Official Ancient Empires Description Showcase by Emi

[emi]

Hello everyone, I've been recently recruited into the mod team! Sadly, I'm no programmer, and my job is not to create the campaign or mechanics this beautiful mod will feature; however, the more "lore" oriented players may find my work useful and enjoyable, since I write the descriptions for units, technologies and buildings that you will find in the mod! I'm not alone in this task, but what I'm posting here is a personal initiative approved by the "higher-ups"

Sheridan has authorized me to show everyone some of the descriptions I made, in order to demonstrate that the mod is still very much alive and running, though their work is much more complicated than my descriptions. I will update this thread with some of the "tastier" units, buildings and technologies I will write descriptions for: of course I will not post everything, what would the surprise be if I did? Also, this is a way to gather feedback about my writing style.

I'm quite skilled in history, and while it's not my native language, I speak English very well; however, mistakes are always possible since I'm not a living encyclopedia, and I don't know everything about every king of population, historical period or culture (if I did, I would be the director of some famous museum)! Also, sometimes, the flow of the description will require some vagueness or embellishment: surely the more educated among you will notice, and for this I apologize in advance, however please remember that such small poetic license is aimed to offer you more enjoyable descriptions and overall gaming experience

If there are no changes made by me or by the mod developers, what I write and post will almost certainly be featured in the mod. I will update as I complete a group of descriptions (you can usually expect three or four descriptions every sixty or seventy), be sure to leave your impressions! Since I attend university, I will not be very present, but I will try to reply to particularly detailed suggestions or comments.

And now the juicy part: since I already completed more than a hundred descriptions, I think I can be generous

Hannibal Barca: "Master tactician and adept politician, Hannibal is a fearsome enemy, capable of turning the tables in any situation, even when heavily outnumbered. His qualities are only enhanced by his personal bravery, that brings him to personally lead his troops in battle. Surrounded by an elite guard of devoted citizens and mercenaries, he fights with strength and skill: woe betide those who think that his mind is the only sharp thing at his disposal!"

African Veterans: "Mercenaries are not all the same: everyone has his own value, and Carthage knows this well. These elite mercenaries are well-trained and equipped spearmen, and respect the contract to the letter, for they know that a bad reputation means hunger. During Hannibal's campaign, they formed the armoured bulwark that held down the Romans at Cannae, and were both feared and hated by the Romans, because they stripped the dead legionnaires of their armours and wore them ever since in mockery of their enemy."

Logistics (Parthian technology): "Logistics" is the art of keeping an army well-equipped during a campaign: scorched earth tactics, water poisoning, bad weather and rust can destroy an army without even fighting. Thus, war involves more than just people killing each other: planning, securing supply routes, calculating the average needs of an army in terms of food, drinks and weapons, and ensuring a steady flow of new recruits are tasks that may seem boring, but such actions can, and usually will, make the difference between victory and defeat.

Triarii: "Ad triarios venire" is a Latin saying, which roughly means "to be in reeeealy deep trouble". Being the last resort of the legion, these men have great responsibilities, and only the veterans can join this crucial unit. This however means that triarii are not only incredibly well trained and experienced, but also well equipped, since veterans are given a greater part of the loot. Thus, they can afford heavy mail and finely crafted shields and spears, making them an excellent choice for holding the line, even when greatly outnumbered. However, their age means that thay will feel the fatigue faster than younger soldiers, and as such should not be expended without care, since the life of a veteran is as precious as an entire unit of new recruits.

Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus: "Coming from one of the most powerful, and less imaginative, families in Rome, Publius Cornelius Scipio (the future Africanus) was son of Publius Cornelius Scipio. Only 17 years old, he saved his father's life during a battle, gaining the army's esteem. After this father's death, he succeded him as the commander of the Spanish expedition, and masterfully took control of Spain. With Carthage's silver supply gone, he challenged the city's very existence, invading Tunisia and camping near Zama. Great general, keen diplomat and adept politician, this man leads his troops from the frontline, surrounded by his elite guard: in the name of Rome, of his father, and all those who gave their lives to stop Hannibal's advance, Carthage will be brought to its heels!"

