings, send your experienced troops up to attack Berlin and put the Prussians in a world of hurt.
Counterintelligence: The AI likes to try to assassinate leaders, especially Napoleon. Napoleon is immortal at this point, and can only be wounded and sent to Paris to recover. This removes him from the front, and his excellent leadership and bonuses. You should find a spot to build a spy-producing building, like Regensburg in Bavaria, and keep a spy with Napoleon at all times to reduce his risk. Having a secondary general in the army could help too, but the spy is usually enough. (Note: don't waste time assassinating the enemy leaders, they are just as immortal as Napoleon. It can be useful to remove them from the field and back to their capital, but they will be back soon enough).
More Austria: The Austrians hunger for war, so you should give it to them. Send your Napoleonic army to take Budapest and Zagreb. Then swing down to take Olmutz, where Austria is strongest, and Klausenburg to finish the Austrians for good. You may want to take the time to conquer Dresden and Kassel, minors that can help shore up your defenses. Always look for the opportunity to add allied minors to your empire by letting the enemy capture their cities, before you "liberate" them. With Austria gone, you have to worry about Russia. Defend the front as best you can, and focus on eliminating the Prussians.
Finishing Prussia: Prussia is an easy enemy at this point. Cycle up your best troops, and start taking their cities. Stettin is a good starting point, and just wrap them up as you go east, heading for Russia. Breaking their back is quite easy, and you should focus more on setting up for a good attack against the Russians than worry about Prussia's resistance. They will break easy and let you focus on more important things.
Russia: With Austria and Prussia defeated, you only need Moscow to finish your dreams of world conquest. A bitter winter and thousands of russian troops are all that stand in your way. The actual waging of this war is just one of attrition, be sure its their soldiers dying and not yours. Divide your mighty armies into two stacks, one led by Napoleon and another led by a good general. Use your best troops, and have more forces ready to reinforce should anything go wrong. Time your movements so that in winter you are safely in a city, and in summer you are marching to the next one. The only real worry is the road to Moscow, where Russian forces will wait to attack you before you can siege the city. Keep your attrition down and the victory is an easy one.
Other Concerns: The Ottomans and the British are minor worries. The Ottomans can be kept peaceful for a small fee of technologies or gold, and the British are only powerful at sea (and dropping the occasional army around Paris, which is why you have that army built up there throughout the game). Nothing should stop you on your way to victory.
Starting Advice: Napoleon loves artillery, and so should you. Artillery, set up in good positions will win this game time and time again. Now, it needs support by infantry and cavalry, but artillery is powerful when used well. Canister shot is a great defensive measure, and you should keep an eye on your guns. If the enemy has guns, then move your cavalry around the flanks to take out their artillery. Killing the enemy guns is worth your horsemen, sacrifice them if you must. Once you have gun superiority, you will win the map. Remember, infantry in buildings will be killed if you destroy the building.
When fighting cavalry with infantry, the square formation is your friend. Some sides (Prussians) love cavalry formations....they love them so much you'd think they were playing Rome Total War. Putting your infantry in squares will help break up the charges and massacre the enemy forces. Square formation is a vital tactic in the fight against Prussia, so use forces that can utilize the formation and research it early.
Remember, good terrain is worth several units. Place artillery on high, defensible positions. Utilize river crossings and bridges on the campaign maps. Make the enemy come to you during sieges. It is always worth letting the enemy attack a defended position, rather than attacking a defended position yourself.
Setting up for success: You get a mission from the start to take Vienna and dismantle the Austrian threat. It might seem like a good idea to go for it immediately, but you have an Empire to consider first. Take a moment and build up a solid base to operate from. First, establish a college in Liege and a University in Orleans (be sure to staff them with gentlemen). Economics is very important, so build up mines and roads throughout the empire. Farms are also a good investment. Build up naval vessels for trade, conduct diplomacy to get trade routes and any allies possible, and improve your position over the first few turns.
Austria: You start with three armies in the north, the largest of which is Napoleon's. You should move one to Paris, for defense and to buff it up with new units as they become available. The other two should be sent towards Austria. Its in your best interest to allow Austria to take Munich, so you can retake it and add it to the empire. It is always a good idea to let your smaller allies be eaten, as it damages the enemy armies, and you can absorb the provinces they formerly had, boosting your production, economics, and overall power. Send a spy to Vienna to see what the defensive situation is there, and use any information you gain to your advantage.
