(Next War) From Sea To Shining Sea

Great so far.

Excellent! Can I be an Infantry or an Ironclad? I balk at being a worker...

I woulldn't mind being a worker at all, until the Aztecs came and got me...

Well, yeah, but the manual labor... plus every tile is already improved, almost. I'd prefer being an Inf or a rifleman

Jwitti, I'll make you an Infantry. However, as I've played much farther than I've posted, you won't show up until part 14.




While Americans have been hawking wares and making money since time immemorial, business was limited by the dangers of failure. If a venture failed, its owners would be required to pay all debts incurred, which could easily bankrupt even a wealthy man. Most large business ventures were family affairs, such as the Farmers Insurance Company, descended from an old feudal landholding family. The corporation, which diffused these risks among many shareholders, made large ventures possible.

I can now found Corporations. My next technology will be Rifling, which I’ve delayed researching for a long time.

I’m going to found Creative Constructions. But before I do so, I need to choose a city. My first instinct is to do so in a big city, but a glance at the Domestic Advisor indicates that Denver is by far the most profitable city in America. This means that I will probably build Wall Street here, so it makes sense to concentrate as much wealth as possible in Denver.



Founded by the great engineer Henry Bessemer, Creative Constructions, Inc, became the preeminent architecture firm in America, responsible for constructing many notable public buildings, such as the Wall Street Financial Center in its home city of Denver. Creative Constructions contributed not only to the American economy, but to the development of the Modern American style of architecture.




While gunpowder had been known for centuries, muskets are notoriously inaccurate, which explains why longbows remained in use up until the 19th century. The development of rifling by American military engineers in 1802 changed this. Rifles soon became the basic weapon of the US military.

Now for Flight.




Founded in 1805, Winnipeg marked the end of the Great Northern Push.

I decided to found a final city near the lake and uranium mine in Canada.




Catherine has offered me a Defensive Pact. I accept.




For ages, men have dreamed of leaving their earthly chains and soaring among the clouds. In 1820, Orville and Wilbur Wright, two mechanics from Chicago, became the first humans to achieve powered flight. A new frontier had been opened, and soon aircraft were ferrying people and cargo across the nation, far faster than any landbound or waterbound craft could have.

I have achieved Flight, bringing me into the Modern Age. I next start on Assembly Line.




The Toronto Flu of 1831 killed nearly a million people. Only decisive government action prevented the virus from spreading further.





The assembly line, invented by Eli Whitney, revolutionized manufacturing. In a famous demonstration, Eli had the Presidential Council assemble a working rifle in minutes, showing that minimal training was needed to manufacture many items. As many joked, if politicians could do it, anyone could. Soon, factories sprung up in cities across America, employing millions.

I have developed the Assembly Line. I will now develop Fascism, in order to obtain a free Great General.




The Fascist Party is something of an anomaly in American politics. Fascists believed that the government should have absolute power, and that individual freedoms should be subordinate to the needs of the state. They gained some support among the industrialists and military leaders, but few votes.




I have a Great General. I consider keeping him in reserve, until I remember that with a unit of level 6, I can build West Point. I send him down to New Orleans, to upgrade William Clark and Tambien.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t get Clark up to level 6. Oh, well.




Human beings are notoriously cautious when it comes to their own health. This, ironically, explains why it took so long for the scientific method to take hold with regards to medicine. But the understanding of contagion, bacteria, and the immune system greatly extended human longevity and vitality, keeping disease at bay.

I have researched medicine. Facing widespread unhealthiness, I switch to Environmentalism.




In 1853, the Persian military launched a surprise attack on the city of Sydney. Though they were defeated by the longbowmen commanded by Michael Jordan, the war did not end soon. America’s allies swiftly joined her, and for the first time in history, America found itself at war with a power beyond the sea.



Persia has declared war on us. This won’t end well.

For them.




