Official ICENI praising thread :)

[riceranger]

I like this guy! Long live Calgacus and the Caledonian confederation!! Also I'm not sure, maybe someone will correct me here but I think it was a legion that came from Wales that destroyed Boudicca's revolt.



It's a line from Braveheart Why the dislike of the Dutch?

His was a line from Austin Powers 3 haha.

[The Great Montrose]

His was a line from Austin Powers 3 haha.

Ahh haha I've not seen that one

[Doe3000]

I don't get the argument that the Iceni are in Rome II because of Anglophilia. The Iceni are not English as such a thing as an English ethnic group or nation did not exist during the Iron Age period depicted in Rome II. It's a bit like saying Sioux = Modern white Americans. They are two different ethnic groups who happened to share the same geographic location. Some of the modern English might share the same genes as the Iceni, but they don't share their language, culture or religion with them; just like the ancient Egyptians were not Arabic speaking Muslims.

[TheTank]

I don't get the argument that the Iceni are in Rome II because of Anglophilia. The Iceni are not English as such a thing as an English ethnic group or nation did not exist during the Iron Age period depicted in Rome II. It's a bit like saying Sioux = Modern white Americans. They are two different ethnic groups who happened to share the same geographic location. Some of the modern English might share the same genes as the Iceni, but they don't share their language, culture or religion with them; just like the ancient Egyptians were not Arabic speaking Muslims.

I fully agree with you !

[rudthemighty]

I hope the Iceni get some high tier units with armor and such so that later on in the campaign they dont feel like dirty barbarians. Personally I dont care for playing as the Iceni, but they definitely had a right to be in the game! (Atleast one uk / brit faction was a must).

[SirFork]

I think that Iceni are in mostly because the high number of british gamers, so it's a matter of marketing.

They surely were protagonists of a rebellion against Rome, but there's more important factions that could have took the place of 'em, (like the Seleucids).
It's no secret that a player will almost start playing with the faction that represent his origins (?), so due to the amount of British players is obviously a marketing choice to add them, a very understandable decision.

I would have preferred Picts over Iceni, but that's my opinion.

[Rhomphaiaphoros]

It's no secret that a player will almost start playing with the faction that represent his origins (?), so due to the amount of British players is obviously a marketing choice to add them, a very understandable decision.

I would have preferred Picts over Iceni, but that's my opinion.

I'd beg to differ here. First of all, Rome is easily the most popular faction, and while people in the US, the UK, Germany etc. can claim to have some distant Roman blood in them, I doubt that's really the reason for playing that faction. Besides, the Celtic/Germanic factions would be more direct ancestors, at least for the latter 2 (I can't really speak for Americans, though, considering they can have genes from pretty much everywhere).

Secondly, what about those of us who have no direct ancestors represented in the list of playable factions? Of these, the only one which might have carried over a tiny, tiny drop of blood into my veins, is the Suebi - and even that's improbable, to say the least. And I can assure you, there's no way I'm going to play that faction at all.

Moreover, if we expand into unplayable peoples, like Sarmatians, the chances of them being part of my ancestry still remains rather slim. Also, even if my direct ancestors would be playable - which they should not, not in this timeframe, not EVER - I dang right wouldn't play them. I don't hate my genes or my ancestry, it's just that those people make even the Suebi seem like the brightest rocket scientists of the era. And when there's virtual Imperial glory to gain playing a game as Romans, Macedonians, Carthaginians or Gauls, that's what I intend to do - screw the blood ties I might have to a bunch of herders.

But yeah, this is just me ranting. Maybe it's a side effect of being a member of a small nobody-people, but I've never understood all the nationalistic tail-wagging by members of more prominent peoples. Not in the present-day world, and even less when these people try to relate themselves to their distant ancestors.

And yes, the Picts or the Catuvellauni would have been better choices for a British faction, but I'm cool with the Iceni, too. Like Doe3000 said earlier, the tribe you start with is just a stepping stone; when your aim is to unite the peoples of Britain, it does not really even matter who initiates that change, because the end result (a unified Briton faction) is the same regardless.

[Spartacus041]

I'd beg to differ here. First of all, Rome is easily the most popular faction, and while people in the US, the UK, Germany etc. can claim to have some distant Roman blood in them, I doubt that's really the reason for playing that faction. Besides, the Celtic/Germanic factions would be more direct ancestors, at least for the latter 2 (I can't really speak for Americans, though, considering they can have genes from pretty much everywhere).

Secondly, what about those of us who have no direct ancestors represented in the list of playable factions? Of these, the only one which might have carried over a tiny, tiny drop of blood into my veins, is the Suebi - and even that's improbable, to say the least. And I can assure you, there's no way I'm going to play that faction at all.

Moreover, if we expand into unplayable peoples, like Sarmatians, the chances of them being part of my ancestry still remains rather slim. Also, even if my direct ancestors would be playable - which they should not, not in this timeframe, not EVER - I dang right wouldn't play them. I don't hate my genes or my ancestry, it's just that those people make even the Suebi seem like the brightest rocket scientists of the era. And when there's virtual Imperial glory to gain playing a game as Romans, Macedonians, Carthaginians or Gauls, that's what I intend to do - screw the blood ties I might have to a bunch of herders.

But yeah, this is just me ranting. Maybe it's a side effect of being a member of a small nobody-people, but I've never understood all the nationalistic tail-wagging by members of more prominent peoples. Not in the present-day world, and even less when these people try to relate themselves to their distant ancestors.