Once Munich is safely in French hands, send Napoleon to Innsbruck. Use your second army to defend Munich. You should bring up your southern army to support Napoleon's advances. You should continue East, taking what you can from your enemies. Russia will begin to resist you, and the War in Europe is going to get hotter. You should capture Prague before taking Vienna, as it is a valuable reinforce and rebuilding point for your armies. Siege Vienna, and let the Austrians counterattack. Wear them down and take the city, spelling the end for Austria.
Prussia: The Prussians will eventually attack Hannover, so you should try to defend it as best you can. They like cavalry, so infantry in square formation is a good counter. You should send the army you kept near Paris, which should be strong now, after the Prussians in Cleves. Once Cleves is secured, Hannover is no longer an exposed position, but the end of a supply line from Paris. Move your army up and attack Prussia properly. (also build an army in Paris to defend against the inevitable British landings, and secure any ports you have in that part of the world). After leaving a decent force in Vienna to prevent uprisings, send your experienced troops up to attack Berlin and put the Prussians in a world of hurt.
Counterintelligence: The AI likes to try to assassinate leaders, especially Napoleon. Napoleon is immortal at this point, and can only be wounded and sent to Paris to recover. This removes him from the front, and his excellent leadership and bonuses. You should find a spot to build a spy-producing building, like Regensburg in Bavaria, and keep a spy with Napoleon at all times to reduce his risk. Having a secondary general in the army could help too, but the spy is usually enough. (Note: don't waste time assassinating the enemy leaders, they are just as immortal as Napoleon. It can be useful to remove them from the field and back to their capital, but they will be back soon enough).
More Austria: The Austrians hunger for war, so you should give it to them. Send your Napoleonic army to take Budapest and Zagreb. Then swing down to take Olmutz, where Austria is strongest, and Klausenburg to finish the Austrians for good. You may want to take the time to conquer Dresden and Kassel, minors that can help shore up your defenses. Always look for the opportunity to add allied minors to your empire by letting the enemy capture their cities, before you "liberate" them. With Austria gone, you have to worry about Russia. Defend the front as best you can, and focus on eliminating the Prussians.
Finishing Prussia: Prussia is an easy enemy at this point. Cycle up your best troops, and start taking their cities. Stettin is a good starting point, and just wrap them up as you go east, heading for Russia. Breaking their back is quite easy, and you should focus more on setting up for a good attack against the Russians than worry about Prussia's resistance. They will break easy and let you focus on more important things.
Russia: With Austria and Prussia defeated, you only need Moscow to finish your dreams of world conquest. A bitter winter and thousands of russian troops are all that stand in your way. The actual waging of this war is just one of attrition, be sure its their soldiers dying and not yours. Divide your mighty armies into two stacks, one led by Napoleon and another led by a good general. Use your best troops, and have more forces ready to reinforce should anything go wrong. Time your movements so that in winter you are safely in a city, and in summer you are marching to the next one. The only real worry is the road to Moscow, where Russian forces will wait to attack you before you can siege the city. Keep your attrition down and the victory is an easy one.
Other Concerns: The Ottomans and the British are minor worries. The Ottomans can be kept peaceful for a small fee of technologies or gold, and the British are only powerful at sea (and dropping the occasional army around Paris, which is why you have that army built up there throughout the game). Nothing should stop you on your way to victory.
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Napoleon Total War Egypt Campaign
Now the next campaign in Napoleon Total War: Egypt. Here you will face off against the Ottomans and English in a battle to control one of the earliest civilizations in the world.
This map is an opportunist paradise. You are facing large threats on land and sea, and at any moment the British could drop a force of troops anywhere along the coast. Its a fun campaign that will require you to look for every opportunity to advance.
Cairo: Your first priority should be Cairo. To make your way to the city, you will have to fight your way through several other cities first. Take the small army you start with and attack Damanhour. Then use Napoleon to attack Mahalla al-Kubra. Attack immediately with Napoleon because the city is poorly defended. Recruit additional troops, and press on to Cairo. You can start researching new technology once Cairo is captured. You should use your army from Damanhour, after its replenished and supplied, to attack Mansoura and Damietta. Damietta can build a university which will allow two technologies to be researched at a time.
The British: You should begin building a navy from the beginning of the game, and should protect your dockyard in Alexandria with troops. Alexandria should be protected with artillery and any units you can spare. Build some sloops to be used in tracking the British fleet, but your primary fleet will be used to land troops later.
