Here they are, the Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Four? Drop it. There are hundreds of thousands of them, and they multiply faster than your slaves manage to clean up after the master's orgy. As you finish your first glass of wine in the morning, a dozen more Horsemen of the Apocalypse jump into the saddle and look forward to bursting into your villa, slaughtering the servants, quartering you alive and burning the whole house for the glory of Heaven. Because the roof that cannot be rolled up and put in a cart is the roof of a tomb, and the tomb is inhabited exclusively by the dead.

Approximately such ominous predictions were probably listened to by the imperial Roman nobility, basking in luxury, at the end of the 4th century of our troubled era. That's when it starts.

The air filled with smoke and blood

Total War: Attila did not become a "named" part of the series, as where the campaigns were based from and to on the adventures of a cunning Corsican. Attila inspired by another page in the history of the series total war- addition Barbarian Invasion, and even dedicated to the same era, which foreshadowed one of the blackest nightmares of the civilized world. Only here this era was shown in all its perishable splendor. And with all the modesty of visual means.

The small pile on the left is the Huns' camp. Except production functions useful in that the units in it do not suffer from the vagaries of the weather. Even from frost!

But the most noticeable difference from Rome 2- artistic. It catches the eye right from the splash screen in the main menu: against the backdrop of a red glow from a distant flame, endless hordes are jumping, militant Mongolian music is playing. Demonization in the flesh, although the Huns, the perpetrators of the Great Migration of Nations, plunged Europe into the darkness of the "Dark Ages" not for occult reasons. But who cares when the world collapses?

Each of the playable factions was provided with a mournful introduction, where the player is reminded: comrade, the hour of reckoning for free days is approaching. Or vice versa - we will burn the Eternal City, we will trample the crops! On the campaign map, the colors have faded, red and black predominate, and fire is blazing everywhere as a symbol of reckless crushing power. Fire colorfully devours the lands that you chose to completely destroy. The boundaries of the zone of aggression around the army are marked by dancing flames.

In battle, fires are expanse. Archers with fire arrows burn not only enemies under fire, not only houses and barns - even the trees in the forest where the skirmishers are hiding will flare up from arrows flying through the foliage.

The eye will not rejoice! In dynamics, the fire is even more impressive. And very useful, by the way, if you do not want to leave potential enemies in the rear.

At the same time, the desired mood is still not achieved with the success that the developers had hoped for. Partly - because of the caution of artists who did not dare to go against reality and, for example, add crimson tones to the sky. Partly - because the game is more complicated than usual, but only thanks to the wrong properties at all Total War: Attila that advertised in the first place.

My name is Horde

At the forefront in the action of the new total war- of course, the decaying Western Roman Empire and its enemies, the Hun tribe that came from Mongolia. Byzantium will have time to mothball and fall only in the 15th century, all sorts of Franks, Saxons, Goths are just a dancer for the people of Attila, and the eastern empire of the Sassanids missed all the fun and went to be devoured by the future Arab Caliphate.

That is why Rome and the Huns are played completely differently than before.

In 395, the Eternal City owned almost all of Europe, excluding Scandinavia, Northern Germany and the territory of the future Scotland and Ireland. But the greatness of Rome is fragile: unwashed savages from all sides try the borders to the tooth, and someone gnaws at the empire from the inside. The army of Rome is small, incomes are negligible, and the popularity of the Senate and Caesar himself in the regions is falling. The elite is split, control is slipping away... in short, playing as Rome will turn into a painful struggle with the rules of history. Just have time to fight off the barbarians, retreat into the depths of the possessions and frantically count denarii, with a shudder foreseeing the cost of provisions.

The symbols are now even clearer, but it can be difficult to separate the infantry from the spearmen in the crush.

The faction of the Huns is difficult not so much to manage as to understand. Steppe nomads are really nomads, they do not have cities, but they cannot capture. Because the horde! In fact, this trick has already been used in Barbarian Invasion, and in Attila just slightly modified.

Each army of the Huns (as well as other nomads) serves as a mobile city, where yurts for various purposes gather and the Hun hordes train. In order for the "parking" functions to work, the horde will have to be camped. To do this, you should keep a quarter of the movement points of the army: that is, advance three quarters of the route - and pitch tents.

At the same time, a lot of little things pop up that could not get into the field of view. So, several hordes cannot be kept in the same area at the same time: they quarrel and receive powerful fines to the already meager income, and they eat beyond measure. It is better to keep the hordes at a distance and bring them to the equestrian fist only for mass battles.

In terms of income, standard building income is always higher when the horde is encamped. Many incomes are inaccessible to her: from trade, for example. The method of earning recommended by the game - raids on every little thing with a demand for tribute - works badly: the tribute is ridiculous, barely enough for travel, and the tributaries strive to make an alliance with your enemies and start the war again. It takes valuable moves, resources, and people to reason with them again.

Close combat always turns into a dump. This is especially dangerous for the cavalry, which will be taken apart for offal in no time, as soon as it stops.

The military doctrine of the Huns is a complete equestrian fetishism. Mounted archers, mounted swordsmen: why brake infantry when there is maneuverable cavalry? That is why battles on behalf of the Huns are demanding on fine motor skills. Run, give a couple of volleys, run away; swoop in, clanging blades, and gallop away, dropping manure. Even small villages become a cemetery for small Hun forces, because there is nowhere to turn around, and the enemy has many opportunities to arrange a dump and tie down the actions of the cavalry. We will mournfully keep silent about the siege: more than one company of cavalry found its stupid death at the gates.

The game for the Huns is perhaps as intense as for the Roman Empire, but much more mobile, flexible and multivariate. If you want - rush to the Caucasus, butt heads with the Sassanids, if you want - gnaw on Byzantine merchants, if you want - a hooligan in the Gallic forests. Everywhere it will be equally difficult for the Huns, and equally interesting for us.

Who will remember the old

Something in Total War: Attila returned on the urgent advice of the public (fans simply knocked down the rating on Metacritic). For example, genealogical tree. Now there is more fuss with domestic politics, and promotion the right people and persecution of the unnecessary became a routine.

Similar dilemmas will confront you if you like the path of intrigue and careerism. The set of actions is not rich, but the consequences for the elite are great.

Diseases and epidemics have returned in a new form: now they do not fall on you "by the will of the gods", but serve as a direct and logical consequence of poor sanitation and high pollution. For example, good workshops and populated urban centers generate more and more garbage and sewage, and wells, as well as ditches and other primitive means of sewage disposal, will be useful to neutralize them. One more headache.

The professional growth of commanders is now expressed by a full-fledged skill tree (armies got the same joy at their disposal). Among the perks are both regular increases in zeal, prestige and cunning, as well as percentage increases to any parameters, whether it be the maintenance of cavalry units or the speed of movement on the campaign map. True, these bonuses are distributed along the tree stupidly, and some extra perks will have to be taken to get to more useful things.

A family tree is more like a return of an old debt than a generous gift. To whom illegitimate children?

But as for the promised brutal street fighting with barricades and crushing in the squares, it did not grow together. That is, formally there are barricades in the game, they are allowed to be built, but not so much as to correct the course of enemy troops. And the streets, perhaps, are too much to make a cunning maze out of them.

But still, the rules of the siege have changed a bit: the blockade of the city has lost its meaning, since it lasts ten or even all twenty moves. Help will eat you all the baldness, until the townspeople finally surrender, and the military ranks will noticeably thin out.

Terrible rain is coming, save yourself!

Down on the asphalt

Sharp little sabers flash,

Little sabers sparkle

They line up against the walls

Then all of a sudden they start moving again.

In some subtleties, shades

The reason for this fight!

Ah, cavalry, where are you?

I stand wet, amazed.

In the flower beds, as if on mounds,

The banners are swinging a little.

Valery Popov

From the time of Shogun to the present day strategic series total war inspired and disappointed fans of strategies and field battles. The main element of the game - spectacular tactical battles of hundreds of soldiers and horsemen - at all times overshadowed the rather weak strategic part. Attacks of light cavalry, the tramp of soldiers' kaligs, menacing cries of samurai, thundering siege weapons - this is the essence of Total War philosophy. Taxes and buildings, chips rushing around the map - this is just a means, a way, an excuse to push thousands of armies under the command of their own nurtured generals on the battlefield.

