I mean the smaller factions are there but I wish they were playable. I've always like playing as an Italian country and starting my campaign by unifying Italy. And when I heard there was a faction called: Italian States, I was exicted and already began planning my war against spain and austria. But, after destroying the Italian States, I wasn't able to play them. Did they ever say why you couldn't play as those factions like all the total war games, that came before, did?

Usually you could unlock them through some file editing, at least you could in rome.

I can't speak for their motives but personally I found the copius amount of possible nation choices entirely daunting and offputting in the previous Total War games. So people like me might be responsible for this mainstreaming.

"I can't speak for their motives but personally I found the copius amount of possible nation choices entirely daunting and offputting in the previous Total War games. So people like me might be responsible for this mainstreaming. "