And yes, the Picts or the Catuvellauni would have been better choices for a British faction, but I'm cool with the Iceni, too. Like Doe3000 said earlier, the tribe you start with is just a stepping stone; when your aim is to unite the peoples of Britain, it does not really even matter who initiates that change, because the end result (a unified Briton faction) is the same regardless.

I agree. I never understood tying ones (supposed) ethnic heritage to which factions you will play. I hate to break it to you all but NONE of you have any real relation to *any* of the factions in this game. None of you. Over 2000 years have passed between this era and now, that's a lot of time as far as genetic lineage goes. None of us have any meaningful relationship with these people, we might as well be from different planets.

[The Great Montrose]

I agree. I never understood tying ones (supposed) ethnic heritage to which factions you will play. I hate to break it to you all but NONE of you have any real relation to *any* of the factions in this game. None of you. Over 2000 years have passed between this era and now, that's a lot of time as far as genetic lineage goes. None of us have any meaningful relationship with these people, we might as well be from different planets.

I'd disagree here slightly, The picts were a main part in the formation of Scotland over a thousand years ago, I can trace my Family tree back to the 1300's when my ancestors were given land and made freemen of Prestwick for services to Robert The Bruce. So it's not that impossible that I am indeed however remotely related to those picts only 400 years earlier than that. And therefore it's only natural I would want to play as those people who I may remotely be related to and who occupied my land and formed my country.

[Evelien]

I think that Iceni are in mostly because the high number of british gamers, so it's a matter of marketing.

They surely were protagonists of a rebellion against Rome, but there's more important factions that could have took the place of 'em, (like the Seleucids).
It's no secret that a player will almost start playing with the faction that represent his origins (?), so due to the amount of British players is obviously a marketing choice to add them, a very understandable decision.

I would have preferred Picts over Iceni, but that's my opinion.

CA wanted to have completely different factions playable. Bringing up the 'there were factions whom did more things and were more important than x faction and thus should be in the game instead' excuse is a lame one. In the games CA make YOU write history. The playable factions shouldn't be determined on importancy and history alone. I think CA did an awesome job selecting the playable factions.

[SirFork]

CA wanted to have completely different factions playable. Bringing up the 'there were factions whom did more things and were more important than x faction and thus should be in the game instead' excuse is a lame one. In the games CA make YOU write history. The playable factions shouldn't be determined on importancy and history alone. I think CA did an awesome job selecting the playable factions.

So what should be the rightful criteria? As i said before i think that Iceni are there just for marketing purpose, that is understandable and rightful.

Gameplay? Only faction on an island? Maybe. Iceni are in, good.
You have understood my opinion.

[Spartacus041]

I'd disagree here slightly, The picts were a main part in the formation of Scotland over a thousand years ago, I can trace my Family tree back to the 1300's when my ancestors were given land and made freemen of Prestwick for services to Robert The Bruce. So it's not that impossible that I am indeed however remotely related to those picts only 400 years earlier than that. And therefore it's only natural I would want to play as those people who I may remotely be related to and who occupied my land and formed my country.

Scotland being an area without as much conquest and inter-tribal mixing I'd say you have some *remote* link to the Picts. But I'm talking about main factions here across the middle east and mediteranean. After so many conquests and tribal migrations over 2000 years of slave importation and warfare I really doubt modern day italians can authentically be linked to the Romans of old as a genetic successor. If you're an Italian, you might like to fancy your ancestors were Roman legionaires, or more likely they might have been one of their slaves that worked on the Latifundias - slave which accounted for 40% of the Italian population at some point.

[Akrotatos]

I agree. I never understood tying ones (supposed) ethnic heritage to which factions you will play. I hate to break it to you all but NONE of you have any real relation to *any* of the factions in this game. None of you. Over 2000 years have passed between this era and now, that's a lot of time as far as genetic lineage goes. None of us have any meaningful relationship with these people, we might as well be from different planets.

Actually it's the exact opposite, we have so many ancestors if we go back 2000 years that we are related to pretty much all the factions genetically. What remains is which current culture is closer to the ancient one. in order to feel a certain kinship.

[Petrucci]

Mamertine is right. There should be playable faction in Great Britain and Iceni are not the best choice, but what done is done. Picts would be the best representatives and they had actual historical significance. It also true the main reason why Iceni are in is because they are located in modern England, not in Scotland and their rebellion is kinda known in UK and USA, also as someone said CA is located on place which was their capital.

[Evan MF]

The game is empire-building centric, thus to suit the context of the gameplay, playable factions need to both be ones that Romans occupied at some stage and ones that were most likely to unite their neighbouring tribes into their own Rome-resistive faction. Iceni are far more suitable than Picts for that context. There is no debate here. A British tribe is warrant given the importance of Britannia to the Roman Empire as I've said before:

It would be stupid not to have a tribe representing Britannia the game. You can claim the Iceni's 'relative insignificance' all you want, but the fact is Britain as a whole was a very important part of Rome's expanding frontier, so much that at one point they had over a fifth of their military stationed on the island. The conquest of Britannia was a major campaign and a haulmark of the extent of the Roman Empire. Now that that's established it's obvious that the Iceni are the most iconic and appropriate ambassadors for Britannia, due to Boudicca, their resilience to the Roman Empire and also their unit variety; chariots add a new dimension to barbarian gameplay. They thoroughly deserve to be in the game and it's not mere anglophilia that got them in.

And Iceni is the most suitable one given the aims of the game.