Southern Conquests: Once Napoleon and his army are ready for battle again, you should focus your attention southward. While he holds off any counterattacks, take your other army south to siege Beni Suef and Fayum. Pause for a moment to repair and resupply your troops, and fend off any counterattacks. Then press on to capture Minya. The next challenge is the desert itself. The easy way to beat this obstacle is to build a cavalry army that will spend fewer turns of attrition in the desert, and attack Awlad Ali, which is poorly defended. Be careful of counterattacks before taking the city.
While you are playing in the desert with your second army, take Napoleon to siege Zagazig, and then Suez. Your southern army should be brought back to Cairo to support Napoleon as soon as its done with its operations above. Build a camel cavalry army in Awlad Ali, and march across the desert to invade Ababda. It will be a tough fight as it is a well defended city. Anything but camel cavalry will be severely damaged in the desert crossing, so don't bother sending any other troops. This city is considered optional, but if you don't take it, you will suffer raids almost constantly. Its easier to eliminate the Bediun threat.
Consolidate your Napoleonic and other armies to build a strong force. With this army, advance on Arish, and attack it swiftly. Taking this city will mean the Ottomans decide to attack, and they will send raiding parties across your province. Its best to prepare a counterattack for any incursions.
Cyprus: Cyprus is a difficult task, as the British fleet is still lurking. You should build an expeditionary force to embark on the ships (Napoleon should stay on the mainland), and send them out as soon as you have a sizable force and can evade the British.
The Ottomans: Napoleon should press up through to Gaza. The Ottomans are good fighters with large armies. Its best to focus on Artillery, building ordnance factories to eek out any advantage you can over the Ottomans. After Gaza you should take Jaffa. Jaffa will grant you another shipyard, which can be used to build further ships to destroy the British. While your army is still in good shape, you should attack Acre (ignoring Jerusalem for now). It will be a tough fight, but will leave you with a very good defensive position. Once Acre is secure, you should swing around and take Jerusalem. At this point you have the choice: either strike at Damascus directly, and win the campaign, or take Tyer and Beiruit first to weaken the enemy before the final push. You can also attack the British, but it isn't necessary, you have held them off this long anyway.
Hope that helps some.
-VG
This map is an opportunist paradise. You are facing large threats on land and sea, and at any moment the British could drop a force of troops anywhere along the coast. Its a fun campaign that will require you to look for every opportunity to advance.
Cairo: Your first priority should be Cairo. To make your way to the city, you will have to fight your way through several other cities first. Take the small army you start with and attack Damanhour. Then use Napoleon to attack Mahalla al-Kubra. Attack immediately with Napoleon because the city is poorly defended. Recruit additional troops, and press on to Cairo. You can start researching new technology once Cairo is captured. You should use your army from Damanhour, after its replenished and supplied, to attack Mansoura and Damietta. Damietta can build a university which will allow two technologies to be researched at a time.
The British: You should begin building a navy from the beginning of the game, and should protect your dockyard in Alexandria with troops. Alexandria should be protected with artillery and any units you can spare. Build some sloops to be used in tracking the British fleet, but your primary fleet will be used to land troops later.
Southern Conquests: Once Napoleon and his army are ready for battle again, you should focus your attention southward. While he holds off any counterattacks, take your other army south to siege Beni Suef and Fayum. Pause for a moment to repair and resupply your troops, and fend off any counterattacks. Then press on to capture Minya. The next challenge is the desert itself. The easy way to beat this obstacle is to build a cavalry army that will spend fewer turns of attrition in the desert, and attack Awlad Ali, which is poorly defended. Be careful of counterattacks before taking the city.
While you are playing in the desert with your second army, take Napoleon to siege Zagazig, and then Suez. Your southern army should be brought back to Cairo to support Napoleon as soon as its done with its operations above. Build a camel cavalry army in Awlad Ali, and march across the desert to invade Ababda. It will be a tough fight as it is a well defended city. Anything but camel cavalry will be severely damaged in the desert crossing, so don't bother sending any other troops. This city is considered optional, but if you don't take it, you will suffer raids almost constantly. Its easier to eliminate the Bediun threat.
Consolidate your Napoleonic and other armies to build a strong force. With this army, advance on Arish, and attack it swiftly. Taking this city will mean the Ottomans decide to attack, and they will send raiding parties across your province. Its best to prepare a counterattack for any incursions.
