Steppe Warriors: Horse Archers, Parthians, Sarmatians etc

[Spartacus041]

I'm just catching up on the latest buzz about R2TW and am curious if there have been any discussion, pics or rumours about horse archers and the more 'mobile' nomadic factions? With the new addition of persia, central asia and afghanistan to the new R2TW map I'm pretty excited for having a true parthian campaign and am hoping they really hoping they represent the dynamics and power of horse archery in an adequate manner.

[Shamshir]

With the new addition of persia, central asia and afghanistan to the new R2TW map I'm pretty excited for having a true parthian campaign and am hoping they really hoping they represent the dynamics and power of horse archery in an adequate manner.

You and me are on the same boat.

[JenkinsEar]

I'm just catching up on the latest buzz about R2TW and am curious if there have been any discussion, pics or rumours about horse archers and the more 'mobile' nomadic factions? With the new addition of persia, central asia and afghanistan to the new R2TW map I'm pretty excited for having a true parthian campaign and am hoping they really hoping they represent the dynamics and power of horse archery in an adequate manner.

Agreed.

Would really like to see more of the East. The architecture, the units - early game and late game. But I can understand why we haven't as its not called TW Parthia

[ptoss1]

Agreed.

Would really like to see more of the East. The architecture, the units - early game and late game. But I can understand why we haven't as its not called TW Parthia

It's not called Total War Greece and Barbarians either, but we have Macedon, Epirus, Athens, Sparta, the Arverni, Suebi, AND Iceni, which is literally just there because of Boudicea and nothing else.

[Spartacus041]

It's not called Total War Greece and Barbarians either, but we have Macedon, Epirus, Athens, Sparta, the Arverni, Suebi, AND Iceni, which is literally just there because of Boudicea and nothing else.

Yes, exactly. I hope they put a decent effort into the Parthian/Persian culture, architecture and units too. Would be cool if they have a unique political system too. But either way, I'm really excited that they decided to include the entirety of Persia and afghanistan int he new map. That's a big difference from the RTW and M2TW maps which stopped at Mesopotamia and prevented players from having a in depth Parthian campaign.

[Marcus Aemilius Lepidus]

I hope to enjoy a real Parthian Campaign too. Even only the flavour to start in Nisa would be great. Remember where the Arsacids started in Rome 1

[Abot_]

They have disclosed very little about the eastern/nomadic factions at this point in time. You can look at the Rome II confirmed unit list and see we know very little about Parthia here.

[Spartacus041]

They have disclosed very little about the eastern/nomadic factions at this point in time. You can look at the Rome II confirmed unit list and see we know very little about Parthia here.

Which doesn't surprise or upset me. I hope they at least throw out a "faction" vid for parthia at some point before the release. I believe they did that for all factions when they were previewing RTW way back.

[Mary The Quene]

Shouldn't parthia being called parnii tribe and weren't they vassal of the seleucids in 272 bc? (when the game starts)

[Spartacus041]

Shouldn't parthia being called parnii tribe and weren't they vassal of the seleucids in 272 bc? (when the game starts)

Well sure. Or they can be called the Arsacids.. which was the ruling dynasty/family. "Parthian" is what they were known as by the Romans. And TW series typically go for the most standard western title of any given nations. Same is true for other factions, like the germanic tribes - they probably called themselves something else entirely.

[HusKatten]

Think we can expect another new historical battle for Rezzed? Like Carrhae maybe?

[Scythion]

I hope they will make the horse archers correct, not like in empire and shogun 2.

[D E C]

I was expecting that in time more factions would be made playble, including a Sarmatian/Scythian one. I'm a bit dissapointed about the campaign map's coverage of the steppes though - only the Black Sea and Caspian coasts and nothing in the hinterland, pretty minimal IMO... Also it represents only a small part of Central Asia, and even this is squished in scale (apparently CA always finds a way to penalize non-European lands)

[ptoss1]

I was expecting that in time more factions would be made playble, including a Sarmatian/Scythian one. I'm a bit dissapointed about the campaign map's coverage of the steppes though - only the Black Sea and Caspian coasts and nothing in the hinterland, pretty minimal IMO... Also it represents only a small part of Central Asia, and even this is squished in scale (apparently CA always finds a way to penalize non-European lands)

There will definitely be more factions.
Scythians, Thracians, Ethiopians, and all those other countries you see on the map will be released one by one.

As DLC.

[Spartacus041]

I think it's going to be similar to the original RTW where we had a handful of playable factions and unlocked them as we went along. And as ptoss mentions, probably DLC. Well hopefully.

[TuranianGhazi]

Actually, I'd rather they release Steppe, Nomadic factions as DLC, complete with their own diplomacy, internal diplomacy, tech tree, early and late game mechanics like appropriately mobile settlements but some permanent cities as well.

DLC just affords more attention, detail, polish, and completeness. I wouldn't mind paying for a well-rounded, thoroughly done Steppe, Nomadic factions.

First though, get Parthia correct, CA, since I think they will use Parthia as a template for the other Steppe, Nomadic factions, though really Parthia was much more settled as a whole, but the Parni tribe was nomadic still.

Can't wait for CA to release more info or news of DLC, FreeLC on Steppe, Nomadic factions like Scythia and Sarmatia.

[D E C]

What I wanted to say was that of Ukraine/Southern Russia only the coastline is in the game, so even if a steppe faction is playable, it wouldn't have much room to expand, except in the settled arreas in the South.

[ptoss1]

I'm guessing CA will start by selling some of the factions already on the map as DLC.
Thrace and Scythia are the most likely options for the first DLC with Ethiopia and other British Isle tribes following soon afterwards.
There is a possibility CA will expand the map, but that's more likely as an expansion feature rather than DLC.

Personally, having more playable steppe tribes isn't that attractive to me as their role will already be covered by Parthia.
It would be more interesting to have a Bactrian or Ethiopian faction for diversity's sake.

[Xerrop]

Personally, having more playable steppe tribes isn't that attractive to me as their role will already be covered by Parthia.
It would be more interesting to have a Bactrian or Ethiopian faction for diversity's sake.

Well according to your own saying - what is so attractive about Bactria? Their role will already be covered by other Hellenistic states like Egypt or Pontos?

[ptoss1]

Well according to your own saying - what is so attractive about Bactria? Their role will already be covered by other Hellenistic states like Egypt or Pontos?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demetrius_I_of_Bactria

Buddhism is cool.