Equites: "When Rome became a republic, the army changed to reflect the new political system: while under the old kings the battlefield was dominated by nobles fighting on horseback, in the new republic rich and poor alike fight side by side as infantry. As such, cavalry was relegated to a mere support role: equites units were few (just 2 cohorts of 150 equites each in a legion of 4800-6000 infantrymen) and lightly armed, and thus mainly used as a scout unit, or to pursue fleeing enemies."

Incense Monopoly (Arabian technology): "Incense is an incredibly valuable resource: nobles use it to prevent the road's foul stench to invade their beautiful palaces, and priests of all religions use it during celebrations and sacrifices in order to create a solemn ambience. If a king is clever enough to take the reins of incense trade from the greedy hands of the merchants, he will have a neverending source of money with which to fuel his dreams, be it a new palace, an improved aqueduct and farming system, or an army capable of crushing the world beneath its feet."

[Sheridan]

Allow me to be the first to officially appreciate your work. We can't thank you enough for being part of the team. These descriptions are incredible and will add so much interesting to learn for every history interested person out there.

[Nelduin]

Nice descriptions!

[Autaritus]

These descriptions are useful and well written, Emi. Keep up the good work!

[Relf]

While I lack the ability and motivation to make these from scratch I'd be willing to help with typographical, grammatical and tonal oddities if you've a need.

I rather like most of these descriptions so I'd be pleased to give them a quick once over if nobody else is already working on that.

[emi]

Hello again! The work is proceeding faster than I thought so i will share another treat with you

Antiochus III The great: "While many Successor kings liked to be called with pretentious titles ("Sotèr", saviour, or "Evergetes", the good doer), Antiochus III actually deserved his title by inflicting numerous defeats against the Egyptians and Parthians. Now, as the Roman eagle looms over the Greek world, he declares himself the herald of Greek culture and freedom against the Roman upstart. Will he manage to put an end to Roman expansion, or will he join the many other petty kings and tyrants who lost their domains trying to defy Rome's manifest destiny?"

Silver Shield Phanlax: "The "Argyraspides" ("Silver Shields") are the infantry soldiers of the royal guard: they are named after their beautiful shields, which are covered in silver to symbolize their status and blind their enemies in close combat. These soldiers form an impenetrable barrier between their king and any would-be enemy, and with their long pikes and heavy armours they are a moving wall of pain and death. The silver on their shields is not a symbol of vanity, but a reward for their bravery, and a warning to their enemies: after all, aren't the most colourful snakes the most poisonous?"

Tarentine Cavalry: "Taranto, a city in Magna Graecia, was famous for its cavalry: Tarentine cavalry was a hybrid, very fast and agile but well protected by medium armour. Armed with javelines and spear, first they tormented their enemy with the javelines, and after the enemy was tired and bloody they charged for the final blow. While the tarantine cavalry in itself was highly prized as a mercenary force, many nations trained their own units based on the original, and decided to keep the name to scare their enemies with the fame of the original tarantine cavalry."

[Aristeides]

Good work!

"Evergetes", the good doer), Antiochus III

I would translitterate "Euergetes". And as more of a matter of personal taste, Antiokhos.



Silver Shield Phanlax: "The "Argyraspides" ("Silver Shields") are the infantry soldiers of the royal guard: they are named after their beautiful shields, which are covered in silver to symbolize their status and blind their enemies in close combat. These soldiers form an impenetrable barrier between their king and any would-be enemy, and with their long pikes and heavy armours they are a moving wall of pain and death. The silver on their shields is not a symbol of vanity, but a reward for their bravery, and a warning to their enemies: after all, aren't the most colourful snakes the most poisonous?"

