3D Units and Faction Info Over At the Official Empire Site

[Sir Beane]

Yes but what will you build when you seige?

I mean the battering ram, ladders, and seige towers are all out,

so unless you are building mortars or special artillery...not sure what would be in....

You might build sapping tunnels and try to blow up the walls that way. Other than that I think it is just expected that you brought arty with you. Because almost ever army had some during the time period.

[Khaled]

I will have unlocked Saxony and all their pink factioned glory and force you silly Russians to wear the uniform you deserve while being my cannon

[scipiosgoblin]

Yes but what will you build when you seige?

I mean the battering ram, ladders, and seige towers are all out,

so unless you are building mortars or special artillery...not sure what would be in....

They did use ladders during the breach assault. Also, if you have no respect for the defenders, you might try an escalade (ladders only assault). Sir Arthur Wellesley had his men escalade the walled city of Ahmednuggur. It demoralized the enemy to see the redcoats fly over the wall and brush all resistance aside.

[Polemists]

Well with all factions revealed and demo info out I'm not sure we are going to get much more updates on this thread.

The game day is of course coming on Wed which will probably mean we get a ton of blogs for the next week till release.

All that said tho think the factions and unit updates will be done for now.

[Sir Beane]

Last and definitely least here is the US. Portugal shall have it's revenge, oh yes, and it will be brutal.

United States of America

The United States of America is a nation forged in the fires of revolution and rebellion against a British monarch seen as distant, foreign and tyrannical.

After the French and Indian Wars, the British government took an entirely unreasonable line: the American colonists should pay taxes to contribute to the navy and army that helped defend them. After all, those colonial fellows enjoyed the benefits of peace, protected by Britain’s expensive soldiers and sailors. The colonists had other views. The British responded with political stupidity and military ineptitude.

Aided, once they had rebelled, by the French Bourbons (who, for reasons of their own, had every wish to see Britain pre-occupied with war and then humiliated by seditious rebels), the Americans faced down Britain. The struggle split counties, cities, towns, even families, but it united the nation.

In its wake, the revolution left a new kind of nation, a republic where men choose their own destinies, and are not subject to the whims of kings. This spirit of independence is a source of strength: it is an idea worth defending! It is also a source of weakness, for Americans cherish the right to do as they think best. This is not necessarily a good thing in an army.

America now has a future of boundless possibilities. A continent stretches away to the West, and no one is entirely sure what is to be found there. The Atlantic swell washes against the eastern seaboard, and beckons American seamen onwards: trade and adventure lie that way too. There may still be scores to settle with the British in Canada, or ambitious nations from Europe to discourage. There is much to do, if this newest and boldest of nations is to survive and prosper!

[Monk]

Last and definitely least here is the US. Portugal shall have it's revenge, oh yes, and it will be brutal.

Just for that, Lisbon is getting sacked.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[ljperreira]

Even though I was hoping, I knew all along Portugal would be skipped. We are a forgotten people . CA has once again foresaken England's oldest ally (dramatic enough for you)

[Sir Beane]

Just for that, Lisbon is getting sacked.

We'll see who sacks who's capital first .

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Even though I was hoping, I knew all along Portugal would be skipped. We are a forgotten people . CA has once again foresaken England's oldest ally (dramatic enough for you)

Excellent level of dram, good show .

[ljperreira]

Thanks, I'll be here all week

[Fisherking]

I think to a certain extent some of the nations listed as minor powers are there more because they were not fleshed out in the game more than being of little consequence.

[ljperreira]

True, but the fact that they are not "fleshed out" makes it seem like CA believes they weren’t important. If you look at a map of the British Empire at the beginning of the 19th century, and compare it to the campaign map of ETW, its pretty obvious (to me, anyways) why certain parts of the map were included, and others left out. With the exception of Africa and Australia, the map pretty much represents areas eventually influenced (controlled) by Britain by the 19th century, and the countries that were "fleshed out" were nations that directly affected the growth of the British Empire.....thats my theory anyways. But I dont blame them, since CA is a British video game developer its only natural for them to think this way.
Compare the campaign maps here to the attached pics. The black and white map I got from this site and the color one from Wikipedia, and a comparison to the Portuguese empire at the beginning of the 19th century, also from Wikipedia

[Zoring]

Well the fact is that the British are also the founders of the biggest empire the world has seen right. Also America, Canada, Britain, Australia & NZ are all fairly major western nations founded by England who are all taught a fairly anglo-centric history of this time in history and whose education systems are fairly similar so educated people from all those nations would probaby have a similar understanding of this period.