The attack on Sydney enraged the American populace. Very shortly thereafter, the American military dispatched the transport USS Borealis, carrying infantry units led by William Clark, Barry Bonds, and Edgar Martinez, and the Big Bertha artillery unit. Their orders: join the allied forces already invading the Persian Empire. Sheer distance meant that America’s ability to wage war on the Persian homeland was limited, but their technology would hopefully give the Persians a shock.

Time to show those Persians what happens to those who mess with the United States of America.




Clark’s expeditionary force landed in northern China. Their objective was the old Chinese capital of Beijing, now a Persian city. The initial assault failed, but the Americans inflicted heavy casualties on the Persian defenders.

Well, I didn’t take the city on the first go, but I did inflict heavy casualties, and all of my units survived.




Hatshepsut has asked for Physics. I refuse – it’s a useful technology, and I’m barely maintaining my technological edge.




Electricity is one of those things modern Americans take for granted, but it was only in the 1860s that America began to construct a national electric grid. While the myriad devices powered by electricity are too numerous to list here, one of the most remarkable was lighting. Where night had once meant darkness, only occasionally pierced by fire or gaslight, soon American cities glowed at dark, lit by innumerable electric lightbulbs.

There you have it. Electricity. Now for Industrialism. Because then I will have tanks, and then I will crush my enemies beneath my iron treads!




Again, the Americans assaulted Beijing. Persian flintlock rifles and black powder grenades proved inferior to American repeating rifles, and only sheer numbers prevented the city from falling. By now, most of the Persian troops had been annihilated. The Americans withdrew to their camp to lick their wounds, and prepared for what would almost certainly be the final assault…



In 1871, American troops captured the city of Beijing. For the first time in history, a city belonging to a foreign power had been captured in war by the American military.

Beijing falls. I decide not to burn the city, planning to trade it to either Mongolia or China.




Another Great General has been born. I’ll keep him around until I can find a good use for him.


(12 – Sid’s Sushi Company)
Founded by Ferdinand Sid Magellan, Sid’s Sushi Company brought the Japanese national delicacy of sushi to America. While purists considered his variations an abomination, American sushi quickly caught on, becoming the national food of choice.

On the subject of Beijing, neither Qin Shi Huang nor Genghis Khan will offer me anything. But I can still trade it for favor. And I’m in more need of Qin’s favor than Khan’s. So I trade it to China.




When the Secretary of War ordered a new headquarters built for the American military, he specified that it should not be “another rectangular office building”. The distinctive shape of the Pentagon did help to set it apart from other government buildings in New York, and by providing a central command center and administration, further improved the effectiveness of the entire American military.

Behold, the Pentagon! And now for West Point.




I see that Mining Inc. has been founded in England. Good for them.




By 1884, America had become an industrial society. Goods were no longer manufactured by master artisans in their shops. They came out of the great factories in America’s cities, where thousands of people labored at giant machines. This gave the United States a huge advantage in productivity over other nations. It also paved the way for industrialized warfare, and all the wonders and horrors that came with it.

Industrialism enables me to build Industrial Parks in my cities, and to create battleships, tanks, and Navy SEALs.




Elizabeth has offered me Artillery in exchange for Electricity and 2745 gold. That’s half my treasury. So no.




West Point Military Academy was founded in New York in 1889. The first dedicated military academy in the United States, it became known for training some of the best officers in the world.

I have founded West Point. From now on, I will try to train as much of my military as possible here. After I get an Industrial Park in the city, I think I’ll start training Fighters to defend my cities, and probably a small tank force.




The “Overwhelm Doctrine” developed at West Point relied in part on America’s technological superiority over other nations. The idea was to hit the enemy so fast and so hard that they would be defeated before they could muster a proper response. While it did require a significant investment in the American military, it offered the chance to win wars quickly, without heavy casualties.

This mission has no deadline (well, except for someone else finishing it), and is something that sounds good. In particular, it fits with the amphibious assaults that will be critical to any war I wage outside of the Americas or Australia. I intend to complete it, but I will ensure that I build the Manhattan Project first to get the bonus.




The Persians have attacked the USS Endeavor off the coast. It didn’t go well for them.