Tarentine Cavalry: "Taranto, a city in Magna Graecia, was famous for its cavalry: Tarentine cavalry was a hybrid, very fast and agile but well protected by medium armour. Armed with javelines and spear, first they tormented their enemy with the javelines, and after the enemy was tired and bloody they charged for the final blow. While the tarantine cavalry in itself was highly prized as a mercenary force, many nations trained their own units based on the original, and decided to keep the name to scare their enemies with the fame of the original tarantine cavalry."

Tarentine or Tarantine? The latter, from Greek 'Taras'.

[emi]

I would translitterate "Euergetes". And as more of a matter of personal taste, Antiokhos.


Tarentine or Tarantine? The latter, from Greek 'Taras'.

Evergetes: my mistake, in my native language it's translitterated with the "v" as it's more euphonic, I controlled now and in English it's actually with the "u", so I will correct
Tarentine: again, my mistake, as you see half the time I used tarentine and the other half tarantine XD
Antiochus: I understand, but i prefer this one (I don't like all those "k")

[The Wandering Storyteller]

Some very good stuff! A suggestion, how about adding some funny descriptions like one one unit for Javelins: DAMN YOU ROMANS!!!

But otherwise your descriptions will only add more immersion into the game!

[emi]

Hi all! Another batch completed, another morsel for you

Vigiles Urbani: "Vigiles were not a proper military unit: they were the policemen and firefighters of Rome, and since Rome is a gigantic metropolis made of wood and desperate proletarians, it requires a sizeable force of vigiles to ensure that crime and fires are kept at a manageable level. Established by Augustus, they quickly grew from 600 to 7,000, and Septimius Severus integrated them into the army: in times of danger these men can act as a lightly armed militia force, thanks to the training they received during their years of service in the Caput Mundi, where a small spark can burn a city, and a riot at the Coliseum can turn into a battle with hundreds of victims (without counting the hundreds of gladiators already dead before the riot started)."

Gaius Julius Caesar: "Unparalleled strategist, Caesar based his brilliant political career on his military victories: after joining the first triumvirate as the weakest of the three, his star slowly outshined the others as Crassus died at Carre and Pompeius's successes faded. More of a strategist than a general, Caesar was a staunch believer in the importance of logistics: his most outstanding victories came not from his tactics, but from his strategic ability to march quickly and reach his enemies unexpected, to always have sufficient supplies even against scorched-earth tactics, and to be able to fortify his positions and encampments in a few hours, thus thwarting enemy attacks and counteroffensives. Always a prudent general, he preferred defensive battles to offensive ones: at Alesia he managed to get besieged during his own siege, and won building a bouble wall, preventing the relieving army and the beleaguered defenders to unite. For all his caution, he knew the value of inspiration, and thus in the climatic moments of a battle he was always in the first lines, ready to encourage his men through his example."

Standardised numerals: (Arabian tech): "Standardised numerals are a great way to speed up trade operations, as merchants will stop spending hours quarreling about the true meaning of those strange symbols on their contracts: less legal actions and more reciprocate trust quickly result in more money to be made, and more taxes to fill the royal coffers."

Standardised written script (Arabian tech): "Many tribes had their own writing system, which caused great grief to any king wishing to impose a unified administration: how can you expect everyone to obey your orders if half of your people can't even read them? Thus, many cultures elaborated artificial writing languages, which combined symbols and sounds from the many languages of their own tribes, and subsequently imposed it over the old ones: this allowed a great simplification of bureaucracy and trade, and thus more efficiency. And taxes. It's always about the taxes."

[emi]

I'm proud to announce you that the descriptions I already completed have been officially included in the mod data, and if you care for my opinion it's pretty damn good

[FrontierWolf]

I'm proud to announce you that the descriptions I already completed have been officially included in the mod data, and if you care for my opinion it's pretty damn good

Nice work, looking forward to experiencing them in the game, adds to the immersion..

