Chinese (Age of Empires III)

OVERVIEW

China is one of the three new Asian Dynasties avaliable in the Age of Empires III expansion: The Asian Dynasties. Their chief standouts as a faction include - Higher population cap - Shipment of Villagers - use of farms as defence,livestock pen and house - Early access to gunpowder based weaponry They are widely,considered to be an offensive civilisation and are a popular faction to utilise.

HISTORY

'Never give a sword to man who can't dance'-Confucius

The faction representing China in the Asian Dynasties is loosely based on the cultural and military image perpetuated of China in the 1500's during the Ming Dynasty. The Ming (literally translated as the 'bright) dynasty was created at the end of the Yuan Dynasty under the Emperor Hongwu (aka large military) and to reflect China's position as a powerful nation established trade links with over a dozen overseas countries and a large military based on the Weiso system of organisation. Evidence of this system can be found in the AOE III China faction in which units are trained in 'banner armies' as opposed to individual units.

In addition, China's superior knowledge of explosives and gunpowder is exposed in the faction through the early unlocked technology of flamethrowers and arquebusiers. HOwever to reflect the decline of China's military historically, the faction loses much of its potent gunpowder technology to the Europeans by the beginning of the Industrial age.

As such the China faction must prevent its counterparts from ageing up to that stage, as by keeping these enemy civilizations rooted in earlier ages, China will remain superior. Historically and with semi-accuracy China is able to 'recruit' the help of European allies as they construct customs houses. This gives China access to some of the more basic (that can be upgraded) units of the European civilizations such as Russia or Great Britain.

CAMPAIGN

The Chinese campaign