A New World

• Blog 1 — Rise of Nations

  Welcome to the first in a series of blogs offering a deep dive into A New World, the ambitious expansion coming to Total War: EMPIRE for iOS & Android on September 18th.

  A New World will be available via in-app purchase for $6.99 / £4.99 / €6,49 (regional prices may vary).

  Total War: EMPIRE — A New World unlocks a total of 44 new nations for play, split between existing minor factions and emergent ones!

  So, if you want to reimagine a world in which the Mughal Empire never fell, now you can. Want to defy the odds and turn Dagestan into a global superpower, or beat Simón Bolívar to the punch in liberating Gran Colombia? Step right up.

  With A New World, history is yours to rewrite, over and over again.

  The Empire’s New Clothes

  Drawing directly from their histories, many of these nations have new National Traits and unit variants which help to shape their playstyles. As an example, let’s take a look at the Mysoreans:

  Their National Trait ‘European Experts’ models the rapid modernisation of the sultanate’s military under Sultan Haidar and his son Tipu Sultan. They saw the devastating impact of the East India Company’s control of parts of the subcontinent, and enlisted hundreds of (mainly French) mercenaries to train their armies in European techniques.

  

  This is reflected in a doubling of the speed at which tier 2 technologies are researched, enabling Mysore to resist more ably against the rapacious British, as they did historically.

  They also gain access to a new "Mysorean Line Infantry" unit, whose full range of technological enhancements mirror those of European line infantry (namely bayonets, square formation & fire-by-rank drills) — significantly improving firepower and versatility in the mid-campaign.

  Garibaldi? Never Heard of Him

  Other examples include the minor nations of the Italian peninsula. They share the new Italian Unification Nation Trait, which offers a sidequest for factions such as Genoa, Savoy, and Venice. If they’re able to hold the entire peninsula, as well as Sardinia, they’ll unlock powerful new bonuses, propelling them from obscurity to the world stage.

  

  And, on the topic of Venice, they’ll have access to the new Royal Fleet Galley — a nod to the most serene republic’s slow adoption of sail-power. These ships benefit from the new Focused Force attribute, which gives an increasing discount to their upkeep for each additional Royal Galley in the same fleet, up to a maximum of -33% for fleets with at least twelve such galleys.

  

  Some nations have received more balancing than others. For example, Mexico has multiple National Traits that weaken the economy in the early game, and strengthen it later on. Other nations have been left mostly untouched in order to provide extremely challenging campaign experiences for the more masochistic players out there.

  The aim is to help the new, fledgling nations compete against the established powers, facilitating new and unique styles of play — while minimising any disruption to the play experience of the base game factions.

  Age of Revolution

  Those familiar with EMPIRE’s innovative government system will know that revolutions are a constant risk, and that new nations can emerge if rebels succeed in capturing certain capitals. Emergent nations, such as Scotland, Mexico and the Mamelukes are now playable from the beginning of the campaign! These factions are among the most interesting in A New World, and are fertile soil for players who like to experiment with counterfactual scenarios.

  And there’s one emblematic revolutionary republic which has received a great deal of our attention, but we’ll be spilling the tea on that one in a later blog, so stay tuned.

  World Warpath

  The Native American factions were always present on the Grand Campaign’s map, though never playable outside of the Warpath DLC campaign, which enhanced them with improved research trees and unit rosters.

  A New World makes the Iroquois, Cherokee, Plains Nations, Pueblo Nations and the Huron playable on the Grand Campaign for the first time, complete with all of their Warpath improvements. Now you have the opportunity to halt the flow of colonisation and even reverse it entirely, with Native American factions playable across all three of the Grand Campaign’s theatres of war!

  

  And on the subject of Warpath, the next instalment of the ‘A New World’ blog will dive into both of the new campaign starts. Yes, we said both…

  Until then, why not head over to our socials? There, you can let us know your thoughts on what you’ve seen of the expansion so far, and what your first nation pick is going to be when A New World releases on September 18th.

  

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• Blog 2 — New Campaigns

  Missed the previous blog on Total War: EMPIRE mobile’s A New World expansion? Head here to get caught up — don’t worry, we’ll wait.

  Read it? Exciting stuff, eh?!

  Well, we hope you’re ready for more, because today, we’re going to talk about the two campaigns that are a part of A New World.

