New factions?

[Arjos]

I know very little about Meroe, but I read that they did absorb the egyptian pantheon, customs and later on had contacts with Greeks...
They never were conquered yes, but seems pretty similar to the Romans integrating the greek culture...

[moonburn]

as i said if the east and western greeks merge into a single culture and since takashila as the persian culture meroe as a decent chance at it but the fact that i´m sure is that the arevaci or a keltiberian federation is going to appear in eb2

altough i´m not sure if the pritanoi are keltik

[Arjos]

altough i´m not sure if the pritanoi are keltik

If the urnfield culture connection with the Keltoi is accepted, then yes; otherwise they share common close ancestors and shared the same material culture by the 4th century BC...

[fomalhaut]

There does need to be another African faction besides Massylia, i mean damn! look at how much space it takes up on the map and the fact that the two most wealthy factions are all alone dominating it

[B-Wing]

I personally expect a Western Numidian faction, but that doesn't really affect east Africa...

I like the idea of merging West Greek and East Greek, but the team has clearly made up their mind at this point. If anyone wanted to make a sub-mod after EB2's release with a Meroe faction, that would be awesome.

Also, as far as the game is concerned, it doesn't really matter whether Pritonai are Celtic or something else, since they're just going to be part of the Barbarian culture.

[stratigos vasilios]

Hey I'm sure most of you have stumbled on these maps, but here's two maps to hopefully promote more discussion of what could potentially be a new faction in EBII.

Ancient East Hemisphere 300BC

Ancient East Hemisphere 200BC

Here's the original site, I found it very interesting and enjoyable to cycle through all the maps.

[Arjos]

Nice!

Here's another one with an interactive map going from 3000 BC to 2011, it's quite good for a general idea, but isn't too "researched"...

And yes, wondering which factions will be in, is getting painfully funny XD

[-Praetor-]

Hey I'm sure most of you have stumbled on these maps, but here's two maps to hopefully promote more discussion of what could potentially be a new faction in EBII.

Ancient East Hemisphere 300BC

Ancient East Hemisphere 200BC

Here's the original site, I found it very interesting and enjoyable to cycle through all the maps.

Quite enjoyable, but if my calculations are right, I believe Saba is misplaced, too much to the west. Same I think with the scordisci, too far up north. Marcomanni were never that far south, that area was occupied by the Boii at that time.

Fun maps though It´s nice to have a panoptic view over so many peoples.

[B-Wing]

Sorry if I'm retreading a dead horse, but has Tylis been officially ruled out? I can't remember much discussion of them, but they seem like a really good option.

[Arjos]

Sorry if I'm retreading a dead horse, but has Tylis been officially ruled out? I can't remember much discussion of them, but they seem like a really good option.

No one knows, Mauryans were ruled out and "hey presto" here is Taksashila :P
But that's the beauty of it for me :)

[fomalhaut]

I want the Koishi people of the southern tip of Afrika! or the Chinese wearing Lorica Segmentata

HUGE QUESTION; Will the 'Kingdom of the East' be alluded to? Obviously no direct communications (?) but when Taxashila or Greco-Baktrians are so far east, they can't be ignorant of the biggest trade partner and huge Kingdom not far away

[stratigos vasilios]

Here's another one with an interactive map going from 3000 BC to 2011, it's quite good for a general idea, but isn't too "researched"...

I like this, I've been playing with it. Pretty interesting.

How many faction slots are left for the unknown factions, four? Two? I can't remember.

[Populus Romanus]

I would like to see Axum under Semetic culture slot. YES, I know it would look stupid with Ethiopians looking like Arabs. I DON'T CARE, Axum for the win.

[Arjos]

How many faction slots are left for the unknown factions, four? Two? I can't remember.

Four, some might be used for scripting purposes though...

[Pikenier]

I hope not - some areas are still missing factions. Or are looking empty atleast.
Don´t know whether there will be factions filling these parts, but Arabia and Africa are vast landmasses with too few local peoples. Even when considering the great deserts there, they have enough space to implent a second numidian/mauretanian/garamantes faction in the northwest, as well as Nubians in the Southeast, next to a Southern- or Northern Arab tribe.

Or when looking on the europeans there is enough room in Iberia to implent a second Iberian state and a scythian/eastern germanic tribe in todays Ukraine.
Other candidates as Belgae, Scordisci/Illyrians or Thracians/Galatians have much fewer space on the map and would make their areas very crowded.

