Unused Faction Slots

[Elendil 03]

Hey there,
First of all, I want to thank the team for their amazing dedication and perseverance with this mod! Across two games and two decades of RL time, Europa Barbarorum has truly set a high bar for Total War mods and provided thousands of hours of entertainment and volumes' worth of historical information to its players.
That being said, I was wondering what the plans are for the two unused faction slots, as filling them was declared a priority for the 2.5 release. Can any team member shed some light on that? Also, what does the community want? Is there any people from history you would like to see in EBII or any spot on the map that, in your opinion, could use some more action?
Personally, my favorite would be another Celtic faction. The Galatians - currently represented as an Eleutheroi army - could mix things up a bit in Asia Minor (as a playable horde?), or the Caledonians bring some color to northern Britain. Africa is currently only populated by three factions - perhaps Meroë or the Garamantes could be made into a full-fledged faction? Other than that, Balochistan/Sindh, Oman and the Baltic feel kind of empty, but I'm not aware of any sufficiently well-documented polity in those regions during the Classical period to make it into EBII.

[Goffredo85]

Two among thracians, illyrians, belgic or iberian/celtiberian. Any other mentioned faction would be a wasted slot for a full faction. Better just stick with eleutheroi. I would even argue that the most wasted slot of them all is the pritanoi.

[Ivir Baggins]

Illyrians and either Belgics or Thracians - there's more room for Belgics but more information for Thracians

[Bruce Canzoli]

In my opinions the galatians, although certainly interesting, would make the already quite full anatolian region even more crowded, there's already Pergamon, the Seleukids, the Ptolemaioi and Pontos right there. Similar thing for the Garamantes, they would be too similar and close to the Numidians. I think the Illyrians would be one of the best options since the balkans have more space, and maybe i'm alone on this but i like the idea of having another faction in the british isles since for now it's just a bit of a playground for the pritanoi, so i'd like the Caledonians to be honest. Thracians and Belgians would be cool too

[eyelurker]

Turdetanni. Ironicly although Iberian are both the strongest unit in the area and the most represented, they have no faction that represent them. Arevaci are Celtiberian and a very cool addition but kinda have their own thing going on while Lusitannia struck me as odd because their roster is more like a client states roster than the Iberian.

Currently the best representation for Iberia are... Carthage. Historicly accurate but lmao.

[Floren d'Asteneuz]

Meroe is one of the most set assied culture in moding. It was strong and resisted Persian, Egyptian Ptolemaioi, and of course Romans.
If not, Galatians, because the eleutheroi faction had to be heavily coded to try to emulate something that isn't really there. You can play them with Boïoi, but a lot of things doesn't work, like druidic pilgrimage that still wish you to send your FM to the center of Europe.

[Elendil 03]

Turdetani, Illyrians and Thracians all sound interesting. Belgians would probably be pretty similar to the two Gallic factions already included. Could some mod give me permission to edit the poll options?

[eyelurker]

Meroe is one of the most set assied culture in moding. It was strong and resisted Persian, Egyptian Ptolemaioi, and of course Romans.
If not, Galatians, because the eleutheroi faction had to be heavily coded to try to emulate something that isn't really there. You can play them with Boïoi, but a lot of things doesn't work, like druidic pilgrimage that still wish you to send your FM to the center of Europe.

The problem if you play as Ptoleamy you have to deal with a neighbor that are all too eager to sent waves upon waves of full stacks at you because each faction could hold 2-3 full stacks since AI don't worry about money.

I think it's fine leaving Meroe as Eleutheroi.

[Sar1n]

The "New Guys" hidden faction, which represents the faction currently under construction, is internally named f_belgai. So that one seems to be sorted out. But what is the other...

[Floren d'Asteneuz]

The problem if you play as Ptoleamy you have to deal with a neighbor that are all too eager to sent waves upon waves of full stacks at you because each faction could hold 2-3 full stacks since AI don't worry about money.

I think it's fine leaving Meroe as Eleutheroi.

It's the problem everywhere now. There isn't any place where it isn't crowded.
But a powerful black people faction isn't interesting anyone anyway.

[Goffredo85]

At least the belgai could hopefully trash the hideous pritanoi before they paint the map in blue. Faction that start in the corners of the map should not be alone in their area, otherwise they'll always grow and jump on the nearest faction while it is at war with a bunch of neighbours. Like pritanoi or lusotannan once carthage is dealt with or taksashila.

[eyelurker]

It's the problem everywhere now. There isn't any place where it isn't crowded.
But a powerful black people faction isn't interesting anyone anyway.

Hey now. I like Numidian and although they meant to be Carthage nuisance i like fighting them too as Carthage, i think their starts are a lot more interesting and i still stand by saying that if Numidia can defeat Carthage and get the reform it become one of the best faction.