  On the Warpath

  

  To the first order of business: this expansion includes all of the content from the desktop Warpath DLC!

  In 1783, North America has been transformed. Those still loyal to the crown rule in Canada, while Britain’s former colonies on the eastern seaboard have united to declare independence and create the United States. The enormous Spanish Empire stretches from North America across South and Central America and the Caribbean. Between them are the remaining Native American peoples, split across the five playable factions on this more zoomed-in and detailed map of the Americas.

  Trade and co-operation may afford the tribes a brief reprieve from the ambitions of European adventurers, but conflict is inevitable. Warpath challenges you to navigate this complex political landscape while mastering a new form of warfare. With limited access to gunpowder, you must rely on speed and overwhelming numbers to defeat modern European-style armies and rival tribes alike.

  For this, you’ll have command of an expanded roster of elite native units and two new agent types, and you’ll advance your culture via a new technology tree that’s unique to Warpath’s playable factions.

  

  Brave New World

  All of that will be familiar to veterans of the desktop game. What’s brand new, however, is the descriptively named Late Start Campaign!

  Also beginning in 1783, the Late Start Campaign presents a world transformed by decades of imperial exploration and industrialisation — and it’s yours to conquer as any one of a huge number of playable nations, large or small.

  

  The balance of power in India has been upended, with fledgling nations and old rivals capitalising on the power vacuum created by the long decline of the Mughal Empire. The insurgency of the Maratha Confederacy has made great gains in the west of the subcontinent, while the Durrani Afghans have crossed the Indus to capture Kashmir, and the Sikhs have declared independence in Punjab. Completing this battle royale of competing factions are the British, who have established a measure of control, and are poised to extend their influence from Calcutta into the Indian interior.

  

  The early decades of the 18th century have reshaped the Americas. Gone are the colonial entities of Louisiana and New Spain; their territories are now directly controlled by European powers, strengthening them economically and militarily. Gone too are the pirates who once thrived in the Caribbean’s lawless frontiers, which steadily shrank as the area was secured by the great maritime powers.

  Crucially, a new power has risen to prominence, declaring independence and wasting barrels of perfectly good tea in the process: the fledgling United States comprises much of the eastern seaboard of North America. Its advanced economy and military capabilities position it to expand across the continent, and even take the fight to European shores.

  These changes intensify fighting in the theatre, replacing the provincial feel of the Americas in the Grand Campaign with large-scale clashes between a cast of powerful, established nations.

  

  The dominance of the old European powers remains intact, though not unchallenged, with new contenders such as the aggressively expansionist Prussia - now vying for continental dominance.

  Decades of imperial development have seen tremendous wealth flow from India and the Americas into Europe, which has helped fuel rapid technological and economic development. In-game, this is represented by European Towns being established and productive, as well as a significant number of technologies being unlocked from the get-go. This supports stronger economies that can train and maintain larger, more sophisticated armies.

  The Late Start Campaign acts as a shortcut to the juicy mid-late period where coffers overflow, fighting is fiercest, and the flames of war spread easily across the entire globe. Here, many of the newly playable nations find their niche, and the old patterns of the Grand Campaign are disrupted, offering a fresh experience for EMPIRE veterans.

  But Wait, There’s More

  The ‘A New World’ expansion lands on iOS & Android on September 18th, but there’s more blog to come! Be sure to check back on Tuesday the 16th.

  Until then, head to our socials to let us know what you think so far.

  

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• Blog 3 — Expanded Content

  Welcome to the third, thrilling instalment of our blog about the ‘A New World’ expansion, coming to Total War: EMPIRE for iOS & Android on… Thursday!

  If you’re not yet up to speed, feel free to check out Blog 1 and Blog 2 before reading on.

  Today, we’re taking the decidedly risky approach of talking to Benedict, Lead Designer of Total War: EMPIRE for mobile, and the ‘A New World’ expansion. His special interest is naval history, and he’ll happily take up as much wordcount as we give him on this topic, so we’ll cover an exciting new feature in revolutionary America before welcoming him aboard.

  Let These Facts Be Submitted to a Candid World

  Blog 1 revealed that all your favourite minor nations would become playable in A New World, and teased that we’d be spilling the tea on one particular republic in a later blog. As you may have guessed, we were referring to the United States, and yes, it’ll be playable from the start of both the Grand and Late Start Campaigns.

