More and more Empire news is turning up. Earlier in the week we heard that the multiplayer would feature a campaign mode for the first time, but there’s also a trailer for a secondary, introductory single player game mode called Road To Independence. It’s something like the the Alexander campaign, a limited scope campaign allowing players to play through the War Of Independence in the US, and fight off the dastardly British. Aiming for the US market, eh chaps? The trailer for said mode is after the jump.
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Reply to A-Scale
I really hoped you were joking before. But a lot of my family died in the second world war and I’d say everyone here lost someone even if they never knew them. Raking up their graves to score a point in an online argument is not rad.
@Piispa = British colonalisation peaked, in term of total landmass contained within the Empire , in 1919 after gobbling down Germany’s territories in Africa.
I agree that A-Scale got WWII a bit wrong – As Richard Overy says, Britian’s war with Germany was decided in the German advance to and retreat from Moscow. America helped significantly, but then so did India, Oz, New Zealand and dozen of other Commonwealth countries; they tend not be so smug about it. While it was Uncle Jo that did us a solid, the American’s did in fact almost bankrupt the British post war economy (and other’s, pushing them towards Communism) by ignoring Keynes & Co’s advice on the formation of the World Bank in favour of the States’ own national interests.
@A-Scale:
Sorry, I’m a continental European, not a Briton.
In Africa I believe there were some Brittish and French troops also in the “winning” side and, if I googled correctly, it was Montgomery who defeated Rommel. Although Rommel would probably call it tactical retreat, not a defeat.
Also, in Normandy there were three beaches with non-american landings. Wich all went pretty much better than Omaha. Anyone else wondered why the most badly went is the one best remembered?
@phil: “British colonalisation peaked, in term of total landmass contained within the Empire , in 1919 after gobbling down Germany’s territories in Africa.”
In landmass but how about influence? I’d say British influence on global economics post-WW1 was not near what it was during the Victorian era.
I might be wrong, though, and the initial comment of “decline” was too harsh.
@Piispa – Influence is difficult to quantify in international relations, unless you are playing Galatic Empires II. Certainly our moral international standing took a hammering after the Boer war.
In terms of trade between Commonwealth partners, I believe that this peaked in 1907, though historians disagree about this as they do about everything.
ooo it’s Youtube all over again! I’ll throw this one in: the Germans had tried to invade Britain (Operation Sealion?!) and failed well before the Americans turned up. So nya-nya, pooh to you with knobs on, etc! *fingers in ear*
It’s always funny how pretty and well-groomed the Continental Army looks in films and videogames. Journalists from all sides described the ragtag and decrepit condition of the American army: trails of blood left in the snow from lack of shoes, officers dressed in bedsheets, men unrecognizable from sores and unkempt beards. George Washington was the great exception, dressing gentlemanly at all times.
Why the uproar over this tutorial campaign? American Independence was extraordinarily important to modern history. The war also had plenty of small, important battles — perfect for teaching players the ropes. The Battle of Cowpens, for example, was decisive in the Southern theater, yet it involved only 2000 soldiers.
@ RichP:
I always found that funny about the depiction of the German Wehrmacht in WW2. The vast majority of movies and games have them in neat, tidy, freshly ironed Nazi uniforms even though they’re on the front line.
Anyways, I imagine most armies looked pretty dirty in the 1700’s when they’ve been out marching and fighting for extended periods of time, so I find that funny any soldiers in ETW look like they just walked out of the supply depot.
Just read up and yes it does resemble a youtube comments page. Lend lease was finally repaid under tony blair in 97 I believe. Don’t see the problem with the campaign it was kind of inevitable really, am looking forward to see what they do with napoleon though.
Also as is often mistaken the main contribution to the war by the US was not fighting men but war material. At the beginning of the war and specifically the africa campaign american soldiers were not of the highest quality in terms of experience and morale. I don’t want to fan the flames but some comments annoyed me.
Piispa:
Yes, British dominance over the globe peaked during the 19th century. I ment that since the beginning of the colonization era from the 15th century, the loss of the 13 colonies was the first major setback for the British.
Seeing as this is a Total War comment thread I feel I’m allowed to be a massive pedant and point out that the height of the British Empire was after WW1, territorial-control-wise. Of course the writing was on the wall by then, however.
I highly recommend Prof. Richard Overy’s Why The Allies Won if you’re interested in a rigorous analysis of WWII. I think the Russians (especially the civilians) deserve more credit for their contributions to Allied victory, but that’s 50 years of Cold War propaganda for ya.
@Real: And they all use MP-40s and drive around in Panzers :) One of the shocking facts from Overy’s book is that Germany used 1 million horses in its invasion of Russia for lack of trucks and mechanized units. Indeed, Germany lacked an ubiquitous service truck like the US “deuce and a half.”
“Your police use sticks. Consider it a step up.”
