Desert Nomads in Attila

[GideonAI]

I came up with the idea for this while playing through a Vandal campaign.

After much deliberation, I decided to go around the edge of the map to the northeast in an attempt to keep my distance from the Huns, and eventually settle in Israel, for fun. However, as I reached the Caucasus and started to dabble in the regional politics, I realized something.

I've heard many calls for more playable factions in the East, but Attila's "Horde Mode" is just so well-designed - thus I had my idea. Why not have more playable factions in the East and Africa, but including a unique Desert Nomad culture, building set, and unit roster?

We've already had a "Viking Forefathers" pack that included a couple of small Scandinavian tribes bloated beyond their historical size, so why can't the same be done in the Middle East and Africa? A DLC or mod including the early Bedouins, Berbers, and Blemmyes perhaps. The tribes would start out in Horde mode, yet smaller and weaker than the large Hordes of Germany and the Steppe. I also think that they can be put in right alongside all the factions currently in the game, due to the largeness of the regions out in the desert (and the "desolate" ones that were traditionally nomad territory). My best idea for their shared trait would be the ability to take refuge in mountains and make encampments there. Desert nomads could "garrison" the mountains like a city, and when attacked would have an immense terrain advantage.

With regards to historical accuracy (all information gathered from Wikipedia btw), the nomads of Arabia threatened the Roman Empire to the extent that they constructed the Limes Arabicus,

The reason of this defensive "Limes" was to protect the Roman province of Arabia from attacks of the barbarian tribes of the Arabian desert. The main purpose of the Limes Arabicus is disputed; it may have been used both to defend from Saracen raids and to protect the commercial lines from desert-based robbers.

In East Africa (Nubia) in the late 3rd century, the Romans fought against the Blemmyes, who were defeated by the Nobatians (who are represented in-game) in 297 and driven into the Eastern Desert (called Adulis in-game) where they took up way of the nomad. Despite this, in 298 they managed to exact an annual gold stipend from the Roman Empire.

The nomads of North Africa didn't spend too much time fighting or raiding the Romans (except when they defeated Legio III Augustus in the late 1st century), but when the Vandals invaded the region there was significant resistance from the Berber tribes.

Even in the Sassanid Empire, they had several Nomadic tribes under their thumb that contributed troops to fight against the Romans and the White Huns.

Unlike the amount of information about the settled people of the Sasanian Empire, there is little about the nomadic/unsettled ones. It is known that that they were called for "Kurd" by the Sasanians, and were used in profitable way by them; they were often used in the military by the Sasanians, the Dailamite and Gilani nomads being the most prominent of them.

So as you can see, the desert nomads made some trouble back in the Dark Ages. However, in the hands of the AI these tribes and bands shouldn't be rampaging through the Roman Empire as the hordes of the Steppe do. They should always prefer raiding their neighbors, fighting alongside their allies in the regional wars nearby, or roving around peacefully and maintaining an encampment as much as possible.

Aspire to become a regional strongman and force the surrounding tribes into tributaries? Or recreate the conquests of Muhammad a couple centuries early?

I'd like to know if the TWCenter community is interested in the inclusion of the desert nomads in Attila.

[WesselShenkie]

I would be very interested in this. I have always liked the Arabs and I think they would be perfect for the horde system.

[jtfjtfjtf]

They should release this as a free lc. Everything is so northcentric so far.

[Mausolos of Caria]

That would finally kill the West Roman Empire then

[Fanest]

I would like to see this as well, same goes for the eastern steppe tribes. First this one -the desert ppl then steppe than mybe celts. However if CA doesnt do it im sure there will be mods for this.

[GideonAI]

However if CA doesnt do it im sure there will be mods for this.

Not too sure bout that, I haven't seen anything close to this idea over on the mod threads. I'll probably start a mod project on this if CA doesn't first.

The north African nomads of the time were by and large insignificant

Well, the Berbers (not sure if it's the nomadic ones or not) defeated the Vandals in 2 field battles in the late 400s and sacked the former Vandal capital as well.

[ShadowMassa]

I definitely like to see an Arabian pack including the Lakhmids and Ghassanids, also an Ethiopian pack including the Axumites, Nobatians and Blemmyes (who should be nomadic and placed in the north east of the province.

If we ever get that, it would definitely be nice to get new portraits and even city architecture, since it will be highly needed. Please don't use the Sassanid architecture in the cities for these factions.

Also they game also needs a Celtic pack (although that's not the topic here)

[Caligula's_Horse]

The north African nomads of the time were by and large insignificant, though if the rise of Islam a couple of centuries after the game takes place is any indication, their middle eastern brethren were quite formidable during the period, or at least had the potential to be once they united under one banner.

I certainly wouldn't mind seeing them expanded upon. If the vikings can rise up and invade Britain a couple of centuries early, I see no reason the Arabs shouldn't be able to at least pose a credible threat to the Sassanids and Eastern Romans.