It is worth understanding and accepting this philosophy, as much in Empire: Total War becomes clear. The days of the Romans and medieval wars are over. On the street is the 18th century, the era of dense formations, rifle volleys, wooden ships and iron people. The philosophy of Total War here has developed to its logical limit. The battles are beautiful to the point of madness, although the sun glare on the bayonet is a test that not every video card will pass. Naval battles are great! Each of them is worthy of Aivazovsky's canvas, and for the swelling sails of frigates, we forgive the game all the hardships of managing your own fleet. Tactical AI wrinkles its forehead severely, with the diligence of a dull but diligent student, gives out what he was taught by teachers from Creative Assembly, and sometimes even manages to portray the commander, which, let's not hide, has not happened in Total War for a long time. Strategic AI fights like a lion. Dead lion. Well, I mean, biting won't bite, but it looks menacing, that is, that is.

The main question of Total War at all times is formulated as follows: are tactical battles good enough for you to put up with strategic oddities and quirks? Empire: Total War is a riot of colors, a canvas of seascapes and battle painters that came to life. For the sake of this - is it worth it to close your eyes to the fact that the mind of foreign kings, generals and ambassadors regularly warps and takes you to the astral plane?

Dragoons with ponytails

Cruel age, cruel hearts! Firearms are no longer an overseas curiosity, but the main means of exterminating the enemy. After the motley Roman and medieval armies, the Total War series took a step towards the conciseness of Shogun. Each playable nation has the same basic set, differing only in the color of their uniforms: line infantry, light infantry, cavalry and cannons. Turkish Janissaries, Russian Cossacks, Elephants, American Minutemen, and other specialized units don't change the battlefield much. The backbone of the armies - the line infantry - also determines tactics: the columns line up against each other, and crackling firing opens; the battlefield is clouded with powder smoke, and the dump usually begins with the flanks tormented by cavalry ... well, or where the melee units, for lack of guns, run to the attack.

Moscow! Still no call!

At the beginning of a campaign, units are only trained to walk back and forth and fire roughly in the direction of the enemy. Cannons fire only cannonballs - in history they were deadly against dense deep formations, but in the game there are none: units line up in three rows, a maximum of four, so that the soldiers from the back rows do not smoke while the front ones fire. And the nuclei fly by.

Military technology researched in strategic mode equips cannons with shotgun shells, and riflemen are trained to fire rank after rank, form tight squares against cavalry, and not clean their guns with bricks. Many interesting innovations have appeared on the battlefield - light infantry in defense digs stakes from cavalry raids, line infantry and cannons pile up small mounds, and dragoons not only dismount, but also climb back on horses if they are suddenly asked to do so. The surrounding landscape has also become interactive - behind stone fences, a squad can hide from enemy fire in half, and entire squads can be driven into houses. The soldiers themselves line up near the windows and in which case they knock out the glass, opening fire. This helps well against cavalry and not so much against cannons.

If you fit the camera close to the guns, it will follow the flight of the cannonball.

An artificial enemy in rough terrain has a hard time, but he tries. Even from a distance it is noticeable how he thinks about tactics, how his electric brains creak. An enemy detachment is walking across the field - as soon as we order the artillery to charge the buckshot, the detachment runs back. We switch to normal kernels - it returns.

And after all, sometimes a computer enemy even dances something! Either he will send cavalry to the flank, then he will rivet cannons, or even hit weakness. The intelligence of the computer enemy in tactical battles is strong compared to what was in the previous parts, especially considering that the bulk of the battles are gunfights. Sometimes he has plugs, where without them. Units get stuck in the fence, weakly reacting to shelling from the nearest hill. Often the computer does not evacuate units from buildings under shelling - and loses them entirely. Of course, AI can win only with a large advantage in manpower or in the level of complexity, but it has always been like this.

If the enemy takes the walls, it will be necessary to assemble a second line of defense in a deserted courtyard.

But in Empire: Total War, for the first time in many years, the player's own units are no longer confused with each other. Remember how the brains of the legionnaires exploded when they were asked to stand up as a "turtle"? No more such problems! Any rebuilding - a wedge of cavalry, sparse for light infantry, squares, squares of pikemen, long lines, tight squares - the detachment performs quickly and sensibly. If you need to turn the front one hundred and eighty degrees, the squad does not mark time. The soldiers make a turn around - and the last become the first.

What it cost for such an improvement in the soldiers' brains to the developers, one can only guess. A lot of work has been done, and the results are impressive - especially if you remember the stupidity of the soldiers of Rome and Medieval. Of course, problems remain. Hiding behind fences and redoubts, fighters often slow down with shooting, so it's better not to drive them there. Friendly fire has become a serious problem - shooters rarely reflex before firing a volley into the backs of fighting comrades, and the problem is treated only by deep micromanagement. Finally, the guns sometimes behave capriciously and often do not obey orders, capriciously refuse to cling to horses and sometimes fire shots at their own - but this is an obvious bug, it needs to be caught, crushed and destroyed.

Pull the guy into the mountains, take a chance

Things are sadder with the storming of fortresses - such formidable-looking stone walls with scarps and counterscarps now almost do not interfere with the attackers. We all remember what a big trouble for the attackers was fraught with the assault of even the smallest fort since the days of Shogun. Trying to cut through the gates or break them with a battering ram, the attackers suffered severe losses. I had to either carry artillery with me everywhere, or put together siege weapons for months.

Conquistadors are a squad that came to Empire straight from Medieval II.

Apparently, the naive Romans and crusaders simply did not know that it was possible to unwind a hook on a rope, throw it on the wall and calmly get up, resting their feet on a vertical wall and whistling Vysotsky's melody. In Empire: Total War, of course, you can line up cannons in front of the walls in the old fashioned way (just be careful - the defenders on the walls also have cannons) and break through the wall with cannonballs. But why? Any infantry detachment is able to pass along the wall to where there are no defenders, and without haste to overcome a multi-meter sheer barrier, without even out of breath. Even if there are defenders, they will not shoot at the rising "climbers" or cut the ropes, but in a gentlemanly way they will wait until the first attackers climb the wall.

The formidable appearance of the fortresses should not mislead anyone. In fact, small fortresses are even easier to defend than large ones, because they are more compact and it is more difficult for attackers to find an undefended wall. The main problem that fortresses throw at both defenders and attackers is the difficulty with formations and finding a path. For example, it is common for defenders on the wall who, in the midst of a battle, were ordered to retreat to the central square and who decided that it was best to use the attackers' ropes, climb down them outside, and then enter through the gate.

Fortunately, in Empire: Total War we are not forced to storm fortresses over and over again, as was the case in Rome: Total War. Sieges now do not last very long, the defenders can be offered to surrender (they never agree, but the main thing is the principle!), And they themselves willingly leave the fortress in an open field, forcing the player to defend - much to the delight of the latter.

P-r-wrap the sail!

But there was a small, small hole in this ship ... and a whole bunch of holes below the waterline.

The Creative Assembly has transformed fortresses from dangerous and powerful strongholds into a minor nuisance on the battlefield. Well, what can you do - the feudal system is long gone, and in the eighteenth century the strategic importance of fortresses fell. The military art of those times is unthinkable without naval battles, Invincible Armadas and boarding. Already in Medieval: Total War I was oppressed by the attitude of the developers towards naval battles. Automatic calculation, eternal automatic calculation. Why, one wonders, build armies and appoint admirals if you can't see them in action?

Now you can see. Majestic sails are inflated by the wind, and ships with graceful silhouettes cut through the sea surface. Sailors are crawling along the shrouds, and cannon crews are vigilantly watching to see if someone else's graceful silhouette is in the affected area.