Aside from them I don´t think any of the four remaining factions will be placed in Asia (except Arabia) as this continent seems well deployed with factions already. Mostly thanks to the large realm of the Seleucid kings leaving not much space for any other factions. Media Atropatene or a nomad faction between Sauromatae, Parthians and Saka would not survive long under AI control.

[Arjos]

I hope not - some areas are still missing factions. Or are looking empty atleast.

I know, but engine's limits are what they are :S

[B-Wing]

I'm almost certain the team has stated that they intend to make all 30 faction slots playable... but not necessarily in the first release. So I don't think any will be reserved for scripting.

I hope not - some areas are still missing factions. Or are looking empty atleast.
Don´t know whether there will be factions filling these parts, but Arabia and Africa are vast landmasses with too few local peoples. Even when considering the great deserts there, they have enough space to implent a second numidian/mauretanian/garamantes faction in the northwest, as well as Nubians in the Southeast, next to a Southern- or Northern Arab tribe.

I agree with your sentiments. The team has stated that they have been working on northern Arabian units and reshaping the north Arabian provinces, so I think it's almost a lock that there will be a new faction in that region.

Nubians are highly unlikely due to the need for a new culture slot to represent their ethnicity. But I think they would be an awesome addition, regardless.

I seem to remember a team member stating that having a west Numidian faction would be too redundant. And I understand that sentiment from a gameplay perspective. But in that same sentiment, I'd prefer the west Numidians be chosen to represent the faction rather than the east, since they're right up against Carthage's heartland. I don't know anything about the Mauretanians during EB's period. Were they united enough to constitute a faction?

Aside from them I don´t think any of the four remaining factions will be placed in Asia (except Arabia) as this continent seems well deployed with factions already. Mostly thanks to the large realm of the Seleucid kings leaving not much space for any other factions. Media Atropatene or a nomad faction between Sauromatae, Parthians and Saka would not survive long under AI control.

I agree with you here, too. But if popular opinion counts for anything, a lot of fans think that Media Atropatene would be a great faction addition.

[Arjos]

I'm really rooting for the Arevaci, Ardiaei, Nabatu and Media or Belgae...
All representing "new" cultures ^^
Losing Nubia is a real pitty though :(

[d'Arthez]

For some reason I would not be surprised if there will be an additional steppe faction. Probably not in the first release. It was stated that the first release probably would not have all 30 faction slots used.

[Populus Romanus]

Kartli would be superior to Atropatene while still adding to the region. Atropatene was a pawn of greater powers (Armenia and Parthia) whereas Kartli survived the ages and did things.

[a completely inoffensive name]

Was going through my old computer and I found this old pic that Aemilius Paulus sent me once. He claimed that he had an account that was allowed in the EB private forums, but he was so full of it like 60% of the time. This pic is dated 2009, I can't believe it has been that long already.

[Montmorency]

Isn't that from Mount & Blade? He did like the Hegemonia mod for it.

[a completely inoffensive name]

Isn't that from Mount & Blade? He did like the Hegemonia mod for it.

Probably. I knew it wasn't from the EB forums, because like I said, he talked a lot of bluff from time to time.

[stratigos vasilios]

he talked a lot of bluff from time to time.

Probably related to Moros... Ha! I kid, I kid!

[fomalhaut]

Kartli would be superior to Atropatene while still adding to the region. Atropatene was a pawn of greater powers (Armenia and Parthia) whereas Kartli survived the ages and did things.

hahaha i really love this part, i'll forward this to EB central and they will be immediately moved by its poignancy ;P

[LusitanianWolf]

Isn't that from Mount & Blade? He did like the Hegemonia mod for it.

Yes, it is from the Hegemony mod, I've played it

[Arjos]

We all know that the team is laughing as we speak of Kartli or Atropatene, since they'll add Kappadokia XD

[fomalhaut]

i want another eastern faction! *slams utensils on table*

[stratigos vasilios]

We all know that the team is laughing as we speak of Kartli or Atropatene, since they'll add Kappadokia XD

Haha I can only imagine how silly we look guessing when we're completely off!

[Moros]

Probably related to Moros... Ha! I kid, I kid!

I have a pretty mama.