[The Wandering Storyteller]

I'm proud to announce you that the descriptions I already completed have been officially included in the mod data, and if you care for my opinion it's pretty damn good

Excellent work!

[emi]

I'm very happy about the way my work is proceeding Here's another taste of what you will see in the mod

Standing fleet (Greek tech): "Greece was once the ruler of the seas: even the mighty Persian empire had to concede defeat after its great fleet was utterly annihilated by Themistocles at Salamis. As the Greek cities waned and their treasuries emptied, their fleet was slowly but steadily disarmed or claimed by the seas due to poor maintenance. Now, as Greece is once again powerful, and economic and civil reforms ensure a renewed flow of silver in the national coffers, we must look at the seas which called our ancestors centuries ago: Poseidon's currents once led our people to colonize all of the Mediterranean, spreading our culture far and wide, and they will do so again! Forests shall be cut down, and the dry docks will once again be filled by the cheerful noise of hundreds of craftsmen bending the planks and joining them into solid hulls: the eyes of our triremes will look at our foes once again, and they will tremble under their dreadful gaze, just before we ram their ships!"

Fleet reorganization (Carthaginian tech): "Gone are the times when battles were decided by a single brave captain's deeds: now, as hundreds of ships clash in great battles, and the seabed is littered with broken hulls, personal heroism is not required anymore. Instead, the moves of those great fleets are planned by clever admirals, and dozens of ships and crews are sent towards their death to achieve the final victory: a captain must not follow his instincts, or seek a heroic battle, but obey his orders with discipline and ensure that his ship follows the plan, for a single flaw in the battle disposition may be exploited by the enemy, and doom the entire fleet into the cold, eternal embrace of the deep sea..."

Attalus I Soter: "Attalus I "the Saviour" was the first king of Pergamon to actually call himself a "king". While his predecessors kept a low profile in order to avoid enraging the Seleucids (their formal overlords), Attalus I openly rejected their rule and stood as an independent ruler. Master tactician and clever diplomat, he inflicted a decisive defeat against the Galats, and when Rome began looking towards the East he sensed the shift in power, and helped Rome against Macedonia, who had allied itself with Hannibal, by cutting sullpy routes and opening a second front with the help of the Rhodians. Now, old and tired, he is called again to defend his kingdom against the coming tides of war: will the wisdom he gained through the years be enough to let him weather the storm, or will he drown in the hostile waters?"

[emi]

Hi all! I proudly announce you faithful that all technologies have been finished (I did more than 100 in the last two weeks) I will take a short break and finish the units, but for now, the usual showcase!

Military adventurism: "Alexander the Great and Xenophon are probably the best examples of what military adventurism is: they both led an army in an astoundingly long travel, facing incredible dangers and exotic warriors and gathering glory and death in equal measure. The horizons of the world have greatly expanded from the times when only the lands around the Mediterranean were known, and geographers and historians must thank those brave soldiers for marching so far and returning with precious tales of natural wonders, strange populations and even stranger plants and animals. Their tales also encourage many young men to join the army, in the hope of returning home one day with their bags full of glory and gold in equal measure."

Naval prowess: "A captain's duty is not just to shout out orders and whip lazy sailors: he must know his ship and the sea currents better than his own wife (and since he sails for months every year, this is usually the case). Naval combat heavily involves manoeuvering and predicting enemy movements, and an incompetent captain will find his ship to be an easy prey for an enemy rostrum..."

Ethnic koina: "Ethnic koina (literally "common"), known in Ptolemaic Egypt as "politeumata" (literally "forms of government"), were special autonomies accorded to small protected ethnic minorities (usually Jews, but also Thracians, Persians, Cretans, etc.) in many Successor kingdoms, but especially in Ptolemaic Egypt: those who belonged to the koina usually lived in a special quarter inside the newly designed Greek cities, but were not in any way ghettos, since they did it of their own free will and could leave whenever they wanted. Also, the ethnic koina had their own assembly and elected officers, and had all the privileges of Greek citizens. Ethnic koina usually formed small military units on their own as a way to express their gratitude for their autonomy and privileges, and since they were equipped by the collective efforts of the koinon, they were usually very well armed."

