Preview: Taksashila (Mauryan Satrapy)

[bobbin]

That is the forcing that the EB team must do, and thus why they are not separated as Greece and Macedonia were separated. Susima couldn't declare his independence (That would a priori recognize that he couldn't exercise his sovereignty over the rest of the empire). Before that Vice-Royalty could even think of turning to foreign affairs, he would forcibly have to settle the dispute with Ashoka. He simply couldn't ignore the rest of India under the control of his younger brother and focus his ambitions elsewhere. As a Vice-Royalty of the Mauryan Empire, and its governor as a successor to the Mauryan throne, Taxila is inorexably connected to the fate of the Mauryan Empire.
This is where EB must make some bending of those facts, so that Susima actually had enough trust by Ashoka or that Ashoka was afraid of him enough that he could remain as Vice-Roy, or some viable other solution.

What makes you think Ashoka will leave him be? Susima will have to make some very tough decisions very early on in the game.

[fomalhaut]

What is going to be done about voice acting for these units?

[Jolt]

What makes you think Ashoka will leave him be? Susima will have to make some very tough decisions very early on in the game.

Nothing does. Nevertheless the fact that there is little information about the succession struggle, and most of it is in myths and novel stories means you can bend facts to suit the game.

As the story goes, it wasn't really that Ashoka sent an army to put down Susima, but that Susima went with an army to put down Ashoka (As would be logical). A lot of the problems that the Indian faction gets is pure conjecture. If Susima beat his head on a rock and suddenly decided to turn Taxila into an independent kingdom, we have no idea how stiff the opposition to Ashoka's ascension would be (Since the civil war was between Susima and Ashoka) without Susima as the most legitimate candidate. Most probably without that catalyst, the rebellion would be minimal (the legitimate heir withdrew from the race, even if temporarily), which means no prolonged fighting or high casualties by Mauryan armies, which in turn means huge invading armies on short notice for Susima.

This conjecture of course affects how soon Indian mega-deathstacks should start appearing and how many of them there are. This is particularly problematic considering in EB, Susima is attempting to become independent and outside of the Mauryan suzerainity, which would compound on the speed factor for Ashoka to put a major army to subdue the rebels as shortly as possible. That is what I meant by saying "Ashoka sympathizing with big bro, or Susima inspiring fear on Ashoka to prevent Ashoka from removing Susima on short notice or other viable solutions" to decide that Taxila lasts 2 years without 10 Indian deathstacks each with 5 Elephant units each spawning on Indian provinces.

[moonburn]

Though now there is the question: Will the Indians get their own voice-pack?

thats such an anti climax :\ i can imagine a badass sweaboz voicepack i can imagine a roman badass voicepack but somehow hearing "preare to die" with the indian acent seems ... counter productive :\ it´s like right before batle you see the enemies mom´s telling them not to get their nice new uniforms dirty ...

[Foot]

thats such an anti climax :\ i can imagine a badass sweaboz voicepack i can imagine a roman badass voicepack but somehow hearing "preare to die" with the indian acent seems ... counter productive :\ it´s like right before batle you see the enemies mom´s telling them not to get their nice new uniforms dirty ...

Umm, it wouldn't going to be an episode of Goodness, Gracious Me. What do you think a voicepack is?

Foot

[HFox]

Umm, it wouldn't going to be an episode of Goodness, Gracious Me. What do you think a voicepack is? Foot

Is there a Life of Brian voice pack for the romans......"Cwentueriun......"

[fomalhaut]

As long as they aren't speaking english, that's ok with me

placeholder persian or greek is even good enough

[CaesarAugustus]

As long as they aren't speaking english, that's ok with me

placeholder persian or greek is even good enough

I think the amount of different languages allowed for voicemods is limited by culture slots, so if that is the case I imagine the team would use the Pahlavi voicemod as the most fitting.

[Paul D]

Couldn't you use the different sound effects for the voice types: Light_1, Medium_1, Heavy_1, etc?

IIRC that is how they implemented the Qceltic voicepack for the Lusotana/Iberian units, and how they implemented the different accents/voices for the Hellenistic units

[Foot]

I think the amount of different languages allowed for voicemods is limited by culture slots, so if that is the case I imagine the team would use the Pahlavi voicemod as the most fitting.

Nope thats not true. Voice accents are entirely moddable and entirely separate to culture.

Foot

[Cyclops]

... an episode of Goodness, Gracious Me...

Um, now thats in my head. 'If you can smell something ripe, its birdy num num!"

Quick question, what will the BGs be? I assume chariots but I would love elephant BGs too.

[bobbin]

Chariots.

[B-Wing]

Elephant chariots?