Refrigeration is the technology of cooling things. It is possibly the greatest advance in food storage technology since the invention of the granary, allowing food to stay fresh much longer than it would otherwise. For the first time, perishable foods could be transported across great distances. Access to fresh fruit, vegetables, and meat any time of the year regardless of where you lived had great benefits to people’s health.

Cooling technology has other applications. Many modern machines must operate at low temperatures. And while many people think of air conditioning as a convenience, imagine conditions in the great factories without it.

I have developed Refrigeration. This allows me to build Malls, the American unique structure. I wasn’t able to come up with a neat little explanation of the mall in my description of Refrigeration, so I’ll give it its own piece.



During the 20th Century, the advent of the automobile has created an urban and suburban landscape in which people live in one area but can shop, play, and work elsewhere – often miles away from their homes. Nowhere is this more true than in the United States of America, whose citizens are noted for an almost fanatical devotion to their cars. This has had important social, environmental, and economic affects upon life in America, leading to (among other things) the creation of that most American of institution – the shopping mall.

American shopping malls are surrounded by acres and acres of parking lots, and they may contain dozens (if not hundreds) of stores selling everything from clothing to jewelry to electronics to books to computers to videos. In some ways, American shopping malls are akin in spirit to the old Arabian markets (although Americans don’t particularly enjoy haggling and prices are generally fixed).

This little piece isn’t actually my writing – it’s copied verbatim from the Civilopedia entry. Personally, I think it’s one of the best-written entries in the game – and having been to Arabian-style markets in Jerusalem, I can attest to the similarities.

The Mall’s principle benefit is the same as the Supermarket, which it replaces – it adds one Food. The Mall’s advantage is that it gives a happiness bonus from Hit Musicals, Hit Singles, and Hit Movies – presumably because supermarkets don’t generally sell entertainment products (or, at least, not a lot of them), while malls do.

Nice update! Can't wait for the next one!

EDIT: Oops, sorry for taking this post. And here is the next one, YAYYYYYYYYYYY!

I can see that Mongolian troops have joined my Americans near Sakae. I decide to attack. Hopefully, the Mongolians will help protect my troops, who will probably be weakened by the battle.




Caesar offers me sheep for oil. I’ve received a lot of requests for oil from other countries, and have refused, as oil is a very strategic resource. However, Rome is a minor power, and sheep would give me a health bonus to my Malls. I accept.




In 1901, Typhoon Darla struck Sydney. The city avoided heavy loss of life, but the city library and observatory were destroyed.

Bollocks.




I have built my first Tank. I steal one of the Swordsman name suggestions (as I won’t be building any Swordsmen) and call it the Pain Train. And yes, I know that it loses the TF2 reference.




It is difficult to quantify the impact that plastics have had on our society. Plastic was invented in 1910 by scientists seeking to find a synthetic material to replace wood in the manufacture of many small items. Wood was used for many practical items, like artisan’s tools. However, its rigidity often made it unsuitable. Metal was better, but much more expensive. Plastic was the solution – cheap, durable, and flexible.

To get an idea of how important plastic is, look around you right now and count all the items that are made from plastic, in part or in whole.

Yeah.

I’ve invented plastic. The big impact is that I can now construct dams for hydroelectric power.




Theater had been a common form of entertainment in America for centuries. However, the center of it all is Seattle – or, more specifically, Broadway.

Broadway is the unofficial name of 5th Avenue, a major street in downtown Seattle. It also refers to the theater district that straddles the street. There are dozens of theaters, the largest being Benaroya Hall, and virtually every sort of play can be found there. Seattle’s native culture has had a major influence – as of this writing, one in four plays currently performing on Broadway is set in Seattle.

In 1910, the first Tony Awards were held. These awards recognize the best that live theater has to offer. They have always been hosted in Seattle, traditionally at Benaroya Hall, marking Seattle as the home of good drama.

Yes, Broadway is in New York in reality, but New York is slightly busy creating fighters. 5th Avenue, incidentally, is the name and location of the real Seattle theater district. Benaroya Hall is one of the best-known theaters, as well as the the home of the Seattle Symphony.




