La Grande Armée

Introduction

The Napoleonic era profoundly transformed Europe, leaving nothing untouched. As one of history's greatest and most controversial generals, Napoleon forever changed the way wars are fought, a fact reflected in Creative Assembly's latest title, Napoleon Total War. However, this only a small part of the era's complex and fascinating history.

To support his imperial ambitions, Napoleon created the modern nation state by centralizing power, restructuring society, and reshaping economies, at times for better and at times for worse. These are Napoleon's most enduring legacies, yet they are largely absent from NTW.

Our mod attempts to rectify these omissions. It allows you to immerse yourself in this colorful period through an enthralling game-play unprecedented in Total War history. We are aiming to provide the best possible experience in all aspects of the game: from the largest scale, like the introduction of new technologies, to the smallest unit details.

We are also attempting to capture the spirit of the times as closely as possible and to tell people about the history of the period in a way that is as fun as we can make it. We are working closely together with professional historians to bring to you the best possible experience (and rest assured that we are not as Napoleon-enthusiastic as the above teaser suggests).

What might be most important to you as a gamer is that we are going to add many new features to the game that are unique to our mod and have, not been seen in any Total War game to date. Other features and concepts should be well-known to you if you have played other mods for the series. Which these are exactly will be disclosed in due time, but we are confident that they will introduce a new level of enjoyment to the Total War series.

Description

The setting

The year is 1805, and in Europe all signs point to war; a war the likes of which the world has never seen. In the next ten years, the peoples of the old world will stand witness to a struggle of titanic dimensions that would forever change the fate of the world. For in the west, a new star has risen to the highest echelons of power: Napoléon, the man who crowned himself Emperor of France, and is anointed by the Pope himself. It is his destiny to lead the French Empire to fame, power and glory. It is by his command that armies are set into motion, larger and stronger than ever before... And it is his will that France should dominate all of Europe.

Filled with a patriotic fervor that burns fiercely in their hearts, Napoléon's soldiers march into battle against the enemies of France: the Austrians and Russians, who see Bonaparte, as they call him, as an upstart and usurper, a danger to their peace and prosperity - and, above all, the power over their people. The British, who rule the seas, and threaten the Grand Empire's interests in Europe and around the globe. And the Prussians, who have so far stayed neutral, but gaze enviously on France's grandeur and will certainly seize any opportunity to curb French influence. All of them offer shelter and protection to French Émigrés: mostly nobles who have refused to live by the ideals of the French revolution and continue to spread their lies about the legitimacy of Napoléons rule.

However, enemies of the Emperor are not only to be found on the outside of his realm. His power at home still hinges upon his repeated victories on the battlefield, as he does not yet have the strength to rule absolute. Napoléon must play his cards carefully to retain the favor of the populace: By patronizing science and the arts, decreeing the Code Civil, and again allowing religion to play its traditional role in the life of the small man, he shows himself as a masterful politician. Not merely content to lead France to military glory, Napoléon wants to transform it into the most enlightened state on the face of the planet. He and his ministers are constantly reforming the laws of the land and developing the economy, for the good of France, and, ultimately, the good of man.