12th playable faction

[Sir Beane]

I voted Portugal, mostly because they warrant a spot in the top 12 for so many reasons. They introduced a lot of new tech (mostly seafaring). Didn't Portugal have some colonies in the game's space of the world? If not, I suppose that they'll be modded in. Yay for modding!

If I recall correctly they should own colonies in the Caribbean, in South America and in India at the start of the game.

Yay for modding indeed! I can't wait to play mods for Empire (almost as muvh as the game itself).

[Aemilius Paulus]

So, are there any other Native American tribes in ETW? I hope so. I really do hope they get in and not the Portugals, if it comes between choosing one of the two. Anyway, why are there only 12 factions? That is so little. The lest in any TW, although I am not sure about Shogun, since I have never played it. I do not think it had a lot of factions, did it?

I voted for the Mughals. Yes, they were in decline, but they were still a great empire, and TW is all about alternative history. Portugal, Portugal, on the other hand, has by this time totally lost its power. It had some colonies left, but it was never a large military power, even in its height. Plus, the Mughals are highly unique, a welcome break from playing Europeans, whereas Portugal is another one of the numerous European powers that are going to be in ETW.

[Zoring]

Forgive my ignorance, but how is Portugal interesting important and unique compared to Spain right next door?

[Lusitani]

If I recall correctly they should own colonies in the Caribbean, in South America and in India at the start of the game.

Yay for modding indeed! I can't wait to play mods for Empire (almost as muvh as the game itself).

Not in the Caribbean no. South America, Africa(although most of the portuguese possessions there arent covered in ETW's map), India, southeastern Asia (not present) and China...well one city basically(not present either).

[Polemists]

Forgive my ignorance, but how is Portugal interesting important and unique compared to Spain right next door?

It's not ignorant infact your right, and uniquely enough this EXACT argument was brought up before MTW2 came out and lo and behold Portugal and Spain were pretty darn similiar.

It goes back to history vs unique factions.

Historically CA wants to include the major empires of the era, so while Prussia and Austria (they just seperated) and Spain and Portugal may not have that different units, voices, or geographic regions, the fact is they are rather potent players of the time frame.

Portugal plays a unique role in several wars through this time.

Unlike MTW2 though, I think if CA allows Portugal some of the more gurella warfare units they use later, towards Napolean era, they could be quite unique when compared to the line marching armies of spain.

Just my thoughts.

[Sir Beane]

So, are there any other Native American tribes in ETW? I hope so. I really do hope they get in and not the Portugals, if it comes between choosing one of the two. Anyway, why are there only 12 factions? That is so little. The lest in any TW, although I am not sure about Shogun, since I have never played it. I do not think it had a lot of factions, did it?

I voted for the Mughals. Yes, they were in decline, but they were still a great empire, and TW is all about alternative history. Portugal, Portugal, on the other hand, has by this time totally lost its power. It had some colonies left, but it was never a large military power, even in its height. Plus, the Mughals are highly unique, a welcome break from playing Europeans, whereas Portugal is another one of the numerous European powers that are going to be in ETW.

There are several Native American tribes, but it's highly doubtful any will be playable right off the bat. They will be unlocked by modders however.

Shogun had fewer playable factions than Empire. Rome had about the same as Empire (except three of those were recoloured Romans.) Medieval and Medieval 2 were the only games to have more. Empire makes up for this however by having a total of 50 factions over all, which is twice as many as any previous TW game.

CA are unlikely to make the Native Americans playable for balance reasons. They simply would not be able to make them as powerful as the European factions without making them extremely historically innacurate. And if they did do that they would probably get more complaints than if they were unplayable.

Portugal was the first ever colonial power, was still a colonial power in the time period, and I think it deserves a spot because of that. The Native American tribes were not Empires, or even countries, in most cases they only fought to protect what was their land anyway. I think it just wouldn't look right to have them sailing across the pond and invading Europe and India.

[Polemists]

I agree with Beane, this is EMPIRE total war, Portugal was the first really get into the empire swing of things with spain.

I mean, not including protugal is alot like not including Greece and Seclusions in Empire total war. Yes they are both dwindling powers, yet they both will eventually fall, they still however were big power players of the day. Even if the units are identical.

This is one thing about the Mughals, while I think they present interesting units and a wide variety of ground infantry, they never had much of a navy. So I don't know how the Mughals or any indian or native american faction will suddenly be sailing galleons across the water.

We could always be suprised and someone could toss out a random german or italian state no one has thought of, but chances are Portugal will be playable.

[Thermal]

Hasn't it already been confirmed as Maratha confederacy?

[Sir Beane]

Hasn't it already been confirmed as Maratha confederacy?

Not confirmed, but we have a lot of evidence that points that way, including screenshots and hints in interviews . But this thread is assuming that an Indian thread will be number 11, meaning number 12 is still up in the air.

[KozaK13]

I saw an ingame screenshot showing the symbols of the 10 confirmed factions and 2 more factions, 1 looks like maratha, the other looks like mughal.




It could easily be just diplomacy or something, so take it with a pinch of salt.

[General SupaCrunk]

One of the CA members staited that only one Indian faction will be playable, but they didn't know which Mughlas or Marathas. (It was said in last years end)

[KozaK13]

It's just the last symbol could easily be safavids as it can mughals...perhaps we will get maratha and safavids

[Lusitani]

I saw an ingame screenshot showing the symbols of the 10 confirmed factions and 2 more factions, 1 looks like maratha, the other looks like mughal.




It could easily be just diplomacy or something, so take it with a pinch of salt.

The little white flag under the Poland and Prussia symbols looks like the portuguese flag...so i guess that makes it...non playable...pffft

V.