Cyprus: Cyprus is a difficult task, as the British fleet is still lurking. You should build an expeditionary force to embark on the ships (Napoleon should stay on the mainland), and send them out as soon as you have a sizable force and can evade the British.
The Ottomans: Napoleon should press up through to Gaza. The Ottomans are good fighters with large armies. Its best to focus on Artillery, building ordnance factories to eek out any advantage you can over the Ottomans. After Gaza you should take Jaffa. Jaffa will grant you another shipyard, which can be used to build further ships to destroy the British. While your army is still in good shape, you should attack Acre (ignoring Jerusalem for now). It will be a tough fight, but will leave you with a very good defensive position. Once Acre is secure, you should swing around and take Jerusalem. At this point you have the choice: either strike at Damascus directly, and win the campaign, or take Tyer and Beiruit first to weaken the enemy before the final push. You can also attack the British, but it isn't necessary, you have held them off this long anyway.
Hope that helps some.
-VG
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Napoleon Total War Italy Campaign
I've been playing a bit of Napoleon Total War lately, and out of all of the games in the series, I think it is my favorite, if not a close second to Empire (since Napoleon is an improvement on Empire, its hard to say). I've also decided to do a few mini-guides to the campaign maps, just for fun. Since I'm assuming you can get through the tutorial okay (if not, you have bigger problems), I will start with the Italian campaign.
Beginnings: In the beginning, you have a few small armies, a couple cities, and the little mastermind himself. You should take Napoleon and his army and deal with the nearby Austrian army (its a simple battle, especially with Napoleon. Think of it as a warmup). You should take your other army (on the left) and siege Coni. When sieging it is always worth waiting to be counterattacked by the defenders as defending is easier than a direct attack (unless you have a good reason to need that city today). The siege of Coni is easily won with the army you have. Set up your artillery on the left, where there is a good hill (always look for a good hill for your artillery). When defending, you should make your infantry into wedges (think inverse triangle) so that two units cover the same field of fire, creating a crossfire. Defensively, this will chew up the enemy when they charge.
Once you capture the city, you should build a supply post in the town of Mondovi. Supply posts are vital for the continued advancement of your army as it allows rapid replenishment of wounded units. You should develop buildings as soon as possible, as there are so few. Improving buildings are roads are important for the long-term viability of your empire.
Occupation: With Napoleon Total War comes new occupy options for captured cities. It is almost always in your best interests during the campaign to peacefully occupy cities to avoid unrest. This campaign is ultimately a speed game, so you cannot afford to waste time and units occupying a city, and any time it is in unrest hurts you. Your mileage may vary.
Battle of Turin: Combine Napoleon's army and any healthy survivors from Coni, and advance towards Turin. As mentioned, lay siege and wait for a counterattack. The siege map has another excellent hill for your artillery. Be sure to watch your flanks in this map, as it can be easy to get outflanked (splitting your army into two sides, one for each flank, can help but isn't completely necessary if you pay attention). With the capture of Turin, you should build any available buildings, and reinforce if possible. Let your troops rest if possible, you will need them soon.
There is a good chance that Piedmont-Sardinia will sue for peace and you should make them a protectorate. If they do not surrender. advance on Nuara, but they will be hurting after the losses you have inflicted. You should take full advantage of the protectorate status, set up trade routes and try to get them to join you in your war with Austria. Either way, build up your armies for the next battles.
Milan and Lodi: Now its time for the tough battle: Milan. Build up your army and head through Piedmont-Sardinia and to Milan. Milan's battlefield is a horribly flat piece of land infested with Austrians. Flat is not ideal for the artillery-loving Napoleon, but it will have to do. The battle will be tough, but if you have brought enough reinforcements, and you destroy the enemy instead of letting them retreat to face them another day, you will succeed.
After Milan is taken care of (and your troops are ready), take Lodi for your trouble. Austria can be fickle about defending it, and sometimes they will send a lot of troops, but more often it is left with a small force. As always, build up any buildings you can, solidify your army and prepare for the next phase.
Mantua and Parma: You've probably been given a mission for Mantua by now. This will require you to split your army, and you should make two armies with good mixes of units. To make things worse, the Papal States are waiting to join the fun, on the enemy's side. Take the army that is not led by Napoleon to siege Parma, which should be a fairly straight-forward battle. You should take your army led by Napoleon and take him north to take Mantua. This will be a very tough fight, and you will be counterattacked, so ensure if you have any extra units to add them to this army. Napoleon will have to hold his own for a little while.
