Hello Leith....

I like what you done with the Boyars, cool stuff... Anyway, some remarks and thoughts regarding unit/troop-names in general for you (including Slavic ones)....

The way I see it, you are at a crossroads of design-doctrines. You either take the "XL-path" or the "Redux-path". Many of the major mods have chosen the "XL-path", so far, and from the way it sounds, it seems you are bent on following the XL-path as well.... Now, to me, the "XL-approach" basically means that you actively seek to rely on a bunch of potentially "historically accurate" names that lazy guys such as myself will just get scared of and don't even dare try to spell - let alone to successfully understand what the hell it means or what it actually signifies both in reality and within the game.

The term "Kataphraktoi" is a good example on what I mean. I know what it means, that is not the point, the point is that it is screwed up and weird term for many people, and thus it is unrealistic to expect or assume that people do know what it means. Or for that matter that people even want to know such obscure stuff. Using names/terms like that essentially demands time and effort from the player to actively figure out what things means and what unit X is good for - when they should be focusing on playing the game instead. At least one is forced to read the unit-descriptions to hopefully get a clue. I have in the past jokingly described it as "spending more time searching specialized dictionaries, then playing the actual game - just to get some sort of understanding of all the names in the first place, so you can play the darn game without all those annoying question-marks swimming around in your head"... It's a joke on historically ambitious games like XL, of course, but for guys like me, it does have some truth to it all the same.

Then you have the "Redux-path", which to me, is about using plain and simple names that is in effect self-explanatory to everybody. Thus gives the player an instant understanding what the troop is essentially used for and what the hell it is about. This means no weird and strange names, the terms are unproblematic and we can get rid of all dictionaries for a change and focus directly on playing the darn game - as supposed too... Of course, the downsides are that many people regard it as too "generic" and "dull" - and it has no "historical accuracy" or such association what so ever. It's plain and sheer fiction only created to serve as a label of distinction and orientation. Personally, I am fine with all that, as I simply don't care about that stuff - and that may possibly be very TW-unorthodox of me, but there it is....

Now, we all know which design-path/doctrine I chose for my work, but we are discussing your project and thus it is your choice on it that matter here. All I am saying is that - if you have not done so already - take some time to consider the all the aspects of whatever doctrine you decide to apply here, as it will somehow influence the final result and how that is experienced. If it still is to be the "XL-doctrine" and all what that brings - excellent, fine and ok. If not, yay for that....

Anyway, all the best on this venture regardless.

- A