Countdown to Open Beta - Pontos

Greetings Europa Barbarorum fans!

We are sorry for the belated preview. But, things like these happen. Members are vacationing or simply inactive because they have found the time to do things with friends and family. That slows down the speed of working on these previews.

Regardless, our closed beta testers have continued to find bugs for the EB team to iron out. However, recently the Trivium Organization site went down. We at EB do not know how this happened, and are still trying to find out why. Besides these hosting problems, we have attracted several new members to speed up work. We encourage anybody willing to support this project to send a PM to our managers, Khelvan and Aymar du Bois Mauri, stating how they expect to help this project.

A little out of the ordinary now; we’ll do something here that we haven’t done in a while, namely show you something not having to do with factions or units et cetera. Here is a screenshot of the reworked eastern watch tower for the campaign map:

https://img114.imageshack.us/img114/8800/tower3uf.jpg

Props and thanks go out to Spartan_Warrior, Chemchok (wherever he is), and Alin for skinning and modeling the units. A further shout out goes out to Teleklos Archelaou again for making the faction banner and sigs, and taking and uploading the extreme-zoom screenshots, and to Spartan_Warrior for taking and uploading the rest of the screenshots. Finally, kudos go out to Angadil and his team for their hard work and care that went into making this faction historically accurate.

Still, EB is a team effort and this preview is a product of all our efforts.

Without further ado, this week the EB team is proud to present:

http://img288.echo.cx/img288/755/log...medium38lm.jpg

http://premium1.uploadit.org/DuxCorv..._128_48_24.jpghttps://img129.imageshack.us/img129/...minimap3dq.jpg

For hundreds of years Hellenic colonists have lived and traded in the cities on the southern coast of the Pontos Euxine, but only a few miles inland their influence stopped and their hardy mountain neighbors kept the hills and passes to themselves. Alexandros brought the Makedonian spear and horse and unified all of Anatolia, but his death and the vastness of his empire have spread his successors too thin. Their attention diverted, a new kingdom has quietly crept along the coasts and mountain edges. Mithridates, descended from a long line of Persian satraps who continued to serve Alexandros and his successors, has seized towns and allied himself with the newly arrived Galatians, and within the last decade has dared to rebel against Alexandros' successors. Though tensions have been eased, the new kingdom of Pontos, ruled by an opportunistic Persian family, in possession of several Hellenic colonies and determined to avail themselves of the benefits the Hellenes have provided them, find themselves trying to secure the mountain regions under their control and expand along the coastline. The Pontos Euxine is there for the taking and the riches that trade brings to them, along with its influence in the Aegean and Mediterranean, will be the source of their power.

Pontos sits on the edge of the wine-dark, cool waters of the Pontos Euxine. And even though you hail from the foothills of the Pontic Alps, it is the destiny of your kingdom to rule the waves. Together with Hellenic ingenuity and your own followers’ natural seamanship, your goal must be to make Pontos a mighty sea-borne power, for it is not by land that you should hope to gain your glory. No, for that, the Seleukids are too powerful, and too wary of your designs as an independent ruler. You must look north, to the waterways that will lead you to the rich granaries of the Tauric Bosporos. Only once your supremacy is established on the waves that have given name to your state, can you hope to begin expanding your influence over the more traditional Hellenistic world. For you to succeed, your enemies must be bled white before you make them bleed red.

A mixture of Hellenic, Anatolian, and old Persian units are available to the rulers of this new kingdom. But choose wisely; peoples with many different methods of war surround you. Persian spear infantry will keep the order in your cities, but it will take Hellenic hoplites to take control of their other Hellenic brothers on the coasts. The inland axemen and more types of spear and javelin will provide you with the power needed to move in from the coasts, and should you equip them properly, the Galatians can provide elite and versatile spearmen as well. Light peltasts and slingers will be recruitable, and for more money Syrian bows will aid your cause. Of course, cavalry will be a great aid in your conquests. Light javelin cavalry can be trained quickly. Heavier steppe cavalry from the north and east can also be recruited and your Persian ancestors will provide elite armored units that may ride into battle alongside exotic scythed chariots if you choose.

