The Factions

[ShadesWolf]

IGNPC: What civilizations will be represented? What are some of the defining abilities and units of some of your favorite civilizations? Any cool historical battles to take advantage of these civilizations?

Bob Smith:There will be 21 playable factions for custom battle and multiplayer. England, France, Scotland, Holy Roman Empire, Denmark, Spain, Portugal, Milan, Venice, Papal States, Sicily, Poland, Russia, Hungary, Byzantium, The Turks, Egypt, The Moors, The Mongols, The Tumurids, The Aztecs.

We've included several factions that weren't included in the original Medieval; examples being Scotland, Venice and Portugal.

The final lineup of playable factions is still to be decided, however there will be a rich variety of factions to play, each with their own unique units and abilities that add a great deal of variation to the grand campaign experience.

As an example, Scotland start with the English breathing down their necks, so they will have to keep their heads down, bide their time, and seek allies. Scotland's army will be a mixed bag of solid lowland spearmen and fierce but unreliable highlanders. They'll have to work hard diplomatically at the start to avoid being overrun by the English, but if they can become the dominant power in Britain, they have a base to expand and seek wider domination.

We haven't finalized the lineup of historical battles at this point but rest assured they will be exceptionally cool.

- From IGN article

[ShadesWolf]

CATHOLIC

England,
France,
Scotland,
Holy Roman Empire,
Denmark,
Spain,
Portugal,
Milan,
Venice,
Papal States,
Sicily
Poland
Hungary

MUSLIM

The Turks,
Egypt,
The Moors

ORTHADOX

Byzantium,
Russia,


OTHER

The Mongols,
The Tumurids,
The Aztecs

[Vlad The Impaler]

since when is Hungary orthodox?

[Steppe Merc]

It isn't...

And what are the The Tumurids? They seem familiar, but I can't place them.

[The_Doctor]

The Tumurids should be musilm.

They are musilm mongols. Tamealane's people.

[ShadesWolf]

I was guessing, Now ive updated it and placed them under Carholic

And what are the The Tumurids? They seem familiar, but I can't place them.

where they not the empire to the east of the holyland around Iran. A quick search has found this

The Timurids were a Dynasty of Iran established by the Emir of Kesh (Shahrisabz), known to history as Timur (Tamerlane). Timur conquered large parts of Transoxiana from 1363 onwards with various alliances (Samarqand in 1366, Balkh in 1369), and was recognized as ruler over them in 1370. Acting officially in the name of the Mongolian Chagatai ulus, he subjugated Mongolistan and Khwarazmia in the years that followed and began a campaign westwards in 1380. By 1389 he had removed the Kartids from Afghanistan (Herat) and advanced into Iran and Iraq from 1382 (capture of Isfahan in 1387, removal of the Muzaffarids from Shiraz in 1393, and expulsion of the Jalayirids from Baghdad). In 1394/95 he triumphed over the Golden Horde and enforced his sovereignty in the Caucasus, in 1398 subjugated northern India and occupied Delhi, in 1400/01 conquered Aleppo, Damascus and eastern Anatolia, in 1401 destroyed Baghdad and in 1402 triumphed over the Ottomans at Ankara. In addition, he transformed Samarqand into the 'Center of the World.

Link http://timurid-dynasty.brainsip.com/

[The_Doctor]

Maybe the map extend further east to include Iran.

[NodachiSam]

I'm really worried how they are going to work the aztecs in there. I smell possible ~massive~ historical inaccuracy coming. Anyone here read Guns, Germs and Steal?

[ShadesWolf]

I'm really worried how they are going to work the aztecs in there. I smell possible ~massive~ historical inaccuracy coming. Anyone here read Guns, Germs and Steal?

My guess is an era on its own with its own map. Only including a few factions. Other than that it could be a timed event, ie not possible until after 1492 and only if you have achieved certain developments.

[Steppe Merc]

Oh. Well since Timur's faction was only around for as long as he was, and they formed after the Mongol Horde, the Qipchaqs would be a far better choice, or the Fatmids or Abbassids.

[lars573]

Maybe but Timur is renouned in history. Plus his faction lasts from 1370 to 1507. The Fatimids are Egypt (at least by 1080 they were) and the Abbasids were gone a century before. But you never know CA might have upped the factions to 25 or 30. I mean that total has to be 22 as the rebels are always a faction.

Also the Timurids were Moslem.

Tamerlane was only partly Mongol and never claimed to be one. But he tended to use Mongol puppet figureheads and did create the last serious nomadic empire. A devoted Moslem, his conquests and massacres were nevertheless almost entirely directed against fellow Moslems. Poor little Georgia had to bear most of his wrath against Christians.

Despite what must seem the superfluous slaughter and pointless terror of Tamerlane's campaigns, his was the only historic empire actually founded on the region of Transoxania and cities like Samarkand and Bukhara. This brought a period of higher culture and architecture to the area. The style of architecture, indeed, passed to the Moghuls. The splendor of the Taj Mahâl thus owes more than a little to the ferocious Tamerlane.

The region of Farghâna included a small Timurid principality. The Özbeg conquest of the region (1501) sent the heir, Bâbur, heading for Kabul (1514) and India (1526), where he founded the Moghul Empire.

