How much diversity you prefer?

[Cheetah]

What is the level of diversity you prefer in terms of factions? Do you prefer when each faction plays out entirely differently, i.e. has a completely different unit roster with strong units not available to other factions (i.e. only faction X has the elite unit Z); or do you prefer when you can play the same strategy/tactic with any of the factions (i.e. you can build lets say the same pike+musket army with any faction)?

Of course uniqueness means restrictions in a sense that you are not able to build any thing, but uniqueness also means that different factions require different strategies/tactics to succeed.

Lets say:
complete similarity (i.e. no restrictions, same unit rosters, etc) means 1,
same or minimaly different unit rosters with no or minimal restrictions means 3,
somewhat overlapping unit rosters with no or minimal restrictions means 5,
overlapping unit rosters with moderate restrictions means 7,
and complete uniqueness (i.e. totally different unit rosters) means 10;
what is your preference?

Restrictions for example can mean different availabilty (in terms of reqruitment) in SP or different max penalty for a given unit type in MP.

[Magraev]

Woo - I got to vote first!

I voted 8, since i really feel that the different unit-rosters are what makes the game great, and makes me want to start over with new factions all the time.

To have some overlap is ok, but it's the unique units that gives the game flavor (longbows, JHI, highlanders, norman knights, jinettes etc.).

[econ21]

Which number represents the historical reality? :inquisitive: If the English had armoured spearmen - as they surely did - then I am not too pleased with them lacking them here purely to create artificial diversity. Conversely, if the French had Scots Guard, then by all means put them in the game (even if it makes the Anglophiles shout at the possibility of being outshot by the French).

All in all, I think M2TW does a pretty good job in terms of diversity. The armies do feel fairly distinct and historical, even though they share many common units. MTW was a bit more boringly generic[1].

[1]In case anyone calls me on this, here's a table I posted earlier comparing England and the HRE (I've listed what you can recruit in any provinces under SP MTW - not VI):

3^English MTW|German MTW|English M2TW|German M2TW
7^Peasants|Peasants|Peasants|Peasants
7^Urban Militia|Urban Militia|Town militia|Town militia
7^Militia Sergeants|Militia Sergeants||
7^|Halbardiers||Halberd militia
7^Billmen||Bill militia|
7^||Billmen|
7^||Heavy bill militia|
7^||Heavy billmen|
7^Spearmen|Spearmen|Levy/militia spearmen|Spear militia
7^Feudal Sergeants|Feudal Sergeants||Sergeant spearmen
7^Chivalric Sergeants|Chivalric Sergeants||Armoured spearmen
7^|Gothic Seargents||
7^|Pikemen||Pike militia
7^|||Landsknecht pikemen
7^Feudal Men-at-Arms|Feudal Men-at-Arms|Dismtd Feudal knights|Dismtd Feudal knights
7^Chivalric Men-at-Arms|Chivalric Men-at-Arms|Armoured swordsmen|
7^||Dismtd English knights|
7^|||Dismtd Imperial knights
7^|||Dismtd Gothic knights
7^|||Zweihander
7^|||Forlorn Hope
7^Archers|Archers|Peasant/militia archers|Peasant archers
7^Crossbows|Crossbows||Peasant/militia xbow
7^Pavise Crossbows|Pavise Crossbows||Pavisse crossbowmen
7^Arbalester|Arbalester||
7^Pavise Arbalests|Pavise Arbalests||
7^Longbows||Longbowmen|
7^||Yeomen archers|
7^||Retinue longbowmen|
7^||Sherwood foresters|
7^Handguns|Handguns||Handgunners
7^Arquebusiers|Arquebusiers||Arquebusiers
7^Hobilars||Hobilars|
7^||Merchant cavalry|Merchant cavalry
7^Mounted Sergeants|Mounted Sergeants||Mounted sergeants
7^|Mounted Crossbow||Mounted crossbowmen
7^|||Reiters
7^||Mailed knights|Mailed knights
7^Feudal Knights|Feudal Knights|Feudal knights|Feudal knights
7^Chivalric Knights|Chivalric Knights|English knights|Imperial knights
7^|Gothic Knights||Gothic knights
7^||Demi lancer|
7^Royal Knights (Early)|Royal Knights (Early)|Early gen. bodyguard|Early gen. bodyguard
7^Royal Knights (High)|Royal Knights (High)|Late gen. bodyguard|Late gen. bodyguard
7^Royal Knights (Late)|Royal Knights (Late)||
7^|||
7^total 24|total 26|total 23|total 28
7^|||
7^non-German 3|non-English 5|non-German 12|non-English 17
7^total MTW units 29||total M2TW units 40|

[Furious Mental]

I'd say MTW2 gets it about right.

[Shahed]

Good, albeit, difficult question.