With Pontos, inherently, you will look to secure your power first by controlling the sea and nearby coastal regions, a number of whom are other petty kingdoms come together as allies against the Seleukids. But their individual cities are tempting targets, and they will be such to other powers as well. The Armenians are weak, but know their mountain passes well and have horse enough to thwart you. Expansion across the sea is possible, where Thraikians have territories too vast to control effectively, but can strike your trade routes and destroy your power centers there if you do not provide enough support. The Thraikians, and further away the Makedonians, are more Hellenized, but powerful foes. Yet the single largest threats to your fledgling kingdom are those whom you know best: the Seleukids. If you are not cautious, they will send armies over the mountains, take back their lost possessions, and push your armies into your beloved sea. If you handle the situation carefully, alliances through marriage and profit and against common enemies may keep them at bay long enough for you to build your strength. Yours is the newest kingdom of countless ones that have been established on the shorelines that feed into the great ocean at Herakles’ pillars. Heed the failures of those that came before you. It depends on you and no-one else, if your fledgling kingdom will wither and die like any other, or rise to the challenge and follow in the great footsteps of its ancestors.

HISTORY;

Shielded by the Pontic Alps from the central Anatolian plateau the shore of the Pontos Euxinus (Black Sea) has often had a history separate from that of the rest of Anatolia. The name Pontos is geographical, not ethnic, in origin, and was first used to designate that part of Kappadokia which bordered on the "Pontos," as the Euxine was often termed. The configuration of the country included a beautiful but narrow, riparian margin, backed by a noble range of mountains parallel to the coast, while these in turn were broken by the streams that forced their way from the interior plains down to the sea; the valleys, narrower or wider, were fertile and productive, as were the wide plains of the interior such as the Chiliokomon and Phanaroea. The mountain slopes were originally clothed with heavy forests of beech, pine and oak of different species, and when the country was well afforested, the rainfall must have been better adequate than now to the needs of luxuriant vegetation.

EARLY PERIOD;

Between 2000 BC and 1800 BC, Assyrian merchants from northern Mesopotamia established a number of trading colonies in the central and eastern Anatolian cities, thereby drawing the region into wider Middle Eastern culture. The unification of Anatolia was achieved by the Hittites and this region became the center of power for the Hittites.

As the Hittite power shrunk under the hammer blows of the Sea Peoples and other invaders hardy Greek adventurers appeared from the West sailing along the Euxine main in quest of lands to exploit and conquer and colonize. Miletus, sent out colonists through the Bosporus, and along the southern shore of the Black Sea. Greek culture by slow degrees took root along the coastal towns mixing with the local cultures and the later Persians. Following the Persian overthrow of Lydia, Pontos was loosely joined to the great Achaemenid Empire and rule was by Persian satraps.

PERSIAN PERIOD;

During the domination of the Achaemenid Persian Empire eastern Asia Minor was colonized by the Persians. The uplands of Anatolia resembled those of Persia in climate and soil, and were especially adapted to the raising of horses. The main influence on the societies of Pontos had come from Persia with its temple priests and Persianized feudal nobles which ruled over villages inhabited by a heterogeneous population. Greek culture would have some influence but mostly superficially until later in the kingdoms history. In Kappadokia and even in Pontos the aristocracy who owned the soil belonged to the conquering Persians. Under the various governments which followed after the death of Alexander, those landlords would remain the real masters of the country. They retained their hereditary holdings throughout the political turmoil until the time of the Romans. This military and feudal aristocracy furnished Mithradates Eupator a considerable number of the officers who helped him in his long defiance of Rome, and later defended the threatened independence of Armenia against the enterprises of the Romans. These warriors worshiped Mithra as the protecting god of their arms, and this is the reason why Mithra always, even in the Latin world, remained the “invincible” god, the lord of armies, held in special honor by warriors.