And then the enemy ships start firing - and the masts break, and the sails are torn, and the wooden fragments fly around, while the frightened sailors scream from the masts ... right on the deck. Beauty is beauty, and there is no time to admire it when the enemy fleet slowly but steadily presents us with our own stern on a silver platter. It seems that the ships are the same in strength, but when the number of ships sunk over and over again is “all-zero” is not in our favor, you will inevitably doubt that it is generally possible to win at sea.

A hill is a hill in America too. The principle “who is higher is right” remained unchanged.

The secret of the artificial admiral is that he is able to control all the ships at the same time and, unlike us, he is not afraid of micromanagement. If you wanted a strong enemy - get it! Our ships would also benefit from a rudimentary AI, if only to turn sideways to the enemy rather than stern. But we don’t have sensible captains, the admiral is forced to “steer” all the ships of the fleet at once, and the only chance of victory is to go to the enemy from the windward side and force him to pile his ships in a heap.

The game has the ability to personally give the order to launch a volley with the whole board, but in reality there is simply no time to monitor the sides of the ships. In order to somehow avoid micromanagement, you have to be cunning, combining ships into a group and lining up in wake formation. Nautical science is hard to come by, and glory to those who can, by wisely using the wind and formations, nullify the advantage of artificial enemy intelligence. His reward will be spectacular explosions of enemy powder magazines, prize money and new ships boarded and joined our victorious Armada.

In the name of man

Combat land AI resists well. Combat Naval AI is unforgiving and ready to stick an anchor in the player's ear at the first opportunity. Strategic AI is dying, asking for soup.

The last thing my lone merchant expected was to stumble upon a flotilla of pirate galleys in the Mediterranean. Fortunately, the sails did not let me down that time.

But what a wonderful idea it was with an updated strategic map - several cities in each province, mines, logging, trading ports and shipyards ... finally, schools where you can study military, economic and social sciences! Let the map puzzle with the division into three regions (Europe, New World, India), but there are special trade zones - by capturing them, a strong sea power can earn fabulous money for each turn, allowing you to buy almost all the areas necessary to win the campaign from the owners . And if we also think about revolutions, about the opportunity to build steam ships ahead of time, a huge field for vigorous activity looms, the prospect of long evenings filled with elegant designs and strategic decisions ... this is if you do not pay attention to AI.

What, you ask, is wrong with him? In general, he is sane - you can trade with countries, conclude alliances, pacts, give and receive the right of passage, enlist small states as protectorates. Diplomats, however, have their heads in the clouds and sometimes start to get bored, offering to give them Courland every year in exchange for the ears of a dead donkey. You can’t shut them up for long, but it’s not difficult to turn down offers every time.

The problem is that in war the AI ​​doesn't fight back. He will, of course, try to retake the captured city and bravely attack the invading armies. But he refuses to go to war against your cities - for historical reasons, probably. If you immediately go to the enemy capital and capture it, then the whole country is annihilated - fleets disappear in the oceans, armies disappear in the forests. You can eliminate half of Europe in one move if, using the right of passage, you drive the armies to the capitals and treacherously capture them. Another major problem with strategic AI is the inability to transport armies by sea. No amphibious assaults - no threat to the colonies, and England need not be afraid of the French. Everything is in the name of a person, everything is for the good of a person, and that person is you.

What about the feeling of achievement? How can one rejoice in victories, knowing that defeat in Empire: Total War is fundamentally impossible? As always! For those who want globality and intelligent AI, there is a series of games from Paradox. In Total War, the strategic mode has always been, is, and, I suspect, will remain only a prelude to insanely beautiful tactical battles and just cause for a fight.

And here they are, pikemen lined up like a hedgehog. Such a system scares off the cavalry and makes the infantry laugh to the point of colic.

Moving from the Middle Ages and Antiquity into the eighteenth century, the game left behind much of what players loved in Rome and Medieval. There is no more fuss with the royal family, weddings and the birth of heirs. It is no longer possible to take a prince and temper him in battles, turning him from a rake pampered by court life into a stern commander who strikes fear into the hearts of enemies. Gone are the incendiary speeches of the generals before the battle. Siege weapons, and by and large the sieges themselves, remained in the Middle Ages. Fans of modifications were dissatisfied - the release of Empire: Total War in the distribution system Steam left them, to put it mildly, little opportunity to delve into the game. The modding community considered this a big stink on the part of the Creative Assembly, and they can be understood - they supported the series with their work for so many years, but they forgot about them.

But - ships and sails! The crackle of muskets and the beat of drums! The commanders of individual detachments cut through the voice, and all twelve countries were voiced in their own languages. But here there are colonies and riches of India. Pirate ships terrify the merchants of the seven seas, and Peter the Great invites Sweden to move, freeing him a passage to cut a window to Europe. New cities and ports are cut through the map, kings chase negligent ministers with a towel, and the mob proclaims a republic.

History in Empire: Total War is created by us - it has always been and always will be. Let victory be inevitable, but what will be the way to it - only we decide.

"And I saw that the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures, saying as it were with a voice of thunder: Come and see. I looked, and behold, a white horse, and on it a rider having a bow, and he had a crown; and he went forth victorious, and to conquer."

(Revelations of John the Evangelist, 6:1-2)

"And when he opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see. And another horse came out, red; and to him that sat on it was given to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another; and a great sword was given to him."

(Revelations of John the Evangelist, 6:3-4)

"And when He opened the third seal, I heard a third animal saying, Come and see. I looked, and, behold, a black horse, and on it a rider having a measure in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four animals, saying: Chinix wheat for a denarius, and three quinixes of barley for a denarius; but do not harm oil and wine."

(Revelation of John the Theologian, 6:5-6)

"And when He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast, saying, Come and see. And I looked, and behold, a pale horse, and on it was a rider whose name was death; and hell followed him; and there was given to him power over the fourth part of the earth - to kill with the sword, and with famine, and with pestilence, and with the beasts of the earth."

(Revelation of John the Evangelist, 6:7-8)

It was not for nothing that I began the review with quotes from John the Theologian. Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, Four heralds of approaching death, sorrow and death, the Scourge of God, which has yet to be felt by mankind during the "dark ages". It is the theme of the Apocalypse that runs through the whole game as a thin red line and is the main idea of ​​the new project from Creative Assembly - Total War: Attila. In Total War: Attila, the developers decided to go on an experiment and create for us almost the only one of its kind Survival-TBS / RTS (Global turn-based strategy / real-time strategy for survival) and picked up the right era, filled it with the appropriate color and atmosphere . How they did it - now we'll check.

End of the World Coming

In fairness, it should be noted that the theme of the dark ages for the total war series is far from new, because old-timers probably remember how they enthusiastically played the addon for Rome:Total War - Barbarian Invasion. Creative Assembly decided to show us this era from a new angle and of course with even greater details, more historical and gameplay elaboration. Therefore, it is appropriate to point out that Attila should be positioned as a remake (or rather, a rethinking) of Barbarian Invasion, just like Rome 2 was essentially a remake of Rome: Total War.

So, in the courtyard of 395 AD, the Roman Empire had just split into Western and Eastern, immediately after the death of Theodosius I, and two fragments of the once united empire still had to survive all the fear and horror of climate change on Earth, and with it the Great Migration of Peoples. However, from the very beginning of the campaign, those players who still dare to try on the role of the emperor of the Western Roman Empire or Byzantium will come to quiet horror. Where is the former power of Rome? Where is the bottomless treasury, where is the invincible Roman army, where is all the luxury and grandeur in the end? Unfortunately, you won't find any of this. The so-called Crisis of the Roman Empire of the III century (235-284) was to blame for everything. The constant struggle for power, endless internal upheavals, as well as the highest level assimilation of Roman and provincial elements, all this made itself felt. Is it a joke - when the Legions proclaim some rogue emperor, who could easily be the son of a Goth and an Alan, and at the same time was a shepherd in the past ... there is no longer even talk about the greatness of the empire. As a result, we see a rather pathetic sight.

