Empire: Total War Multiplayer Beta Begins

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As promised, publisher Sega and developer Creative Assembly have kicked off the open beta to help test the multiplayer functionality coming to Empire: Total War (PC). All owners of the historical strategy game, released this past March, are able to join in on the open beta by registering at the official website, after which they'll be e-mailed a key to download and play the beta client through Steam.

"Information and user feedback gathered from this Open Beta should help us getting the Campaign Multiplayer mode ready to be a regular feature in upcoming titles in the Total War series," creative director Mike Simpson noted previously.

A rundown of the open beta's features, as compiled by the developer, follow:

Empire multiplayer campaign beta features:
  • Play on the entire Empire campaign map (All 3 theatres) against another player.
  • Fight against far improved AI nations, overhauled by update 1.5.
  • Work together or in competition to dominate the entire Empire campaign map.
  • Play via LAN or the Internet through Steam.
  • Engage in diplomacy with AI factions and another player.
  • Betray or cooperate with a friend or enemy, the choice is yours.
  • Fight real-time battles against the AI together, or have a friend take the AI's place in battle for the ultimate tactical challenge!

Chris Faylor was previously a games journalist creating content at Shacknews.

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From The Chatty
  • reply
    December 8, 2009 11:41 AM

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    • reply
      December 8, 2009 12:12 PM

      Agreed on the simultaneous turns. even Civ IV has this! Nothing more boring than waiting on some random person to return from their bathroom break!!

    • reply
      December 8, 2009 12:49 PM

      Yea... No simultaneous turns means no mp for me.

      I don't understand why developers don't get that this functionality is necessary. I'm looking at you HoMM5.

    • reply
      December 8, 2009 5:25 PM

      I'm not sure how simultaneous turns works, would it be a race to see who can attack who first in a turn. It actually works not as bad as i would have thought..

      -You set a time limit on turns, we did 2 mins, this meant that you had to be relatively quick with your turns and the other wasn't waiting too long.
      -Fortunately, and i didn't expect this, while waiting you can continue too look at the majority of your information, including your cities, technologies, units, what you'll build etc. Also, many of the enemy units. Therefore you definately aren't too bored as you have plenty to do while you wait. You just can't queue moves/purchases on your turn.

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