Alongside them were the native clan chieftains governing the districts where the Anatolian tribes held dominion. These tribes residing in the eastern part of Northern Anatolia were known to the Greeks as the Mossynoecians, Makrones, Tibarenians and Leucosyrians as well as the Chalybes or Chaldaei. The Tzanoi lived mainly in Pontic Alps, their range extending into the land of the Colchians or Kolchoi, to whom they are related and the Tibareni and Chaldaei, who also extend as far as Colchis. It is from these men that the bulk of the tribal levy is formed.

Besides the Persian nobility a Persian clergy had also become established in the peninsula. It officiated in famous temples, at Zela in Pontos and Hierocaesarea in Lydia. The sacrifices of the fire priests which Strabo observed in Kappadokia recall all the peculiarities of the Avestan liturgy. The same prayers were recited before the altar of the fire while the priest held the sacred fasces and the same offerings were made of milk, oil and honey, and the same precautions were taken to prevent the priest's breath from polluting the divine flame.

Recent discoveries of bilingual inscriptions have succeeded in establishing the fact that the language used, or at least written, by the Persian colonies of Asia Minor was not that of their ancient Aryan homeland, but rather Aramaic. Under the Achemenides this was the diplomatic and commercial language of all countries west of the Tigris. In Kappadokia and Armenia it remained the literary and probably also the liturgical language until it was slowly supplanted by Greek during the Hellenistic period.

PONTOS;

Pontos had acquired nominal independence from Persia around 363 BC and was able to maintain it during the Macedonian period. Following the Anatolian conquests of Alexander the Great attempts were made to rule Kappadokia through a Macedonian appointed commander, but the ruling classes and people resisted and declared a Persian aristocrat, as king. Alexander had never conquered this country completely, and this last Persian satrap, a man named Ariarathes, had created a kingdom of his own. Kappadokia and Paphlagonia fell to Eumenes in the settlement of Babylon, who was charged with defending the region as far as Trapezus and with continuing hostilities against this Ariarthes, the only chieftain refusing alliance to Macedon. His claims were made good in 322 by the regent Perdikkas who crucified Ariarathes; but in the dissensions following Eumenes death, the son of Ariarathes recovered his inheritance and left it to a line of successors, who mostly bore the name of the founder of the dynasty. Pontos became a separate kingdom later in the 3rd Century, and here forges its own history separate from that of Kappadokia.

In Pontos Mithradates I, was the son of a Persian satrap taking advantage of the confusion caused by the Wars of the Diadochi, came to Pontos with only six horsemen and was able to assume the title of king, he died in 266 after a reign of thirty-six years. The kings of Pontos, Persian by descent, formed close ties with Greece and from the beginning Hellenistic culture found an entrance into Pontos.

Under the last king, Mithradates Eupator, commonly called the Great, the realm of Pontos included not only Pontika Kappadokia but also the shore from Bithynia to Kolchis as well as all of Paphlagonia. Claiming to be a descendant of Darius the Persian Mithridates Eupator took power in Pontos and proved to be a ruthless king. His father, before his death, had appointed him his successor, and had given him his mother as guardian, who was to govern jointly with him. He began his reign by putting his mother and brother to death. Mithradates was a sinister character to the Romans and it is said that he was a suspicious and paranoid man but then anyone growing up at a Hellenistic court had good reasons to be paranoid. Without the charismatic and daring leadership of Mithradates, the kingdom of Pontos would never have become a military power capable of challenging the power of Rome itself. He could never quite match Rome’s military power, and with his defeat and death the kingdom of Pontos came to an end as an independent political entity.

Now, the soldiers that will give ear to your every command:

https://img214.imageshack.us/img214/...ntry4gi.th.jpg

Using the Lykian bow and the spear these Lykian tribal troops are valued for their versatility and their aggressive nature. They are not, however, as disciplined as drilled Hellenistic or Roman infantry, nor can boast of protective gear of comparable quality. To some extent, they compensate for this with the, fierce, warlike nature traditional of the Lykians. Being dual-armed, they are also quite flexible and can function as either archers or as reasonably reliable spearmen (though the lack of a shield might hurt them in this latter role).