Modena: Now, advance with your second army and take Modena. Modena is one of the few cities that you can siege without much reprisal, and its in your best interests to wait. The Papal states have a trigger that fires when Modena is taken, and they will declare war on you. It can happen before, but why rush things when you can have a couple of turns to rebuild and reinforce? You will need those reinforcements, because you are fighting against three foes: Venice, The Papal States, and Austria. Modena will be a stronghold against the Papal States, so fight defensively there (use trenches if possible, Napoleon Total War means death to armies that use buildings to hide in).
On to Venice: Once the Papal States are engaged with you in war, Napoleon should strive to eliminate one of his enemies. You should march as swiftly as possible to Verona. Once Verona is taken, leave some troops to defend it (or move some up from other cities) and push on swiftly to Padua. Verona will be attacked, so play smart and try not to loose the city. Once Padua falls march on to Venice itself. The fall of Venice means the fall of the Venetians. Reinforce Napoleon's army, and head for Trient.
The Papal States: Since Austria is a big monster, the next target in the unholy trinity is the Papal States. The first target should be Bologna (with your second army, Napoleon is heading for Austria). Once that is taken, take Ancona. If you keep up your momentum, minimum garrisons are fine for cities you take, you have your enemy on the defensive and they do not have units to spare to retake these cities. With the fall of Ancona, the Papal States are dead, and all that is left is Austria. Move all available forces to the area around Klagenfurt for the final fight.
Klagenfurt: The Mountains near Trient will be bristling with Austrians. Mountains, however, are good places for artillery emplacements, use them to your advantage. Be cautious and you will win these battles and route the filthy Austrian menace. Once Trient is taken, you should consolidate forces near Klagenfurt. You will need a sizable army for the battle, but it is the last battle of the campaign, so use all available resources. Once you take the city, the campaign is won.
Hope that helps
-VG
Beginnings: In the beginning, you have a few small armies, a couple cities, and the little mastermind himself. You should take Napoleon and his army and deal with the nearby Austrian army (its a simple battle, especially with Napoleon. Think of it as a warmup). You should take your other army (on the left) and siege Coni. When sieging it is always worth waiting to be counterattacked by the defenders as defending is easier than a direct attack (unless you have a good reason to need that city today). The siege of Coni is easily won with the army you have. Set up your artillery on the left, where there is a good hill (always look for a good hill for your artillery). When defending, you should make your infantry into wedges (think inverse triangle) so that two units cover the same field of fire, creating a crossfire. Defensively, this will chew up the enemy when they charge.
Once you capture the city, you should build a supply post in the town of Mondovi. Supply posts are vital for the continued advancement of your army as it allows rapid replenishment of wounded units. You should develop buildings as soon as possible, as there are so few. Improving buildings are roads are important for the long-term viability of your empire.
Occupation: With Napoleon Total War comes new occupy options for captured cities. It is almost always in your best interests during the campaign to peacefully occupy cities to avoid unrest. This campaign is ultimately a speed game, so you cannot afford to waste time and units occupying a city, and any time it is in unrest hurts you. Your mileage may vary.
Battle of Turin: Combine Napoleon's army and any healthy survivors from Coni, and advance towards Turin. As mentioned, lay siege and wait for a counterattack. The siege map has another excellent hill for your artillery. Be sure to watch your flanks in this map, as it can be easy to get outflanked (splitting your army into two sides, one for each flank, can help but isn't completely necessary if you pay attention). With the capture of Turin, you should build any available buildings, and reinforce if possible. Let your troops rest if possible, you will need them soon.
There is a good chance that Piedmont-Sardinia will sue for peace and you should make them a protectorate. If they do not surrender. advance on Nuara, but they will be hurting after the losses you have inflicted. You should take full advantage of the protectorate status, set up trade routes and try to get them to join you in your war with Austria. Either way, build up your armies for the next battles.
Milan and Lodi: Now its time for the tough battle: Milan. Build up your army and head through Piedmont-Sardinia and to Milan. Milan's battlefield is a horribly flat piece of land infested with Austrians. Flat is not ideal for the artillery-loving Napoleon, but it will have to do. The battle will be tough, but if you have brought enough reinforcements, and you destroy the enemy instead of letting them retreat to face them another day, you will succeed.
