First Shots: A Basic Guide to Revolution

[Gnosport]

Hello Generals,

As a backer of the game I'd like to share my helpful hints for starting as the Americans.

During the character creation screen/story I like to choose an extra 10k currency, an extra infantry regiment (these are unique fusilers), and the firearms trait.

Though the privateer (30 gun ship) is helpful or the 1k Brown Bess 69s, the extra infantry unit really helps in the early to mid game in allowing you to expand and stay up to snuff with the filthy redcoats.

The extra 10k currency over 25 reputation or decreased tensions with the Native Americans allows you to build up an economy faster and buy better weapons on the market like the Spanish 55, Charleville 66, and Brown Bess 69s.

The +10 Firearms over willpower and endurance grants every unit more firearms training that lets you stand up to the lobsters better. Your militia units will still struggle but your regular fusiler regiments will be decent.

Lexington and Concord, April 19th, 1775 is the first introductory battle. You are to defend the armory at Concord against British regulars. You only have to hold the armory by end of battle. You can delay and withdraw until you have more reinforcements to outnumber and flank the enemy.

Back on the strategic map, take it slow. The First phase of the map is until May 31st, when it will expand and open up Fort Ticonderoga area. Then July 31st opens up to Quebec. You do not need to rush to take Boston.

[Greyhound]

Trust Gnosport, DONT RUSH TO TAKE BOSTON. Take it easy, as a matter of fact, try easy mode first. If you go all in on hard you will be hit with invasions that are a little overwhelming.

[ndefisher]

10/10 recommendations.
I don't even try to take Boston until after I take Fort Ticonderoga. Just focus on getting your economy up to snuff and building a decent army with as many non civilian musket units as you can. It shouldn't be difficult to do I don't feel like the redcoats push to hard as long as you leave a few units around Boston and man the forts.

[Dad's Gaming Addiction]

There seems to be some insane AI spikes in manpower. Boston was sitting at 4k troops for a while, then immediately all settlements jumped several thousand all at once. Boston is now at 12k. At most I have 3k men scattered amongst the towns, but I can't nearly get that many troops. This is on Easy with the AI won't reinforce toggle ON (supposedly making it easier).

Edit; Just saved...quit...then reloaded. Boston is back to 4k down from 12k. Seconds later Boston is up to 16k and fort ticonderoga is at 1.5k. This is July 1775. There's no way I can compete with that and this is on the easiest difficulty setting.

I may come back when this game has time to cook. This is my 3rd playthrough and it's around this point the enemy just immediately gains an insane amount of men.

[Dad's Gaming Addiction]

Originally posted by meklore61:

I'd report that as a bug. The numbers changing due to the save and then back sounds like a bug.

Yep, reported it. I hard-quit when the enemy threw 10k worth of troops against fort rice so I'll come back to this later when it's been patched and balanced.

[pandakraut]

Originally posted by Dad's Gaming Addiction:

There seems to be some insane AI spikes in manpower. Boston was sitting at 4k troops for a while, then immediately all settlements jumped several thousand all at once. Boston is now at 12k. At most I have 3k men scattered amongst the towns, but I can't nearly get that many troops. This is on Easy with the AI won't reinforce toggle ON (supposedly making it easier).

Edit; Just saved...quit...then reloaded. Boston is back to 4k down from 12k. Seconds later Boston is up to 16k and fort ticonderoga is at 1.5k. This is July 1775. There's no way I can compete with that and this is on the easiest difficulty setting.

I may come back when this game has time to cook. This is my 3rd playthrough and it's around this point the enemy just immediately gains an insane amount of men.

I checked your report, did you have a general in viewing range of Boston? If you do not have direct vision enemy troop sizes are estimated, these can be wildly inaccurate sometimes. If you see question marks after the number you know it is an estimate based on reports.

When I move a general into viewing range of boston the 15k numbers drops back to the 4k you were seeing previously.

[Dad's Gaming Addiction]

My general was in range of Boston. While it is possible numbers were underrepresented on the rest of the western map, it seemed as if they had spiked all at once.

This is on easy difficulty mind you, 3rd playthrough. Even with recruitment houses, I can't get enough generals to amass the 40-60k troops the enemy seems to get by July 1775.

https://prnt.sc/RBFMcAb6HQYV

Edit: I do see what you're saying about the ???. I'll have to look into this further. I will admit I'm probably not understanding 100% of the game, but I feel like easy difficulty just isn't casual enough to learn this game. I'm easily frustrated for what it's worth.

[Gnosport]

The red ??? next to the enemy means those are shoddy estimates. When you have a general in line of sight of enemy troops you will get an accurate number. Also with level 4 investment into intelligence you get reliable numbers but intelligence is expensive.

[pandakraut]

Originally posted by Dad's Gaming Addiction:

My general was in range of Boston. While it is possible numbers were underrepresented on the rest of the western map, it seemed as if they had spiked all at once.

This is on easy difficulty mind you, 3rd playthrough. Even with recruitment houses, I can't get enough generals to amass the 40-60k troops the enemy seems to get by July 1775.

https://prnt.sc/RBFMcAb6HQYV

Edit: I do see what you're saying about the ???. I'll have to look into this further. I will admit I'm probably not understanding 100% of the game, but I feel like easy difficulty just isn't casual enough to learn this game. I'm easily frustrated for what it's worth.

Based on the screenshot I think this is just a case with the estimate inflating the enemy numbers.

In general increases in AI numbers usually come with event announcements of reinforcements or invasions. The limited reinforcements option definitely means limited not none. There are some events that lead to larger spikes and it can be a challenge to deal with them until you're more used to the games systems.

If you haven't seen them, the tutorial videos have a lot of information on various systems in them as well, which may help.