Historically, these peoples called themselves the Trmmli and were known as Termilai to the Greeks. Their homeland on the southern shores of Anatolia, they called Trmmisa. The Lykians as the Greeks generally knew them, had a reputation for independence and piracy. Indeed, so much so that their homeland has been referred to as the ‘pirate coast’. An ancient people, they fought alongside the Trojans against the Mykenean Greek invaders. Persian rule was light on this nation and they were left largely to their own devices, as was typical of the Achaemenids. The Ptolemaioi have ruled these people since 296 BC, and Hellenic culture is beginning to make inroads.

https://img141.imageshack.us/img141/...goae2co.th.jpg

These Galatian warriors are gladly recruited by Greek warlords despite a somewhat unreliable reputation. With a love of war and singing as they advance into battle, these warriors live for the clash of arms and the blind passion of battle. The Galatian toutabaposoi are not particularly well armed or protected, still their impetus and numbers make them serviceable infantry.

Antiochos the First defeated the Keltoi who had invaded Anatolia and allowed them to settle in what came to be known as Galatia. The Keltoi however did not give up their old ways and continued to raid the surrounding Hellenic lands. Led by their chieftains they pillage and burn, exacting tribute from those who will pay to be left alone. Many of these warriors will look elsewhere in an attempt to gain the means needed to afford a mail hauberk. The Keltoi have achieved a reputation for bravery among the Hellenic peoples and this has served them well when they seek mercenary employment.

https://img129.imageshack.us/img129/...cree2bi.th.jpg

Pantodapoi phalangitai are the standard levy of the Hellenistic kingdoms. They are tough and reliable infantry, but are prone to rebellion and discontent and are hence more expensive than their Makedonian contemporaries. They are mostly levies of Jewish, Syrian, and Persian descent that are co-opted into the Hellenistic armies. They fight as pikemen, with a soft leather cuirass, pikes, round Illyrian style shields and Phrygian caps. This makes them a viable pike unit, though they are less disciplined and more prone to flee than more reliable Hellenics and Makedonians that make up the pezhetairoi. They can be counted upon to present a solid wall of spear points to the enemy, but their lack of discipline and intensive training makes them even more prone to a flanking attack.

Historically, Hellenistic states used pike levies from their various subject peoples to make up parts of the battle line that were facing the enemy’s least valuable troops. They gave decent accounts of themselves at many battles, but were the first line to break in the disasters at Raphia against the Ptolemaioi and in Makedonia against the Romaioi. They made up more and more of the battle line as time went on, due to the dwindling number of Hellenic recruits that the army could draw upon for the pike units (most went to the more elite units), and more and more Asiatic peoples were put into the pezhetairoi class and given land grants, to make up the loss. Still, these more unreliable formations were still used in many places.

https://img214.imageshack.us/img214/...oroi1mx.th.jpg

Thureophoroi were a new class of Hellenic infantry that was designed to both augment the phalanx and provide a type of soldier in between the phalangitas and the peltastas that was able to skirmish and fight in melee. They are an extremely mobile force that can hit hard with their heavy javelins then rush in to flank pike units. They are well armed and armored for the task, having stout bronze helms, linen armor, an almond shaped thureos shield, heavy javelins, and a stout spear. They are highly versatile infantry, akin in spirit to the legionaries of Roma. They are usually pezhetairoi, middle class property owners with voting rights. As such, they are well able to devote time to training and practice. They have good morale and are highly disciplined. They were often described by Latin writers as copies of the legion. It is debatable whether they were developed with knowledge of warfare in Italy or not, they are a highly effective force of heavy infantry that is in the forefront of Hellenic military know-how.

Historically, thureophoroi were used as harassing and flanking troops by the successor states. There seemed to be a lot of confusion as to how to utilize these new soldiers, since they were deadly in the extreme to the less mobile phalanx units. Most of the successor states used them conservatively, except for the Seleukids, who took to these new soldiers quite well. The city-states of Hellas used them even more frequently against the armies of Makedonia, and were often able to hold the more powerful kingdom at bay. Still, their uses were limited in scope and not as widespread as their versatile and deadly role would have indicated. This is the fault of period commanders, however, and any more astute or innovative commander might have realized their potential in conjunction with the more static phalanx.

https://img214.imageshack.us/img214/...hori0cq.th.jpg

Kuarothoroi are elite heavy spearmen recruited from among the Galatian tribes near the Pontic border. Many are recruited by the Pontic kings for service in the Pontic army as an elite formation. They are armed and armored to the teeth and are well able to serve as a disciplined and nearly fanatic shock infantry. They carry long spears and wield large shields which make them ideal flankers in the situation that they are deployed against phalanx units. Other than this, kuarothoroi are well able to attack and defend against various types of soldiers, putting them among the most versatile heavy infantry. They are particularly deadly against cavalry. A smart commander will place these armored troops where the battle is likely to be the hardest fought.