After Milan is taken care of (and your troops are ready), take Lodi for your trouble. Austria can be fickle about defending it, and sometimes they will send a lot of troops, but more often it is left with a small force. As always, build up any buildings you can, solidify your army and prepare for the next phase.
Mantua and Parma: You've probably been given a mission for Mantua by now. This will require you to split your army, and you should make two armies with good mixes of units. To make things worse, the Papal States are waiting to join the fun, on the enemy's side. Take the army that is not led by Napoleon to siege Parma, which should be a fairly straight-forward battle. You should take your army led by Napoleon and take him north to take Mantua. This will be a very tough fight, and you will be counterattacked, so ensure if you have any extra units to add them to this army. Napoleon will have to hold his own for a little while.
Modena: Now, advance with your second army and take Modena. Modena is one of the few cities that you can siege without much reprisal, and its in your best interests to wait. The Papal states have a trigger that fires when Modena is taken, and they will declare war on you. It can happen before, but why rush things when you can have a couple of turns to rebuild and reinforce? You will need those reinforcements, because you are fighting against three foes: Venice, The Papal States, and Austria. Modena will be a stronghold against the Papal States, so fight defensively there (use trenches if possible, Napoleon Total War means death to armies that use buildings to hide in).
On to Venice: Once the Papal States are engaged with you in war, Napoleon should strive to eliminate one of his enemies. You should march as swiftly as possible to Verona. Once Verona is taken, leave some troops to defend it (or move some up from other cities) and push on swiftly to Padua. Verona will be attacked, so play smart and try not to loose the city. Once Padua falls march on to Venice itself. The fall of Venice means the fall of the Venetians. Reinforce Napoleon's army, and head for Trient.
The Papal States: Since Austria is a big monster, the next target in the unholy trinity is the Papal States. The first target should be Bologna (with your second army, Napoleon is heading for Austria). Once that is taken, take Ancona. If you keep up your momentum, minimum garrisons are fine for cities you take, you have your enemy on the defensive and they do not have units to spare to retake these cities. With the fall of Ancona, the Papal States are dead, and all that is left is Austria. Move all available forces to the area around Klagenfurt for the final fight.
Klagenfurt: The Mountains near Trient will be bristling with Austrians. Mountains, however, are good places for artillery emplacements, use them to your advantage. Be cautious and you will win these battles and route the filthy Austrian menace. Once Trient is taken, you should consolidate forces near Klagenfurt. You will need a sizable army for the battle, but it is the last battle of the campaign, so use all available resources. Once you take the city, the campaign is won.
Hope that helps
-VG
Monday, March 25, 2013
Game Dev Story
I came across a game called game dev story for android (also available on ios), and I am absolutely in love with this game. Game Dev Story follows an independent game studio and its attempts to make blockbuster games in a changing game world. It has spoofs of major gaming companies and consoles, like Intendo and the NeonGeon. It is a game that will keep you playing long after you should have stopped, and that, in my opinion, is a great thing in terms of immersion.
The game starts you in a small office with $500,000, two employees (three if you count your tutorial secretary), and access to a very limited amount of development types. Your goal is to make your gaming company into a successful gaming giant, but in the beginning you will be making a lot of simple games and doing contract work to keep the lights on. As your crew works, they earn research credit, which can be used to level them up (unlocking new things as they do, and improving their stats), or used in boosts to improve your games. You earn money through selling copies of your games or by doing contracts. Money is used to pay staff, for initial development, advertising, or to train your staff (training certain staff in certain ways unlocks new stuff).
What really draws me is the way that a game is created in this app. You select a console, a genre, and a type of game (so you could make a pirate racing game, or a RPG about trains), then select a writer or an outside contractor to come up with a proposal. They will bang away at a keyboard for a while, and provide some basic stats for your game. Every game has fun, creativity, graphics, and sound stats. These base numbers are the start of the process (usually heavily fun and creativity based). For a short time, then your whole staff will mess with their computers, randomly adding stats to the game in 1s or 2s (or much higher numbers if they hit a hot streak, represented by them lighting on fire). They can also add bugs (including a hot streak of bugs which can be awful) that have to be fixed later. Anyway, after a short development cycle, its time to improve the graphics, and you have another worker or contractor bang away at the computer, greatly improving the graphics (sometimes adding fun and creativity). After another development cycle, its time for a third worker to bang away and create some music (heavily sound based, with some fun and creativity). Another short development cycle, and then your workers try to kill all the bugs. Then the game is released with its current stats, gets reviewed and sales start piling in.
