What will be the faction of your first 0.8 campaign?

After my long campaign with Epeiros, all the way to 130-something BC, I'm currently playing a game with Ptolemaioi and I plan to stick with it untill v0.8 comes out, then I'll start a Romani campaign.

What about you? Since you'll have to re-start your campaigns, which faction will you pick first? I've been trying some quick short games with plenty of different factions and I must say it was a tough choice. So much gameplay, so much content, so many units! Ptolemaioi is great, by the way. :2thumbsup:

EDIT: Here's the score I figured out by reading your posts, feel free to recount it. I forgot to add a poll to this thread so let's just pretend this is a really primitive forum without a poll option and we have to do things this way :sweatdrop: :

Saka-Rauka - 21
Romani - 16
Sauromatae - 12
Pahlava - 12
Koinon-Hellenon - 11
Sweboz - 10
Hayasdan - 10
Iberians - 10
Baktria - 9
Casse - 9
Seleucids - 8
Carthage - 6
Makedonia - 4
Getai - 4
Aedui - 4
Faction X - 4
Pontos - 3
Arverni - 3
Epeiros - 3
Ptolemaioi - 2
Eleutheroi - 0

i'm interested in a sweboz campaign at some point, but i want to make sure they're in good shape first. the sakarauka look like fun, or i may run it back with the baktrians or kh.

cough Romans.

romans

The nomads will be so revamped that we hope folks give them a try. They were boring in all other versions of RTW and in our previous builds because while the game represented moderately well hellenic and roman towns/ways of life, it stank when it came to nomads. We have greatly changed things up.

Granted, when you see the new unit rosters, you might be swayed by who has the most new units too of course. :grin: The Romans will have some new auxilia, but overall the experience with them won't be remarkably different I think. Other than fighting a bunch of different new units too.

Greek cultures,Carthage,Barb Factions, Nomads are interesting. but im more of an inf. guy in RTW. (and EB)

You know you will all want it to be Hayasdan, you're just saying all those other factions just to hide your affection for them. They are going to kick-arse in 0.8, I can assure you.

Oh, and Hayasdan is my answer also. I'm not afraid to admit it.

Foot

pontus, so I can beat Haysdan like it stole something :laugh4:

Seriously, pontus, or maybe sarmatia

Macedonia, without the CTD from reinforcement bug
Epeiros
Sweboz
either Hayasdan or Sakarauka

Casse or Hayasdan. :2thumbsup:

Romani, with the all the new units and 3 dynamic reforms they will be playable as intended for the first time.

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Originally Posted by cunctator

3 dynamic reforms they will be playable as intended for the first time.

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gasps i dare say? Augustan Reforms?

Saka-Rauka, 'cos of the novelty factor (and yurts... Yurts Damnitt!) . And then carthage, even though i heard not much has been added to them. Looking forward to the completed unit cards though, elephants especially.

I have only ever started 2 campaigns in.74 and I'm keeping it that way until .8 is out. I'm currently Casse and KH.

My first pick for .8 will probably be Baktria, carthage or a nomad faction. I really like the western european factions though, Even though I know they were given less attention then some other factions I really hope we see some good changes for Casse, iberia and Sweboz.:rtwyes:

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Originally Posted by The Spartan

gasps i dare say? Augustan Reforms?

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Exactly. Polybian, Marian and Augustan reforms.

Seriously, foot is right guys. Hayasdan will be a whole lot cooler in this one. The eastern music, eastern GUI, new better infantry (though not all of them), new light troops, I think some new cav too, building names corrected (with english translations beneath them), new huge building descriptions, Hai ethnicities, maybe some other tweaks if he can get time. They will be a lot more interesting and I while I understand people might not have been so interested before, they will really need to give them a try in 0.8.

Love that line Clovis! :grin:

Definitely Romans, then. I still remember the Roman preview and those amazing Imperial units. Drool.

Has it been decided what the trigger will be for the Augustan reforms? Is it just time? That would be a long wait. Someone mentioned getting them when Rome reaches a certain size or something - I'd prefer something like that from a gameplay point of view. Even if I am patient enough to wait to 1 AD or something, it would be a waste to get the reforms and only have rebels to fight.

