Total war: North and south next title?

[Nelson]

The ACW has a huge strategic problem to deal with that makes it unsuitable. There are just two factions and the Confederacy had no chance so long as the Union was willing to fight long enough to achieve victory. The Federals manifestly were willing despite the enormous cost.

If Europeans are part of a “what if?” scenario you might have a game though it would be too fantastic IMO.

Nevertheless, the TW franchise has proven that it can accommodate 19^th century tactical gunfire very well in FotS. Whether this play style appeals to enough players is a question. Cavalry charges and melee don’t amount to much compared to massed rifle and artillery firepower. Not to mention that the late 19^th century brought a close to the days when a decisive battle was likely to take place on a single day. Great decisive battles are important for the TW strategy/tactical marriage to work properly and still feel right for the setting of the game.

[Noncommunist]

What about west Africa shortly before colonization? There, you have Islam, Christianity, and Animism all interacting. Similarly to Japan, you have various statelets trying to modernize and assume more power which means they'd be interacting with the various European trade posts in the area. Also, you'd have Liberia as a state which could become independent of the American Colonization Society. And by having it take place in the 1800s, the slave trade is mostly over so one controversial issue wouldn't have to be handled by the game.

Perhaps at the end of the game, Britain, France, and Germany could start their colonization and the player would have to figure out how to survive. Possibly similar to the Mongol/Timurid invasions at the end of the MTW2 except they'd probably have a greater technology edge.

[Peasant Phill]

What about west Africa shortly before colonization? There, you have Islam, Christianity, and Animism all interacting. Similarly to Japan, you have various statelets trying to modernize and assume more power which means they'd be interacting with the various European trade posts in the area. Also, you'd have Liberia as a state which could become independent of the American Colonization Society. And by having it take place in the 1800s, the slave trade is mostly over so one controversial issue wouldn't have to be handled by the game.

Perhaps at the end of the game, Britain, France, and Germany could start their colonization and the player would have to figure out how to survive. Possibly similar to the Mongol/Timurid invasions at the end of the MTW2 except they'd probably have a greater technology edge.

I would certainly want to play that. Though I doubt an African TW is econically interesting enough for CA/SEGA.

[al Roumi]

Yeah the fanbase for TW seems to be overwhelmingly western. I get the sense that even a Japanese setting is too unfamiliar for some people. Plus the marketing likes to put something familiar like a redcoat/knight on the cover. If China has been too much of a strech so far, I suspect we will be waiting a long time for West Africa:TW.

[Slaists]

Russia, the civil war of 1917-23... This was a rather dynamic war with many participating sides [communists, socialists, anarchists, royalists, nationalists (Russians, Ukrainians, Poles, Georgians, Balts, Finns, etc.) , foreign powers (UK, France, Japan, even the US), run-away merc forces (leftover German armies, Czhech legion), you name it...]: much more fun than the ACW, if anyone asks me. On top of that, the detested trench warfare did not really happen to any significant extent during this conflict; cavalry was still used and armored trains [think, Trans-Siberian railway] played a significant role too.

Here, for a taste, just one little episode of this war : "...Entente Allies began their Siberian Intervention, with troops from the U.S., France, Great Britain, and Japan landing in Vladivostok, which the Czechoslovaks had controlled for some time. In Vladivostok, however, the Allied rescue of the Czechoslovak Legion got sidetracked. The Japanese forces arrived in April 1918 with 500 marines, followed by 50 British soldiers in May, 500 Americans in June, and 600 more British and some French in late June 1918. They arrived to find a changed situation, with open warfare going on between the Bolsheviks on one side and the Czechoslovak Legions and White Russians on the other. Moreover, World War I hostilities ended in November 1918, making the whole mission to bring the Czechs and Slovaks to France and fight on the Western front pointless. An already confused situation deteriorated, and the Japanese got directly involved in the fighting on the side of the Czechoslovak Legion and of White Russians when their government saw this as a territorial opportunity. By September 1918 there were 70,000 Japanese, 829 British, 1,400 Italian, 5,002 American and 107 Annamese (Vietnamese) troops under French command in and around Vladivostok. The chaos in Siberia included the arrival of eight train cars of gold bullion from the Imperial reserve in Kazan. There were atrocities by both Red Army and White Russian forces – and particularly by the Cossacks of Ataman Semenov, now in the pay of the Japanese." (as per Wikipedia)

I do not think, this war will make it into a TW game though, LOL...

[Peasant Phill]

I do not think, this war will make it into a TW game though, LOL...

We can dream however.

[Noncommunist]

Yeah the fanbase for TW seems to be overwhelmingly western. I get the sense that even a Japanese setting is too unfamiliar for some people. Plus the marketing likes to put something familiar like a redcoat/knight on the cover. If China has been too much of a strech so far, I suspect we will be waiting a long time for West Africa:TW.