What I like is the progressive development cycle. Each of your workers is adding points to the game, even though the only large boosts of points come from being on fire, boosts, or from the stops in development for proposals, graphics, and soundtracks. This adds the sense of randomness to the game, and its fun and frustrating at the same time.
The selection of theme and genre is very important as well. Matching theme and genre well will give you a bonus to development and sales, while making a poor match will be more difficult to make and sell your game. Making good matches levels up your skill with those genres and themes, which improves your ability to make games in general.
In all, its a fun and addicting game. The only downside I can see is the massive battery drain. Playing for even a short time kills the battery on my galaxy 2, and I'd rather not have to have it hooked up to a power source just to play. The game is well worth that inconvenience.
-VG
The game starts you in a small office with $500,000, two employees (three if you count your tutorial secretary), and access to a very limited amount of development types. Your goal is to make your gaming company into a successful gaming giant, but in the beginning you will be making a lot of simple games and doing contract work to keep the lights on. As your crew works, they earn research credit, which can be used to level them up (unlocking new things as they do, and improving their stats), or used in boosts to improve your games. You earn money through selling copies of your games or by doing contracts. Money is used to pay staff, for initial development, advertising, or to train your staff (training certain staff in certain ways unlocks new stuff).
What really draws me is the way that a game is created in this app. You select a console, a genre, and a type of game (so you could make a pirate racing game, or a RPG about trains), then select a writer or an outside contractor to come up with a proposal. They will bang away at a keyboard for a while, and provide some basic stats for your game. Every game has fun, creativity, graphics, and sound stats. These base numbers are the start of the process (usually heavily fun and creativity based). For a short time, then your whole staff will mess with their computers, randomly adding stats to the game in 1s or 2s (or much higher numbers if they hit a hot streak, represented by them lighting on fire). They can also add bugs (including a hot streak of bugs which can be awful) that have to be fixed later. Anyway, after a short development cycle, its time to improve the graphics, and you have another worker or contractor bang away at the computer, greatly improving the graphics (sometimes adding fun and creativity). After another development cycle, its time for a third worker to bang away and create some music (heavily sound based, with some fun and creativity). Another short development cycle, and then your workers try to kill all the bugs. Then the game is released with its current stats, gets reviewed and sales start piling in.
What I like is the progressive development cycle. Each of your workers is adding points to the game, even though the only large boosts of points come from being on fire, boosts, or from the stops in development for proposals, graphics, and soundtracks. This adds the sense of randomness to the game, and its fun and frustrating at the same time.
The selection of theme and genre is very important as well. Matching theme and genre well will give you a bonus to development and sales, while making a poor match will be more difficult to make and sell your game. Making good matches levels up your skill with those genres and themes, which improves your ability to make games in general.
In all, its a fun and addicting game. The only downside I can see is the massive battery drain. Playing for even a short time kills the battery on my galaxy 2, and I'd rather not have to have it hooked up to a power source just to play. The game is well worth that inconvenience.
-VG
Saturday, March 23, 2013
The Computer Cheats...
Anyone who grew up gaming like I did expects the computer to cheat (or at least suspects it). Game development was a little different back then, and complex AI was impractical. To make up for this lack of sophistication, game developers gave the computer more resources and better "luck." I don't recall the exact numbers, but in warcraft the computer received almost twice as many resources as you did on hard difficulty (and still outstripped you on easy). Card games, like YuGiOh, were even worse. The NPCs seemed to always get the perfect combinations right when they needed them the most. Sure, some of it is paranoia, but that's healthy...but the majority of it is compensation for a poorly programmed AI.
Now, AI itself isn't exactly easy to program. Let me rephrase that, AI that is competitive and cannot be easily predicted (and therefore exploited) isn't easy to program. A great (if fictional) example comes from Star Trek, when Data tries to beat a strategy master at a strategy game. His first attempt is an utter failure, as Data tries to win an advantage immediately, and this is exploited by the strategy master bringing the game to a quick end. Data's second attempt involved him trying to keep even with the strategy master, and ultimately exhausting him until he quits.