TA - thanks, I try :2thumbsup:

And a question - is Pontus improved like Hasydan, or will I have to suffer more?

The Saka, Getai *now with more inf and heavy cav!*, the new faction, Carthage, Bactria, KH, AS, Pontus, Armenia, Sarmatians, Iberians

Casse. Again. Because, even though my current campaign is extremely entertaining, chariots that don't blow goat balls will make it even better.

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Originally Posted by econ21

Has it been decied what the trigger will be for the Augustan reforms? Is it just time? That would be a long wait. Someone mentioned getting them when Rome reaches a certain size or something - I'd prefer something like that from a gameplay point of view. Even if I am patient enough to wait to 1 AD or something, it would be a waste to get the reforms and only have rebels to fight.

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A combination of time, empire size and several minor things. Reform can approximatly happen as soon as the roman state in game is in a similar condition as the historic roman empire when their army changed. We still have a minimum year as requirement since the new units also represent some technical progress and social changes that can't happen overnight but the player can still vastly accelerate things. Currently the minimum year for augustan reforms is around 147 BC, after 540 turns.

I'm gonna put all the most done factions in .8 into a hat shake it then pull one out then play that faction, I pray to Zues that I dont get a faction with blasted horse archers

probably macedon and conquer everywhere this time (got bored last time, *runs away before TA smites me* :sweatdrop: )

then probably a steppe faction just to check them out

Sweboz of course. Is there a faction more fun to play? Okay, I've only played as them, but damn... they are fun, and I long to play them in a (more) completed version. Then I'll try the Nomads just because TA urges me to do so, but I really do prefer to play as a "barbarian". Perhaps that will change.

I`ve never palyed as romani on EB, mainly because of the switched culture groups, portraits, greek commands, etc.

Romans never have been my favorite (those would be the Koinon Hellenon, just love their skins and their mysticism), but I`ve been waiting far too long to play a accurate roman campaign.

I love their skins and all their history too, but having played with them before, with all the missing banners and stuff, would just have spoiled that campaign.

Cheers.

None of them. Loading times between turns are way too long, over 2 minutes whit my AMD 3000+. ~:mecry:

A nomad faction.

I already played Epeiros to death in previous builds, so now I'm going to try something different. Probably Karthadast or Pontus, possibly Hayasdan. Gotta give the Romans a try to- I've never played them before in any EB build :idea2:

Sweboz. Gonna be my first ever barbarian experience, taking Germania without having to bother with the annoying navy like the Casse.

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Originally Posted by Foot

You know you will all want it to be Hayasdan, you're just saying all those other factions just to hide your affection for them. They are going to kick-arse in 0.8, I can assure you.

Oh, and Hayasdan is my answer also. I'm not afraid to admit it.

Foot

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you are soooo damn right!!!~:cheers:
HAYASDAN all the way!!!:jumping:

born to love you... Born to love you everyyyyyyyyyyyyy single dayyyyyyyyy of my lifeeeeeeee...

Romani. typlish

Baktria. I wanted to play them in .74 but I got a CTD every time.

Hayasdan and Iberia were pretty short on units last build - worse than Pontus, I would argue. If they get a good roster this time around, I would definately play with one of them.

Well, since my first Europa Barbarorum game will be one to be detailed on the Something Awful forums, I'm afraid the answer is 'whatever gets the most votes that isn't Rome'.

Casse, Sweboz, and Saka freakin' Rauka.

Romani
Casse
Saka/Pahlava
Makedonians

I expect...

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...kid_Banner.jpg
Arche Seleukeia!
:egypt: = :skull:

Sarmatae
SPQR
Seleukeia

and pretty much every other faction in a random order :laugh4:

Aedui, Pahlava, and then the Koinon Hellenon.

