UGO writes: "Playing Empire: Total War, I'm struck by how its problems mirror those that cropped up historically. Both Creative Assembly and the militaries it has tried to model mastered the pre-gunpowder art of war, and they used systems that were effective in controlling legions of swordsmen, archers, and mounted cavalry. While early gunpowder units operated alongside these troops as the feudal era drew to a close, they were rarely as effective as a unit of spearmen or bowmen, and they didn't need to play a very large role."
