Editing Total War (section)

===Total War: Empire===

Good old Enlightenment Era and Revolutions with authentic voice acting for nations.

Here marks the descent of CA into darkness, as minor issues with playability, a lacklustre musical score, and the beginnings of infamous DLC craze that would be cranked up to eleven with later titles such as Rome 2, all start to crop up during the game. This is probably the least popular entry in the series by modern eyes (not considering the even older titles that probably the majority of Total War players at this point haven't even played), and even its fans are probably going to say "The game's great, but only with mods."

The setting itself is during the Age of Colonialism, during the 18th and early 19th Century just before the rise of repeating firearms. Unlike in previous titles, emphasis is less on melee combat and more on '[[Dakka|shooting the fuck out of the other guys until they die]]', city management, industry, and research, making decaying martial empires like Ottomans need dire reforms to get back on track. Also the game had a crude, but entertaining commercial, colonial and societal system, changing to a new order with industrialisation.

The societal evolutions of the era were played well: modernisation, factories and research for new technology made lower class citizens want extra entertainment, and republics rather than kingdoms. Upper class populations just want to stay in power and low taxes. Either social strata revolting meant a choice: one could side with loyalists or rebels in a do-or-die mini campaign, winners changing the government and leadership. Research buildings would also bring modernisation demands and new researcher characters by default. Also, new technologies make the lower classes demand extra happiness or liberty in republic form. So you *could* stay a totalitarian kingdom, but either have to make do with few technologies and end up swiss cheese, or spend extra money and effort for bread and circuses and garrison suppression.

A special campaign called "The Road to Independence" unlocks the United States as a playable faction, finally giving Amerifags their long awaited chance to spread freedom to the unwashed masses all over the world. Manifest Destiny, bitches!

Crunch-wise: FUCKING MARATHA AND MOTHERFUCKING MORTARS WITH PERCUSSION CAPS DAMNIT.