Which faction to play as a first timer?

[Mållgan]

I have played all the total war games except napoleon and empires, and I wonder which faction I should play as. I have installed minor faction revenge mod for more factions but I am not used to play with units that has rifles nor factions that are all spread out in the world.

I played a custom battle and I got a heroic victory for some reason, but I lost 618 units out of 1048.

So which faction should I play as which would be the most newbie friendly for a player who aren't used to rifles?

[Ville Valste]

Marathas. They rely the least on musketry. Though, if you're up for the challenge of learning Musket Warfare, go for France.

[5n4k3d0cToR]

I'd recommend not using a mod for your first playthrough. If you after an easy into to the title, GB is a good option.

[Mållgan]

Originally posted by SAS & LMG Trans Lucpol |hg:

I'd recommend not using a mod for your first playthrough. If you after an easy into to the title, GB is a good option.

I only used minor faction revenge mod for an increase in factions. No changes have been made to the gameplay whatsoever.

[Insaniac]

Great Britain, as long as you maintain a good navy, nobody can reach your Island so you'll always be safe to plan attacks.

[jouertue]

marathas

[Stevonian]

I don't recommend the Marathas. If you want to learn musket tactics and play a European styled game I would do two things. First, play through the excellent United States learning campaign. This gives a great feel for the game. Then I recommend playing as Sweden.

Sweden starts with several advantages. The best advantage is starting in a corner of the map where you don't have to defend from multiple sides. Sweden is also a pretty well rounded military (army and navy), has good trade options early with other countries, and features two weak enemies early game (Denmark and Russia; Russia can't mount large armies at first).

I agree with another commentator that Great Britain has some early advantages too and is another great option.

The Marathas are a very good AI country, but I don't like them as much to play. First, they aren't a musket country (and musket warfare is one of the allures of playing Empire). They also start off with a heavy enemy in the Mughals.

The biggest problem with the Marathas as a learning factions is that once you learn to play as them you don't learn much about how to play with most of the other factions. Playing as a European power will give you the experience to play as other factions effectively. The Marathas, Mughals, and Ottoman's are a different type of gameplay that you might enjoy more after learning the basics of the other countries.

Just my opinion.

[5n4k3d0cToR]

Originally posted by notrol:

Originally posted by SAS & LMG Trans Lucpol |hg:

I'd recommend not using a mod for your first playthrough. If you after an easy into to the title, GB is a good option.

I only used minor faction revenge mod for an increase in factions. No changes have been made to the gameplay whatsoever.

Happy days :)

[CHE]

Originally posted by notrol:

I have played all the total war games except napoleon and empires, and I wonder which faction I should play as. I have installed minor faction revenge mod for more factions but I am not used to play with units that has rifles nor factions that are all spread out in the world.

I played a custom battle and I got a heroic victory for some reason, but I lost 618 units out of 1048.

So which faction should I play as which would be the most newbie friendly for a player who aren't used to rifles?

For me, as an experienced Total War gamer, I found the "Road to Independence' Tutorial enough to learn the ropes in ETW. If you play that, I reckon you'll then be ready to play any other faction you choose.

[Empire_TW]

id say the US ( must complete road to indpendence to unlock USA campagin )or Sweden. The US starts isolated from europe and is surrounded by weak natives and lighly(at first) defended colonies and also has fire by rank unlocked from the start, Sweden's big regions makes it easier to manage and Denmark is an easy first grab, you sorta gotta play survivle in st. petersburg until you can reinforce it though only weakness of Sweden is that thier cavlary is the worst in game, so reasearching thier heavy cavlary is important

[Kilrathii]

Just dive in and play Prussia. Youll be a vet after first campaign with them.

[Insaniac]

Originally posted by Kilrathii:

Just dive in and play Prussia. Youll be a vet after first campaign with them.

>steamrolling weak neighbors with high quality units makes veterans
On what planet?

[Ville Valste]

Darwinia?

[LSD]

Originally posted by Kumelowski:

Originally posted by Kilrathii:

Just dive in and play Prussia. Youll be a vet after first campaign with them.

>steamrolling weak neighbors with high quality units makes veterans
On what planet?

Calm down. You play Prussia and you'll be at war from the start. That's what he meant: all that war will teach you how to play.
He's not saying it'll make someone an expert...

[TheButterflyComposer]

If you want an uncomplicated faction with a clear end goal and no real difficulty, to just make land battles and stuff, you want the US campaign (which also needs a tutorial campaign to unlock).

GB is one of the most complicated factions becuase you have to use all three theatres pretty much from the start, and the island itself will drain the economy if you aren't carefull.

Russia and Sweden are okay too, since they are not surrounded.

[Insaniac]

Originally posted by Darquess:

If you want an uncomplicated faction with a clear end goal and no real difficulty, to just make land battles and stuff, you want the US campaign (which also needs a tutorial campaign to unlock).

GB is one of the most complicated factions becuase you have to use all three theatres pretty much from the start, and the island itself will drain the economy if you aren't carefull.

Russia and Sweden are okay too, since they are not surrounded.

GB is easy. Your starting region is incredibly profitable, the "capture regions" mission you get will gain you a lot of regions. Your standard troops are high quality. You start with a 7-8 star general. If you have DLC a lot of your good units are recruited pretty early ex: 33rd Foot, Rogers Rangers. Additionally, you start the game with two 5th Rates which is more than most factions get and early game, 5th Rates are king...I mean second to Galleons.