Update 1.3 will be released for Empire: Total War on 22nd June 2009. Ahead of its release, here are the major features coming to the update:
We’ve worked on implementing the multi-threading in the game for multi-core processors and made many optimisations that will also help increase performance on single core machines.
Players will see huge benefits through increased frame rates particularly in land and naval battles.
14 Free Units have been included in this patch, adding a large amount of diversity to the playable factions and the armies the player will face. These units replace ‘generic’ equivalents giving each faction a unique identity on the battlefield. Here is a description of each free unit available in the update:
* Prussian Grenadiers
Wearing a distinctive brass fronted mitre cap, the Prussian Grenadiers are an explosive force to be reckoned with on the battlefield.
* Spanish Guardias de infateria
These elite guard infantry are charged with protecting the monarch and are a potent force on the battlefield.
* Swedish lifeguard horse
This cavalry regiment forms part of the monarchs’ household guard. Superbly drilled, they act as a shock force on the battlefield.
* Holland Horse Guard
Armed with heavy cavalry sabres, these disciplined cavalrymen represent the elite of the army.
* Prussian Garde Du Corp
The Prussian Garde Du Corp are a replacement for the Prussian standard Household cavalry. These heavy horse shock troops are best used to break enemy lines and overrun enemy positions. With a strong charge and fearsome attack, these riders make short work of those who would oppose a Prussian monarch.
* Prussian Life guard
The Prussian life guards are equipped similarly to line infantrymen. However their uniforms are altogether more splendid, marking them out as a superior force, in arrogance if nothing else. They do a good job as garrison troops and are dedicated to the crown.
* Russian Grenadiers
This new Russian unit is great for assaults and their grenades pack a mighty punch!
* Spanish Guardias De Corp
The Spanish Guardias De Corp replace household cavalry for Spain. With almost unbreakable morale, on the charge they are almost unstoppable.
* Spanish Grenadiers
These are a replacement for the standard Spanish Grenadiers with a distinctive bearskin hat to mark them out as exemplary on the battlefield.
* Swedish ‘Lifeguards of foot’
These are a highly trained replacement for the standard Swedish guard. They are often used as a force in a system that defends a monarchy and can be relied upon for utter loyalty and deadly accuracy in the field. Their professionalism is reflected in their fearsome battle reputation.
* Holland Guard
The Holland Guards from the United Provinces are superior line infantry units. Carrying smoothbore muskets, they were traditionally chosen to protect the royal family and have an incredibly high morale, often making them the last troops to break in a fight.
* Scots
The Scots are a Highland ex-patriate infantry used by the United Provinces, renowned for their deadly charge.
* Swiss Infantry
Very disciplined infantry of the United Provinces with quick reload and excellent marksmanship.
* Mamelukes
Mamelukes are fearless light horsemen, deadly when deployed against a broken or unsupported enemy.
Additionally the Spanish nation has had a new uniform design to better reflect its historical look.
Audio:
Sound loading has been made asynchronous, so heavy disc access is reduced to a minimum. This makes loading times faster and reduces any instances of ’stuttering’. Unit group sounds have also been improved, for more realistic group movement. The primary sound library (Miles DLL) has been updated to stop occasional clicking. And we’ve added more sound variation for unit deaths and musket fire.
Campaign:
- Several crash bug fixes in saves, movement, agents and logic.
- Various optimisations have been made to AI and path systems to reduce the campaign map turn times.
- When the pirates are destroyed and re-emerge they now maintain a status of at war with all and are unable to enter into diplomatic negotiations.
- Added small ships on domestic trade routes from the trade nodes to home regions moving in the correct direction, i.e. with the flow of trade.
- The AI should now no longer repeatedly sign a diplomatic agreement and then break it the next turn. Treaties are more valuable and adhered to.
- We’ve fixed some border trade agreements allowing greater numbers of bordering factions to properly trade with one another.
- Movement arrows now reflect the range of the selected units, not the whole army/navy.
- AI will no longer counter-offer and ask for more money than the player has available.
- Fixed commerce raiding taking money from blockaded trade routes.
- Fixed navies getting stuck when forced to retreat from ports (tactial retreat).
- Fixed rare inability to attack certain ports.
- Fixed middle mouse button camera drag stopping working occasionally.
- Made emergent factions be at war with the faction they emerged against if that faction is human.
- Fixed various movement extent crashes.
- Changed background income for minor factions.
- Fixed diplomatic relations with emergent factions.
- Tactical withdrawal will now always leave armies on the landmass containing the settlement of a region.
- Changed war score system to make the AI more likely to accept peace.
- Fixed crash when embarking and disembarking armies at ports.
- Fixed trade ships not being correctly registered in trade nodes after splitting forces.
- Fixed government change diplomatic effect.
- Improved commerce raiding display on trade screen.
- Faction specific text is now used in diplomacy.
- Prevent players cancelling the movement of fleeing agents.
Balance changes
Units
- Charge bonus generally increased across the board for all units and melee defence reduced.
- Greater diversification of stats between different unit types designed to emphasise differences and improve balance.
- Redone costs for all units for multiplayer to improve game balance which better reflects the actual battlefield worth of each unit.
- Mob formation added in for Native American, irregular and some skirmisher units.
- Spot distance for light infantry, skirmishers, irregulars, light cavalry and missile cavalry increased allowing them to spot hidden units at longer distances.
- Russian line infantry stats have been boosted to allow them to compete more with other faction’s line infantry.
- Movement speed of all unit types reduced by 10%.
- Ammo for light infantry increased to 20, line to 15.
Land battle morale
- Charge morale bonus reduced from 10 to 4.
- Recent casualties, extended casualties and total casualties morale penalties increased slightly for higher percentages.
- Rear and flank exposed morale penalties increased.
Fatigue
- Fatigue penalty for melee reduced from 18 per tick to 10.
- Running fatigue penalty for heavy and light cavalry reduced from -3/-2 to -2/-1.
Artillery Changes
- Calibration area for cannons and howitzers reduced. Accuracy of non-round shot shot types reduced to compensate.
- Muzzle velocity of round shot for cannons increased to make them fire lower and bounce more, accuracy also increased.
- Lethality of shrapnel pieces reduced to match canister shot, range also reduced to 350.
- Load time for special shot types for howitzers increased slightly, and range reduced to 350.
- Calibration area for mortars increased, accuracy of round shot increased to compensate. Reload time increased slightly.
- Accuracy of 18 lbr horse guard artillery restored to 65.
- Hit points of gun trains increased to 50, all guns and caissons to 25.
