Wars of Liberty

Wars of Liberty is a Game Mod for Age of Empires III that overhauls and expands on much of the game itself, and then some. Originally known as The War of the Triple Alliance mod, which centered on Latin America on the titular conflict between Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil in particular, it has over time grown to encompass virtually the entire New World as well as a number of African, European and colonial cultures. As such the mod features several new, unique factions (including significant revamps of existing ones), various gameplay mechanics, and graphical improvements.

Officially released under its current title on September 2015, it's also one of the handful of mods for the game that not only remains active but continues to be in development.

Its present version can be found online.

Tropes used in Wars of Liberty include:

• Amazon Brigade:
  • Mexico's more powerful musketeer units are all female.
  • The Chinese can deploy their own army of female sharpshooters.
  • The Aymara native units are depicted as female mounted boleadoras.
  • Austria's Tross camp followers are entirely comprised of women, and are handier with guns in combat than most worker units.
  • Japan's Ikko-Ikki, who take the place of the original expansion's monks, resemble a pair of prietesses or Miko.

Anachronism Stew: The mod aims to downplay this. Although some still have access to archaic units in earlier ages, each faction is more synchronized in their units and aesthetics to match the timeframe being covered (most notably with the Europeans and Chinese), with a greater emphasis on the 18th-19th Centuries.