  

  And, a third option is available for those who really want to stick it to those pesky Brits. When choosing to play as the Thirteen Colonies, you’ll begin with the particularly punishing National Trait, Taxation Without Representation. This exists to model the punitive economic measures imposed on the colonists by the British crown.

  

  You’ll also be given a mission: grow the population of New England until a new Town emerges, then construct a centre of education in the region. This models the growth of civic society, which can provide the intellectual basis and political drive for independence.

  Once this is achieved, independence will be declared. At the start of the next turn, the United States will be born, complete with star-spangled banner, an expanded unit roster, fresh diplomatic relations with the wider world, and its own powerful National Trait.

  

  Playing Sail-y Buggers

  With terrestrial matters covered, let’s finally cast our gaze to the sea.

  A New World introduces fourteen new ships to Total War: EMPIRE, from the humble Carronade Dhow to the mega Santissima Trinidad. To find out more about them, we’ll gingerly unbatten the hatches and let Benedict tell us more.

  Feral: Ahoy, Admiral Parker, what’s it all a-boat? Where do these ships fit into the existing roster on EMPIRE’s high seas? And remember, brevity is the soul of wit…

  Benedict: Ahoy there, yeoman! Thank you for bringing me aboard for this “gam” - I’ll endeavour to be as concise as possible, but, before we engage too closely with the particulars of the new ships, let me elaborate a little on why we’ve added them.

  Existing desktop and mobile players will know that we did a balance pass to adjust how many units, and of what types, the player would be able to afford at different stages of the campaign. When it came to the naval gameplay, this pass was quite conservative: EMPIRE’s early and mid-game naval experience was already pretty spot-on. As a simulation of 1700s naval battles, the game covers the main ship types very well.

  However, once we started planning A New World’s Late Start Campaign, it became clear that we’d need to expand the late-period naval roster with ships from NAPOLEON. This is because the dates of that campaign (1783-1823) overlap with that game’s period (1796-1815). Once EMPIRE extends into the early 1800s, it feels odd if certain ships, like 80-gun 3rd Rates, are not represented. And, once we started backporting the Napoleonic ships, we realised we could do more, and began thinking about a more general late-game content pass for a more sophisticated naval simulation:

  1. Increase the quantity of ships that factions can operate once they research and construct tier 4 naval ports: The progression from tier 1 to tier 3 may be characterised by an improvement in quality, with each tier granting access to ships of increasing size and firepower. We wanted to increase the value of upgrading to tier 4, but didn’t want to continue this trend, as that would mean displacing other ships. Instead, the new ships unlocked at that tier are designed to supplement, in a cost-efficient fashion, the tier 3 ships that you’ll continue to build.

  2. Allow for technological development to unlock superior trade ships: Galleons and Fluyts occupy an important place in the game balance, but they were old-fashioned even in 1700, let alone 1783. Modelling late-1700s trends in transport vessels, such as the emergence of carronade armaments on merchant ships and the deployment of warships en flûte, both improve historical accuracy and the ability of technologically-advanced factions to hold trade nodes.

  3. Increase the value in researching the “Carronades” naval technology: Another feature characteristic of ship design in this late period, particularly in the English-speaking world, was the proliferation of carronades across a range of ship types, more than just the small “Carronade Frigate” currently in the game.

  4. Define a longer-lasting niche for Galleys and Light Galleys: Galleys have their place in the early game, but get squeezed out by broadside sailing ships. Yet, galleys survived in the Mediterranean well into the mid-1700s, and galleys and oared gunboats were widely used in the Baltic until the end of the 18th century. We therefore wanted to ensure that galleys and half-galleys continued to have a place in the mid- and late-game, even if only in limited numbers.

  Feral: Slow down, Benedict. It’s hard to believe, we know, but imagine for a moment that not everyone knows what en flûte means, or what a carronade is when it’s at home.

  Benedict: Do they not all have copies of Admiral Smyth’s “The Sailors’ Word-Book” handy? Well if you say so, I’ll happily oblige:

  En Flûte: a warship sailing “en flûte” is carrying fewer than its full complement of guns so it can serve as an armed troopship or transport. In game terms, such vessels can trade when parked on a trade node just like the proper merchant ships.

  Carronade: a stubby-barrelled cannon that fires a relatively heavy projectile at relatively low muzzle velocities. In game terms, that means high firepower but short range.

  Feral: Great, now we’ve cleared that up, can we finally talk about what new ships have we added?