Historically, the kuarothoroi were elite Galatian warriors that often fought for Pontos and Pergamon. They formed the vanguard of the shock infantry of both nations, and were well able to give a good account of themselves. They were among the most ‘Hellenized’ of the Galatian warrior class and many took Hellenic or Persian wives and settled in new homelands on rich estates won by their superb military service to either nation. Their name derives from the Greek name kouros-kouretes which means young men of fighting age and therefore warriors.

https://img197.imageshack.us/img197/...idai9dt.th.jpg

The Makedonian conquests never included Pontos, but their influence in military matters found a home on the shores of the Pontos Euxine. The phalanx is the natural tactical formation of a part-time citizen levy. Their training cannot be extended or in depth as they have their own lives and role to play in society. These men are part-time conscripts able to serve during the summer campaigns, but they must be released at harvest or famine will follow. The Bronze Shields or brazen shields are the elite phalangitai of the Pontic state. The chalkaspidai can be a powerful and dangerous weapon in the hands of a competent general, and a slaughterhouse in the hands of a fool. The phalanx, known already in ancient Sumeria, is at its simplest, a compact body of spearmen, formed up in depth to present a hedge of spears to any attacker. The weak point of the phalanx is the flanks and if the enemy is able to engage the flanks then the formation will quickly fall into disorder. The sarissa is a clumsy weapon, not well suited to close quarters combat, but such is not its purpose. It is meant to be an impenetrable wall of pikes, creating a moving fortress which cavalry can use to launch their attacks. Vital to the success of the pikemen are hoplites, or hypaspistai, whose purpose is to ward the vulnerable flanks of the phalanx.

Historically, the latter day Hellenic states forgot the nature and vulnerabilities of these pikemen. Trying to use these infantry as an offensive arm, these pikemen failed to achieve for their masters what they had never been intended to do. The Makedonian conquests never included Pontos, but their influence in military matters found a home on the shores of the Pontos Euxine and the phalanx was adopted in that area too.

https://img268.imageshack.us/img268/...ecav2la.th.jpg

These men are light horsemen and are often found in the employ of more civilized nations. Light cavalry such as this is designed for scouting, screening your army and pursuit. Though they can be used for shock action this should be used only as a last resort and will often yield poor results against unbroken infantry. The weapons that they use are the bow and arrow. They are trained in archery from childhood and ride with ease and grace atop their small, but trusty steppe pony.

Historically, light horsemen came from the steppes north and east of the Pontos Euxine. They form a great part of the armies of different groups of what are called “Skythians”, or even more broadly, “Iranian nomads”, and for many a long year were the scourge of civilized nations everywhere. Civilization however has exacted its revenge. The southern part of their range meets with the northern limits of the Hellenic merchant cities along the northern shores of the Pontos Euxine. Some nomads have grown wealthy and acquired a love for the trinkets that well bred society can produce. Now it is twilight for the European Skythians and the warriors that once formed their armies are now little more than bands or marauders or in the service of former enemies as mercenaries, subjects or allies.

https://img214.imageshack.us/img214/...alry2ez.th.jpg

These Kappadokian cavalrymen provide Pontos with the mounted core of its army and are the shock arm of its cavalry. They ride to war in scale armor and shield, wielding spear and axe in the old Persian style. They form a reliable medium cavalry for which a good commander will find many uses.

