So far, the best title of the series

Some title of "Total War series' had so many teething problems that it was not worth the game before the first (or second) large patch to acquire. This is by Napoleon: Total was not the case. After 1, 5 days I have to say that Napoleon release version is already very convincing. In my estimation, the best title of the series ever been - and that with this "Stand alone add on" at an attractive price !!
This review assumes that the reader the basic principle of the series is already known.

What is good? What is less well?

1. Battle AI
As in the final version of its predecessor, "Empire", the game is now a battle AI that the player on the stage "hard" very requested, without the KI would be felt pimped with bonuses. Unlike in Vanilla versions of TW: Rome or TW: Medieval (worse) it is no longer there with fast flank attacks a superior army time to wipe up without loss of the card.
The AI ​​reacts now much better. A real innovation in Napoelon: The AI ​​now also takes place units back when a battle is clearly lost! "Run today, to fight another battle tomorrow." And because you have to fight in the campaign as a player ever with supply problems, it breaks a fast neck when you have a defeated army not also destroyed.
The influence of generals will be visualized by a circular zone of influence to the general unit. A General unit 3 x / per slaughter unit morale lift with a special ability.
[Recommendation: Gefechtschwiergkeit not left on Normal, but hard. In normal, it is far too easy to break the morale of the AI. Who on "normal" game missed my opinion nachden all the fun! ]
But In addition to strong overall impression also reappear a few well-known weaknesses:

- AI often with inferior troops too aggressive
- Generals with suicidal tendencies (ie, sometimes it happens that enemy generals or cavalry intervene without Erfolgsausicht and distress into battle and die)
- Harmless the player on the flanks unit confused the AI ​​sometimes and enticed them to divide their own troops (ok, it is debatable whether this is a bug or error :)

2. Replenishment
A major innovation by "Napoleon" is the replenishment system - and it is a good !! It is no longer possible simply to reinforce in enemy territory. only in its own territory to its own troops build slowly back to (automatically). Generals in the field can continue to recruit, but new units have to travel as in "Empire" on the campaign map. Winter and desert wear over the armies - in winter the General should better find a city as a winter home, otherwise he finds himself quickly with a small handful of demoralized soldiers again where precisely was still a proud and strong army! This strategic challenge and the long supply lines complement the well-known game play very well.

3. Multiplayer
How long we have been waiting for? and now it's finally here !! Multiplayer campaigns. Here Napoleon offers two variants:

1) a pure MP Kampagne- which is certainly not for all eligible, if only because of the long season of a single campaign. Unfortunately, there is no dedicated mini campaign for MP (though I have not yet all unlocked).

2.) Human opponents in their own campaign (!). you can invite a human opponent via mouse click at any time now at large (and reasonably balanced battles). The game uses this Steam. The invitations can be made open or restricted to the Steam Friends list. And it works well !!!. I played in my first campaign some great battles against human generals and that was every time an exciting game. For Vets series is certainly the new strong AI bit challenging / boring. Now the developers have solved this problem by simply replacing the AI ​​through human brain. Thanks to the developers! Voice chat is actually already available as an option.

4. Construction
Urban development has been greatly oversimplifies after first impression, but this does not bother me. Cities are now more specialized, also a challenge when the cannon foundry 10 laps movement is far away again. ;)

5. Graphics
No big changes, but no more Klonarmeen, soldiers now have different faces (32). Campaign maps and battle maps have graphic animation of four instead of two seasons. On high settings very pretty fog and dust effects.

5a. Sound
as always very coherent unobtrusive soundtrack. Partly very amusing comments in the Origalsprachen the armies (at least those which I understand ^^)

6. Crashes / Bugs
Can only speak for myself - No crashes, no error or other graphic so far. (After about 30h playing time)

CONCLUSION: strong buy recommendation for the series lovers as well as for newcomers. Especially newcomers get here a great mature product, surely one of the top games in the strategy genre currently and in the past 2 years.

[Personal note to Steam: I was not a fanboy of Steam as a sales platform. But who boycotted games today, because the publisher at Steam & Key sets did not understand what happened in the Instustrie in recent years. Pure PC platform is thank pirated almost dead. Large investments in pure PC title amortize no longer be without an online platform. Top titles are therefore designed only for consoles, PC games are only Konsolnen - adaptations. Why a few strategy games come so relatively to the market? If publishers are forced to rely on Steam and online authentication so we owe it mainly to piracy. Sure you can much be done better on Steam. But I am grateful that at all Top Tracks for PC are developed. When the shooter genre that's almost over.]