Empire's Expansion

[NimitsTexan]

They mean that:

(a) ACW saw widespread use of rifles, to the almost complete exclusion of smoothbores by 1863-1864, expanding the range of combat and ensuring fire, rather than melee (mainstay of TW), decided almost all combats.

(b) Cavalry (specifically, heavy cavalry, lancers, and the like) saw minimal use on the battlefield, instead being relegated to heavy infantry status, and removing one of the arms of the combined arms triad in use to that date

(c) That, give the two points above, Civil War combat is somehow less "exciting" than Horse and Musket period engagements. Personally, I disagree, as I find fire an maneuver by infantry heavy units just as exciting and dislike melee combat, but that is me.

[ICantSpellDawg]

They mean that:

(a) ACW saw widespread use of rifles, to the almost complete exclusion of smoothbores by 1863-1864, expanding the range of combat and ensuring fire, rather than melee (mainstay of TW), decided almost all combats.

(b) Cavalry (specifically, heavy cavalry, lancers, and the like) saw minimal use on the battlefield, instead being relegated to heavy infantry status, and removing one of the arms of the combined arms triad in use to that date

(c) That, give the two points above, Civil War combat is somehow less "exciting" than Horse and Musket period engagements. Personally, I disagree, as I find fire an maneuver by infantry heavy units just as exciting and dislike melee combat, but that is me.

I think that Napoleonic/American Civil War would be a great 19th century evolutionary title. If you are worried about the expansion being too similar to the full title, this will cure what ales you.

Accuracy of rounds isn't more than a change in a few coded numbers, right? Muskets looked like muskets - total war hasn't become so advanced that we can look down the barrel just yet.

Carbines/Repeaters would add a new element of gameplay. I think that the advance in the Use of Cavalry would be awesome, and since dismountable are already in game, again the switch would be easy.

Some units would be a late unlock - like gattling guns, bolt actions, Ironclads, rudimentary subs would be funny, All black regiments, etc. So much to do, so many external factions that could have gotten involved in the American war, or were involved for the most part.

We'll see, but unless they plan on doing a Civil War Total war, (which I think would be a waste of a title and wouldn't fit in to the series), now is their opportunity. Napoleon, Nelson, Wellesly, Pitt, Lee, Grant, Jackson, Sherman, Meade, Longstreet, Lincoln, etc. There is enough variance in heroes.

[antisocialmunky]

You know, there's also the German and Italian Wars of unification. If they were going to make a WWI Total War game, it would be a good way to segway into it.

[Warhammer3025]

I rather wished for ETW they covered the end period of M2:TW up to height of the pike and musket era say about 1650-1700 ish. My favorite units and time period for M2 were always at the end of the tech tree so i'd spend hundreds of turns babying the AI (IE not kill them and drop off HUGE monetary gifts) so that they'd tech up and i get to rip em apart with my new shiny toys.

Then for E2:TW they could go to the era we have now, it woulda been a relatively streamless transition, but i guess they wanted to shake things up more to draw in more fans.

[antisocialmunky]

A 1500-1800 game would ahve been pretty fun but take a long time. I think they tried to incorporate some parts of late medieval with pike units and stuff.

[janjacobsv]

My vote is on opium wars, Opium as tradegood nice for some diplomatic repercussions and wrecking other countries economies by addicting their population with contraband!
oh and then afganistan will finally be a usefull province to obtain...