At the start of the campaign, the Western Roman Empire is already bursting at the seams with might and main, there are only enough armies to maintain control on the eastern borders, and then but not along the entire length, which is what the neighboring barbarian peoples use, constantly arranging raids on the Roman borders with them. provinces. In Britain, a moment more, and the Picts with Evlans and Caledonians will break through from the north, in Africa, like a storm, the Moors and Getuls will sweep. Add to all this the problem of public order and unsanitary conditions in the vast majority of territories, an empty treasury, meager profits, and you quickly realize that life is pain.

Disband armies? Build sanitary buildings to stop imminent epidemics? Build more entertainment facilities to stop the riots? Raise taxes and come what may? These are questions that only initially come to mind. With each turn of problems and dilemmas, more and more exponentially will come to your head. By the way, an additional time bomb is a stack of nomadic Suebs in the deep rear, where there are even no armies nearby in principle. How to live on with all this "good" is absolutely not clear.

The Eastern Roman Empire is doing better, but not enough to sit somewhere in its palace in Constantinople, take hot baths and drink wine in the company of beautiful maidens. Yes, they are doing somewhat better with the economy than their Western counterparts, and the people are not so dissatisfied with sanitary standards less problems. But this is at first glance. And on the second one we see the following: the armies of the Visigoths have been trampling and devastating the Balkans for several years, all sorts of trash is running in from the north-west, such as Yazygs, Vandals, the same Ostrogoths, Alans, and soon the Huns themselves will come into the light.

But the real threat to the Eastern Roman Empire lurked in the East in the face of the Sassanid Empire. The young state has already surrounded itself with obedient vassals and is gathering final preparations for a full-scale invasion of the eastern lands of Byzantium. And the Sassanids should definitely not be underestimated. If initially their troops do not pose a serious threat, then soon they will create a terrifying war machine that sweeps away everything in its path. Therefore, for Byzantium, this struggle is fundamental - either you or you. There is no third.

As for the Huns, initially they do not pose a particular threat. Three disparate armies operating independently of each other. This element for the Great Empires may be unpleasant, but not critical. But everything will change when the one who is called the Tool of the Apocalypse is born. And his name is Attila!

Other factions and peoples are also a serious threat, but in fact they were forced to fight with Rome and sow death on Roman soil. Yes, some of them can do more than just unpleasantly "bite" in the struggle for the border regions, and united nomadic hordes pose a considerable threat, but for the most part all these vandals, Goths, Alans, Franks, Saxons and other tongues have become active players in world map is not from a good life. Came to their lands global cooling and the deterioration of the fertility of the land, which in turn prompted them to seek a better share in the lands that control the two parts of the Roman Empire. After all, it was there that the most favorable climate and the best fertility of the land were preserved. That is how, not even of their own free will, the Western and Eastern Roman Empires were essentially forced to confront the rest of the world. At the same time, they are not on the best terms with each other.

And it is on the opposition of these four forces - the Western Roman Empire, the Eastern Roman Empire, the Sassanid Empire and the Huns that the developers are betting to show the conflict of civilizations from different sides. Those who followed the official trailers of the game will surely remember the videos with the eloquent names "White Horse", "Red Horse", "Black Horse", "Cinder Horse". So, based on these videos, the developers adjust the interpretation of the interpretation of the End of the World by John the Theologian about the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse to the game. White Horse and his rider - Eastern Roman Empire and its emperor Flavius ​​Arcadius. The Red Horse and its rider - the Sassanid Empire and its ruler Bahram, the Black Horse - the Western Roman Empire and its ruler Flavius ​​Honorius Augustus and the Ash Horse - of course the Huns and Attila, as their leader.

Back to the Dark Ages

So, we have dealt with religious interpretations. With the main characters of this epic and the general concept is the same. So, now you can parse the game on the shelves. However, here, every element of the gameplay was created by the developers in such a way that the theme of survival in these harsh times and the imminent end would be fully revealed. The first thing we see when starting a new campaign in any Total War is the global map. So: forget about the colorful and light palette of the world map from Rome 2. From now on, the campaign map is presented in darker muted gray colors. This has a plus and a minus at the same time. The upside is that such a palette obviously adds to the atmosphere, and will also please those who did not like the overly colorful palette of Rome 2. However, at the same time, especially when you first get acquainted with the game, you will need time to get used to the new colors. The fact is that initially in a monochromatic picture (together with blurry light green land and vegetation in the middle lane and pale yellow desert in the east and Africa) the eye has nothing to catch on, which greatly disperses attention. And some small settlements could be completely lost from sight if it were not for the signs with the inscriptions of the towns. However, once you play for an hour or two, your eye begins to freely navigate in space and not feel discomfort. And such a muted palette does not strain the eyes so much, which in itself is a plus. The interface, by the way, has finally become more authentic (an abundance of various beautiful paintings and patterns) and pleasing to the eye. The same goes for unit icons. Those who complained about minimalist ceramics will be very pleased this time. The good old miniatures of icons of images of real units now look very harmonious and, as they say, "in their place." The wonders of the world also remained in place, and by the way, in addition to the stonehenges and pyramids familiar to us, new ones were added, for example, Adrianov’s Val - the very wall that was supposed to help restrain the Pictish raids on Roman lands in Britain and which is the prototype of the wall in the north of Westeros in the works of J. Martin. Also, the developers have added another pretty nice and fun feature to the global map - now you can rename cities at your discretion. Yes - I can already hear the fears of some players that many will begin to distort the historically faithful Rome, Ravenna, Mediolanium into some kind of Uryupinsk, Bobruisk and other Kostroma. However, if you approach this feature from a different angle, new opportunities will open up. For example, many cases were known when, after the capture of settlements by one power from another, the captured city was renamed in its own way. Or, for example, when a new one was built on the site of a destroyed settlement.

Faction management essentially remained the same as in Rome 2. With the only addition that it is now much more pleasant to deal with it, and several old features of the series have also been screwed on. And again, it is worth saying thanks to the designers. Do you remember how you had to look into the slow encyclopedia of the game in order to see what further you should pump this or that building into and what positive and negative bonuses it will give you? Now you don’t need to go into the jungle of the encyclopedia, because you can use a special building browser, which in a separate window will clearly show you a full-fledged construction branch for each building. And more pleasing to the eye icons of miniatures of real images are much more pleasing to the eye than the ubiquitous antique pictograms. Although, after the minimalism of Rome 2, from the abundance of various buildings, my eyes blurred from a huge selection.

And choose what to build on this moment you will now have to be more careful. Firstly, there are a lot more buildings that specialize in one particular craft. For example, in Rome 2, military buildings were sometimes divided into two types - where skirmishers are hired and where everyone else is hired. Now the times of the first Rome and the second Middle Ages have returned. The unification of units in military buildings is a thing of the past and having built the initial field for training, you will have to think in which of the three directions to develop it further - into a parade ground for infantry, a shooting range for archers, or a paddock for horses. On the one hand, this increases the time for management, on the other hand, it looks more like the real state of affairs, because you can’t train both infantry and cavalry and skirmishers in the same barracks at once, which should please hardcore players. In addition, you will have to think carefully when you build up cities. The same goes for the rest of the buildings. For example, having built a forum, you will have to choose in which direction to develop it further - into a brothel, a market or a coliseum. At the same time, each of the development branches gives its own unique properties only to them, and sometimes you have to choose between them.

In addition to the sharply increased number of the most diverse buildings, now, in addition to the four parameters that need to be constantly monitored, namely, the treasury, profit, public order and food, another parameter has been added - sanitation. Yes, yes, now various diseases and mass pestilence have been introduced into the game. And although we saw something similar in Rome and Medieval II, there diseases were mostly caused by the will of scripts. In Attila, now this parameter is responsible for the likelihood of epidemics and diseases. It is quite easy to control and monitor it. On the call panel of the cities of the provinces, just after your city name, you can now see, in addition to the icons of the number of garrisons in the army and how many turns the settlement can hold out, the icon of the fountain. This is the parameter of sanitation. If this icon is green, then everything is in order with sanitation, if it is red, then urgent measures should be taken. Also, if you hover over the icon itself, then we will be shown this parameter in a numerical and more visual value. The main thing is that the value of unsanitary conditions does not exceed the value of sanitation.