[KozaK13]

Hold your horses i may have been contradicted this could just be the diplomacy tab for india just, like this one for US



Edit this was origionally posted at the twcenter by Robert the Kingmaker, just incase you think i found the maps.
Faris ad Din posted the india screeny on the twcenter aswell.

[Sir Beane]

Hold your horses i may have been contradicted this could just be the diplomacy tab for india just, like this one for US



Edit this was origionally posted at the twcenter by Robert the Kingmaker, just incase you think i found the maps.
Faris ad Din posted the india screeny on the twcenter aswell.

Good find! That screen appears to show five Native American nations!

[Lusitani]

Hold your horses i may have been contradicted this could just be the diplomacy tab for india just, like this one for US



Edit this was origionally posted at the twcenter by Robert the Kingmaker, just incase you think i found the maps.
Faris ad Din posted the india screeny on the twcenter aswell.

Yeah you might be right. Thanks

V.

[ljperreira]

I sure hope its Portugal. I was disappointed that Portugal was not a "Featured" kingdom in MTW or MTWII (I had to download a mod to play as Portugal in MTW).

[Polemists]

was disappointed that Portugal was not a "Featured" kingdom in MTW or MTWII

Portugal was a unlockable faction in MTWII....

[ljperreira]

Forgive my ignorance, but how is Portugal interesting important and unique compared to Spain right next door?

Scotland is right next door to England, are the Scottish not unique? Being of Portuguese decent, I can tell you that our culture, language, history, etc. are all our own. To quote Osprey Publishing's "The Portuguese Army of the Napoleonic Wars": "The English - like everyone else since - found that although they shared the same peninsula with the Spaniards the Portuguese were very different...French wit and author Michel Deon would observe that the Portuguese stood not so much face to face as back to back with their Spanish neighbour".

[ljperreira]

Portugal was a unlockable faction in MTWII....

Yes, I know.....but I said "Featured". Their wasnt the same amount of thought or spit and polish applied to the Portuguese units and what not as there was to the main "Featured" kingdoms. I think there is a bit of difference between the main "playable" factions and the "unlockable" factions.

[Monk]

Good find! That screen appears to show five Native American nations!

Five Native American factions? And here I was worried that conquering North America would be dull!

[Polemists]

That actually is good news as until this point I was worried that in america I would just be fighting new france and the colonist, good to know the Natives get some units and factions to


Portgual can be as unique or non unique as they like, however last time there were 5 main factions and 12 (I think) playable.

This time it's just 12, there are no main or non main factions. Each faction is getting proper voice acting, speeches, units, buildings and unique tech trees, or so we've been informed thus far

[knoddy]

i dont know why they bother makin unplayable factions anymore, within a day of release there will be a mod out to make all factions playable, turn of the annoying little flags and probs increase the turns to 4 per year. u know its true !

[Polemists]

they do know it's true, but as stated before it is more for the reviewer's benefit then anything else.

The 12 factions are complete, custom voices, speeches, units, tech trees, balanced, etc, etc.

The other 38 only have bits or peices, but are not complete.

When reviewers pop open the game, they only want them to play the good factions and the good game. Since reviewers will not download mods anyhow.

So they want a 90% review or a 9/10, not the 8/10 they'd get when a reviewer goes, "I liked factions 1-12, factions 13-50 sucked though."

All about marketing

[Fisherking]

they do know it's true, but as stated before it is more for the reviewer's benefit then anything else.

The 12 factions are complete, custom voices, speeches, units, tech trees, balanced, etc, etc.

The other 38 only have bits or peices, but are not complete.

When reviewers pop open the game, they only want them to play the good factions and the good game. Since reviewers will not download mods anyhow.

So they want a 90% review or a 9/10, not the 8/10 they'd get when a reviewer goes, "I liked factions 1-12, factions 13-50 sucked though."

All about marketing

Yeah, so you can’t conquer the world with Corland or Bavaria until day two or three…

What language did they speak in Corland in those days anyway?

I am looking forward to upholding the great Bavarian Naval traditions!

We’ll teach those blighters to mess with us!

[knoddy]

nothing quite ever compared to conquering the world with the Aragonese.

[Fisherking]

nothing quite ever compared to conquering the world with the Aragonese.

Sure there was!

Which mod was it with Ireland and Scotland?

That was fun! Ireland ruled the world!

I loved the Irish and Scottish units any way.

[Haxorsist]

I think they're counting the US as the 12th faction. In one of those youtube videos in another thread, the CA guy said something like "We have 12 playable factions, some are European, some Asian and there's the 13 colonies."

To me it doesn't make sense that they wouldn't count the US as one of the 12 playable factions. I mean, it is a playable faction, not quite like the other ones, but still playable. If Portugal was in I would think they'd say 13 playable factions. I don't think they would advertise 12 playable factions if they could say one more.

[Fisherking]

I think they're counting the US as the 12th faction. In one of those youtube videos in another thread, the CA guy said something like "We have 12 playable factions, some are European, some Asian and there's the 13 colonies."

To me it doesn't make sense that they wouldn't count the US as one of the 12 playable factions. I mean, it is a playable faction, not quite like the other ones, but still playable. If Portugal was in I would think they'd say 13 playable factions. I don't think they would advertise 12 playable factions if they could say one more.

There is logic to both ways of thinking…

If it were so though I would have expected the 13 Colonies to be an early addition to the faction list. It just makes sense for a marketing stand point…as it is no surprise they are in the game, you know.

But while you have RTI they are an emerging faction, if they appear at all in the grand campaign.

They would not or should not have spent so much time explaining that.

They did make sure to name it in the interview, however, as the North American faction.

That likely means that the Iroquois are not in…

So....

[pdoyle007]

One of the interviews said that finishing RtI unlocks the USA for the Grand Campaign