I Didnt know the American Indians fought in rank and file formation!

[Kraxis]

Well the indians were pretty adaptable. The first encounters in NA lead to the Indians getting shredded as they came out in, well not exactly formation, but they came out into the open to settle their stuff like usual. Even they preferred to do stuff mano a mano when disputed had to be settled.

They learned their lessons well and stayed well away from such tactics. The Europeans however took extremely long to learn to use light infantry tactics when the indians no longer wanted to meet them head on. There is a reason the 13 colonies didn't stretch very far inland... The powerful indian conferderacies that gave out black eyes left and right if groups of settlers decided to go too far.

And while the image of the indian warrior is one of the noble savage as the description goes, they were actually very quick to learn to use the musket and rifle, and apply it to light infantry tactics. While being peppered with arrows from unseen enemies was scary, the sound of 20-30 muskets all around would be even more scary to a lonely detachment. It would be even more obvious that they were alone and surrounded.

I do think that the indian factions have a little too many muskets, but at the same time they have no good musket infantry. Give them high accuracy and high reload, but no better range than now to simulate their poorer weapons in general. And all are light infantry with skimishing and light inf tactics. That would make them scary.
Then tone down the lancers.

[Forward Observer]

Another omission it that the developers didn't bother to make any of the various tribes look different. They all look like Mohawks from the eastern woodlands--even the plains and the Southwestern tribes.

It would have been kind of neat if when one finally gets to the plains Indian region capital they would be surprised with lots of braided hair warbonnet wearing horsemen like the Sioux, Cree, Crow, Arapaho, or Cheyenne.

[CavalryCmdr]

I'm not even going to bother pointing out all the errors in the OP, what I will say is ZIM!! should get more history from, well, history and less history from Hollywood.

I will agree that most native american units should not be set up in nice neat rows like European armies.

[Megas Methuselah]

Another omission it that the developers didn't bother to make any of the various tribes look different. They all look like Mohawks from the eastern woodlands--even the plains and the Southwestern tribes.

It would have been kind of neat if when one finally gets to the plains Indian region capital they would be surprised with lots of braided hair warbonnet wearing horsemen like the Sioux, Cree, Crow, Arapaho, or Cheyenne.

You know, I honestly expected those mentioned tribes and much more to be included in the game as seperate factions, along with their respective and unique culture and fighting styles. In that way, European colonial warefare wouldn't alone dominate the continent, but tribal warefares would play a significant role as well.

Instead, CA gave us an empty continent with a couple inaccurate native factions and some random "Inuit," as they call them, village.

[Sheogorath]

You know, I honestly expected those mentioned tribes and much more to be included in the game as seperate factions, along with their respective and unique culture and fighting styles. In that way, European colonial warefare wouldn't alone dominate the continent, but tribal warefares would play a significant role as well.

Instead, CA gave us an empty continent with a couple inaccurate native factions and some random "Inuit," as they call them, village.

*Coughgeorgianlineinfantrycough*

As I've said so many times before...the European factions are all identical. You expect CA to put more effort into the natives?

[NimitsTexan]

The Indians pretty quickly abandoned bows and arrows for muskets and then rifles . . . the rifle, especially, they considered much more effective than the bow . . . which is sort of funny, considering how CA made the Indian bowmen more effective in ranged combat than most European infantry.

[Megas Methuselah]

CA had, what, 3 years? I thought the European factions would have been long perfected. But at least the Georgians were included at all. North America is an empty continent. Asia and Africa aren't even in the game!

[rajpoot]

This is what happens when one has a lot time on ones hands.
They ought to have simply released it an year back, and by now fixed all the awful bugs and CTD.

[Megas Methuselah]

They probably spent a year just making the water look "perfect." Ugh.

[Mr Frost]

...
I do think that the indian factions have a little too many muskets, but at the same time they have no good musket infantry. Give them high accuracy and high reload, but no better range than now to simulate their poorer weapons in general. And all are light infantry with skimishing and light inf tactics...

Not merely that , but many would have been the best warriors of the tribe having proved formidable enough to have taken such a weapon in battle {even those whom traded or otherwise earned it , probably earned the currency through service as mercenaries and the remaining ones likely simply stole them , which still takes skill and daring} thus their melee capabilities should be quite good .

Mind you , the same could be said for Ranges etc {their defense is woefully and wrongfully poor} .

[Megas Methuselah]

even those whom traded or otherwise earned it , probably earned the currency through service as mercenaries and the remaining ones likely simply stole them , which still takes skill and daring

Many European traders traded muskets in exchange for beaver pelts. That's largely how the Chippewa rise to prominence, through early-bird trading with Europeans and using their new weapons to achieve dominence over enemy tribes.

[Mr Frost]

... through early-bird trading with Europeans ...

I suppose you can point to an explosion in the local worm population to support that thesis then ?