• • The Chinese for instance are now more accurately depicted as they were around the Qing/Manchu Dynasty, with clear nods to both the Opium Wars and Boxer Rebellion. Coincidentally, they even have access to Boxers as multi-purpose infantry.
  • Japan, compared to the base game, is more reminiscent of the Boshin War, Meiji Restoration and Satsuma Rebellion than the Sengoku Jidai.
  • The Spanish, meanwhile, are made to resemble a much more modernized force compared to their largely Conquistador-based aesthetic previously.
  • Deliberately invoked by the Knights of Malta, however. As according to Word of God, their units and general playstyle are more in line with Age of Empires II. Their only true modern units, meanwhile, can only be shipped from their Home City.
  • Played with for the Koreans. Their historic status as a "hermit kingdom" similar to the Japanese (almost up until being conquered by the latter) is reflected in their access to more archaic units like spearmen, the Hwacha and explosive fire cattle, alongside more modern cannon.
• Army of Thieves and Whores:
  • The Bushrangers available to Colonial-route Australians are portrayed and described as being outlaws and rogues. By the late-game, they even resemble Ned Kelly, right down to the makeshift armor.
  • Mexico meanwhile gains access to "free" pistol-wielding bandits straight out of the Wild West, especially after upgrading units or structures.
• Artifact Title: The mod has long since gone beyond the titular War of the Triple Alliance. To the point of launching the official "Delta" edition of War of the Triple Alliance as Wars of Liberty, according to Word of God.
• Badass Preacher:
  • Brazil's Jesuit Priests come with guns of their own and double as explorer units.
  • Regardless of religion, priest units in general are capable of not only healing units and having passive abilities but can even kill enemies through the power of faith, provided they're well protected.
• Banana Republic: The Coronel units for the Latin American nations have some shades of this, given how many of their abilities and upgrades are tied to corruption. While they do offer various benefits, they also require a relatively hefty amount of gold in order to be recruited.
• But Not Too Foreign: The Latin American nations in general, as (with the exception of Haiti) many of them are "mestizo" or mixed-race in one way or another, as in real life.
• Canada, Eh?: Very much represented. The Canadians come in Dominion ("New England") and Quebecois ("New France") flavors, depending on how you age them up. In an added touch, their structures even come with free maple trees.
• Cannon Fodder:
  • Mexico's Insurgentes are explicitly described as such, serving as much more expendable infantry compared to their more elite female units.
  • Spontooners, which are available to the Anglo nations are decidedly weaker than other polearm/pike units and whose sole purpose is to hold back other melee units while their musketeers and riflemen prepare to open fire.
  • Paraguay's Primero de Linea ("First in Line") infantry, are little more than cheap recruits in half a uniform and a spear.
• Clap Your Hands If You Believe: Religion takes up a role similar to earlier Age of Empires games. A priest/imam/monk could boost morale, heal and condemn people to death with faith. This is averted though should you take up no religion at all.
• Cosmetically Different Sides: Goes even further than the base game, as each individual nation and wider cultural group is made to have more unique units, distinct gameplay mechanics and even more varied aesthetics.
  • Latin American nations like Brazil and Argentina can send in various immigrant groups, each with their own unique touches.
  • The Anglo nations (Americans, Canadians, Australians) can choose their own socio-political route as they age up, each with their own particular units and upgrades. As a consequence, it's possible to have a Quebecois "New France" Canada, a Confederate America and Aborigine Australia.
  • The Italians have to rely on separate architect units in order to have buildings constructed.
  • Unlike the base game, the Ottomans have their own unique textures to more emphasize their Islamic influences.
  • The Zulu "train" military units by recruiting youths and then having them grow up into said units.
  • The Austrian Habsburgs "age up" by marrying royalty from other nations, which allows access to the perks and/or specialties of the faction of choice.
  • The Haitians have mechanics reminiscent of both Latin American and African factions, reflecting the Slave Revolt aspect. In addition, their villagers can't actually be killed but go down like explorer units.
• Cowboy: The Argentinians have Gaucho settler units, who all ride on horseback. While the Americans can recruit Buffalo Soldiers (Union-route) and Texas Rangers (Confederate-route), in addition to dynamite-tossing Miners seeming straight out of the Gold Rush.
• Culture Chop Suey:
  • A side effect of the Anglo nations' special gameplay mechanics is that depending on the path chosen, it can very much result in this. This is most evident with the Australians, given how they incorporate Aborigine, Maori and New Zealander influences.
  • Compared to the base game, the Japanese increasingly look like a mash of East and West especially by the late game, reflecting the Meiji Restoration.
• Damn You, Muscle Memory!: It takes some getting used to when it comes to both playing the new factions and the existing ones from the base game due to all the changes.
• Darker and Edgier: Downplayed, but the mod is this compared to the base game. Especially as it doesn't shy away from invoking more politically incorrect topics like slavery, religious zealotry, colonialism and racism without being Anvilicious.
• A Day in the Limelight: The mod is notable as well for putting a spotlight on nations that don't normally show up in an RTS game, like the Canadians, Argentinians and Brazilians among others. This extends as well to many of the other African, European and indigenous factions, be it the Ethiopians, Austria, the Knights of Malta or the Tupi.
