The 2 remaining faction slots

[Hummer]

Looks like this map still shows AS holding Mazaka. I thought it had been turned to rebel.

[QuintusSertorius]

Looks like this map still shows AS holding Mazaka. I thought it had been turned to rebel.

It has. As has Gazaka.

[Ingvarr1]

I strongly wish that the added faction would be Kush/Meroe, I would instantly play it. There are many reasons why this is a good idea, diversity is just one of them, even though I'm afraid we'll get another celtic(oid) and hellenistic(oid) faction. I wish I could mod the graphic aspect of the game, as I would add an African roster by myself, but I'm just able to "play" with files accessible in Notepad++.

[alex33]

someone made a great request on meroe i think back in the day.
Here is what Kull said to the proposal:

Here comes the cold water....

I'm kind of partial to the idea, admittedly, because it would give you a really unique looking faction, much like Taksashila. But even if we DID add this faction, it would NEVER get it's own culture. That is flat out, never going to happen. You also can't give them "Eastern Imperial", because two of the other Semitic factions (Saba & Nabatu) have reforms which convert them to that religion. Besides there's nothing insulting about "Forest Tribal" or any other "religion" in EB2, they are simply ways to add cultural diversity.

But the biggest issue for Meroe is they have only one place to expand, and that's against the Ptolemaioi. Which the AI will never do. In all honesty, much as I'm personally agreeable to the idea of this faction, there are better candidates with far superior game play options.

Here is the thread in question:
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...Proposal-Meroe
Quite a nice read! highly recommended!

[Ingvarr1]

Here is the thread in question:
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...Proposal-Meroe
Quite a nice read! highly recommended!

Yeah, I knew about the thread, as a fact, it was this thread that inspired me to want Meroe/Kush.

Judging from QS's reply, there's still a chance (catching on straws, am I).


Anyways, there's still hope that some skillful enough Samaritan would make a submod for Meroe inclusion after the autumn release.

[QuintusSertorius]

Kull is no longer on the team, he's retired. So his views on factions from way back when aren't part of the consideration.

[Genava]

The Kushite kingdom of Meroe is interesting. The only thing bothering me is they were obsessed with the idea to take back Egypt to rebuild their pharaonic kingdom. And they were pretty weak, they were far to make this happens.

But with the possibility to be outside this idealogical view in the game, maybe it's a viable faction through Axum and Saba.

Their roster is not very polyvalent but enough I think:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

They are like the Germans of Africa

[ekdqn]

nubia ethiopia thracia slav

[DurinElminpietra]

I personally would love to see Kush and Nervii as factions but it seems certain that the next one will be an illyric tribe.

[Tactics Mayers]

I quite don't get why would anyone want an Illyrian Faction. I can recall how their only mark during EB2's time period was their piracy and getting stomped by Rome in 2 short wars. It would be more fitting that the Illyrians would be a rebel faction and one of Rome's missions was to curb their piracy.

[Pooploop]

Uhm, I'm hoping for another Balkan/Eastern European faction and one in Scotland or Ireland. This has mostly to do with gameplay; another faction in either of these areas will prevent overpowered growth of nations already present in the region. In the Balkan/Eastern Europe area, mostly to prevent dominance of the Getai and check the power of Lugia or the Germanic tribes. In the British Isles, its pretty much already the Pict's plaything unless another faction rises to challenge them. If the community as a whole finally gets permission from the game company to finally, somehow, expand the number of provinces and faction roster, well, more nations in Africa, India, and the Steppe would be my real drive. However, as we're still stuck with the 199 provinces, then Balkans and British isles it is, for me.

[Torvus]

Massilia anyone?

[isa0005]

Massilia anyone?

Was just thinkin the same thing!

[Lucio Domicio Aureliano]

i would go with Scordisci and Nervi...

[Boriak]

What about doing emerging factions to show disunity of larger empires? This could be used for simulating the political instability of the late Roman republic, for example.

[Darkan]

The problem with emergent factions is that each one would use one faction slot and the team wants all factions to be playable from the start. Re-emergent factions might be an idea, though I'm not really sure how much additional work that may need (a lot, I imagine).

[Boriak]

It looks like many of the already existing factions are quite similar to one another. Why fracture the map more with similar factions if you can use the extra slots to make an emergent faction? And they would have identical unit rosters, just different colors and some special trait/ancillaries.

[Lucio Domicio Aureliano]

It looks like many of the already existing factions are quite similar to one another. Why fracture the map more with similar factions if you can use the extra slots to make an emergent faction? And they would have identical unit rosters, just different colors and some special trait/ancillaries.

While it could be interesting to have some emergent factions (like thw cimbri for instance), i agree with the decision made by the team. Furthermore, these two slots can fill some gaps on the map (like the belgae, scordisci or even meroe).

Ty

[Ἀπολλόδοτος Α΄ ὁ Σωτήρ]

Scordisci, they have a solid start position and some room for expansion, they have even raided into Macedonia. In addition also the Belgae. There are some hellenistic and eastern factions that I would like to play as well, but I think those are too small and in a too crowded area to be good candidates for inclusion.

Some people have mentioned city-states such as Syracuse and Massalia, the first was quite powerful but not in a good position for the expansion on the campaign map, the second is too week and has a lot of room for expansion, but it is surrounded with very foreign peoples such as Ligurians and Gauls.
In my opinion Massalia, unlike Rome, doesn't have nearly enough similarly cultured peoples in Gaul and Liguria to act as Rome in order to integrate and assimilate them into the mighty "Massalian Republic" in Gaul like the Romans did with the Roman Republic in Italy. Of course the player can achieve this with Massalia, but to me it looks highly unrealistic.

[demagogos nicator]

Re-emergent factions might be an idea, though I'm not really sure how much additional work that may need (a lot, I imagine).

IIRC, I have heard that thay require additional faction slot as well.

There are some hellenistic and eastern factions that I would like to play as well, but I think those are too small and in a too crowded area to be good candidates for inclusion.

Which ones? I am just currious.

Some people have mentioned city-states such as Syracuse and Massalia, the first was quite powerful but not in a good position for the expansion on the campaign map, the second is too week and has a lot of room for expansion, but it is surrounded with very foreign peoples such as Ligurians and Gauls.
In my opinion Massalia, unlike Rome, doesn't have nearly enough similarly cultured peoples in Gaul and Liguria to act as Rome in order to integrate and assimilate them into the mighty "Massalian Republic" in Gaul like the Romans did with the Roman Republic in Italy. Of course the player can achieve this with Massalia, but to me it looks highly unrealistic.

My main problem with inclusion of greek city states faction is that you can choose only one of them. If you for example choose Massalia you can not anymore implement Syracuse,etc.

In my oppinion, cosndiring the number of regions and the scope of the map the EB team made a good decion making generic "greek city states faction" based on Chremonidean League. If the map is centret only on meditarean like in RTR VII than ofcourse ot would make sense to add warious greek faction like Achaean and Aitolian league, Sparta, Athens, Massalia, Syracouse, Kyreneika, etc. However, in the current map scope you just can not add one city state/league faction without neglecting ither with same/similar importance. Therefore is better to have generic greac faction with which player can simulate playing whichever city-state he likes (all you need is just conquere Masslia or Syracuse and let your starting regions get conquered by Macedon.