And of course, to maintain sanitation in the city, you need to build special buildings. They are just as different. From fountains to entire systems of water utilities and water supply. By the way, some of them extend their effect not only to a single city, but to the entire province. About churches, ports, industrial crafts, I will not stop my attention, everything is clear here anyway. The only caveat is that, starting from the second level, almost all buildings or buildings that bring good profits, such as the same shipyard, give a hefty penalty to unsanitary conditions and food. Therefore, if earlier you were simply worried that there would be no discontent of the population and that everyone would be provided with food, now if you please, also maintain a balance of sanitation in the cities entrusted to you. More trouble, yes. At the same time, it should be taken into account that different cities have different number of slots for maximum development. Someone has more, someone has less, so you should think in advance what and where to build.

But if urban planning in Attila has not changed much since the time of Rome 2, then for lovers of palace intrigues, as well as those who can spend hours watching their family tree from the beginning to the end of the campaign, a truly royal gift from the developers awaits. As you may have guessed, the family tree is back, along with the Political Actions and Information Browser.

If everything is clear with the family tree, then I’ll tell you more about the browser. Firstly, it is integrated along with the family tree and in this window you can see the influence and control of your family over others. It is a logical continuation of the same browser that was in Rome 2, though more refined. You can also remember the first Rome. There was something remotely similar, though everything was limited to two scales - popularity in the senate and popularity with the plebs and was only available to Roman factions. The principle of operation and use is the same as in Rome 2. Performing various manipulations with other families, such as spreading rumors, weddings or divorces, murder or bribery, you need to maintain a balance of power and control so as not to get a sudden civil war. Well, the functions of the family tree remained the same as before. You can see your family tree, from the founder up to the present day. You can see how many generals and statesmen, their wives and children are in your family. You can even appoint yourself who will be the heir to the empire after the current emperor at your discretion. In addition, you can also assign people you like to public service, to form your so-called apparatus of officials. All of them will start from the very bottom of the state ladder and, over time, gaining experience, will climb it. But you always need to keep an eye on the loyalty parameter. If this parameter is too low for an influential official, then you should be afraid of him and take action, otherwise he will be able to use his political weight against you.

But that's not all. Creative Assembly also added a system of regional governors. The essence of the system is as follows: you can put governors in the cities of your state to more effectively manage the city. However, the whole point of these manipulations is that now, in order to establish an edict, it is not necessary to capture the entire province as it was in Rome 2. Now you just need to put your subject in the chair of the governor of the city, as in the city you can activate any of several edicts on choice, even if you have not captured the entire province.

It is also worth mentioning the technology tree a little. The basis is the same - there are civil and military technologies that give you bonuses for the army or in the social and financial field. Has changed except that their appearance. Now everything looks even more authentic and stylish.

Many are also interested in the fate of agents. As you remember in Rome 2, they did not require any special buildings to hire them. You just had to learn a couple of initial technologies. Now the system of classical totalware has returned. To hire a spy, you need to build a tavern. Each agent needs its own building. Leveling agents now takes much longer than in Rome 2, sometimes agents will learn from their mistakes for a long time, gradually gaining invaluable experience. But in the end, if your agent pumps his skill and survives, it will become an extremely useful tool in your hands. Thus, an increase in the leveling time of agents will avoid the frequent situation in Rome 2 when your special agents pumped their skills by leaps and bounds and after a couple of successful operations they could destroy entire armies and sabotage the work of entire cities.

What, your head is already boiling from all the new-old innovations? Take heart, because that's not all. After looking a little at their colleagues from Paradox, Creative Assembly implemented some statistical functions in Attila. For example, in addition to viewing classical data on a global map, who is your ally and who is your enemy, as well as what is your population growth and well-being, add to all this the collection of statistics on the general level of immigrants in your country, in which regions which one prevails religion, what is the level of productivity and fertility of your lands, the level of sanitation and so on. Sometimes you really wonder at the ambitions of Creative Assembly. Is it not the field of Paradoxes that our creatives want to enter in the future?

Well, finishing the global part, I will tell you about the options for the further fate of the captured cities and the features of managing nomads on the global map. Now, having destroyed the enemy army in the city and the entire city garrison, you have several options for dealing with the settlement - plunder, plunder and occupy, just occupy, and also destroy. And if the first three are already familiar to us from the previous parts of the series, then the destruction of the settlement is a new feature of Total War: Attila, which is quite consistent with the atmosphere of the game. You can destroy the settlement yourself, or your opponent can do it. In any case, the scorched earth tactics work. But this method should be used only in the most extreme cases and rather out of desperation, not allowing the enemy to gain a foothold in a particular territory. The fact is that after the complete destruction of the city, public order in all cities of your province, even the most distant ones, is sharply reduced. As a result, having destroyed a couple of your settlements, or if your enemy destroyed them, then public order in all cities of your country will go into a significant minus and be prepared to suppress unrest. But if you risk destroying your city on your own, you will get good money from this. So, here already choose for yourself what is more important to you, money, or food supplies with public order. Accordingly, it is possible to restore the destroyed settlement, but then it will cost you a pretty penny. In addition, you must lead a settled way.

Speaking of faction lifestyle. All factions in Total War: Attila are divided into settled, nomadic with the ability to settle, and permanent nomads. The settled include the Roman Empire, the British tribes, the African and Eastern factions, the forefathers of the Vikings, and of the barbarians the Franks and Saxons. The rest of the barbarians at the start are nomadic, but can settle down at any time and the only faction that cannot settle down in principle is the Huns. Yes, their fate is to plunder and burn the cities of their enemies.

Just a couple of lines I'll tell you about the last two classes. The Huns and semi-nomadic factions have a rather interesting concept. The fact is that at the start they have no lands and their armies are their mobile settlements. At any time, for example, to hire troops or build the necessary buildings, the army can stop and become a camp. In order to become a camp, the army must have a certain percentage of movement points left at the end of the turn, otherwise it will not work. In this mode, the army itself cannot move, but it can build buildings and hire units, as well as hire agents and build new armies, if the limit allows. Yes, for Total War this is really a new gaming experience, but there have already been examples of such a gameplay, though not very successful (take the same Command And Conquer 4: Tiberium Twillight)

However, in Attila, this innovation got "on topic" and as it should. But keep in mind that your army in such a camp mode is very vulnerable to enemy troops, since you do not have fortress walls and besides, your troops receive a morale penalty in this mode. So choose your parking spots carefully. For the Huns, plus everything, staying camped in one place for a long time reduces the loyalty parameter of your armies to you, so when playing for them, you need to constantly be on the road.

Do not forget that the developers have increased the degree of hardcore in the game. Now, when choosing the difficulty level of the campaign, know that the selected level corresponds to its name. That is, if you decide to try your hand and choose the Legendary difficulty level of the campaign, remembering how easy it was for you to go through Rome 2 on it, get ready for real pain and humiliation...

In a separate line I want to talk about the so-called Total War Chronicles. Now there is a separate web application that is synchronized with the game and you can upload all your achievements, the results of your conquests and activities there. There's even the ability to chronicle your Empire and write AARs as the campaign progresses in real time, while other players can read your stories and compare theirs and yours. As for me, this brings communication between fans to a fundamental level. new level. Plus, it's always nice to read. interesting story, some kind of Vandal, who shared the story of his formation. Although there are quite a few people who have already taken this new feature with hostility, suggesting that this is an extra waste of time and resources on the part of developers. Whether they were right, only time will tell.

With fire and bayonet

Usually, the authors of reviews of hit games try to save laudatory adjectives for the end of the article. But today is a special case. For Empire: Total War we do not feel sorry for epithets. We are ready to fill all six pages with them, because before us is the most amazing, beautiful, magnificent, brilliant, mesmerizing and carefully thought out historical strategy.