[ULC]

And? That's not really justification to create a slanted game, at all. CA has a responsibility IMO to not be so biased in representing history, and simply stating that the populaces ignorance is the justification for creating a Anglo-centric game is pathetic, again IMO. It makes me wonder how all the other nations will be represented if that's the way it is, and makes me hope for a Historical mod to come out for the game, where I can play as any faction and not worry about slanted history.

[A Very Super Market]

Slanted history. Are you serious? If CA made a slanted game, they would have made the British invulnerable. We know how TW games go, sometimes Greece will defeat Rome, and sometimes Milan will counquer France. I don't find the three theatres to be slanted at all. North America has the French, Spanish, English, and numerous Native tribes. South America has two European factions that have taken over the entire landmass, covered in jungle that no one could fight battles in, and have no native tribes whatsoever. Plus a few tiny German, Dutch, French and English lands concentrated on the North coast.

[ljperreira]

Well the fact is that the British are also the founders of the biggest empire the world has seen right.

Yes, but only after the time period represented by ETW (1700-1800(?)). The vast majority of the British Empire is aquired after the Napoleonic wars (1815).

Also America, Canada, Britain, Australia & NZ are all fairly major western nations founded by England who are all taught a fairly anglo-centric history of this time in history and whose education systems are fairly similar so educated people from all those nations would probaby have a similar understanding of this period

Yep, which is why I said I understand where theyre coming from. Portugal's empire is primarily in South America, Africa, and Asia. Since these areas are not included on the campaign map (due to CA's "anglo-centric" view, as you call it) it doesnt make sense to add them as a "featured" Faction. I only mentioned this because I was (am) pretty well pushed out of shape when I found out Portugal wasnt on the list. When questioned, the CA representative(s) would only respond that they "had their reasons".....I think they should just come out and say "look, were British, our game is centered around Britain, deal with it". Thats a pill a little easier swallowed than "we have our reasons". Honestly, I wish they had just spent a little more time and added Africa and South America to the campaign map......

Oh, and I was born and raised in California, so Im well aware of the "Anglo-centricity" of our education system

[crazyviking03]

This is one of those things that will happen no matter what. In the end, there is always going to be someone or some nation left out of the mix. whether it is a mixture of marketing needs,"anglo-centricity", CA's "other reasons" or what not. I always sit back and enjoy the show everytime a TW game nears release, because this always happens. I have always been baffled by the offense and anger people put forth because the national pride of this nation or that kingdom wasnt properly vindicated in A COMPUTER GAME.

Same thing happend with M2TW, when the Bulgarians were left out, and in the end they have been expertly modded into the game. The same thing happend in Rome when Egypt wasnt portrayed as greek. Once again, the situation was eventually expertly corrected, many times over, and we all survived.

My honest opinion? Yes, i think it is very strange that Portugal is not one of the 12 main factions. Yes, i think it is odd that MY country made the cut instead. But 6 months from now, it will all be ok.

***this isnt really directed at any one person, just kind of spilled out onto my keyboard**

[PanzerJaeger]

And? That's not really justification to create a slanted game, at all. CA has a responsibility IMO to not be so biased in representing history, and simply stating that the populaces ignorance is the justification for creating a Anglo-centric game is pathetic, again IMO.

Umm, CA's only responsibility is to make a computer game that sells well. We should all just be happy they haven't succumb to the legions Dungeons and Dragons types out there who won't touch a game without magic, trolls, and fairies in it.

Go to your local game shop and look at the top shelf releases... the games 50$ and more... how many are even remotely as close to history as any of the TW games have been?

[quadalpha]

One of the beauties of the free market is that CA don't need to justify anything to anybody. On the other hand, I'm not sure if we're supposed to believe in the market anymore .

[ULC]

I'm sorry if my statement offended anybody, but I just dislike the way Portugal has been shoved to the side and isn't a real competitor in the Colonization arena for the Vanilla game. I'm not saying CA should have/shouldn't have, but I will be most pleased when a mod comes out that portrays history from a more neutral point of view with everyone at the true advantage/disadvantage they were at in the beginning of 1700.

And sorry if I am still not clear - filling out a bunch of applications and am very tired