• Dummied Out:
  • The Italians and Swedes utilize, but are not wholly reliant on, unused content found in the base game's files, as they were initially considered to be included by the original developers before being removed.
  • The large star forts seen in earlier builds of the original game can now be accessed by the Greeks and other Balkan nations like Serbia.
• Eagleland: The Americans come across as a mix of Type 1 and 2, whether you choose the Union path or follow the Confederate route.
• Earth Is a Battlefield: Compared to the base game, the backdrop has expanded to encompass about every corner of the globe. A number of new maps in particular vary wildly from the African savannah to the Balkans and the Australian Outback.
• Eleventh-Hour Superpower:
  • Many nations have certain units, upgrades or abilities in the late-game that, when played right, can make them incredibly powerful.
  • The Americans are described by Word of God as having this being one of their strengths. As their late-game units, abilities and upgrades make them more challenging to take on if you allow them enough time to breathe.
  • The Maltese meanwhile, while almost entirely archaic, can ship a regiment of elite, modernized line infantry from the homeland.
  • The planned "Great War" age is an endgame option that, as the name implies, propels your faction into World War I, complete with tanks, aircraft, unique structures and new technologies; tellingly, the description bluntly says "end it all." The big drawback, however is that it needs a lot of resources and that you reach the Imperial Age (Age V), which in itself has a hefty price tag.
• Elite Mooks: In addition to late-game units, some nations can ship in groups of powerful regiments or warriors from their Home City.
• Fan Sequel: With all the work already done and in development, the mod is this in all but name. Further underscored by the more concerted attention placed around the Napoleonic and Victorian eras.
• Fighting For a Homeland:
  • The "American" Immigrants that are available to the Latin American factions are a nod to the real-life Confederados: refugees from the former Confederate States of America who fled to Brazil after the Civil War, whose descendants still retain elements of their origins.
  • The Russians and Austrians can gain access to Polish units like the Winged Hussars. This also extends to the Haitians, who have access to Polish immigrants, which is a nod to how in real life an expeditionary force (made up Polish soldiers) sent by Napoleon to reassert control in Haiti mutinied and opted to stay in Haiti.
• Gimmick Level: In addition to new random maps spanning various parts of the world, some of said maps come with their own unique twists that make matches more peculiar. Naval units can inexplicably disappear in the Bermuda Triangle map if you're not careful, for instance, while the Congo one constantly resets the fog of war.
• Going Native:
  • The Indigenous route for the Australians has many signs of this, most notably in the Aborigine and Maori units that are made available.
  • In the "New France" route for the Canadians, not only do they embrace their French/Quebecois culture, but they also gain access to Metis rebel infantry towards the mid-late game.
  • Downplayed for the French, but their unique Pied Noir worker units wear outfits not too dissimilar from those used by Berbers and Arabs in Northern Africa.
• Gratuitous Foreign Language: Many units, particularly nation-specific ones tend to be named in their respective languages.
• Historical Domain Character:
  • Simon Bolivar, for the Columbians. Not only is he their leader, but is actually playable as a hero character.
  • For the Romanians, there's the Domnitor explorer unit, who's all but stated to be Vlad Tepes (aka, the real Dracula). He even has an ability that allows him to set up a forest of impaled bodies to demoralize enemies.
  • The Japanese, meanwhile have Daimyo units from the base game (themselves based on historical figures like Daimyo Masamune) updated to match the time period, complete with figures like Saigo Takamori.
• Incendiary Exponent: In addition to Serbians being able to burn their own structures (which could also harm surrounding units), Latin American Coronels can start up incendio fires while the Inca have access to wildfires through their monument.
• La Resistance: Invoked by certain units like Mexico's Insurgentes and the Metis rebels for the Canadians' "New France" path.
  • Additions to the Revolutionary options for European nations include the Filipinos under Andres Bonifacio.
  • The Colombians have this as part of their motif, and to a degree Mexico. Many of their structures tend to be tents or makeshift military buildings, reflecting their role in Bolivar's struggle against Spain. It's not until the mid-late game that they have more "proper" military units at their disposal.
  • Bulgaria compensates for not having any actual military until the late-game by having powerful peasant units.
• Land Down Under: The Australians, though they also incorporate elements of New Zealand and the Maori, depending on the path chosen.
• Made a Slave:
  • The Brazilians rely on slaves, can buy them in bulk (in gold to boot) and even whip them up for faster productivity at the expense of health, though it is possible to abolish slavery in later ages.
  • A Confederate-route American player gains access to slaves as well.
  • The Romanians, meanwhile, have access to Roma slaves.
• The Mafia: A late-game espionage option for the Italians, granting them much more in the way of subterfuge and underhanded tactics...for a hefty price.
• Mega Corp: The Americans can establish powerful companies by the late-game, which grant significant economic and military benefits.
• Multinational Team:
  • In addition to the main game's foreign mercenaries and Asian consulates, the Latin American nations can bring in immigrants (such as Germans, Japanese and even Confederate!Americans), who provide both tech bonuses and foreign units.
  • Austria's unit roundup is nothing but this, reflecting the Habsburg monarchy's domains.
