Which faction are you most interested in historically?

[Teleklos Archelaou]

Just curious...

What faction are EB fans most interested in historically? Not just playing them as a faction, but which do you like reading about and learning new things about? Of course there are probably more than one, but if you had to pick, which of the currently released EB factions would it be (maybe which would you like to take a good course in)? (plus I'll throw in some others)

[Dooz]

Maybe not exactly the requirements for the answer your looking for, but I'd say Carthage. Mainly because I really know nothing of Carthage except... you know... Hannibal... and the Punic Wars.... I never figured out what culture they were, whose ancestors they are. I've heard different things like Hebrews and such. Were they a culture uniquely their own, now it's just gone? The stuff about their government being similar to the Roman republic is interesting. Such a powerful nation back in the day, can it be that they're completely gone, with nothing to show for it but some parts of history?

And the Carthage faction in EB looks stupendous, woo!

[hoom]

Carthage for me too.
I knew almost nothing about them before RTW but found them immediately fascinating & it continues because there is so little solid info.

[GoreBag]

The Mauryans made the list?

I was mostly interested in the Celts in general, so Gauls and Briton it is, but I find the Germans interesting as well.

[Teleklos Archelaou]

The Mauryans made the list?

I was mostly interested in the Celts in general, so Gauls and Briton it is, but I find the Germans interesting as well.

I know nothing about them - I just was trying to fill some spaces.

[Big_John]

i voted carthage.. but gauls too.. same same.

[cunctator]

From the Eb faction the romans, mainly because of the history of my home region.
Also the roman empire marks the end of antiquity and the transformation of the world with the rise of christianity and the medieval societies. Nearly all the classic cultures were at the end integrated or at least interacted with the roman world. More than any other culture the romans have the taste of perfection for me. I`ve once heard a nice sentences. "All the rivers of the old world end in the roman sea, thats the source of europe"

The Carthaginians come second. Mainly because of their seaborne activities, up to the azores and kanarian isles.

Baktria third. The devolopment of Greek colonist and their, planted somewhere in the hindukusch among completly different cultures, and seperated from the homelands mainstream.

But most fascinating for me are the early and bronze age cultures in the near east and the eastern mediterenean.

Unfortunatly I couldn`t read enough about most of them to satisfy me, but I plan to life long enough to do it.

[Ianofsmeg16]

Britons, i know so little about my home peoples, its inevitable i'm interested in them

[Dux Corvanus]

Maybe not exactly the requirements for the answer your looking for, but I'd say Carthage. Mainly because I really know nothing of Carthage except... you know... Hannibal... and the Punic Wars.... I never figured out what culture they were, whose ancestors they are. I've heard different things like Hebrews and such. Were they a culture uniquely their own, now it's just gone? The stuff about their government being similar to the Roman republic is interesting. Such a powerful nation back in the day, can it be that they're completely gone, with nothing to show for it but some parts of history?

And the Carthage faction in EB looks stupendous, woo!

Carthage belongs to Punic, Phoenician culture. It has its roots on the foundation, circa the beginning of the first millenium BC, of many Phoenician settlements in Western Mediterranean Sea, mainly by colonizers and merchants from Tyrus, following a fast recovery of the Phoenician cities in the Sirian coast, after the disasters of the Sea People invasions, some two centuries earlier.

Some of these settlements -such as Gader, in south Spain- had great success, profiting from African, Sicilian and Iberian resources, and the routes open to the tin commerce of the Atlantic cultures and the exploration of African western coast.

But the most successful of them all was Carthage (Kart-Hadast), founded by the Tyrian phoenicians around the 9th century BC. After the decadence of the Sirian-Lebanese ancient cities -due mainly to Assirian and Babylonian pressure and the later preminence of Achemenid Persians and Greeks (Alexander destroyed Tyrus in his quest)- Carthage remained as the main and more powerful Punic settlement in the known world, developing its own sincretic version of Punic culture and political entity, specially after the Greek naval defeat of Alalia, which gave Carthage a near monopoly in Western mediterranean commerce. It's aim for colonial expansion and its preponderant commercial role inevitably led Carthage to a direct clash with the other rising power in Western Mediterranean, Rome.

So, for your interest: Carthage was Phoenician. Culturally, had huge influences of every other culture they contacted. Punic is a known catch-all culture, and art and material culture was more related to the tastes of their commercial customers than to a spontaneous form of expression. In the Punic world, commerce was all.

[QwertyMIDX]

You forgot to put Saba on the list Dave. That's a faction I really want to play.

[Dooz]

Carthage belongs to Punic, Phoenician culture. It has its roots on the foundation, circa the beginning of the first millenium BC, of many Phoenician settlements in Western Mediterranean Sea, mainly by colonizers and merchants from Tyrus, following a fast recovery of the Phoenician cities in the Sirian coast, after the disasters of the Sea People invasions, some two centuries earlier.

