Quote Originally Posted by cherryfunk
You might consider simplifying a bit and basing units off, say, 10 of the 20 tribes, leave some of the more obscure ones to be represented by things like ancilliaries, buildings, etc. I'm worried that too many units with only slight variations would confuse the player and reduce rather than increase the gameplay experience. Or, you might represent all the 'bird' tribes, but give them the same attack/defense/special abilities, and only distinguish them by their skins... that way the player would know how to use them effectively, but they'd create the visual impression of a varied confederation.
Yeah, I think that would work. I can't really imagine the Otter Picts being particularly interesting soldiers in comparison to some others, but perhaps they have a special boat or trade situation with the Zingarans which would be useful. Same with the birds: one could offer a unique unit, another a building, another maybe ancillaries or trade bonuses, with all of them sharing a generic "Coastal Tribe" unit.