On May 17, 1911, Persian cavalry patrolling the outskirts of Sakae encountered a new enemy – the first American tank unit, the “Pain Train”. The Persians had dismissed the rumors of armored American war machines as exaggerations. They were… mistaken.
The battle went down as one of the most one-sided in history. The Persians had no way of damaging the American tanks, while they themselves were cut down with machine guns and cannon fire.

The city fell a year later.




The 1912 eruption of Mt. McKinley in Alaska devastated the Juneau area mines. Fortunately, the city was spared.

Ouch.




In 1916, William Clark led his troops to capture the Persian city of Harappan.

To my surprise, no option pops up to “liberate” the city. I decide to hold it for now – I can use it to airlift troops in directly from New York.




I wonder what UPS charges to mail tanks. Oh, and this tank is named Sasha.




In 1918, an American civilian airliner carrying people to Harappan crashed in Russian territory. Despite fears that the Russians would examine the wreckage in the hopes of reverse-engineering flight, the Russians allowed the Americans to salvage the wreckage and recover their dead.




The famed engineer Thomas Edison is widely credited with the early completion of the Three Gorges Dam in Chicago. Originally slated to be completed in the 1940s, Edison’s new construction techniques helped the dam come online in 1926.




The Egyptian conquest of the Inca city of Ligurian stunned the American public. Many saw it as an affront to the entire landmass, and there were public calls for a declaration of war. The American government did not immediately comply, but they did send American troops to South America.

I don’t like this. Not one bit. Hence the troops.




In 1919, William Clark finally led his new army out of Harappan, heading south towards Persia.




I notice that there’s a nice open space near my southern border, perfect for a new city.




While radio was not the first method of instant communication over long distances, it certainly improved upon the telegraph and telephone in many ways. Invented in 1923, radio allowed for broadcast to mobile receivers. The military found this incredibly useful, for obvious reasons. One thing that was not anticipated was the popularity of music being broadcast on the radio. This changed the music industry forever.

I have invented Radio. This adds some nasty units to my arsenal (submarines), and the Eiffel Tower, Rock & Roll, and Cristo Redentor wonders. Next up: computers.


(13 – Harbinger)

The Egyptian invasion of South America made it clear that the ocean was no longer a defense against foreign attack. The USS Harbinger, launched in 1923, was the answer to this. Her 16” guns and heavy steel armor made her the most powerful warship in the world.

I dispatch the Harbinger down to South America, to engage the Egyptian navy.




One of the byproducts of the Persian War was the epic play “Battle of Sydney”. It told the tale of the heroic soldiers who fended off a surprise attack, intermingled with a romantic triangle. The play was an outstanding hit, and stands as a major American cultural icon.

I’ve built the Heroic Epic in Sydney. I always planned to build it in Australia, where if there was a war with India, they might need to produce a lot of troops quickly.




The USS Godspeed was the world’s first submarine. The Godspeed’s first mission was to eliminate a pirate ship menacing Prudhoe Bay.




On July 30, 1924, the United States of America declared war against the Two Kingdoms of Egypt and the Holy Kingdom of Spain, in support of its Incan allies.




In 1924, the US surprised many by founding a new city – Dallas. Built near the Aztec border, Dallas grew strong on mining coal and drilling for oil. The city was not popular with environmentalists.




The Spanish soon got their revenge on the Americans for the attack on Ligurian. They captured the undefended city of Harappan, just as the city was in the beginnings of a revolt.




By 1925, Clark’s army stood at the gates of Persepolis. However, he recognized that they were in no condition to take the city. Persian airships had taken their toll, and the Americans had no anti-air defenses. Instead, Clark set camp outside the city.

Fortunately, I have something in the pipeline to help…

In 1925, the world’s first aircraft carrier was launched in New York: the USS Enterprise.

Her mission: to annihilate the Persian air force. Once I get her squadrons ready, that is.


Dammit, missed the screencaps!

The Three Gorges Dam in Chicago is one of the great feats of engineering. The dam is massive enough to provide power to all of North America, eliminating the need for polluting coal-fired plants.