I can't decide between the Romani, Selukids, or Saka-Rauka. I love the Romans passionately, but I don't much care for their Camillan skins. I also want to play a hellenic faction, and the Selukids have the best of the Greeks while allowing for a huge range of combat options and foes. And the Saka-Rauka have the new units, new steppe system, and I've never played a steppe faction before. decisions, decisions :juggle2:

First I´ll try out the new factions then I really must give the nomads a go, it´s like a prelude to BI and Sweboz will hopefully be better than in earlier builds so I´ll defenitely carve out an über-Germania.

the greek offcourse, i love the greek, even better: i want to be a greek!! :2thumbsup:

My first game will be as the Romans. I plan on doing a Historically accurate campaign (With correct army structure and conquests) or as close to it as possible. Having tested it out in 0.7.4 I can say that the first few turns are going to be very hard as I have almost no troops in the South.

Right now I'm thinking Kart-Hadast. Aren't they supposed to get a new units reform in 0.8? Anyway, it'll be more interesting to fight against the Iberians and the Romans after the improvements to those two factions.

Then there's also Hayasdan, and the nomadic factions. Sure have to play either Sauromatae or the Sakas at some point just to try out that government system. Might give another try to Casse (totally got my ass kicked when I tried them in the first beta) and perhaps that other new faction yet to be reviewed... although I hear they won't be anywhere near finished in 0.8 so maybe I'll have to leave them for another EB update. Not that it'll be a problem with all these other great factions to play!

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Originally Posted by Descent

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...kid_Banner.jpg
Arche Seleukeia!
:egypt: = :skull:

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Qft :2thumbsup:

Baktrians!

I love my Baktrian armies and with their new campaign situation, new nomadic factions, nomadic and eastern factions even more developed, their new unit roster, omg! It should be great. I smell a couple of late nights coming up. :sweatdrop:

Greek Cities!!!!

I remeber reading than in .8 they will have the same size pikes as the Makedonians and Spartan Hoplites will be aroudn. Time to :boxing:

Their pikes will be the same NS. We've talked about a possible reform later, but that's not anywhere near decided or ready.

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Originally Posted by Teleklos Archelaou

Their pikes will be the same NS. We've talked about a possible reform later, but that's not anywhere near decided or ready.

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:fainting: Oh for real??????????????????????

....But why???? Didn't the Greeks figure out that a Makedonian phalanx was more effective than their own Hoplite Phalanx by that time? Or did they still fight the same OLD way. :help:

Some did, some didn't. Some developed a new way. There are basically three different sets (the old overhand way with shorter spears, the Macedonian way, and with medium sized spears and thureos) and we may eventually have all three options for the player (though, *if* the phalanx unit does make it to KH after a reform, it will be limited to maybe one unit - we don't have enough unit space for more).

I see...

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Originally Posted by Teleklos Archelaou

Some did, some didn't. Some developed a new way. There are basically three different sets (the old overhand way with shorter spears, the Macedonian way, and with medium sized spears and thureos) ......

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Ok for the sake of knowledge:
I never heard of the medium spears and thureos. Where did it/they come from? Where those used like the Makedonian sarissa or not? :book:

Just read the unit descriptions in game for those units.

Gonna start a new Sweboz campaign at some point, but first I'll have go with the Saka. The preview made my jaw drop.

@NeoSpartan:

I think Teleklos Archelaou is talking about the Iphrikates and Thorakitai hoplitai. Based on the description, it sounds like the Korinthian hoplitai are supposed to be closer to the "classic" hoplites.

Off topic, but was the dominance of the Macedonian phalanx over the classic phalanx a foregone conclusion? The Battle of Chaeronea (338 BC) seems to suggest it was a bloody slugfest before the battle was decided by a clever tactic... (Or am I opening a can of worms that's since been settled?)

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Originally Posted by Laundreu

Well, since my first Europa Barbarorum game will be one to be detailed on the Something Awful forums, I'm afraid the answer is 'whatever gets the most votes that isn't Rome'.

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Laundreu, are you still interested in writing descriptions? We are including your three Mak core building descriptions (props to Laundreu folks!) and I'm wondering if you'd like the other two (which have slipped by us) or any others?

What about your SA post? Will it be a sort of AAR? Sounds great!

If I wanted to write descriptions, what would it entail, TK? How much information is given to me before I start writing?

