So what factions will be most complete?

[fallen851]

I figured I'll begin my first EB campaign as the Romans, then I realized that would probably be really boring (just because I've played them so many times in vanilla). So what other faction are going to be the most complete?

Or if this is easier to answer, what factions aren't worth playing because they don't have enough yet?

I'm thinking about the new Iberian faction in particular.

[Teleklos Archelaou]

I expect the 0.8 Lusotannan faction will be pretty cool, but the 0.81 patch will have a lot more for them, so if someone really wants to wait, they would be a faction that benefits a lot from the 0.8 to 0.81 patch. Or at least that is what Aymar and Sarcasm are telling us .

I'd say Hellenic factions will be a lot different and better this time. Especially the feel you will get with the eastgreek factions. I played a bit as Baktria last night and you can get a bit overwhelmed with all the units available to you. A good problem to have. But I think 0.81 might be cooler for Ptolemaioi - I might wait myself. Getting better rebels in all the right areas will be a big boost to playing against them. Hellenic standard bearers and lesser generals and officers will make this build a lot better too. Plus some other awesome stuff. I'd put them at the top of the list, but I'm biased too. Other cultures are getting more generals and standard bearers done now, but they aren't complete yet. Getai will have one general by 0.81 I know. xprime has done a bang up job on that one but it's not submitted yet.

If you want a change, the nomadic factions will not be complete but will be a big difference from regular factions. Their building system is quite different.

All the factions are worth a try though. Sweboz didn't get ethnicities in in time, so they are without those, but they've got lots and lots of reskins and wonderful new building descriptions. Parthia will probably undergo big changes post 0.81 also. Maybe by 0.9. We've got a new Carthie historian too, so I expect Carthage will get more interesting after 0.8 also, but there are enough changes for them now to make them worth playing too I think. We can talk about all of this a little more easily when the build is out though - and the final faction is free to talk about too.

[MarcusAureliusAntoninus]

(If there is talk about what will be in 0.8.1, then you have finalized what will and what won't be in 0.8? And it will be assembled and released?)

[Thaatu]

How is Epirote doing?


(Oh, and when is 0.81 coming out? )

...

(Please ignore the second question.)

[Teleklos Archelaou]

How is Epirote doing?


(Oh, and when is 0.81 coming out? )

...

(Please ignore the second question.)

Congrats. I think you're the first person to ask when 0.81 is coming out.

[Kugutsu]

Thats mean, dangling .81 in front of us before .8 is even out. Now I need to decide whether to wait for the cool new stuff or whether to play the first thing that comes out (who am I kidding, Im barely controling the urge to reinstall .74 as it is... )

[fallen851]

So I take it that all the generals and standard bearers will not be done by 0.8? Or will there be placeholders?

Will they be done with 0.81?

[Teleklos Archelaou]

All generals and standard bearers will not be done by 0.8. They may or may not be all done by 0.81. I sort of doubt every last one will be done by 0.81 though. There are some placeholders there, but there are also some vanilla ones still there. That is the best we can do right now.

[Laundreu]

So which would be best for playing as a showcase of Europa Barbarorum on the Something Awful Forums? I asked this earlier but it was before the XBOX HUEG amount of new stuff came in, I think. Certainly it should be a complete faction, but it'd need to be facing other complete or mostly-complete factions as well - Casse might be good, or the two Gallic factions. Romani, of course, could work. The Sweboz are right out because we had a Medieval: Total War run-through recently and that was as the Danes; don't need another DANES UBER ALLES. The Getai are not complete yet, as I understand it, and neither are the Saka-Rauka, the Lusatann, or the

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

you think I know?

, mores the pity.

Any recommendations?

[Kierkegaard]

But I think 0.81 might be cooler for Ptolemaioi

i want to play Ptolemaioi, too!!
but can't wait 0.8!! lol

[Kull]

I think you will find that EVERY faction is worth playing. You have to understand that Teleklos is comparing the state of v.80 factions today with where they MIGHT be on that mythical day when EB is "complete".