Hundred Years War

We quickly learn the basics of land and sea combat in training missions, after which we load one of two single player campaigns. The first, relatively small, is devoted to the formation and war of 13 North American colonies for independence from Great Britain. The story is divided into four chapters. The first missions unfold in 1607 and tell about the founding of the Jamestown settlement by Captain John Smith in Virginia. We then fast-forward almost 170 years and from the perspective of George Washington
first we fight on the side of the British against the French, and then we lead the American patriots: we capture Ohio, Quebec and Montreal, we participate in the unsuccessful battle on Bunker Hill, we sign the famous Declaration of Independence, we fight at Trenton and Princeton, we besiege Boston and, finally, we win the key victory at Yorktown.

In the second, global campaign, you choose one of 11 states, where, among others, our country is also available. The game starts in 1700. Depending on the conditions of the game for 50 or 100 years (one move counts as half a year), each country must complete certain tasks. For example, Great Britain needs to expand its borders through the formation of colonies in America, Asia and North Africa. Russia will have to solve completely different issues: to win back access to the Baltic and Caspian Seas from Sweden and Persia, to annex
The Commonwealth, conquer the Caucasian states and not be defeated in the war with the strong Ottoman Empire.

High Command Reserve

In addition to a normal disk Empire: Total War The Collector's Edition of the game is on sale. Steam Special Forces Edition owners get access to six new types of troops. In the British Campaign, Roger's Pathfinders can be recruited. These light infantry move quickly over rough terrain and are ideal for reconnaissance missions.
and sabotage operations. With the development of shipbuilding, access to the flagship of the Royal Navy "Victoria" appears. The 104-gun battleship of the first rank was the most heavily armed ship of the 18th century. If you capture the city of Kashmir in the north-west of the Hindustan Peninsula, then you can replenish your army with Nepalese Gurkha warriors. Artillerymen of the Ottoman Empire use powerful organ guns, and the Spaniards throw light guerrilla detachments of Corso Terrestre guerrillas into battle. Finally, on
at a late stage in the development of technology, the French can form the Bulkeley infantry regiment from Irish mercenaries.

Economist

The first hours of the game will take you to get acquainted with a huge number of innovations. They are even in the state system. The country is divided into regions. Depending on the geographical features, the territory of the region may contain farms, mines, logging, mines, large markets, agricultural land, as well as one or more settlements. So, at the beginning of the campaign, Muscovy includes Veliky and Nizhny Novgorod, Bryansk, Rybinsk and the capital Moscow itself, Kyiv and Kharkov are part of Ukraine,
Bashkiria - only one Ufa.

As long as the enemy has not approached within the range of a rifle shot, soldiers can afford small liberties. Battles take place both in daylight and in the dark. We must finish before nightfall.
Each small town specializes in one of four activities. In the first, you can build a school and engage in the study of science, in the second - an inn, in the third - a craft workshop, in the fourth - a theological seminary, which will increase the number of Orthodox residents in multi-confessional regions and thus reduce the likelihood of religious riots. In regional centers, depending on the size of the city, two to six building slots are available. You start small
the governor's palace and stone fortifications. Then build and develop military academies, cannon casting factories, admiralties and various cultural institutions.

history of the company

1987: On August 28, Tim Ansell founded The Creative Assembly in West Sussex, England.

2000: June 13 went on sale Shogun: Total War. The game was highly acclaimed by the press.

2002: Released August 19 Medieval: Total War. The continuation of the series achieved even more success than the Japanese clan war saga.

2004: Released September 22 Rome: Total War. The game stood out from its competitors with carefully thought-out gameplay and very beautiful graphics.

2006: The developers returned to the era of medieval wars again and released on November 15 Medieval 2: Total War. Ten months later, an addition arrived Medieval 2: Total War
Kingdoms.

Researcher

In the previous parts of the series, in order to hire one or another type of troops, it was enough to erect a certain building. AT Empire: Total War technology needs to be developed. All scientific discoveries are divided into three groups: social, industrial and military. The last two, in turn, are divided into three subgroups. For example, take the subsection "army"
military technologies. At an early stage of development, it is possible to supply soldiers with baguettes and carbines. After the barracks appear in one of the cities instead of the usual recruiting camps, you can order in your scientific centers the study of the socketed bayonet, square and the theory of military training. More advanced buildings provide access to advanced technologies. By the same principle, there is an improvement in ammunition, fleet, Agriculture, metallurgy and textiles. And if you place scientists-nobles in local academic campuses,
research will move faster.

Not only do Russian infantrymen have a significant superiority in manpower, but wooden fences and fences also cover them from rifle fire. Cotton and ivory are the most valuable on the world market. The main Russian export product, fur, costs almost half as much - 10 gold.

By the way, about the nobles. Three types of agents are available in the game: the already mentioned scientists, priests, well known Medieval 2: Total War, and saboteurs who replaced the medieval scouts and hired killers (the developers abandoned the princesses and truce truants). Now you can establish contacts with a particular state using a special diplomacy window.
The scheme is simple: the more ports you build and trade agreements, the more money will flow into your treasury. There is a single taxation system throughout the country, and with the help of two sliders you adjust the amount of fees from the nobility and the lower class. As social technology develops, people will go on strike more and more often. You can temporarily exempt the region from paying taxes or send troops to the capital, otherwise an armed uprising will break out.

big maneuvers

Tactical features of the battles of the XVIII century

After the mass distribution of small arms in the ground forces, the generals had to reconsider their views on the methods of warfare. Outdated principles have been replaced by linear tactics. AT Empire: Total War it is used by the armies of all developed countries. main feature linear tactics is uniform distribution forces along the front
in special combat formations that allow you to fire at the enemy with maximum efficiency. The tactic got its name because of the characteristic way the soldiers are placed on the field. From a bird's eye view, the lined shelves resemble rectangles placed next to each other.

In historical science there is no common point of view regarding the exact time and place of the appearance of linear tactics. Some researchers believe that for the first time a new way of deploying troops on the battlefield was tested by the Flemings in the 90s of the 16th century. Others claim that the Dutch introduced revolutionary tactics around this time. Russophile scientists testify that some elements of linear construction were applied on January 21, 1605 during the battle of the 20,000th army of Prince Mstislavsky with the 23,000th
the army of False Dmitry I. One way or another, one can safely take the end of the 16th-beginning of the 17th century as a starting point.

The tactics finally took shape during the Thirty Years' War of 1618-1648. The Swedish king Gustav II Adolf increased the number of musketeers by about two-thirds and placed the infantry in six ranks. Later, this technique was adopted by other European countries.

In the 18th century, battles developed according to the same scenario. Having fired from muskets at the closest possible distance, the infantrymen rushed into a bayonet attack. If the soldiers had time, then they had time to reload and fire another volley. In the middle of the 18th century, Prussian soldiers trained in drill managed to fire up to three shots per minute. Unlike Western generals, Russian commanders combined linear formation with other methods of combat. Peter I left the reserve and threw it into battle
on a key sector of the front, Suvorov used columns and squares.

At the end of the 18th century, light infantry began to be actively used. Jaeger battalions were located at the front line in loose formation and mowed down densely standing enemy soldiers with long-range fire. Under the cover of a curtain of fire were the main forces. Approaching the positions of the enemy at a distance of a rifle shot, they deployed in a line and opened regular fire. Then they reorganized into columns and walked forward with a gradual acceleration of the step. 25 meters before the enemy positions, the infantry ran into a bayonet attack. Sooner or later
a gap appeared in the positions of the enemy, where they immediately threw first heavy cuirassiers, and then lancers and hussars. The cavalry entered the rear of the rest of the troops and soon put the entire front to flight.

Sailor

Sooner or later you will want to test your army in action. Finally, The Creative Assembly was able to implement full-fledged naval battles! The developers have tried to make battles on the water simple, but at the same time as realistic as possible. At the top of the screen is a wind rose combined with a compass. With its help, the player determines the most suitable route of movement towards the enemy ships. As soon as the enemy ship is in the line of fire marked in red, you fire a volley from one of
sides, followed by reloading guns. There are three types of ammunition available: cores, nipples to damage the masts and shrapnel to destroy the sailors standing on the deck. An enemy ship can be sunk or boarded and brought to the port as a trophy.