Citizen phalanx: "A wall of citizens ready to die to protect their freedom, their city and their loved ones is stronger than any stone wall. When citizens are happy and ruled by wise rulers, they are more inclined to fight to defend their nation, and such motivation cannot be achieved just by promising gold, land or privileges. No mercenary or professional soldier, motivated by money, will ever be able to match the iron determination and bravery of a man whose dear ones are in danger: a mercenary may flee when the danger is too much, and a professional soldier may retreat if there is no chance of achieving victory; a true citizen will stand his ground, until victory or death!"

[BBDwarf]

Love the detail of the descriptions. Personally, I like the style - but I prefer often in those descriptions shorter and to the point sentences.
Still love the jokingly description of the Aqueduct in Rome I ("What have the romans ever done for us?") and the use of common sayings implemented into the text.
As an example taking the sentence: "A wall of citizens ready to die to protect their freedom, their city and their loved ones is stronger than any stone wall" into "A wall of citizens is stronger than any wall of stone" (I know that this is verbatim with a quote ... but, hey. What about some artistic freedom)
Also, the overuse of ":" can be scaled down a bit, I think.

[z3n]

Triarii: "Ad triarios venire" is a Latin saying, which roughly means "to be in reeeealy deep trouble".

I pointed this out earlier (a week ago or so) in a reputation comment, not sure if you noticed though since it's still there?

Just to be clear it should be reeeeally.

[emi]

Too BBDwarf: the desciptions are not too long, and remember that I have to squeeze as much information as I can in a narrative way. About my use of ":", it's the easiest way to structure a sentence, remember that although I am quite proficient in English, I'm not a native, so I tend to stick to simple but tried structures that allow me more freedom

To z3n: it's already been corrected in the mod files, it's just that I'm too lazy to edit here in the thread XD

[emi]

Hi again! I'm back and with new descriptions

Parthian foot archers: "Though less famous than their mounted counterparts, Parthian foot archers are still a deadly threat against any foe: armed with the dreaded composite bow, and firing massive volleys of precise and coordinated arrows, these archers can steadily bleed slow and heavy enemies. At Carre, Parthian archers and horse archers drew the Romans to their death under a constant barrage of arrows they could neither stop nor counter. However, these men are very lightly armed, and will probably be slaughtered if engaged in close combat, thus a clever general will always protect them with infantry or other support units."

Armenian Nakharar cataphracts: "Armenia has been, since the ancient times, divided into very large estates that, instead of being owned by one person, were property of the entire family. The actual management of the estate fell on the head of the family, named the "Nakharar" (literally "holder of the primacy"), and other family members were left in charge of parts of the estate. Each Nakharar had an army of his own, much like later feudal lords, and the soldiers were armed and equipped at his expense: these men are the elite of the Nakharar's retinue, a powerful force of heavy cavalry used to crush the enemy line under their powerful charge, and their loyalty towards their Nakharar ensures they will rarely falter in the path of their duty."

Equites extraordinarii: "The "socii extraordinarii" were a special unit of socii: while usually socii had their own command structure and encampment, 1/3 of the socii cavalry and 1/5 of the socii infantry were picked by the Roman commander (usually the consul), and not only they resided inside the Roman encampment, directly near the consul's tent (a great honour at the time), but they were put under the direct command of the consul for "special operations" (hence the name "extraordinarii", meaning "special"). These men, especially the cavalry, are very well trained and equipped, and are very loyal: the equites extraordinarii are a powerful asset to any Roman army, since they are an elite shock heavy cavalry, capable of engaging most enemies, especially enemy cavalry, in close combat, and defeating them with their sheer size and power."

[The Wandering Storyteller]

Man, these reading descriptions are brill! So much info that's so immersive!