US on factions list

[Monk]

Hah! Take that Portugal!

Seriously now. I can't say I'm surprised to see the US get in. It will be a huge marketing ploy to get a lot of American gamers, who may not be particularly interested in this period, on board with ETW.

Being an American gamer who is really interested in this period, however, I must confess I'm not looking forward to playing my home nation. I'm much more interested in giants of the era: France, Russia, Prussia, Sweden. ect.

I'll give the US a spin, no doubt, but not until I've had my fill of the European theatre.

[Sir Beane]

Here we go:

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!

[Nelson]

The USA was bound to be in the game without any regard to North American marketing. How could it not be? The War for Independence involved several world powers and was one of the watershed events of the 18th century!

[BeeSting]

The USA was bound to be in the game without any regard to North American marketing. How could it not be? The War for Independence involved several world powers and was one of the watershed events of the 18th century!

Netherlands also jumped on the side of France.

[Sir Beane]

The USA was bound to be in the game without any regard to North American marketing. How could it not be? The War for Independence involved several world powers and was one of the watershed events of the 18th century!

I have no problem with it being in the game, indeed it should be an emergent faction. The fact that it is playable is extremely odd however given that there are only 12 playable factions. Consider, in 1700 Portugal was a world power, had an overseas Empire to rival most other factions, and was a strong naval and trading presence. And the US... didn't exist.

I think the decision to make them playable was probably motivated by a desire to reach out to the American market.

I wouldn't mind that the US was playable at all if Portugal was as well, or if CA had gone with a greater number of playable factions. It's just that they grabbed quite a coveted spot away from a nation which more than deserves it.

[KozaK13]

Are the Mughals not also playable from what we have seen in the demo files?

[crazyviking03]

While I must admit that giving 1 of 12 slots to a nation that will only exist in the last qaurter of the game's time frame is odd, I gotta say AMURICA!!

[Nelson]

I think the decision to make them playable was probably motivated by a desire to reach out to the American market.

That could certainly be the case.

I think the USA is playable because a lot of people will want to play it. Americans to be sure but plenty of other folks too. Defeating the UK could be a real challenge for the rebels.

True, the colonies were British until 1776. That’s still 25 years of the century that the USA was a separate entity with a role to play on the world stage. The war was 8 years long.

Meanwhile, the Portuguese Empire was declining during the 18th century. They still made money via trade but fought no wars with any Europeans during this time of which I’m aware.

Perhaps Portugal will be playable in a Napoleon Expansion. They were definitely a player in the Peninsula War.