Well, that will save me a lot of effort.

Oh, incidentally, I am naming my fighter squadrons after different classes of fighters – Mustang, Spitfire, Tomcat, etc. If I run out, I'll start using birds.




Nobody’s built the Suez Canal? Lame.




While attacking Ligurian, Hank Aaron was killed in action. Fortunately, he was avenged by Jason Momoa. And now all that is left in the city is siege equipment.




The first computer was actually invented in the late 1800s. These “difference engines” were powerful mechanical calculators. However, difference engines were limited in what they could do, and in the speed of their calculations.

The first electronic computer, built in 1915, was merely an attempt to speed the process. However, its inventors soon realized the potential for compact data storage and access. Word processing was developed, and large companies began to use computers to store large volumes of information.

It was in 1930 that Steve Jobs, an electrical engineer at the University of Washington, developed the microprocessor, making small, portable, and inexpensive computers a reality. He partnered with Bill Gates, a software engineer, to develop the first operating system meant for people without advanced computer knowledge – Windows. However, Jobs and Gates later split over different design philosophies. They founded separate companies – Apple and Microsoft, which compete to this day.

The personal computer revolutionized the modern world in ways beyond counting. People can readily access almost any information they desire – indeed, they have come to expect this. Scientists can now model complex processes like the global climate, the interior of a cell, or the birth of the universe. And the video game industry is by far the largest sector of the entertainment market.

The narrative above is completely invented, by the way. Anyway, I can now build the Internet (which I do so in Seattle). Now for Mass Media.




On February 15, 1933, Aztec forces invaded the United States of America, launching the Second North American War.

Montezuma has declared war on me. He will regret it.




Ok, looking at the situation here. The Aztec army is medieval, with crossbowmen, longbowmen, macemen, pikemen, and a few musketeers and cavalry (they must be trading for horses).

I think I’ll respond with CRUSHING HEAVY ARMOR!




I also order the USS Civ’ed to destroy the Aztec crab boats near Tlateloco. Hey, it’s the only warship I have in the Gulf of Mexico.




The Eiffel Tower was completed in 1933, shortly after the start of NAWII. It stands as a marvel of modern architecture, and a defining feature of Calgary.

I have completed the Eiffel Tower. I get Broadcast Towers in every city now.

Silly aztecs

hoplitejoe said:

Silly aztecs

Click to expand...

War is for kids!
Good update again! Those aztecs deserve to be destroyed, about three tanks plus garrisons should do it!

Great story.

BigTin said:

War is for kids!
Good update again! Those aztecs deserve to be destroyed, about three tanks plus garrisons should do it!

Click to expand...

Or would it be more humiliating to slaughter their armies but leave them alive?

What you should do is destroy every unit they have, without taking their cities (that means use gunships on last units), destroy all improvements they have, (including roads) and then in one turn capture/raze all their cities and resettle immediately to make it appear like they all suddenly became yours. That would be awesome, and a lot of work!

BigTin said:

What you should do is destroy every unit they have, without taking their cities (that means use gunships on last units), destroy all improvements they have, (including roads) and then in one turn capture/raze all their cities and resettle immediately to make it appear like they all suddenly became yours. That would be awesome, and a lot of work!

Click to expand...

I feel obliged to point out that I'm playing as the AMERICANS.

That is true. Your point is?

BigTin said:

That is true. Your point is?

Click to expand...

So do you honestly think I'm going to go to all the effort of crushing the Aztec civilization like that, when I could simply beat them into submission, then go home and have a beer and hot dogs.

No, I just thought it would be funny. Proceed on killing them with 3 tanks hile the rest of your troops have beer and hot dogs.

Nice update Meshakhad .

When the next update is going to be?

Some unit name ideas:

Transport: Firefly
Battleship: Iowa, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Maryland, Nevada, Arizona
Carrier: Liberty, Lexington, Essex, Saratoga, Yorktown, Nimitz, Ronald Reagan
Great General: Theodore Roosevelt

And make me a Tank or Modern Armour.