But playing as Ptoelamy, controlling Egypt i felt is more of a nuisance than a boon and the last thing i need is actually protect the region or God forbids, actually have to expand to Ethiopia before i attack Seleucid. Historicly they are supposed to be one of the best province but here Egypt is a meh province which consequently affect Ptoelamy perfomances as they are much poorer than Seleucid or even Macedon if they conquer Koinon Hellenon

[QuintusSertorius]

Just to say, those slots have already been decided, but have fun speculating.

[Goffredo85]

Did we at least get them right among all the names we threw?

[eyelurker]

Just to say, those slots have already been decided, but have fun speculating.

Hmm. The new Guys in Socotra, could it be...

That the new faction is Socotra!?

[_TotalWar_]

I think that some years ago an Illyrian faction was a given (Ardiaei, perhaps), unless it has been changed. More recently, IIRC, the other one of the two was more or less decided it'd be the Belgae. But nothing has been 100% confirmed, of course.

[Floren d'Asteneuz]

Hey now. I like Numidian and although they meant to be Carthage nuisance i like fighting them too as Carthage, i think their starts are a lot more interesting and i still stand by saying that if Numidia can defeat Carthage and get the reform it become one of the best faction.

But playing as Ptoelamy, controlling Egypt i felt is more of a nuisance than a boon and the last thing i need is actually protect the region or God forbids, actually have to expand to Ethiopia before i attack Seleucid. Historicly they are supposed to be one of the best province but here Egypt is a meh province which consequently affect Ptoelamy perfomances as they are much poorer than Seleucid or even Macedon if they conquer Koinon Hellenon

I am sorry, I really don't agree with that. Historically speaking, Lagids lost a lot because of their all different fronts, especially against Seleucids. And Meroë was a very rich and powerful entity and was difficult to manage from Lagid perspective.
But also, and again, it's the same problem for Pontus and all the greek nations around Anatolia, and adding Galatians (even though I would love to see them) is opposed to the same problem. For them (surrounded) and for Seleucids (an other faction to deal with) so...?
Oh, and it is the same too with Belgians, that I really wish to see too (cf my location under my avatar...) and every other places too now.

It is crowded, adding a faction will be problematic anywhere.

Yet, only black faction get the infamous "yeah no that's too crowed".

I am not generally looking for diversity more than anything else, but Meroë are a people that add a lot of difference in a region (Mediterranea) dominated by Celts, Greeks and Romans. Adding a new Greek or Celt faction is just adding more of the same, any mod can do it. (I did it myself).

Using arguments that are related to every faction to consider a specific faction that is so different is, in my opinion, flawed at least.

[eyelurker]

I am sorry, I really don't agree with that. Historically speaking, Lagids lost a lot because of their all different fronts, especially against Seleucids. And Meroë was a very rich and powerful entity and was difficult to manage from Lagid perspective.
But also, and again, it's the same problem for Pontus and all the greek nations around Anatolia, and adding Galatians (even though I would love to see them) is opposed to the same problem. For them (surrounded) and for Seleucids (an other faction to deal with) so...?
Oh, and it is the same too with Belgians, that I really wish to see too (cf my location under my avatar...) and every other places too now.

It is crowded, adding a faction will be problematic anywhere.

Yet, only black faction get the infamous "yeah no that's too crowed".

I am not generally looking for diversity more than anything else, but Meroë are a people that add a lot of difference in a region (Mediterranea) dominated by Celts, Greeks and Romans. Adding a new Greek or Celt faction is just adding more of the same, any mod can do it. (I did it myself).

Using arguments that are related to every faction to consider a specific faction that is so different is, in my opinion, flawed at least.

...What?

[Artannis Wolfrunner]

I think the Galatians would make the most interesting faction of the options, but that area of the map is already crowded. There are other regions that badly need additional factions. Also I like the present implementation of Galatia, where they are not a faction per se but there is an entire faction's worth of AOR units available from Galatia, and whoever controls the region can essentially have a another faction's unit roster.

Egypt needs something to split its forces on multiple fronts, currently it can throw everything it has at the Seleukids while the Seleukids are busy fighting all over asia on 6 fronts. Beyond that, Britannia and the whole northwest quadrant of the map is a very lonely place. The Caledonians and Meroe would be my choices.

[eyelurker]

I think the Galatians would make the most interesting faction of the options, but that area of the map is already crowded. There are other regions that badly need additional factions. Also I like the present implementation of Galatia, where they are not a faction per se but there is an entire faction's worth of AOR units available from Galatia, and whoever controls the region can essentially have a another faction's unit roster.

Egypt needs something to split its forces on multiple fronts, currently it can throw everything it has at the Seleukids while the Seleukids are busy fighting all over asia on 6 fronts. Beyond that, Britannia and the whole northwest quadrant of the map is a very lonely place. The Caledonians and Meroe would be my choices.

Partially true just that Ptoelamy still concern themself with Anatolian affair so their is not fully united.

2.4 Seleucid meanwhile is hyper aggresive, expanding everywhere but still retain awareness that their army should be focused on fighting Ptoleamy in Syria. Perhaps even better now because now Seleucid can actually push Ptoleamy back, used to be Seleucid could lose Antioch to Ptoelamy but seems no longer the case.