[NodachiSam]

MTW allows 32 factions. We can only hope they can again reach at least that.

[Antiochius]

I think that at the end there won`t be the Aztecs. beause how should they intigrate into the game?

[Butcher]

Oh, they'll find a way..

[Hambut_bulge]

Hopefully CA will get make the Almohads a little more historically accurate, since the Almohads didn't actually emerge as a faction until the 12th century and overran the existing Islamic Kingdoms in the Iberian Peninsula. Ideally therefore we should be starting a campaign in MTW2 with the Spanish occupying one or two provinces in the north, with the rest being controlled by various Islamic rebel/minor factions. The Almohads would then start out in North Africa and have to conquer Spain first. That might even slow them down and stop them overrunning Western Europe as so often happened in MTW.

[ShadesWolf]

Hopefully CA will get make the Almohads a little more historically accurate, since the Almohads didn't actually emerge as a faction until the 12th century and overran the existing Islamic Kingdoms in the Iberian Peninsula. Ideally therefore we should be starting a campaign in MTW2 with the Spanish occupying one or two provinces in the north, with the rest being controlled by various Islamic rebel/minor factions. The Almohads would then start out in North Africa and have to conquer Spain first. That might even slow them down and stop them overrunning Western Europe as so often happened in MTW.

If you call them the Moors, you get over the problem.

[Justiciar]

It would be droolable if the map were some colossal thing with a faction for every area owing loyalty to a number of greater factions.. then battles would be less predictable; you'd only be able to control the soldiers owned by your faction.. your allies (subordinates/superiors) could turn on you or bugger off in the middle of it all.

[Kraxis]

I'm pretty certain that the Mongols, Timurids and Aztecs are all tied to specific campaign options (remember Early, High and Late?), and the former two should of course also enter the game at some point even if you play from an earlier period. The Aztecs could also enter the game through player actions, such as finding the way to the New World (which can't possibly be tied with a timed event), but in that case the Aztecs wuld be your enemy.

[Perplexed]

The only way I can see the Aztecs being integrated (however badly) into the main campaign is if the Atlantic is opened up with the invention of deep-sea ships (caravels and etc., as in MTW) so European factions can go over to Mexico later in the game and not before.

[NodachiSam]

I hope they made it a seperate campaign for the aztecs. If not I wonder if it would be possible to go to NA earlier than normal. That would feel odd but be kind of cool. I probably wouldn't work though. The Americas would be filled with rebels if the aztecs are the only society. I really want to see a campaign map shot!!

[Antiochius]

I dislike the idea of playing the Atzects. This be good. Hopefully is ist only a campaign aim. If not, the modders will probalby chang this-i guess

[Helgi]

since when is Hungary orthodox?

A Valid & Good Question, Vlad; concidering both sides of my wife's family are from Budapest and neither are Orthodox and as far as I know and think I knew, Hungary was first pagan and then Catholic.

[Meneldil]

Well, I still can't figure why they stick with such a low number of faction. I'd so enjoy playing with all the EUII-like crappy one province faction. I do not mean making 500 factions with each their own units, but hell, they could put 4 irish factions, about a dozen muslim ones, 6 major french houses, and so on.
Plus, representing the HYW with 'France' and 'England' is actually quite crappy.

[Trajanus]

Update:

They are lookig to knock the faction number up to 30 if possible. So even more choice for us!

[ShadesWolf]

Plus, representing the HYW with 'France' and 'England' is actually quite crappy.

totally agreed...

A large amount of factions would be required to make it work historically.

[RedCoat]

I hope that the Eastern European factions get some decent, realistic units. The most embarrasing unit, in my mind, was the Hungarian Szekely. They're an ethnic group! Not a 'unit'.

[Ultras DVSC]

I hope that the Eastern European factions get some decent, realistic units. The most embarrasing unit, in my mind, was the Hungarian Szekely. They're an ethnic group! Not a 'unit'.

Agree, but Székelys used really this "light cavalry fighting-style" like all the ancient Magyar tribes and eastern nomadic people. After the settling emerged some new unit because the western effect (eg. royal heavy cavalry), but these tribes conserved their original style and always fought in the first line of the Hungarian army with the Cumans, Yazigs and Pechenegs. So imho Székelys are ok maybe under the name Székely Horse Archers.

[bozkirsovalyesi]

cumans absolutely...

east europe balance component.

russia-bizantyum-volga bulgaria-georgia-hungary-mongols...

balance component

[Barbarossa1221]

Playing the scots will be really hard I mean they only get like 1 province. Maybe they carved the map up more so scotland it like 2 provinces...
I cant wait to play as the aztecs!

[littlebktruck]

Hopefully CA will get make the Almohads a little more historically accurate, since the Almohads didn't actually emerge as a faction until the 12th century and overran the existing Islamic Kingdoms in the Iberian Peninsula. Ideally therefore we should be starting a campaign in MTW2 with the Spanish occupying one or two provinces in the north, with the rest being controlled by various Islamic rebel/minor factions. The Almohads would then start out in North Africa and have to conquer Spain first. That might even slow them down and stop them overrunning Western Europe as so often happened in MTW.

Perhaps they should be the Almoravids instead?