  • The Maltese have a variety of European languages spoken among their soldiers in addition to actual Maltese speech, reflecting the multinational pool the Knights recruited from.
  • The Italians can send in and train Askaris (African colonial infantry).
  • It's possible for the Australians to send in Maori and Aborigine warriors alongside settler units, depending on one's choices. Justified as in-game, the Australians represent both Australia and New Zealand.
• Obvious Beta: The mod still has a number of graphical, gameplay and balancing bugs as well as a handful of unfinished assets. Which isn't counting the stuff the modders plan on adding, such as unique audio tracks and additional factions. Justified in that it's still in development, if very much playable.
• Palette Swap: Averted with the Latin American nations. While there are some superficial similarities with the original Spanish and Portuguese factions (especially in terms of architecture and culture), it's at best Broad Strokes. The mod makes a point to highlight how they're not mere palette swaps.
• Recycled Script: The voice tracks for the Greeks and Egyptians include lines taken from Age of Mythology.
• Rock Beats Laser: Some of the indigenous nations, like the Aztecs or Tupi don't even have access to gunpowder weapons or more sophisticated technologies, but can still hold their own against more powerful foes. While the Maltese, whose unit roster by and large wouldn't be out of place in Age of Empires II, can still hold their own against modern armies.
• Ruritania: The Balkan factions in general (as well as the Romanians and Austrians to a degree) tend to come across as this, feeling more "backward" compared to most other European nations, or so they seem at first.
• Saved From Development Hell: Sort of. In addition to the mod still being in development over 10 years on, some elements like certain gameplay features or even playable nations are mentioned by Word of God as having been adopted and salvaged from other abandoned mods that the team had involvement in.
• Salt the Earth: The Serbians can burn their own structures to deny enemies any satisfaction of victory, said fire also capable of hurting anyone close to said buildings.
• Semper Fi: Continental Marines are available to the Americans, but only in the Union route.
• Shown Their Work: The modders had evidently done their research in how each faction not only looks but also plays.
  • The Latin American nations share come common mechanics and traits with their European counterparts, but come off at least initially as being weaker than them. This is meant to reflect the general disparity between the Latin American colonies and their more developed homelands.
  • The Americans start off as among the weaker factions in the game, but become among the most powerful by the late-game, reflecting America's rise from a being frontier "colonials" to becoming a great power by the end of the 19th Century.
  • The infantry unit upgrades for the modernized Spanish roster are based on conflicts ranging from the Carlist Wars to the Cuban and Philippine Revolutions as well as the Rif War.
  • For Brazilians and Confederate-route Americans, not only can slaves be bought in bulk, but they can be whipped for greater efficiency...but at the cost of being significantly weaker than even normal citizens.
  • The fact that the Maltese can only ship more modern-style units reflects their thoroughly defensive mindset. After all, it makes sense that what heavy firepower they did have would be reserved for protecting their homeland.
  • The Bulgarians' inability to train actual military units until the late-game is based on how their independence came fairly late into the 19th Century and at great cost. This is compensated however by their peasantry doubling as very potent militia early on.
• Slave Revolt: The Haitians in general are this, having overthrown their French masters.
• Spexico:
  • Averted. The mod, from the very beginning, makes a point to underscore how Mexico, let alone Latin America for that matter, aren't carbon copies of the Spanish. This is further underscored by the Latin American nations having distinct aesthetics and architecture compared to Spain and Portugal proper or even amongst themselves. There are also plans to add new voice tracks that would use more appropriate Spanish dialects and variants for the Latin Americans.
  • Similarly averted for the Anglo nations in contrast to the British.
• State Sec: The Okhrana are available to the Russians as a late-game cavalry unit, based on their lesser-emphasized roles as gendarmes.
• Suspiciously Similar Replacement: On a similar note to The WarChiefs, when a Native American faction is upgraded from "native tribe" to being fully playable, another Native American people takes its former place.
• Thanksgiving Day: The basic Anglo worker units are Pilgrims who seemed to have come straight out of the Mayflower. The exception, however, are the Australians, who have "Convict Labourers" in place of Pilgrims.
• Überwald:
  • The Romanians fit this to a tee. In addition to having their Domnitor explorer unit being obviously Vlad Tepes, their villagers are Roma slaves made from a wooden wagon. In addition, a number of their Home City shipments reference the "Order of the Dragon."
  • Downplayed with the Austrians, which instead emphasize the Multinational Team elements of the Habsburg domains.
• We ARE Struggling Together!: Compared to the Americans and Canadians, Australians have a decidedly more difficult time pulling off a mix of routes. While it is possible to have a blend of Maori, Aborigine and settler elements, don't expect them to work like clockwork.
• Zerg Rush:
  • The Russians and Chinese can send masses of cheap Cannon Fodder infantry to soak up damage while their more potent units finish the enemy off.
  • Played with for the Australians. On the one hand, following down Aborigine route all but necessitates this, as their indigenous units perform better en masse. On the other hand, Colonial route units require more population and get increasingly expensive the more they are, resulting in small but formidable armies.