I am sure I am not alone when I say that every Total War game needs a solid, historical total conversion mod. With Rome:TW, there was Rome total Realism, with Medieval 2:TW there has been many solid projects (Broken Crescent stands out). This topic is for those who wish to think to the future so to speak. Join me, and together we can rule the 18th century galaxy!... ya so you get the point.

Focus:
To create of total conversion modification of Empires: Total War that expands gameplay, immersion, and strategy through a deeply historical context.
Q&A:

Q: "Well, Mr. BattleDrumz, how can we make a mod for a game we know nothing about (besides the fact that it has boats)? Lolz NOOB!"
A: Look at the successful mods out there: Red Orchestra, BF Modern Combat, Rome:Total Realism, Counter Strike - all these mods took more than just talent, spit, fanaticism. Though I do not deny that these things generally help , These teams were organized and thought through most of their hurtles before they even began work. If we can get a priority list and a roster of peeps ready to work, the mod will be ready all the sooner.
Q: Why the name Empires: Total Realism. can you say... LAME.
A: Empire: Total Realism is just a placeholder name - perhaps a more creative one will present itself later - but for now, it will serve as our mission statement as well.
Q: Other mamoth total conversion mods have choked to death over the mass a work to be done. How can this mod be different?
A: It is true that modders (myself included) tend to dream grandiosely but forget that there are limits to a budget of 0. It is also true that most mods die multiple times before release - often they never get there. One of the biggest things us modders can learn from the indie-dev world is the following.
ETR mantra:
  1. Release v1 early! This means we won't pack every single feature into the game. You and I don't have the budget of a real developer like CA to wait that long.
  2. Update often! Weekly or monthly updates will be forthcoming and drastically improve gameplay as well as adding features the team wanted initially.
  3. Keep the fans updated! This cannot be stated enough. Our peeps are going to wanna know whats happening. Can they help? probably not but we will be listening. We will accept the feedback they send our way and evolve through point 2.
Fans and modders loose interest when there is no obvious gain. By releasing a lite version 1, we can automatically get feedback while the team digs into the next set of tasks. It keeps players coming back to see if that next update is out yet instead of checking monthly to see if there is any new news from a stagnating mod.
Q: So what will your priority list be?
A: Honestly, I can't say. Sure, I have my own dreams of what this mod should be like, but I'm not the only one involved (hopefully) It is my opinion that things like skinning can wait will balance and unit stats (i.e. authentic names, regiments, etc) taking a higher priority. It would also be wise to focus primarily on the european factions and branching out to the countless others in subsequent updates. Remember, this is my opinion. It's ok to disagree.
Q: Ok, sounds cool. So how can I get involved?
A: By simply getting excited! Post here with questions, comments, dreams, and we can start brainstorming goals. If you do have technical skills (Photoshop, C++, etc) and are willing to sign up for this mod, you are welcome to PM me.