Explicitly Alternate Historical Events

[Celestialnaut]

Which alternate historical possibilities are explicitly hardcoded into the game? I've heard that you can get into a war with Canada or European countries or something like that. Is that true? What else is there?

[ericbabe]

The possibility of European wars is indeed a game option; players can turn the possibility of this 'off' when setting up the game.  Similarly, Southern emancipation is a possible option that players can choose to make possible when setting up the game.  There are a few research upgrades available that were only theoretically available during the war:  submarines (imagine a Hunley in every major harbor) and smokeless powder (which existed before the war but was too expensive to practically manufacture) are the two that come immediately to mind.  One can also choose to randomize the stats of generals, Lincoln can lose the presidential election, a-historical governors can be elected in the election years of their states.

[Celestialnaut]

How does Souther emancipation work?  And do European wars lead to intervention in the ACW?

[Gil R.]

Southern emancipation is possible if certain requirements are met. The effects (quoting from the original version of the manual):

• CSA gains 3 levels of Diplomacy with each European power.
• Each state in the CSA has a 15% chance to step down from the war. If a state steps down, then the production value in all its cities is reduced to zero, and its population factors and maximum population is reduced to zero.
• Each city in CSA’s states gains a permanent bonus of +1 to its level of Men.
• Each city in CSA’s states gains a permanent bonus of +1 to any Labor production.
• All Plantation buildings become Mansion buildings, causing a reduction in income production.
• Both the USA and CSA lose 4 points of National Will.


European wars have no impact -- it's only what happens in the Civil War that can drag in the Europeans (if one is playing with that option).