I think Laundreu just took the initiative to send us a few, and they were quite well done. Any new description writers we take on should also have some other skills too though, as the descriptions are just about all done (anyone interested in doing serious descriptions for the sweboz though could probably find a way into the mod - talk to TK about that - they are the one big gap we have left). We don't provide the data to our description writers - they are expected to be able to find the information on their own and be knowledgable enough in their respective area to produce good text. We read them and judge them then and can tell if they know what they are talking about generally. We have very little in the way of people writing for greatly varied factions though - if you are a hellenic researcher, we don't want you talking out your tail about the Iberians or something (for example). :grin:

Saka Rauka, Bactria & ...well I think that´ll be enough 4 the first few weeks...man I think I am more excited ´bout 0.8. than MTWII...

Anything with decent phalanxs and a few odd extra units. So I guess it will be sauka raka for the heavy cavlry and heavy phalanxs mixed with eastern units. If the selecuds are heavily scripted so that the split happens in a nice way and stuff like that i think they would be very fun to play for a challenge. 3rd would be baktria

Saka Rauka or Sweboz.

Wow, the Saka-Rauka are getting enormous acceptation...

^

Shouldn't be surprising given the kickass preview they got, with all those sweet units.

l33t phalanx units and lots of varied and good cavlry what else would you expect. As well as a gameplay style that looks to be different.

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Originally Posted by Teleklos Archelaou

Laundreu, are you still interested in writing descriptions? We are including your three Mak core building descriptions (props to Laundreu folks!) and I'm wondering if you'd like the other two (which have slipped by us) or any others?

What about your SA post? Will it be a sort of AAR? Sounds great!

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Sure! I'm all in favor of helpin' out.

As for the SA bit - yeah, an AAR, running on a multigenerational model, in that I play until my first King/Emperor/Chieftan/Big Man kicks ye olde bucket, whereupon the next player continues with the heir.

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Originally Posted by k_raso

Wow, the Saka-Rauka are getting enormous acceptation...

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Well look how sweet these guys are...
https://www.europabarbarorum.com/p/3D/saka-cats.jpg
How can you say no to that?

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Originally Posted by Fondor_Yards

Well look how sweet these guys are...
https://www.europabarbarorum.com/p/3D/saka-cats.jpg
How can you say no to that?

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Ummmmm... :idea2:




No.


JK. well at least not first, I have other fish to fry.

Koinon Hellenon or Iberia.

well im a bit curious about romans, but i dont think i will play them, but yes i will enjoy a tryout to see the new interface, im also curious about Iberians, to see if they are more complete with 0.8. But as a proud western European, i will try for first the Eastern factions (I love them), Saka, Pahlava, Bactria, also im very curious to see if the Sauromate will be completed and if the bactrian general bodyguards will have custom skins.

PS im sure i will have a cry when i will see my beloved pahlava thanvabara changed in the skins... and i also hope the sweet daha skirmisher cavalry won't be changed... im becoming to have a so deep relation with pahlava that i want to attend a HA course, but i have not the money to buy an horse. Another tear because i know they will change the pahlava bodyguard skins... no just joking i will be very happy for every improvement

PPS is there somewhere a 0.8 Faction List? @Wardo it should be nice if this was a pool, you could edit your firt post...

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PPS is there somewhere a 0.8 Faction List? @Wardo it should be nice if this was a pool, you could edit your firt post...

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Don't know, but as I'm bored, I've made one for you. Faction X is one they haven't released to the public view yet.

Aedui
Arverni
Baktria
Carthage
Casse
Eleutheroi
Epeiros
Faction X
Getai
Hayasdan
Iberians
Koinon-Hellenon
Makedonia
Pahlava
Pontos
Ptolemaioi
Romani
Saka-Rauka
Sauromatae
Seleucids
Sweboz

See, I did it in alphabetical order too. :sweatdrop: Am I not nice?

I'm pretty sure R comes before S. ;)

just too nice! thanks, anyway I guess the "faction X" shoul be the arabic faction in the actual Yemen? I was forgetting this, and it could be for sure one of the first faction I will try...

My favorite faction, the Romans. I love Rome. Can't get over it. Not just in the game, but Rome for real. Historically, they fascinate me.

Next favorite are the Selukids, but they start too big for me; too much management too soon. I forget about places.

