14 DAY TRIAL // Empire: Total War is the fifth video game in the long running grand strategy franchise from Creative Assembly which is now published by SEGA. The developers are saying that the online play component of the game will be handled via the new Steamworks service offered by Valve.
This means that online empire building will be easier than ever, with an achievement system likely to be implemented, friends lists to make finding games easier, server browsing and other features which can be only accessed through Steam. This will make the game more friendly to first time players while also offering a suite of features which other strategy games can't deliver.
Recently, we also saw the first glimpses of the strategy map of the game. The Total War series combines tactical battles, which are handled in real time and involve deployment of regiments and routing the enemy of the field, with an overall strategy map where you can perform the management of your empire. You can manage cities, hire new troops, dispatch a host of agents to cause havoc behind enemy lines and decide how to move your armies around.
Empire: Total War will cover more ground than previous games, with India and North America becoming important theaters of battle. Empires will require resources and trade coming from and to those regions and protecting trade lanes will be crucial in the new game, which is very well considering that, for the first time in the series, naval battles will be handled in real time, just like land battles.
Creative Assembly is also saying that fans of the series interested in pre-ordering the game will receive a copy of Rome: Total War Gold to satiate their thirst of Total War until early in 2009, when Empire launches.