Of course, every civilised nation needs to shoot every mofo who runs a red light. No nation could be called civilised if its police force feels it necessary to only shoot 2 people in the past year.
“Not our fault you based your economy exclusively on imperialism. Have you ever considered making something? In my time in London I met four types of people- managers, students, desk workers and bums. None of those people make anything, except the bums, who make a mess.”
You heard of the industrial revolution? But yeah, sure, we could start paying our workers nothing so they can compete with Chinese manufacturers.
Hmm. Not sure I wanted to promote xenophobia in this, but huh. To be honest, both nations have similar problems with post-industrial decline; look at the massive crime rate in American inner cities as well as the petty crime rate in South Wales and unemployment in North England. We banned guns because shooting up a school isn’t a constitutional right, but an outright ban apparently has problems, just as the American system (which varies from state to state) has.
What’s all this about?
Not cool, England. I thought we were friends.
I’m an American, and I think it’d be a lot more fun to play the other side, personally. I always had sympathy for Howe.
I can’t really see Napoleon working for a turorial campaing, which the American thing is. Sure, it’s good to attract the US market, but it seems pretty well structured to give players an easy introduction.
On that other topic, I think British power peaked during the late 19th century, ’bout 1895, a fair bit before the territorial peak. All started to go tits up when the European balance of power went into tailspin…
And on THAT other topic… anyone else think Washington looks kinda chubby in the video? Definate middle-age spread, if I’m not mistaken.
I bought my tea fair and square. From some funny little brand called “Twinings.” Whoever they are.
It’ll be interesting to see how Creative Assembly handles slavery.
I understand that was a pretty big deal for a while.
Far from the only person. I’ve owned every TW game and I’ve never completed a campaign ever. Well, I completed a short campaign once, but only to unlock some factions. Ordinarily I just play Long mode until I get bored.
I’ll be getting my War of Northern Aggression on for sure, if you know what I mean.
On that note, I’m not sure why people think the game can’t do scripted faction emergency for the US colonies – they did it all the time in the other games. Script strong rebel armies that keep popping up and when they take settlements they form factions.
Well, for one, I didn’t really like dealing with random resurgent factions in M:TW, especially since they often had better weapons than you. Still, a political model that deals with possible revolutions, etc, would be quite interesting if done right.
You say that like there’s another market.
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Interesting that they chose to call it “The American War of Independence” instead of “The American Revolutionary War.” Slightly British, as one would expect.
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Napoleon would be more exciting, by far; I feel like I’ve done the American Revolution several times before, most recently in Age of Empires (haven’t gotten to Colonization yet). I’m American, but I’m just bored to death of the easy jingoism.
On the other hand, historical campaigns seem to like the player to be on the historically victorious side– presumably to avoid counterfactuals.
To Bhazor:
I agree, so why are you doing it?
See Operation Torch. Montgomery couldn’t find his ass with both hands.
Please remind me what contributions the Indians, NZ’ers, Australians or Russians made in pushing the Germans out of Western Europe. I seem to recall that England falls somewhere along the west. And have you never heard of the Marshall plan?
What an asinine assertion. Like the Brits and Canadians trotted in firing from the hip and dropping German snipers from a half mile away and the Americans just bungled their parts. Omaha is the best remembered because it was the most difficult and hard fought. We generally don’t give quite as much respect to people who trot over a quarter mile with no resistance as we do to people who run against highly defended bunkers, losing a significant portion of their party in the process. We call the former joggers, and the latter heroes. There is a reason America was given the most difficult beach to assault; they were capable of taking it.
This was better when there was less dick-wagging and more gentle ribbing.
My ancestors can beat up your ancestors.
Or, they could, if everyone involved weren’t dead.
My zombie forebears could totally chew up your zombie forebears.
Okay people enough with the arguing.
We all know that Great Cthulu won WW2 for the allies.
Let’s stop pretending otherwise.
Damn, I thought he was being ironic.
Albides: Yeah. It was much more fun when we were just shouting about Tea.
KG
Yeah, well, come to think of it… I still want my New Amsterdam back!
Damn it Fans Coehoorn! You brought this on yourself
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsQrKZcYtqg
Wrong video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xo0X77OBJUg&feature=related
Hey did you guys notice there’s no edit button? Whats up with that!?!?
“Ahem, it is lend-lease. We supplied war material, not a place to build a summer home.”
Thank you, I was just about to post this.
The edit button comes and goes like your typical Fairy: appearing to some and not to others.
I for one do not believe the edit button exists. I’ve seen the “photos” but they’re hardly convincing.
The conclusion I came to is that you can only edit your posts if you’re logged in to the forums.
A-Scale:
Please remind me what contributions the Indians, NZ’ers, Australians or Russians made in pushing the Germans out of Western Europe.
There were many Commonwealth troops fighting in Western Europe, not just Brits and Canadians. ANZACs and Indians fought in France in 1940 and in 44-45.
Are the French in it?
Why is the video using the ER theme as background music?