Empire: Total War's only flaw is that the learning curve is just a little too steep to be applicable in the classroom. I'm fully confident that given time, I could learn to actually be good at this game rather than haphazardly moving my armies about, but alas, two class periods is not that time. Empire provides good insight to the minutiae of running a nation in the 18th Century, and it certainly can be entertaining to navigate political intrigue, warmaking, and technological advancement all in one experience, however, this same complexity is what makes it rather difficult for new players, such as those you're likely to find in a classroom. Though if you had that kind of time and money, a course centered around this game itself could actually be fantastic; obviously not a perfect simulation, but it could be useful to those in the fields of political science to truly understand what it takes to govern a nation, both in peace and in war, and the kind of multitasking and sacrifices it entails.
And as a simulation, it really is fun. Getting to personally dictate your battles is a great idea, and once I got the hang of it, it was the part of the game I enjoyed most. Getting to personally tell my armies what to do and where to go was just the military fantasy I'd been missing, and even the tiniest things like appointing different ministers and furthering technological advancement was really fun and entertaining. You can tell that the game is meant to be more than just a military simulation to conquer the world; you have to pay attention to every facet of running your nation, from the economy to the infrastructure. It's a great power trip for anyone who looks at Congress and says "Yeah, I can do better than that." And, because it is just a game, you get the added bonus of not accidentally killing millions of people and dooming a nation when you inevitably fail. However, as you get better and better at the game, it starts to become and absolute pleasure to romp around the world as the British Empire, ever expanding the "List of Countries Invaded by Great Britain" on Wikipedia.
And despite my minimal knowledge of how it was supposed to work, your exercise on simulating the War of Spanish Succession was really creative and fun. With a clear goal in mind, there was more incentive to learn how to play the game properly, and I'm proud to say that playing as Prussia, I was the only one in my group that did actually end up at war with France and Spain, and was a part of Britain's Grand Alliance. At first, my plan was to declare war on Hanover and Saxony in order to get my troops to the French border, hoping that I could crush and subjugate them quickly, but then I saw that they were allies with the British, so I did something very uncharacteristic for Prussia and went the route of diplomacy; after lavishing the Saxons, Poles, and Hanoverians in only the finest of china, I managed to get all of my armies in the Netherlands at last, from which I could attack the Spanish, and from there the French, and from there the Spanish again. I was fully (not at all) prepared for a protracted continental war across the forests of Belgium, the plains of France, and to cross the Pyrenees and conquer Spain. what I'd do then, I have no clue, but the important part is that I would have won. Maybe.
Overall, it's an enjoyable game, just one not suited to the limited time we might have in the classroom. It's definitely a longer form of play than some of the other games we do in class, and I more recommend it for one of the personal projects rather than a universal experience. The main complaint I heard, mostly from Leah, is that Empire's only fault is that it lacks Civilization's accessibility, and though I enjoyed it leaps and bounds more than she did, I'm inclined to agree. It's a good, playable, enjoyable game, but you just need to get the hang of it first.
PS - Once again, apologies for the lateness, but on Friday I received serious medical news about my mother, and on Saturday I was in New York City with my friend Miguel, who wanted to show us his home; this kinda fell by the wayside. I swear, I'll try to actually turn the next one in on time.
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