Here's a good analogy. Supposing you meet this fabulous, ultra hot babe, a girl who is way better than any you've known before. And you can date her RIGHT NOW. But she's 20 years old. So do you decide to wait until she's 24, because studies have proven that's when women reach their absolute body-glowing peak?

Go ahead. Don't play EB v.80. Sit back and wait for v1.0.

[Teleklos Archelaou]

One other thing I'll let out now - for the Hellenic factions, Strabo has been used to compile for each province (though we aren't through yet) a "Periegesis" of the place in the form of a summary that your geographer gives you when you conquer a place. Here is one fairly short one for the province of Damaskos right after I just grabbed it from the Seleukids:



These will be visible if you capture one of the provinces we have them done for and you are playing as KH, Maks, Epeiros, AS, Ptolemies, Baktria, and Pontos.

Another reason to try the greeks out.

And while I'm on the topic, here are a couple of other things that are neat about 0.8:

1. For building text descriptions, those of you who have messed around with the code know there are two descriptions. One is the description itself, and the other is the "short description". The only time you *ever* see the short description is when you complete more than one building in a season. It gives you the short description entry then. But looking at this reasonably, this is more of an "announcement" than a "short description". We've started the process of turning all these short descriptions into "announcement-style" descriptions. Like this one:



These aren't all done yet, a new member Werner is helping out with them now, but they seem a lot better than having them just short descriptions of the buildings. You never see these again though, after it is built. And for a few factions, we've gotten a little more into character, but we'll let that wait for now.

2. Since you don't build unique buildings, you never see their short descriptions. Well, not never really. You see them when you repair them. So we've turned the unique building "short descriptions" into "you have repaired" announcements, like this one:



Not a big deal, but another little touch to make things more immersive and realistic and enjoyable too hopefully.

You also see the names of the buildings in English beneath the Greek there - that is how it will be for all buildings (though we d on't have all original languages worked out yet).

[Chuffy]

...see, the stuff in the above post? Thats why I love EB.

[Steistas]

All them little features (descriptions etc.) make EB best of the best.

[keravnos]

I think you will find that EVERY faction is worth playing. You have to understand that Teleklos is comparing the state of v.80 factions today with where they MIGHT be on that mythical day when EB is "complete".

Here's a good analogy. Supposing you meet this fabulous, ultra hot babe, a girl who is way better than any you've known before. And you can date her RIGHT NOW. But she's 20 years old. So do you decide to wait until she's 24, because studies have proven that's when women reach their absolute body-glowing peak?

Go ahead. Don't play EB v.80. Sit back and wait for v1.0.

And that is EXACTLY why Kull is our Project Manager!!!

[pezhetairoi]

once again, thank you EB! I love you all. A kiss for everyone!

[Trithemius]

Thats mean, dangling .81 in front of us before .8 is even out. Now I need to decide whether to wait for the cool new stuff or whether to play the first thing that comes out (who am I kidding, Im barely controling the urge to reinstall .74 as it is... )

I think it is good to know that our Wise Hosts, the EB team, have everything meticulously planned out.

[Kralizec]

(Oh, and when is 0.81 coming out? )

Congrats. I think you're the first person to ask when 0.81 is coming out.

[Aristophanes]

You guys are the coolest and the bestest.

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

I think you will find that EVERY faction is worth playing. You have to understand that Teleklos is comparing the state of v.80 factions today with where they MIGHT be on that mythical day when EB is "complete".

Here's a good analogy. Supposing you meet this fabulous, ultra hot babe, a girl who is way better than any you've known before. And you can date her RIGHT NOW. But she's 20 years old. So do you decide to wait until she's 24, because studies have proven that's when women reach their absolute body-glowing peak?

Go ahead. Don't play EB v.80. Sit back and wait for v1.0.

I'd date her now, I'd also download 0.8 and then wait with white knuckles for when we release 0.81. We should have a few nice new touches for the Romans by then. Not that the Romans are seriously lacking, but we have a few cool things in the pipline.

[Thaatu]

Do I get a prize or something?

[Corinthian Hoplite]

Will the Arveni be completed by 0.8?