[MaxMazi]

Yeah, so the archers in the chariots can shoot the posterior of the elephants! :)

[Arjos]

That would start up a funny serie of events XD

[Leão magno]

Good to see EB is still alive

[MaxMazi]

Good to see EB is still alive

I guess you didn't visited us for a long time. We have frequent previews, twits, we are very active in the forums responding back to our fans, we are working very hard for the mod... So yes, we are VERY alive and kicking. I encourage you to visit us more often before you post! Jesus!

EDIT: You're previous posts:

Regarding The Generals Preview

Everything beautifull! Gourgeous Carthaginian General! But quite tired of staring I want to Play!

Regarding The Sweboz preview

Perhaps the most complete preview of one people ever made in EBII... but it makes me wonder, will we ever see it in our houses?

So... please be patient, i can assure you we are working very hard, many times ignoring our real life, real friends and real jobs.

[LusitanianWolf]

So... please be patient, i can assure you we are working very hard, many times ignoring our real life, real friends and real jobs.

That's a bit too much but we praise you for spending your time doing this wonderfull artwork that is EB!

[Arjos]

One thing is for sure: the day people will write down the seven cybernetic wonders of the world, EBII will be number one ^^

[Cyclops]

Chariot BGs ftw.

One thing is for sure: the day people will write down the seven cybernetic wonders of the world, EBII will be number one ^^

Wait you're saying Bobbin, Foot, et al are Cyborgs?

[Arjos]

ahahahahah yes, the team's work goes beyond human levels :D

[Hax]

Wait you're saying Bobbin, Foot, et al are Cyborgs?

Oh dear. They found out.

It's standard procedure in fact. When I became a beta-tester I was abducted in the middle of the night and got cybernetic implants in a secret factory somewhere in Poland.

[nazgool]

Hmmm we don't have any secret factory in Poland. We had only secret CIA prison

[NIKOMAHOS]

One thing is for sure: the day people will write down the seven cybernetic wonders of the world, EBII will be number one ^^

When you will play EBII, my dear friend, you would look all other games from the height of Alexandreias Pharos and the light will eb (I meen... be) so strong that will make fans go blind.
OK, maybe to many hours with Taksahshila faction will lead fans to such a result...
But I still inseast that some other factions will also be EB wonders......

NIKOMAHOS

[Mithridates VI Eupator]

Hmmm we don't have any secret factory in Poland. We had only secret CIA prison

Well, if you knew about it, it wouldn't be secret, would it?

[fireblade]

I can only think of poor Baktria when they get another enemy nearby, and this time there's no india to withdraw to.

[Andy1984]

It's too bad that by the time EB2 is released, I won't be playing any games whatsoever anymore. Even now my interests in them have declined spectacularly, as well as the time that I can reasonably free up for them. I guess I reached both age and situation to leave these things, and there's very little to be done against it. But suffice it to say that previews like this show exactly why EB1.2 has been one of the very few games that kept my attention and interests for so long a timespan.

Even when I will probably hardly (or not) play it at all, the team should rest assured that their efforts are definitly not in vain. Over the years, I've come to enjoy EB both as a relaxed and slow game, as well as a masterpiece of historical knowledge that comes with by far the most baffling athmosphere I've ever encountered. As such, I've already advised EB1.2 to my youngest brother, who is currently overwhelmed by the deepness and vastness of the mere mechanics of the game. I sincerely hope that he'll soon be touched by the historical and athmospheric aspects of it as well, and develops and further deepens his interests in these things just the way I did. With a bit of luck, that microbe sticks with him for the coming five to eight years, at which point he'll most likely leaves gaming as well.

Whatever happens to that, I'm truly glad EB brings together so many artists from different fields, and enables others to experience the vastness of what they have to offer. Be it historical information or impressions and other artistic achievements. I'll obviously continue to read your previews. Not as previews, but as examples of how information of various kind can be brought together into more and more complete pictures. These previews somehow capture the reason why I decided to study history all these years ago. They're wat brought me back to reading history-books on my own. (I dropped that during and after history-classes as I perceived them at times to be too boring.) That interest in historical magic, into the overwhelming impression I have when encountering a completely different and often strange culture, is something I'd never wish to loose. Not even when gaming will be a faraway past.

Kind regards and much strenght wished in your bold achievement,

Andy

[mountaingoat]

EB II is close to completion .. this must mean that the prophecy is coming true :P

amazing does not come close to defining this masterpiece of work , props to you all

[Cute Wolf]

EB II is close to completion .. this must mean that the prophecy is coming true :P

amazing does not come close to defining this masterpiece of work , props to you all

after EBII is out, Jesus will come

[B-Wing]

Three things I particularly like:
(1) the faction colors and symbol
(2) the uniquely shaped shields
(3) cool standard bearers