Alans or Saxons

[julianus heraclius]

I'm wanting to get some feedback in regard to whether to include the Saxons or Alans.

The Saxons, from my understanding, apart from raids against Britain in the late 3rd though not a really big player and could be represented as part of the free peoples faction. This considering that we have about 8 barbarian factions already from Britain to the end of the Danube.

Having the Alans in game would add an extra eastern faction and I think more balance to the game.

Due to faction limits I can only have one or the other.

Anyway, please vote and give me your thoughts.

[First Citizen Gallienus]

I suppose I would have to go with the Alans

[Diocle]

Augustus, really do you ask us our thought? Thank Master! The masterpiece advances! Great news!

I voted for Alans: The saxons probably in the III century were not so ethnically caracterized, I think that all the Germanic factions were quite similar in that age, so we can give up the Saxons, probably they were indistinguishable from the Northern Franks.
Instead the Alans are very interesting, like all the Horse people. And like all the Horse people they will be a pain for the Romans! So we will see the Sarmatians and still further East the Alans?

I thought that I'd never say this silly phrase but really I cannot wait! I want to play RO!

[julianus heraclius]

Augustus, really do you ask us our thought? Thank Master! The masterpiece advances! Great news!

I think it is right to ask the people.

So we will see the Sarmatians and still further East the Alans?

Yes, if we include the Alans.

I thought that I'd never say this silly phrase but really I cannot wait! I want to play RO!

And you will, but patience grasshopper.

[SeniorBatavianHorse]

I would say Alans, too, for the above reasons. While the Franks were certainly a large federation of tribes (even raiding down into Northern Africa), there is little evidence of the Saxons as yet operating on that scale. Their presence was mainly limited to the 'Saxon Shore' coastal regions of Britain and northern Gaul. While it might be argued that they were a threat (hence the forts themselves) plus that the fact that they didn't manage to emulate the Franks with large scale raiding is evidence that the coastal forts were succesful - the counter argument is that there is still no conclusive evidence that the forts were actually built to oppose Saxon raids as such. The name, some argue, is a misnomer.

[Knonfoda]

Alans, for the same reasons as cited above. Plus, I love new factions!

[Oznerol]

Alans! A brand new faction for IB would be wonderful. And also is more accurate as Diocle or Batavian has said. And a new steppe people in campaign are very interesting they could balance the things in the East, and would be wonderful to fight against.

[Justinian Australis]

Alans, purely for a shiny brand spanking new faction to play with

[Diocletianus]

Alans. The choice is clear to me

[Emperor Caesar]

I chose the Alans although I'm kinda on the fence about it. The Saxons did cause the Romans some pain on the British coast. But if they can be properly represented as a free peoples faction cause it is true that at the time they weren't operating as large as they do in the later 4th and 5th centuries, then I can live with that. A new faction is always nice too. I hope that the free peoples saxons can still raid my British shore right. Usually the free people don't do anything but sit there all the time and wait for me to conquer them. I want the free people saxons to still raid my coast like the saxon faction does in SAI.

[Lionheart]

Alans seriously. To my knowlage by this time frame tha Alans were a much more important people than the Saxons. Besides and specially in the eastern borders of the empire they were always a menace both to Rome and to the Sassanids. They conducted raids in a periodic base so i say include the Alans. Also new factions are always good no?

[Flavius Vegetius Renatus]

In a spirit of true liberty and solidarity i go saxons to give the poor pillagers minority vote

[Gen.jamesWolfe]

voted.

went with the more important one.

[Diocle]

In a spirit of true liberty and solidarity i go saxons to give the poor pillagers minority vote

Hoping not being off topic , I want to express my total appreciation for this post , for the following reasons:
1- Chivalrous attitude.
2- The spirit of the Patriots of December 16, 1773.
3- It is never easy to take the parts of the losers.

[Lionheart]

out of topic but anyone knows a guy called siddebotom i just finished a book called the caspian gates it was interesting. Do you know if he wrotte some others books?