  Benedict: This is going to be a long answer, so you might want to get a cup of tea or even illustrate it with some images.

  Feral: Oh, this is going to be the long answer?!

  Benedict: Now, we've added new ships to all the major categories, so why don't we list these category-by-category:

  Auxiliary Ships

  Corvette

  This fast, mini-frigate has the same “auxiliary” unit ability as Brigs and Sloops, but enjoys superior firepower and hull strength. It also receives an additional “Economies of Scale” discount to its upkeep cost which increases in proportion to how many other frigates you control. Used in limited numbers as part of a developed navy, it can have a very low upkeep indeed!

  Frigates

  Late 5th Rate Frigate

  An upgrade to the 6th Rate and an alternative to the larger 5th Rate two-decker, this frigate is even faster and more manoeuvrable. Featuring a main gundeck of long-range 18lbers and supplemental 32lber carronades, this versatile vessel will prove its worth in any fleet.

  4th Rate Frigate

  A very late-game unlock, this upgrade to the Razee features stronger cannons on its main gundeck and an upper deck of fearsome 42lber carronades. Fast, solidly-built and devastating up-close!

  Ships-of-the-Line

  Carronade 4th Rate

  It’s HMS Glatton! With its all-carronade armament, this vessel has more firepower than anything other than the heaviest 3-deckers, and at a lower cost than the normal 4th Rate. Great for destroying other all-carronade vessels and finishing off weakened ships-of-the-line.

  

  Light 3rd Rate

  Superior to a 4th Rate yet cheaper and handier than a 74, this vessel has an “Economies of Scale” discount to its upkeep which increases in proportion to how many other ships-of-the-line you control. A useful addition to larger fleets, well-suited to dealing with enemy frigates.

  80-gun 3rd Rate

  An elite 3rd Rate with the same sailing performance as a 74 but significantly more firepower. A little pricey, but worthwhile for adding some extra punch to your line-of-battle when fighting the enemy’s strongest fleets.

  Flagships

  Santísima Trinidad

  “El Ponderoso” joins us at last! This 4-decker(!) heightens the advantages and disadvantages of the Heavy 1st Rate: more guns, more hull strength and a bigger crew, yet even more expensive and sluggish.

  

  Heavy 1st Rate (Uniform Armament)

  Another very late-game unlock, this improvement to the already-potent Heavy 1st Rate swaps its guns for various grades of 32lber for even more firepower.

  Trade Ships

  Carronade Indiaman

  An Indiaman armed with 18lber carronades instead of 9lber long guns. It has a slightly lower upkeep cost than a normal Indiaman, allowing it to generate more profit over term.

  Carronade Dhow

  A dhow armed with a powerful 32lber carronade in its forward mount. Unlike with the Indiaman there’s no reduction in base upkeep, but the new “Sea Fencible” discount dramatically reduces upkeep when garrisoning a port. This gives the Carronade Dhow double utility as both a trade ship and a coastal defence gunboat.

  

  3rd Rate en Flûte

  2nd Rate en Flûte

  These two ships trade some of the firepower of their respective types in exchange for reduced upkeep cost and the ability to operate as trade ships. In this way, they may be thought of as improved versions of the Fluyt and Galleon respectively, but can only be recruited in limited numbers.

  Galleys

  Royal Fleet Galley

  The existing Galley, augmented with a new “Focused Force” discount. This gives each individual Royal Fleet Galley an upkeep discount for each additional Royal Fleet Galley in the same fleet. This is designed to make galley-centric formations more economically viable.

  Light Galley (Sea Fencible)

  With the same “Sea Fencible” attribute as the Carronade Dhow, but far greater firepower, this oared gunboat can supplement the defences of major ports at a very low cost.

  Feral: Great, but sadly that’s all we have time for, Benedict. Please re-batten the hatches on your way out.

  Benedict: No, wait, I'm not done yet! We need go into how these new ships will inform the player's fleet compositions and tactics! And the historical background! And Paixhans' system of uniform high calibre! Get back here! I-

  So there you have it, a (very) comprehensive accounting of all the naval novelties coming in A New World!

  There’s only two days to wait until A New World arrives on iOS & Android! In the meantime, be sure to catch up on Blog 1, which covers the expansion’s newly playable nations, and Blog 2, which offers a deep dive into the two new campaigns on offer.

  

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