From the side, the battles of the fleets unfolding on the monitor resemble a formal ball. Ships of the line of various ranks, frigates and brigs circle each other like waltzing couples. Only instead of compliments, they pour lead on each other - a bewitching sight. The loss of each ship is a small tragedy. The first one, with torn sails and a frayed hull, threw out a white flag and surrendered to the mercy of the winner. The second one slowly sinks into the water. On the third, a fire broke out. Survivors
sailors hastily rush overboard: it is better to risk going to feed the sharks than guaranteed to die from the explosion of a powder magazine.

We have a road for young people everywhere

If you remember in Medieval 2: Total War our country was ruled by the types with idiotic names like Tooth Kaluga. AT Empire: Total War presented as real historical figures
(heads of state and generals) and fictional characters (members of the government). Alas, The Creative Assembly made a number of significant mistakes. So, at the beginning of the strategic campaign for Russia, Pyotr Alekseevich Romanov was only 16 years old (in fact, in 1700 he was 28). In addition, the developers significantly rejuvenated Ivan Mazepa. In the game, he is 38 years old, but in reality, at the beginning of the 18th century, he turned 61 years old.

commander

Land battles look even better. Forget about heavy cavalry and frontal strikes. AT Empire: Total War the main mass of the troops of modern states is line infantry armed with muskets, and rich powers can afford to hire grenadiers and chasseurs. With an equal number of troops, the one with stronger nerves usually wins. The orderly ranks of the infantry go
to storm a small settlement. Most of the enemies hid behind wooden fences, the smaller part hid in houses located a little further. With the help of a special control panel, you control the direction of movement and the number of rows in the formation. Under the beat of drums, the troops slowly move forward. We didn’t have time to approach the line of fire, as the enemy shooters lose their nerve and they open fire. The first line fired, the second, the third. Several people fell to the ground, but the soldiers did not flinch, the battle order
saved. Now the enemy needs time to reload. We close the distance and fire a salvo. Behind the clouds of powder smoke slowly settling in the air, at first it was even imperceptible how thinned the enemy's forces were. Well, brothers, it's time for the bayonet! With a cry of "Hurrah!" the soldiers rush forward. While the enemy forces are pinned down in hand-to-hand combat, the light cavalry goes around the flanks, wipes the artillery from the face of the earth and freely enters the rear. The deed is done, the victory is in your pocket. We withdraw the troops back and cynically shoot from
guns entrenched in the houses of unfinished soldiers.

Similar episodes Empire: Total War filled to capacity. Thanks to colorful graphics and realistic damage physics, it seems that you are not computer game, but cinema. "Peter I", "War and Peace", "Waterloo", "Napoleon", "Patriot", "Fort Alamo" and "The Adventures of the Royal Shooter"
Sharp" ... only with a gamer as the main director.

After the conquest of the Crimea, Russia finally got the coveted access to the sea. It's time to put the boarding team into action. After a quick rebuild, the Swedish soldiers were in the line of fire.

Flagship

Very highly rated games are usually said to have revolutionized their genre. But in the case of Empire: Total War we must admit that the developers did not come up with anything fundamentally new. Sea and land battles of the troops of the 18th century, fuss with growing settlements, the gradual development of technology, politics met in other
games. Take at least the American Civilization, English Caesar, Swedish Europa Universalis, Ukrainian " Kazakov»
and Russian Corsairs. It's just that The Creative Assembly has assembled a complex, beautiful, well-functioning mechanism from a huge number of components. Each piece is precisely machined, carefully polished and perfectly matched to each other. Imagine an expensive musket adorned with gold, precious stones and ivory overlays. It not only looks beautiful, but also shoots accurately. Before its release, there were hundreds of thousands of different muskets, but this one is the best in the world.

Expanding the boundaries

18th century geography lessons

When playing as Russia in Empire: Total War you will need to significantly expand the borders of the country. Within 100 years, the territories of Sweden, the Commonwealth, the Crimean Khanate, Persia, Georgia, Chechnya and Dagestan must be annexed. In addition to this, in the south there is a war with the powerful Ottoman Empire, and Russia has spent almost the entire century in bloody wars. Were you able to solve the
tasks in real life?

RUSSIAN-TURKISH WARS

In June 1695, 23-year-old Peter I attacked the fortress of Azov. The trip ended in failure. The next year, a galley fleet built in Voronezh with Cossacks went down the Don and laid siege to Azov. A month later, the Turks surrendered. After the victory at Poltava in 1711, Russia undertook the Prut campaign. By mid-June, the troops reached the Dniester. The situation worsened every day. The soldiers did not have bread and meat, not enough drinking water and feed for the horses, but they kept moving on. On the Ottoman side
empire was a fourfold superiority in manpower and artillery. After the battle at New Stanileshti, our troops were under the threat of encirclement and complete defeat. Negotiations began. In exchange for the fortress of Azov, the Russian army received the right to return home through Moldova. On July 13, the final peace treaty was concluded, according to which the Zaporozhian Sich fell under the jurisdiction of the Ottoman Empire.

Three more wars took place in the 18th century. During the campaign of 1735-1739, Perekop, Bakhchisaray, Ochakov and Azov were taken, but only the latter joined Russia. From 1768 to 1774, Alexander Suvorov won a number of significant victories on land, and Alexei Orlov in the Mediterranean. According to the results of the Kuchuk-Kaynarji Treaty, Turkey gave up the northern coast of the Black Sea, paid an indemnity of 4.5 million rubles and transferred the Crimean Khanate to the Russian protectorate. War of 1787–1792
remembered for the victories of Peter Rumyantsev in Moldova. Later Alexander Suvorov took Ochakov. Upon learning of this news, Sultan Abdul-Hamid I died of a heart attack. Then Izmail and Anapa fell. Admiral Fyodor Ushakov inflicted a series of crushing defeats on the enemy at sea. The Turks were forced to sign the Iasi peace treaty.

WARS WITH SWEDEN

At the end of October 1700, Russia undertook a campaign against Narva. However, the breach in the wall could not be breached. This was due to bad guns that failed after 3-4 shots. On November 30, Charles XII struck back with a crushing blow. After the defeat, Peter I ordered to confiscate one quarter of the monastery and church bells from the church, and new guns were smelted from the collected one and a half thousand tons of copper. In October 1702, Sheremetyev's army descended the Neva into the Gulf of Finland and captured the fortress.
Noterburg (renamed Shlisselburg). The nearby fortress of Nienschanz surrendered without a fight.

In 1708, the Swedes entered the territory of Russia. On July 3, Charles XII won the battle of Golovchin and moved his troops towards Ukraine. September 28, 1708 in the battle near the village of Lesnoy, Lewenhaupt's corps was defeated. The transition of Hetman Mazepa to the side of the enemy did not prevent our troops on June 27, 1709 from winning a landslide victory near Poltava. The following year, the Baltic fortresses of Vyborg, Elbing, Riga, Dunamünde, Pernov, Kexholm and Revel fell. In 1713, Helsingfors and the capital of Finland, Abo, were taken. July 26–27
In 1714, our fleet won the battle of Gangut. In July 1719, a landing under the command of Apraksin landed near Stockholm, and Mikhail Golitsyn won the Battle of Grengam. On May 8, 1721, the enemy signed the Treaty of Nystad. In the 18th century, the Swedes tried twice to take revenge (the campaigns of 1741-1743 and 1788-1790), but all attempts were in vain.

THE CONQUERATION OF THE CAUCASUS AND THE DIVISION OF THE COMMON

In the first half of the 18th century, Dagestan and Chechnya fought with varying degrees of success for their independence against Russia and Persia. During the campaign of 1722-1723, Peter I annexed Derbent, Baku, Rasht, the provinces of Shirvan, Gilan, Mazenderan, Astrabad and the so-called Primorsky Dagestan. On the rivers Terek and Sulak, the Cossacks built several fortresses. In 1735, for political reasons, Russia ceded the Caspian lands to Persia, after which it created the Caucasian line of fortifications. Georgia and Azerbaijan joined
to Russia at the beginning of the 19th century.