Historically, Kappadokian cavalry comes from old Imperial Persian nobles that the Alexandrian conquest did not dispossess and still hold their old estates. The high cost of warhorse and gear required the revenues of landed nobility to be capable of affording service to the king. The excellent Median horse was raised in Kappadokia and provided the mounts for these men. Median horses were noted for their size and strength, although not particularly tall, about 14 or 15 hands. They had large heads and strong necks with most being chestnuts, browns or blacks. Persian horse manes were clipped short, like those of the mounted archers of other nations, so it would not interfere with the action of shooting. The tails were tied up to prevent it being grabbed by the enemy. The forelock was left long and tied with ribbon to form a plume above the head. The Kappadokian plain provided the grasslands and rich pastures needed for good quality cavalry and the Achaemenid Persians granted imperial estates throughout Anatolia for the raising of Satrapal cavalry forces. With the fall of the old Persian Empire these men found themselves as lords of a new land, serving the Iranian dynasty of Pontos.

https://img129.imageshack.us/img129/...een10xg.th.jpg

In war, the Kappadokian cavalry forms the heart of the Pontic army, and these men are their elite. Selected from the bravest and noblest these horsemen are the mounted bodyguard of the Mithridatic Dynasty and its kings. Resplendent in their bright armor and rich clothing these men will surrender their lives if need be in defense of their king. They enter the fray with a bunch a javelins and a spear wielded in an overhand fashion if things should come to close quarters.

Historically, the Achaemenid monarchs entered battle surrounded by a bodyguard of mounted, richly equipped nobility, frequently including kindred of the King himself. Following Makedonian tradition, Hellenistic monarchs also went to war amidst a well-accoutered cavalry guard of noblemen. Hence, this old Persian practice was in all likelihood unaffected, perhaps even reinforced, by the Hellenistic influences on the Pontic kingdom. The Iranian dynasty of this kingdom came to power following the fall of the Persian Empire.

Something to remind you that not all is blood and gore:

https://img129.imageshack.us/img129/...een12sv.th.jpg

Finally, a nice sig to prove your allegiance with:

https://img282.imageshack.us/img282/...s1small3bd.jpg

We heartily invite our fans to use these sigs. They’re here for you, and we delight to see them be used by our great fans!

We hope you’ve enjoyed this week’s update!

Please note that unless stated otherwise, ALL pictures shown in our previews are of works in progress. We continue to improve on all parts of EB, and we will continue to do so long after our initial release.

Since some areas where these news items are posted cannot handle wide images, we appreciate your restraint from quoting full-size images.

As always, if you have questions or comments, the best place to post them is here, where the EB team is most active:

https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/forumdisplay.php?f=70

Or here:

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=31

We give special thanks to http://www.imageshack.us that provides us with a simple, foolproof, and free way to show you all these pictures each week.

Have a great day!

Sincerely,

The Europa Barbarorum team

Nice.

woooh! teh preview! *fans self* :fainting:

I like those Lykian archers. They looked very clean and dapper with a spare bow to boot. ~:cool:

I didn't not expect that the next preview will be pontus.
I expected Iberia or the Alied Helenes but not this faction
But Pontus looks very cool and not to " Helenic" ;-)

And the map wasn't blacked out!! ~;)

See my sig!!

very interesting! never even gave pontus a sideways glance in vanilla, but they look like an intriguing blend of cultures in this preview. i guess i'm going to have to play as them too.. sigh...

Aww, you have the fog of war on for the minimap. Can you take a screenshot without it on? How much longer must you cover it up? :p

I actually enjoyed using Pontus in Vanilla. They seem to have changed on the battlefield quite a bit, though. I look forward to playing as Pontus again.

Hey, where's the Easter egg? Was it more cunningly hidden, or is it not there? Or is the Easter egg that there is no Easter egg? Or are you going to add it later just to confuse us?

-Simetrical

Nice local flavor provided by the Basileioi Taphoi Pontou. The description is well written - kudos for opening with a quote from Strabo. A couple very minor errata:

1) "The arrangement and commanding view was very impressive for their capital city and (they) remain the best known monuments in the region even today."

2) "The monuments(') continual presence, looking down upon the city, provide(s) a sense of worth and security....."

