Teaser of the Romano-Sasanian wars

**romano britones** · July 19, 2012, 12:51 PM

Are we going to see any more previews?

**Pompeius Magnus** · July 19, 2012, 01:39 PM

Hey mate,
let me say that we have many many new things prepared. So, basically I could show a lot of material (esp. new 3D cities e.g. Iustiniana Prima, Roman cavalry, new sasanian units etc etc)
ATM we are incredible busy with the modding. Behind the scene there is a lot of activity of the AoD2 Team. We were able to get 3 new model-makers plus a new team-member just for the coding. I would say that the progress is 5 times better than 2011.
Please have a little bit patience. We will offer a new XXL Preview soon.

**legio_XX** · July 19, 2012, 03:47 PM

well this is A very present surprise thanks PM! I love the roman unit in blue.

**Agent007** · July 19, 2012, 04:22 PM

Originally Posted by Pompeius Magnus

Hey mate,
let me say that we have many many new things prepared. So, basically I could show a lot of material (esp. new 3D cities e.g. Iustiniana Prima, Roman cavalry, new sasanian units etc etc)
ATM we are incredible busy with the modding. Behind the scene there is a lot of activity of the AoD2 Team. We were able to get 3 new model-makers plus a new team-member just for the coding. I would say that the progress is 5 times better than 2011.
Please have a little bit patience. We will offer a new XXL Preview soon.

Pompeius, this is music to my ears. So happy to see that one mod that I await for so much time is going well. All the best for the rest!

**Blatta Optima Maxima** · July 19, 2012, 08:27 PM

Is it proper that legions still bear Latin names?

P.S. Are the Romans fighting Armenian troops?

**Pompeius Magnus** · July 20, 2012, 04:37 PM

Yes, it is.
The only valid official document is the Codex Iustinianus as well as the Novelles of Justinian.
Cod Iust XII 35,14
[...]comitatensibus legionibus[...]
...from the reign of Arcadius et Honorius. However, since those terms were included into the Codex it shows that they were still valid.

Cod Iust XII 42,1
[...]tribunorum cohortium [...]
...from the reign of Constantinus, but also integrated into the Codex of the sixth century.

or an order to the proconsul palaestinae from the year 536AD
Nov Iust CIII caput 3 §1
[...]Et ille quidem praeerit militibus et limitaneis et foederatis [...]

or the order of Justinian to build up immediately Limitanei in north africa after the reconquest
Cod Iust I 27 2 §8
[...]ut extra comitatenses milites per castra milites limitanei constituantur[...]

And all this is valid far into the reign of Heraclius and even beyond.
The official generic term for all military units was since the 5th century (even in the Notitia Dignitatum!) the Numerus. This term became absolutely official in the codex as well.
Cod Iust I 27 2 §8
[...]unius numeri limitaneorum[...]

The colloquial term, even in military Papyri and letters, is of course somewhat different.
As I have explained elsewhere, you will find sometimes greek descriptions of a Legeonos or Legeon, however, all Papyri I have evaluated are just speaking about Numeri - independently if you know for sure that this unit was a Legion (e.g. by a comparison with the Notitia Dignitatum).
Therefore things like Cohors, Vexillatio, Cuneus, Legion etc were outdated and replaced by the generic term Numerus = in greek Arithmos.

Ancient authors took, for any reason, puristic greek terms like katalogos, telos, tagma, taxis and 2 or 3 others. All of them were non-official terms (beside the "tagma"). Unfortunately, this led often to confusions - even in modern books - where is often said that the units were named so, but this is not correct.

ps: the romans are fighting against the sasanians and their allies ;-)

**Kylan271** · July 21, 2012, 05:51 AM

Very beautiful,even to the textures on the clothing! Visually inspiring! Is this Empio's work?

**Blatta Optima Maxima** · July 21, 2012, 07:51 AM

ps: the romans are fighting against the sasanians and their allies ;-)

Or rather, vassals. I don't think you can call them allies if they pay taxes.

**tomySVK** · July 22, 2012, 12:19 AM

Very interesting news and great sreenshots, I really like the Sassanid cavalrymen in the second screenshot. Great work AoD team

**Gäiten** · July 25, 2012, 01:35 PM

Very very nice, look forward to play it!
Models and skins are excellent designed.

**Pompeius Magnus** · July 25, 2012, 01:45 PM

@all
thanx a lot for the kind words.

Originally Posted by Kylan271

Is this Empio's work?

Some of them are from empio - others (e.g. the sasanian knights) were made by our morfeasnikos. That they have a similar design regarding textures and model-features is wished and part of our modding strategy.
Also our new model-maker Rarity has finished amazin roman cavalry - also fitting 100% our other units.