If you could swap an existing faction for one of the Eleutheroi factions...

[I_damian]

Which would it be? I was just looking around the map at all the "rebel" cities and I understand that it is that way because of engine limitations and that each "rebel" city represents a whole culture (albeit with almost identical units to one of the real factions, again due to engine limitations or because they genuinly were more-or-less identical).

Anyway, for me I'd probably bring the city of Massalia(sp?) to life as a real faction. There's something that I find really fascinating about that particular Greek colony, its perfect location as a faction with the potential to be a really strong sea trading power, land trade with "barbarians" and its dual Greek/Celtic culture. If EB is about starting you off with as much accuracy as possible and then letting you change history from that point then, although the city of Massalia didn't really "do much" in history, it's easy to imagine it at least being capable of carving out a small empire along the southern coast of Gaul and north-eastern coast of Iberia where there is already some Greek culture. For that I'd swap the Casse faction as I hate them and their horrible Generals' chariots. chariots.

What Eleutheroi city/state/faction would you bring to life and which existing faction would you swap for it?

[Brennus]

Bit of a no brainer from me but I would bring in the Bellovaci at the expense of the Saba.

[Arjos]

Force CA to remove these silly engine limits :P

All in all, I like it as it is. The choices cover most of the map, with diverse cultures...
EBII is actually adding the few I wanted, plus the Taksashila surprise ^^
If the others end up being the rest I've imagined, that would be perfect!

Meroe is the one I'm afraid can't be possible, closest I've come to it, was a Saba migration campaign, recruiting only ethiopian and nubian units...
Basically with migrations, you can experience some of those missing factions for the moment :)

[Titus Marcellus Scato]

From a game balance point of view, it would have been better to have the Iberians instead of the Casse (to balance the Lusotanns in Spain, so Spain would become like Gaul with two tribal factions constantly at war). This would be more historical than Lusotann domination.

The British tribes historically did nothing but uselessly fight each other, with no strategic result, until the Romans arrived, and in EB the Casse do the same in most games, so I wouldn't miss them.

Also, I'd rather have Numidia-Libya than Saba, to give Carthage an enemy to fight in Africa.

That's my greatest regret about EB 1.

[Brennus]

The British tribes historically did nothing but uselessly fight each other, with no strategic result, until the Romans arrived, and in EB the Casse do the same in most games, so I wouldn't miss them.

Under the rule of Cunobelinos the Catuvellauni established a hegemony over southern Britain that was large enough to cause the Romans to call Cunobelinos the "King of Britain".

[The Celtic Viking]

Saba would definitely be the one to go and I think I would replace them with the Boii. I have a strange liking of the Sequani too, even though they would deserve it less. I think it's their name that does it for me. Mmm... Sequani... I could have me some of that alright.

[Titus Marcellus Scato]

Under the rule of Cunobelinos the Catuvellauni established a hegemony over southern Britain that was large enough to cause the Romans to call Cunobelinos the "King of Britain".

Yes, but he ruled from 9 AD to 35 AD, basically outside the EB time period. I'm talking about Britain in the BCE period. The Britons, even in southeastern Britain, had never been united until Ceasar invaded Britain. So obviously only the shock of a foreign invader on their soil caused the British tribes to even consider working together.

[I_damian]

That attitude persists among us still.

[moriluk]

Pergamon using Eperios. I believe Pergamon got stronger in the EB time frame while Epeiros got weaker after 272bc.

Or a second Iberian and/or German faction: for 2 it would probably have to be Epeiros and... Saba? I would not like to see Casse go. They are too useful.

[Basileus_ton_Basileon]

That attitude persists among us still.

aye, quis que est barbarus alio....

[Ca Putt]

Or a second Iberian and/or German faction: for 2 it would probably have to be Epeiros and... Saba? I would not like to see Casse go. They are too useful.

I think I would like a second iberian faction just to keep one of the most expansive under the wing, while I'd like to add Chatti just because I live there :D.

Saba and Casse would also be my replaced fations. Neither do much to the campaign map, there both fun to play but as an AI faction Casse are just something that messes up the statistics and Saba just a cheap way to lvl up your Horsearchers as Pahalava :D
Epeiros actually cause quite some turmoil eventho they seldom succed. They bring some flavor to one of the most interesting areas of the map.

[moriluk]

I think I would like a second iberian faction just to keep one of the most expansive under the wing, while I'd like to add Chatti just because I live there :D.

Saba and Casse would also be my replaced fations. Neither do much to the campaign map, there both fun to play but as an AI faction Casse are just something that messes up the statistics and Saba just a cheap way to lvl up your Horsearchers as Pahalava :D
Epeiros actually cause quite some turmoil eventho they seldom succed. They bring some flavor to one of the most interesting areas of the map.

That actually makes sense. I use Casse as a sort of extra faction. Sometimes I will give them random things here and there to make the game feel like it has more factions; like Singidinum, Galatia, Belgae, and if Averni or Aedui die they can help keep Gaul split up, they can also provide a buffer zone between Germania and Gaul. But I suppose it would be more useful to break up Germania or Spain rather than have an 'extra' faction to use.

I am not quite sure what you mean by "Saba just a cheap way to lvl up your Horsearchers as Pahlava". But if one were to do this I would want the rebel factions in their former place (Briton and Arabia) to be well defended and difficult to take, like eastern Germany, Eborunum, India, etc. I would not know how to do this. The only thing I have ever done is move Luso to Ireland. Kinda lame but tons of fun for fantasy especially if you unlock the tanks.

[Ca Putt]

Saba seldom manage to get past Selucids and Ptolemies, thus other factions practically never encounter them and Ptolies and AS mostly consider them a nuisance rather than a competitor. They do pump out fullstacks and invade the north, however with only little success. I decided to send all my young FMs with two Nobles into the area to get some experience. It's not like I'm expanding, I just let the young ones defend that end, so I can leave Mesopotamia ungarrisoned.

[I_damian]

Pergamon using Eperios. I believe Pergamon got stronger in the EB time frame while Epeiros got weaker after 272bc.

Or a second Iberian and/or German faction: for 2 it would probably have to be Epeiros and... Saba? I would not like to see Casse go. They are too useful.

Pergamon/mum did get fairly powerful. Powerful enough to defeat the Seleukid Empire, anyway. Not bad for such a small state. It's even represented somewhat in EB. Pergamon has a pretty big garrison and also a fairly sizeable army that wanders around western Asia Minor. Both of them contain mercenary Pezhetairoi which are a pain in the backside to fight at the beginning.

[Brennus]

Yes, but he ruled from 9 AD to 35 AD, basically outside the EB time period. I'm talking about Britain in the BCE period. The Britons, even in southeastern Britain, had never been united until Ceasar invaded Britain. So obviously only the shock of a foreign invader on their soil caused the British tribes to even consider working together.

Good point, I rescind my argument.