Keep up the good work. :thumbsup:

Love it! Pontus was one of my favourite factions in vanilla, partly because of it's starting position and their later units. Looks like i'm going to play them a hell lot more...

I like Pontus because of it is in a good location, and I like the varied army of both Eastern and Western Unit Types. Pontus rocks!

Why those archers have two bows??

The unit can either be modelled with a bow in the bow case, or no bow. Which means we had to choose between having a bow appear out of nowhere when the bow is used or the bow appearing both in the archer's hands and in the case when the bow is used. We chose the latter.

I always had a soft spot for Pontos- which explains my anger at their portrayl (especially that of the bronzeshields) in Vanilla RTW!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Dago

Why those archers have two bows??

---

Elaborating further on Khelvan's explanation, carrying a replacement bow was common practice for eastern archers and those influenced by them. So, you may think of the second bow in the bowcase as the replacement one and when the archers shift to their secondary weapon you may want to imagine there's actually two bows in the case.

Well lets just add this to the long list of factions I am going to be playing as when I finally get my hands on the beta. Beautiful work again guys, they look like a nice mix of different cultures but not too much of a mix that they don't have a specific strength.

This just gets better and better, here is yet another army that i want to play as when i get this, i am going to have to spend alot of time on this!!!!!!!

I am pleased to see the map at last, it looks awsome, really big, plus you have managed to fit in a bigger mini map in the window, withut it looking all squashed in like RTR's did - superb work, keep it up!!!!!

Nice as always EB. ~:cheers:

The units don't have their names listed... although you can learn them by looking at urls for pictures.

Well, we only really had their names listed since the Casse preview.



~Wiz

Astonishing! I think I have found my new favourite faction. ~:)

My mind totaly confused. Pontos looks so shiny! Awesome. How can we make a choice over those brilliant factions! I swear it i'll play all of them. Hard question is which one will be first. God bless you boys you are proud of all TW communtiy. I didn't ever see such as this mod in my life. :bow:

Finally Pontus will have some decent infantry :) They look very nice devs.

Pontus was cool in vanilla thanks for their unique units and they`re deadly cool in EB as well, although I got to admit that I am an Armenia fan myself :sneaky:

Oh, and I see you haven`t got rid of those pyjamas from vanilla ~D

The 'pyjamas' are not necessarily inaccurate, yet their depiction in RTW -- how they were depicted, who wore them -- was simply incorrect.



~Wiz

No more pink pyjama men? yay!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by The Wizard

The 'pyjamas' are not necessarily inaccurate, yet their depiction in RTW -- how they were depicted, who wore them -- was simply incorrect.

---

Ok, I didn`t say they were inaccurate, just funny that they`re still there :bow:

Yeah. No pink or purple, I can assure you that. ~;)

Very impressive. I always liked them, now I can hardly wait to play as them.

Very good work ! Pontus will be very interesting to play with a mix of hellenic and oriental troops.

I for one was a huge fan of the Pontians in vanilla. Now they get a decent makeover. YAY ~D

Couple of things id just like to take the time to say here to EB. I only found out about this two months ago (Thanks to UK PC gamer magazine) and I have to say it has become one of my most watched mods ever. The dedication you guys are putting in is phenomenal. Well done. Oh and one last thing...

Hurry up and get it finished. ~;)

im leaving for guatemala the 15th this month

coming back the 25th

an open beta would be a wonderful coming home present :D :D :D

I say only when it's done. We've waited enough and we can wait for a while for the better EB experience. Long and sleepless nights awaits for us. ~;) Keep going mates...

BTW I also love the new watchtower. Much better fitting the theme... .

I noticed that Pontos didn't control Colchis (on the Crimean peninsula) on the minimap. Did Pontos' ownership fall out of EB timeframe?

In 272 Pontos didn't control much of anything, so you answered your question correctly. They don't even have Sinope for another century, so of course we won't be including it or Trapezous in their possessions to start the game.

They'll have to fight the Armenians for Colchis. I don't see them being able to grab it without a fight from the armenians either in any playtesting except in a few rare cases. They just can't move that way quick enough as it's right next door to Armenia and they are looking for somewhere to expand too.