The Polish state became a bargaining chip in the diplomatic games of strong states. In the second half of the 18th century, three divisions of the Commonwealth took place at once. On July 25, 1772, a convention was signed between Russia, Austria and Prussia, according to which Eastern Belarus and part of the Inflyants joined the Russian lands. On January 12, 1793, most of the lands of Western Belarus and Ukraine went to us. Finally, on October 13, 1795, the borders of the empire expanded due to the lands to the east
rivers Bug and Neman.

Rome: Total War was released back in 2004, but it still has fans who prefer to stay virtually in ancient times and conquer Rome more than in other games in the series. Total War has long been one of the best strategy series that has not left the console and continues to delight gamers.

Rome: Total War came out after Medieval: Total War. The first feature is a new graphics engine, an excellent world map that resembles the good old Civilization. In order to play Campaigns, you need to complete a tutorial that will teach you the basic aspects of the game. In this case, it is not necessary to fulfill all the conditions, you can proceed directly to the Main Campaign in a couple of moves.

We start with the Roman factions: the House of Brutus, the House of Julius and the House of Scipio. On the world map, you can see your cities, as well as neighboring countries, and as you conquer cities, see the entire map. Sometimes there is a problem when you want to conquer a settlement, but you have to look for it for a long time and send your agents or commanders there for reconnaissance. Each character has a certain level of view of the territory.

In addition, the map shows troops, various agents - spies, assassins, diplomats, well, rivers, volcanoes, mountain forests. Also on the sea you see enemy ships and trade routes. The game has a very simple interface and you can figure it out in just a few minutes. In addition, advisers tell us what to build correctly and how to act and teach the basics of the game.

In order to play as factions other than the Romans, you need to complete the entire campaign or destroy the faction. The main advantage at the beginning of the game is that you will have allies who dream of destroying your faction, but do not yet have such power and help you. The task of any faction is to conquer a certain number of cities (depending on a short or long campaign), well, Rome. When playing for other factions, Rome can be conquered at any time, but the Julii, Brutus and Scipio can only do this after reaching a certain level of development, namely, to expand their borders, become a strong country and thus intimidate the senators from whom you will lose confidence.

About the Senate can be said separately, because at first you have to fulfill its task and listen to it. When money is given for conquering a city, this is good, especially at the beginning of the game, but when you get a detachment for it or games are held in your honor, you will not get much benefit. In addition, tasks are often difficult and unnecessary for you, for example, conquering a city in the depths of another faction. It’s good that you don’t have to do tasks, but in order not to completely lose confidence, it’s worth doing them sometimes.

The hourly scope of the game reaches the fall of the Republic and the coming to power of Augustus i.e. 14 AD The game will be a lot of events related to the eruption of the volcano and various inventions. It was especially worth highlighting the reforms of Gaius Marius, after which the Roman army would become much stronger. If you're playing for other factions, then it's worth taking care to conquer Rome and friendly factions before that time.

In strategic mode (i.e. on the map), the main events will be the conduct of the economy and diplomacy. Actually, on these two pillars and the third war, the government of the country is built. The economy depends on the number of units in your city, because it is on it that there are huge expenses, as well as the number of buildings. It is worth noting that in big cities it is difficult to earn income, because there are many residents and you have to spend building all sorts of educational establishments, places for entertainment and more. And the more people more discontent and have to cut taxes. Some of the best ways out of this situation are to withdraw the entire army from the city, wait for the rebels to capture the city, then seize power again and cut out part of the population. You can deal with any captured city in different ways - either leave a quarter of the population alive, or half, and send half to other cities as slaves, or simply capture the city and not touch anyone. The first method is considered the most spectacular, because at the same time you can control protests, raise high taxes and get the most money when killing. The main disadvantage is that the city will have to grow for a long time in order to build new buildings. But if the settlement has grown, then even after cutting out people, buildings will still remain available.

Diplomacy is also a very good thing, although largely useless. Peace treaties are easily torn apart, it is expensive to bribe a general or a city, and a settlement can be captured again. And here's who the really helpful killers are. They should be ordered in cities, then kill a couple of diplomats or captains and switch to generals. Before an important battle, killing a 10-star commander is very good and will bring you great benefits. In general, the war can be won by assassins, leaving the country unattended.

Each general has from one to ten stars, which are achieved as they win. Also, blood inheritance is also very good, because a young commander with 2-3 stars is very a good thing. Few people reach ten stars and these generals are very hard to kill. During the battle, a strong commander affects the morale of the troops and even in a difficult situation can beat the enemy.

In addition to generals, there are also admirals who win victories at sea. In general, there are no naval battles, they are calculated automatically. AT total war battles at sea appeared only from the time Empire: Total War. Naval victories do not bring much joy, although it is possible to block someone else's port. The main thing for which ships are needed is the dispatch of armies to another continent or island.

Generals, in addition to fighting for the battlefield, can later become the rulers of the country. Each of them, in addition to military glory, can lead well in the city, well, or adequately represent the country.

In the game, everything happens with the help of moves and each move lasts 6 months. During this time, the army can go a certain distance, but you take actions that will help you defeat your opponent.

After you have completed the necessary actions, the turn ends. But, in addition to the strategic mode, there will also be a tactical one, i.e. battles. The most spectacular units should be considered cavalry and elephants. The latter are generally very strong and can win the battle, but they have one drawback - sluggishness and poor speed. The cavalry, on the contrary, can crash into the infantry, and it is especially cool when during the battle a couple of units break into the rear and kill opponents. This tactic is very effective, so you should think about an ambush.

The infantry is also very good, especially the phalanx, well, or legionnaires. In the British and German armies, infantry units are huge, but they are powerless against strong cavalry. Well, the same ongars shoot perfectly from afar and very often interfere during the battle.

Any battle actually boils down to one army running away from the battlefield. To do this, you need to defeat her morally - The best way kill the commander. Therefore, it is often necessary to lure the general out and kill him in order to secure victory.

Units in the game are recruited within 1-2 moves, but you can also use the services of mercenaries. There are many problems with them - they are expensive, and they easily run away from the battlefield. Therefore, it is much more important to try to win on your own.

After conquering the city, with special buildings available, the squad can be retrained and improve their experience. Each unit after a successful battle becomes better, more experienced.

But there are a lot of bugs in the battles as well. For example, your army can get stuck or during the siege of the city it cannot take the gate and just stands still. If you get close to the walls, you will suffer losses, and the enemy will not stick out either. Automatic battles often do not work in your favor, and even with huge advantages, you can suffer huge losses.

AI opponents also rarely shine with intelligence, it is especially interesting when small rivals go against a large army with an experienced general, who can be easily killed. This is how it turns out that instead of gathering a huge army and fighting dates, you can win two or three battles. Diplomacy is also kirdyk, often countries declare war on you, realizing that they are much weaker.

Graphics in Rome: Total War pleasant, the models are well drawn, and on the duck map the picture is generally excellent. Although the current games in the series have gone far ahead, but also Rome gives an attractive picture.

The sound is also excellent, some songs are worth listening to separately from the game. Now a few words about Capmania itself, or rather how everything happens. Playing as Julii, it is worth conquering a couple of rebellious cities - Segesta, Segestika and Yuvavum. They will bring good money and the opportunity to build a large army. The Gauls will attack you sooner or later, so you should take care to be prepared for this. We are building a strong army and go to Patavius. You can, kill a few generals and conquer Karalis, which is located on the island. This is a Carthaginian city, but again, the extra money does not hurt.

Then we go deep into the mainland and capture the cities of the Gauls. Britain and Spain will enter the war with you, maybe Germany. They are worth conquering and seeing how your friends are doing. Roman factions will then fight against you and you need to be prepared for this. You can start fighting against Carthage, Macedonia, Greece or Egypt in the middle of the game. Also keep an eye on the economy so that you don't have money problems and have a five-figure sum of denarii in the treasury.

Rome: Total War came out a long time ago. But still the spirit of antiquity makes you return to the game again and again. Sooner or later, you should wait for a sequel, because the rest of the games in the series got them, except for Empire. Despite outdated graphics, often laggy AI Rome: Total War still remains one of the best series that shows how the Roman Empire was able to achieve such power in Europe.