Some of these settlements -such as Gader, in south Spain- had great success, profiting from African, Sicilian and Iberian resources, and the routes open to the tin commerce of the Atlantic cultures and the exploration of African western coast.

But the most successful of them all was Carthage (Kart-Hadast), founded by the Tyrian phoenicians around the 9th century BC. After the decadence of the Sirian-Lebanese ancient cities -due mainly to Assirian and Babylonian pressure and the later preminence of Achemenid Persians and Greeks (Alexander destroyed Tyrus in his quest)- Carthage remained as the main and more powerful Punic settlement in the known world, developing its own sincretic version of Punic culture and political entity, specially after the Greek naval defeat of Alalia, which gave Carthage a near monopoly in Western mediterranean commerce. It's aim for colonial expansion and its preponderant commercial role inevitably led Carthage to a direct clash with the other rising power in Western Mediterranean, Rome.

So, for your interest: Carthage was Phoenician. Culturally, had huge influences of every other culture they contacted. Punic is a known catch-all culture, and art and material culture was more related to the tastes of their commercial customers than to a spontaneous form of expression. In the Punic world, commerce was all.

Very interesting, thanks. So it came down to the wire between Carthage being the dominant empire or Rome, and Rome won huh? World could have been a very different place had Carthage expanded I suppose.

[Zero1]

The Germanic tribes, myself.

[Revolting Friendship]

Parthians is number one, second Sarmatia, I love eastern horse-cultures, their style of fighting, the way their equipment looks etc.

I do like greek military tradition too thought, hoplites with curiously painted hoplons marching into battle in tight formations is another sight I relish, and it would have been awesome trying to hold against the roman onslaught and change history with a greek faction, too bad the AI's got nothing on me and never will. *sigh*

Yeah, my preference revolves largely around the visuals.

As a paranthesis, a classical hellenistic mod for RTW would be great. Does anyone know about this happening somewhere?

[Stormy]

I like all the factions to tell you the truth, and I already played with them all.
But! there is an unknown faction that I really like.

[Zero1]

Whats this now about an unknown faction?

[Wishazu]

I voted for Greece, primarily due to the Spartans, i find them fascinating. Carthage would be a close second, not because im interested in their culture at all but because i think Hannibal was the greatest General in History and love reading about his campaigns in Italy.

[Steppe Merc]

Parthia and Sarmatians. Parthians win out by a smidge.

[Reverend Joe]

I am going to have to go with Carthage- I like Baktria, but Carthage has always been my favorite.

But why is there no "Gah"? Or is it assumed that such an option is unneccesary, given the nature of this forum?

[Teleklos Archelaou]

You forgot to put Saba on the list Dave. That's a faction I really want to play.

A-hah. But I specifically said it doesn't matter which one you want to play as, only which one you were most interested in (in respect to history, culture, archaeology, etc).

[Mr Jones]

You forgot to put Saba on the list Dave. That's a faction I really want to play.

nice try but i don't think anyone will fall for that ;)

[AntiochusIII]

Seleucids. I never really figured out how the world passed from Rome to Alexander, and who exactly was between Alexander and the "Persians" (i.e. Parthians) when I was ignorant but fascinated by history. The other factions are much easier to learn about (lots more resources) and therefore my fascination is now much less. Even now I couldn't really figure out how exactly did those Seleucid monarches rule their lands; and what kind of "land" were they ruling.

[QwertyMIDX]

nice try but i don't think anyone will fall for that ;)

Ha, I actually do, I'm becoming obsessed.

[jurchen fury]

Since there's no "Other factions" option, I chose the Scythians. Scythian/Saka culture extended as far east as the Altai on the western boundary of modern-day Mongolia, as evidenced by the Saka/Scythian type kurgans found in the Pazyryk.

[Divinus Arma]

Well...

I first looked for "Casse" but seeing it absent, the Britons. The British are the fathers of America. So, Naturally...

And unfortunatley, I have just finished my last 12oz of Newcastle Brown Ale.

Thats 6 of those and 2 shoits of bacardi in 2 hours. I will attempt to keep my wits about me.

[Mouzafphaerre]

.
All!
.

[Birka Viking]

Lol

[Moros]

Well I'm really interested in all factions except for Rome because I know "a lot" about them already while I don't know much about other cultures. But if I really have to choose I think Celts and Carthage.

[jerby]

Alexander still pulls it of for me. so i guess macedon.
otherwise the greek and/or Seleucids and Baktrians.

[Bar Kochba]

should have ancient isreal on the list

[Geoffrey S]

Riiight...
Aedui for me; it's a fascinating culture, and it'll be great to see what I can do with it to improve how they fared in reality.