On the other hand, there are quite a few people in the US with descent from west Africa. Still unfamiliar but it would introduce a game where those people would see people of their race are leaders of factions rather than merely being troops that can be raised by the Moors or Egyptians.

Also, I guess if the British or French were present, that would involve some familiar elements even if they wouldn't play a major role till near the end.

Sounds interesting, but several things in this scenario are flawed/unclear:
-What timeframe do you think of? 'Shortly before coloniatization' would be around 1500.
-Christianity did not existed in Africa before colonialzation (except in Egypt and Ethiopia)
-it would be rather Spain (probably not really, given its focus on latin america), Portugal and the Nederlands (besides the obvious two, England and France) to be active as colonial powers, Germany did not played a significant role in Africa until the German Empire was created in 1871, same goes for Italy.

Large scale colonization of Africa didn't start till the 1880s. However, there were trading outposts there since the 1400s. Thus, there was some Christianity but not to a large extent till full colonization. Not sure if it was as common as it was in Japan. As for the Germans, they did establish a colony in Togo though they didn't get involved till pretty late and the Portuguese and Dutch were pretty involved when it largely involved trade.

[Graphic]

The limit in factions means ACW:TW wouldn't be suitable as a full title, but I can see it as an expansion to Empire 2 if that game was set in the 19th century.

My list of what I want most is:

1. 1600s. Colonies from scratch or in their relative infancy for most factions, Thirty Years War, sectarian violence (the return of religion as a force in TW), the gradual fade of plate armored knights and spearmen to gunpowder armies, English Civil War expansion, etc... the 1600s is never talked about as a possible TW game but to me it offers the most compelling possibilities.

2. Empire 2 set in the 19th century - They don't have to throw out the nice mechanics introduced in FotS, very good possibilities for expansions (aforementioned ACW, but also Crimean War and Franco Prussian), a much larger map (hopefully the entire world). A campaign focused on the rush for Africa would be very interesting tactically, though probably not likely since it'd basically be a simulation of wanton slaughter and enslavement.

3. Asia: Total War with particular focus on Mongols and their descendant domains. There would be an Asian grand campaign from Turkey and Egypt to Korea, from India and Indonesia to Siberia. But the possibilities for more specific campaigns are numerous and exciting. Genghis uniting the tribes, Mongol invasion of China, the Golden Horde invading Eastern Europe (IIRC they were gearing up to annihilate Poland and other kingdoms near her when it was called off to Kublai Khan's death -- imagine how different history would be today if Germany had been desolated or been subject to a Mongol vassal state), Tamerlane, invasion of Korea, invasian of Japan, etc. etc. etc.

4. Rome 2. We can finally have those Ben Hur naval battles, but this is number four because I don't think CA will be able to resist fantasy units when making this. Head chuckers, naked berserkers, bronze age Egyptians, and screaming women will return. Also because we'll be back to the same old European map we've been restricted to, without extra theaters, in 4 Total War games.

[edbenedict77]

Ok so Now CA is making RIITW. But I sincerely hope after making RIITW an Epic game, with all the good features fromm all the previous TW games, they will make Ancient China TW or Empire 2 TW, where a larger map is covered and with the Shogun 2 mechanics. It will be quite a winner. I think anything that does not involve flying dragons will be a winner for the titles after RIITW. TW has always been about historical era, so I hope they make one about Ancient China and its many dynasties, with Mongolian conquest as expansion. And I do hope they will make spin-off games about the American Civil war and Crimean war. Because they are different maps and many different units can be included in them. Maybe CA has vision of incorporating ariel warfare in the future to expand into the Great War and WWII period, but honestly I cannot think of a way that will be possible in the campaign map..... Maybe the geniuses in CA will think of a way to do it :)

[Liberator]

What about west Africa shortly before colonization? There, you have Islam, Christianity, and Animism all interacting. Similarly to Japan, you have various statelets trying to modernize and assume more power which means they'd be interacting with the various European trade posts in the area. Also, you'd have Liberia as a state which could become independent of the American Colonization Society. And by having it take place in the 1800s, the slave trade is mostly over so one controversial issue wouldn't have to be handled by the game.

Perhaps at the end of the game, Britain, France, and Germany could start their colonization and the player would have to figure out how to survive. Possibly similar to the Mongol/Timurid invasions at the end of the MTW2 except they'd probably have a greater technology edge.

Sounds interesting, but several things in this scenario are flawed/unclear:
-What timeframe do you think of? 'Shortly before coloniatization' would be around 1500.
-Christianity did not existed in Africa before colonialzation (except in Egypt and Ethiopia)
-it would be rather Spain (probably not really, given its focus on latin america), Portugal and the Nederlands (besides the obvious two, England and France) to be active as colonial powers, Germany did not played a significant role in Africa until the German Empire was created in 1871, same goes for Italy.