This seems to be a good analogy for AI. The typical AI seems to approach a problem by brute force, overwhelming the player as swiftly as possible. The AI can only accomplish this by gaining an advantage over the player by tweaked resource production or a higher unit count (otherwise a player would be able to trick the AI and overwhelm it). A better AI would be able to implement complex strategies to try and outwit and outfox the player. If anything, it would just provide some more fun and variety to a game. At best, AIs in current games will randomly assign a "personality" and play that way.
AI is highly complex topic, and one I look forward to eventually designing myself. Hopefully, I'd be able to make one that didn't rely solely on cheating to win.
-VG
Now, AI itself isn't exactly easy to program. Let me rephrase that, AI that is competitive and cannot be easily predicted (and therefore exploited) isn't easy to program. A great (if fictional) example comes from Star Trek, when Data tries to beat a strategy master at a strategy game. His first attempt is an utter failure, as Data tries to win an advantage immediately, and this is exploited by the strategy master bringing the game to a quick end. Data's second attempt involved him trying to keep even with the strategy master, and ultimately exhausting him until he quits.
This seems to be a good analogy for AI. The typical AI seems to approach a problem by brute force, overwhelming the player as swiftly as possible. The AI can only accomplish this by gaining an advantage over the player by tweaked resource production or a higher unit count (otherwise a player would be able to trick the AI and overwhelm it). A better AI would be able to implement complex strategies to try and outwit and outfox the player. If anything, it would just provide some more fun and variety to a game. At best, AIs in current games will randomly assign a "personality" and play that way.
AI is highly complex topic, and one I look forward to eventually designing myself. Hopefully, I'd be able to make one that didn't rely solely on cheating to win.
-VG
Friday, March 22, 2013
Webcomic Review: My Life at War
Its time for another Webcomic Review. (At some point I really should standardize an update time for this, but today is not that day).
Today I'm looking at a comic I've recently discovered called My Life At War
Today I'm looking at a comic I've recently discovered called My Life At War
(Image is property of the comic's creators, Click banner to link to their website)
MLAT is a comic about a group of mercenaries who fight war for profit using giant mechs called Arms (probably named for the fact they have one arm). In this world, rank is determined by how much stock you have, not by merit or your superior liking you. Normally, I'd go into great detail about the plot of this story, but the comic does a much better job of that itself, so I thoroughly recommend reading it.
The art style of this comic is absolutely wonderful. Each page is beautifully laid out and the details are absolutely stunning. A post by the writer mentioned that the artist takes between 8 and 10 hours on each page, and that effort and time shows through. Particular detail is given to the mechs and weapon effects (there are a few visceral scenes of death and destruction as well that are very well done).
The writing on this work is also very solid. The world created behind the scenes is amazing and fleshed out. Knowing more than a few ex-soldiers and one ex-military contractor, the characters seem very organic and real (if not flavored by the world they grew up in). The additional materials and occasional references in update posts show the amount of work that went in to creating this world.
I will rate comics in four categories: Major Plot, that is how the comics connect to one another in a complete sense, Minor Plot, that is how the individual comics stand up on their own (this is a serial work), Artistry (that is the overall beauty of the artwork), and Comic Art (how the artwork works with the comic).
Major Plot 7 of 10: The overall plot of this comic is very intricate and interesting. The creators have made a very interesting world, even if it has similarities to our own world. I would say that the plot of this webcomic is its primary focus, with the excellent artistry as a secondary concern. That said, it looses points for its very slow update cycle (its updated once weekly).
Minor Plot 4 of 10: Each individual strip of this comic is not able to stand on its own. There are several examples of well laid out strips that are full of excitement and action, but there are just as many that don't make any sense out of context, and shouldn't be viewed alone. Add this to the slow update cycle, and you could be left with a page up that makes little sense when viewed on its own. There have been times when the author has had to explain some things about the world.
Artistry 8 of 10: The art of this strip is very well constructed, and the time effort is readily apparent. Each panel is quite beautiful and the level of detail is very high. The comic itself shows the 8 to 10 hour creation time.
Comic Art 10 of 10: This comic has big mechs and is techporn at its finest. The art style is very appropriate for this, and the panels are always well laid out and full of action. There are no improvements I can think of for the art of this comic.
Total Score 29 of 40: This is a very solid webcomic that is worth reading. I only wish that it updated more frequently. The art style is a pleasure to behold, and the overall plot of the comic is interesting.
-VG
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