Having said that, I'll probably go with the Greeks or Getai.

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Originally Posted by Obelics

@Wardo it should be nice if this was a pool, you could edit your firt post...

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I knew I should've done a poll! :wall: -> ~:mecry: -> :wall: ->:shrug: -> :wall: ->:dizzy2: -> :wall:->:stars: -> :wall: ->:skull:

I tried to edit the first post to add a poll but it seems it can't be done. Well, to make up for this, I decided to count all the posts manually, just for you:sunny:, here's the ranking using Acy Topia's list:

EDIT: Information outdated. Check the first post for the most accurate list.

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Originally Posted by sdragon

I'm pretty sure R comes before S. ;)

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Argh, I just knew I would make an error! Too tired to think clearly I guess, and that will be my excuse. :shame:

I will try Romani and Pahlava(Ashkanians) at first.Because these two were the only factions remained at last ,And made themselves the only civilized empirescivilized empires at the time.

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Originally Posted by Obelics

just too nice! thanks, anyway I guess the "faction X" shoul be the arabic faction in the actual Yemen? I was forgetting this, and it could be for sure one of the first faction I will try...

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Thanks Obelics ,If so ,"Yemen" will be the next one ,Because I like to make Little factions with just one province a ruling powers of the world.~:cool: I did it with "Polish" and "Dans" in MTW ,Its So exciting.

-Kambiz

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Originally Posted by kambiz

I will try Romani and Pahlava(Ashkanians) at first.Because these two were the only factions remained at last ,And made themselves the only civilized empirescivilized empires at the time.


Thanks Obelics ,If so ,"Yemen" will be the next one ,Because I like to make Little factions with just one province a ruling powers of the world.~:cool: I did it with "Polish" and "Dans" in MTW ,Its So exciting.

-Kambiz

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Speaking of which what i read from a few historical sources like wikipedia and books. The arsacids were basicly the parthians and they got overthrown by the sassanids so therefore the parthian/sassanid empire lasted longer then the western roman empire but not the eastern one is that right or am i getting my sources wrong? Also wasnt there at least one chinese empire of some kind at that time surely they are civilised?

nice work Wardo, so Saka, will be as expected on e of the first faction played, Roma following for second (it is the first time i see Roma in the second place in a RTW faction kind of poll, praise to EB!)

@kambiz
according to a clue posted somewhere in the gameguide discussion threads by TA, it could be named Saba(?), but it will be very incomplete in the 0.8... so we have to wait for some further patch to play this new mysterious faction at its full potential...

anyway here's the map posted by TA the cunning guy ~D
https://img101.imageshack.us/img101/...e6cfbw3.th.gif

@Darkarbiter
yes Roma and Parthia become the 2 superpowers in the ancient western world, and they lasted very long, but regarding Parthian/Sassanid, even if conquered by arabs, we can speek of a 2 way conquest, the arabs imposed their religion (who fitted very well on the previous zoroastrian strate), while the Parthian/Sassanid/Persian culture influenced so much the conquerers that the Califfate of Bagdad was a sort of unique mixture of Persian and Arabic elements.
So i see a sort of continuity from the ancient Akemenid period to the actual Iran, passing for the parthian/sassanid period. Also remember that the parthian General who defeated Crassus at Carrae (sorry but I dont remember the name now in the early morning), is still seen as a Persian/Iranian Hero in the modern muslim Iran.

PS regarding china (simplifing a lot), they also had their sort of "middle-age" (invasion etc) but at the end they were always recomposed in an unitarian empire till the XX Century, so China is pheraphs the more lasting empire ever...

I've never given a clue to the name of the last faction.

Christ, you people are no fun whatsoever. Take a freaking break from ruining things every once in a while, will you?

Ehi sorry man, i just interpreted that image posted by you in the gameguide thread as a sort of clue, you give us to know the new faction (there is the simbol of the X faction on the sud west arabia)...

sorry again if you didn't found it nice... i was just joking

I'll definately play the Casse first to see how the chariots work as well as test out that little "Desert tower bug" (as I like to call it).:gah2:

Aedui would be my second choice, it'll depend on my mood when the version comes out.