The Polynesians' seafaring population, but how big was it really? I imagine it would be pretty small compared to, say, Portugal.
I bring up Portugal because they didn't have a huge population compared to other colonial powers, but they still had a strong navy, right?
So, for the Polynesians, it’d probably not be enough to colonise anything big. I remember in the first Tinto Talks
Iceland gets some special advantage (I might be wrong about this, though—could’ve been an estate privilege or something?) for
colonising nearby areas, but their population just wouldn’t be able to support it, which
@Johan said. So, I think
a similar alt-history situation would apply to Polynesia too.
About the Continental Army in Valley Forge—interesting example. I’d like to know what you think about how that transformation happened and how we could adapt that idea for the navy, especially from the 18th century onwards.
In terms of raw numbers the polynesians had a low population, but what I mean is a very large percentage of their population would have seafaring skills owing to the geography of the region- similar to how the nomadic populations of Mongolia often grew up in the saddle (it was said they learned how to ride a horse before learning to walk). It's an element of geographic determinism.
Likewise I'd say europe's long coastlines and many peninsula's and seas are what gave them an advantage in sea-faring compared to say the America's or Africa. And that this likewise should be presented with expansive naval paths in a 'western' military doctrine (I'd argue for two paths in fact, both of which could be taken, a mediterranean centric path based on galleys and conflicts with muslim powers, inspired by say the Venetian Navy, while the other is an Atlantic centric path based more on heavy ships and colonialism).
I should caveat with I'm not an expert of American history, but it's a big part of the 'legend' of the Revolution (it of course is a matter of historical record, it's just given a ton of emphasis in the whole national myth).
Prior to Valley Forge the Continental Army was on the soundly losing end of the war with Washington kicked out of New York, his only victory being able to keep his troops of hastily cobbled militiamen in an organized retreat. While the colonists had fought in the French and Indian Wars (Georgie himself included) they were largely an auxiliary force for the professional British army. The main advantage George and the colonists had was knowledge of the local terrain, with George having been a pathfinder for the British during the French and Indian war.
To pause briefly I think situation should showcase that subject nations shouldn't get the same military buffs as the overlord compared to HOI4, where they enjoy tech-sharing on doctrines. I don't think such a level of military integration was feasible in this era. Instead- I think military coordination should just be limited to it being much easier to get 'military advisors' from their overlord, with maybe military advisors in the same group adding an extra bonus.
Anyway after George's defeat at New York there was open talks of dismissing him as Commander of the Continental Army (something ludicrous to think of today what with his legendary status), but he was still the most experienced leader of the Colonies. Anyway they retreated to upper New York (state) at Valley Forge where winter set in. It was a light winter all things told, but the British figured victory was secured, and there was enough snowed in passes that they figured it wasn't worth finishing off George's forces, and instead focused on consolidating their gains (the Revolution had caught them off guard, so they still hadn't arrived in the colonies in force yet). Many of George's troops lacked uniforms and even shoes, and there were even talks of mutiny or surrender.
In comes Marquis de Laffayette, a fancy french nobleman that has become enamored with The Revolution. The French were quick to support a colonial revolt, if not the politics of replacing monarchy with democracy, but Laffayette was all in, despite being a nobleman himself. He'd been a career military man too, and so was educated in all the most modern european tactics, and he got on the first boat to the US and met with George and proceeded to drill his troops amongst military lines.
Now in terms of gameplay terms, this would be represented by Marquis de Laffayette joining the court of the independent US, and drilling the army at Valley Forge.
By the end of the winter the Continental Army was now a professional force, and while they lacked the same resources as Britain, they were bolstered by discipline and morale. It is said that the Continental Army was truly 'forged' that winter.
It should be noted though that while the Continental Army now fought along European Lines, they also had innovations in what we'd now call 'Guerilla Warfare' much of which they'd learned from skirmishes with the Indians. Now I think this should be represented with a buff to the US- maybe the US getting ONE native-american military doctrine added on top for them pertaining to ambushes. The US also was one of the first major innovators for designated marksman, where they used 'rifles' (different from a modern rifle, they were flintlocks with rifled barrels to increase accuracy from which modern rifles are descended) to pick off specific targets from rear positions (nowhere near as accurate as sniping but same kind of idea), and in general were able to very creatively use their smaller numbers to maximum effect.
