It took two rounds, but three factions have made it to the front of the pack. This will be the final poll (barring further discussion after the test game is done and rules finalized). This one is not multiple choice, so pick the faction you'd most like to see in the new KOTR game. It will close in 48 hours.

Our three final factions:

France: The paragon of feudalism, France is a strong contender. It was decentralized enough to fit the rather fluid rules Tincow has worked so hard on to mirror the feudal system, and to make the challenging of the King by nobles realistic. The country starts off fairly large with a lot of territory to conquer, making the formation of Houses easier. France is also well situated for conflict with multiple European factions, ensuring that players based in no region of the country can rest on their laurels without having to worry about attack. The pope is also likely to play a strong role in a French campaign, as it did in the HRE one, providing many interesting avenues for roleplay.

There have also been some valid criticisms of France, however. France is quite close to the HRE, the faction played in KOTR, and a French game might cover much of the same ground as far as conquest, with the same familiar enemies. France also has the faction roster closest to the HRE, with many of its low to mid tier units possibly overfamiliar to anyone who has played a western European faction. Lastly, with some of the best mounted knights in the game, dismounted knights, horsearchers, and both a unique longbow and crossbow unit, France's late era roster might be overpowered, a possible detraction from the fun of vs. AI battles.

The Templars: A faction unique to SS, the Templars would offer a large change from the faction of the last game. They offer the familiarity of European style armies (although with their own unique units) in a setting pitting them against the horsearcher heavy factions of the east. They're in direct line for the Mongols and Timurids, keeping the mid-late game challenging. As a crusader faction, the pope will be an easy source of the kind of missions that Tincow hopes will add to the fun of the new game. They have a fascinating histroy that can only add to the game.

The Templars were not without their detractors in the last poll, however. Some found their unit roster dull, with lots of knights and feudal units. They start the smallest of the factions, and it will take quite some time to expand to accomodate the many generals we are likely to have. This would be a strong obstacle to rank climbing for everyone in the early game.

The ERE Our last faction is also the one that garnered the most votes in the last two polls. Although not the first faction that comes to mind when one hears the word "feudalism", they are a surprisingly good fit. The Eastern Roman Empire began to feudalize in this period much of the power and money in the Empire resided in the local Lords instead of the Emperor. Of the three factions, they are the one most associated in the period with the kind of Civil Wars and intrigue the rules encourage. They are large and contain multiple avenues of expansion allowing them to go up against eastern or western foes. They are also set up to fight the Mongols and Timurids, making for an interesting mid to late game. They have a unit roster far different to the other two factions, with a more eastern feel. They also have a very nice reskin in the mod we're playing, with a few added units.

However, some concerns were raised about the roster. Ramses noted that they get Vardaratoi, one of their most useful units, early on in the game, hurting the feeling of the player armies evolving as the game goes on, and possibly making the early game too easy. However, ATPG, blitzer extraordinaire, argued otherwise, that the lack of crusades (and risk of facing them and jihads) might them harder than France. The lack of a pope figure to play a strong role in roleplaying through crusades and tensions over excommunication was also cited as a minus for the Romans. Lastly, the title name would have to change to fit the Roman system.

Anyway, that was my attempt to list the pluses and minuses for each faction from the last two poll threads. Obviously, anyone is welcome to add their own perspective, correct the one laid forth in the post, etc.

Thanks to everyone who votes!