New factions?

[Populus Romanus]

Or we could all join the EBII team and never have to bother with Moros again!

[Morte66]

With the news that the map will be extended east for for the new Mauryan faction, this of course opens possibilites further north. E.g perhaps the Yuezhi will fit into the map within the timeframe now...

*pokes ant nest with a stick*

[stratigos vasilios]

Hmm, were they in the map at the start of the EB timeframe? Interesting point you've suggested.

[fightermedic]

With the news that the map will be extended east for for the new Mauryan faction, this of course opens possibilites further north. E.g perhaps the Yuezhi will fit into the map within the timeframe now...

*pokes ant nest with a stick*

quite possible
however, didn't they allready state that they are to far east?
but then, haven't they told us there wont be a mauryan faction?^^

[Populus Romanus]

With the news that the map will be extended east for for the new Mauryan faction, this of course opens possibilites further north. E.g perhaps the Yuezhi will fit into the map within the timeframe now...

*pokes ant nest with a stick*

Brilliant.

[Lysimachos]

I doubt we'll see the Yuezhi as a faction. Despite extending the map, it would be a rather crowded region, considering there isn't much to subsist on economically. I believe when they were still in EB I, the Saka were not yet, right?

[Populus Romanus]

I doubt we'll see the Yuezhi as a faction. Despite extending the map, it would be a rather crowded region, considering there isn't much to subsist on economically. I believe when they were still in EB I, the Saka were not yet, right?

Correct. But the fact that they were originally chosen over the Saka means that the EB team considered them worthy before they discovered there wasn't enough room.

[bobbin]

From the TWC

Its been extended east by three tiles. Thats not enough to include the Yuezhi.

Foot

[Sir Edward]

First off I want to thank the EB II team for the awesome preview, and all the hard work they have been doing. Can't put in words how much I am anticipating the release.

Second, to all those who claim nobody expected an Indian faction, take a look at this post from a couple years back.

So far 1,2,4,7, and 8 have all been confirmed.
The only revealed faction not predicted was the Legiones.

Now back to my regularly scheduled lurking.

As interesting as this discussion is I'm not sure this is the right thread for it.

I'll contribute by trying to get the thread back on topic.
1. Pergamon -- preview already available.
2. Bosphorean Kingdom-- a hellenic faction with a nice variety of native scythians & thracians
3. Belgae-- already has a small entry in the EB website, where they state starting territories, would be in a position to disrupt gaul and sweboz expansions, along with through rebellions giving the casse someone to fight in britain.
4. Boii-- an eastern europe celt faction, in my opinion at this time was better organized politically then the alternative illyrians tribe, keeps rome from heading north east to quickly and Epirus focus on the Balkans. EB addded a unit or 2 specific for the Boii in the last update.
5. Arevaci-- celtiberians, highlights the diversity of peoples in the iberian peninsula, metal working, coin minting, urbanized into oppida, subjugated their neighbors, make & broke alliances, a diversity of weapons and fighting styles, led the resistance along with the Belli against the Romans.
6. Atropatene-- an ancient diadochi kingdom in Azerbaijan, I can't find to many records about them but they were independent of the Seleucids. I admit I don't know much about their fighting style but imagine it to be simiar to the Hai and the Seleucids. Would give armenia someone to compete against for control of Caucasus and another thorn in the side of the gray death or an ally/bufferstate against parthian western expansion.
7. Gandhara--Something needs to be done about India, the current system of reelling to parthian control gives disruptive results, akin to what happen with Arabian Peninsula in pre-Saba EB. To represent the Mauryan empire would be out of the question but it would be nice to have a Mauryan northwestern satrap faction in game, taxilla from what i've read was a provincial capital.
8. Massyli-- Numidians faction, guarantees Carthage will have to fight for dominance in North Africa.
9. Nabataea-- Northern Arabian kingdom, access to red sea and arab trade routes, ramained independent until conquest by Traijan, expanded territory north into jordan at cost of weaken Seleucids.
10. Empty-- this faction slot should remain open for scripting purposes.

[Populus Romanus]

Thats some pretty accurate stuff there, Sir Edward. I dunno about Gandhara or Atropatene, though. Gandhara would be sandwhiched by the Arche Seleukeia and the Takshahila, and Atropatene was a pawn in the struggles of Armenia and Parthia.

[ziegenpeter]

Thats some pretty accurate stuff there, Sir Edward. I dunno about Gandhara or Atropatene, though. Gandhara would be sandwhiched by the Arche Seleukeia and the Takshahila, and Atropatene was a pawn in the struggles of Armenia and Parthia.

I think by Gandhara he means Taxashila

And I believe the extension to the east is only for the indian regions. You can somewhat figure it out from the map screen shots

[bobbin]

Taksashila and Gandhara are basically the same thing.

[Populus Romanus]

He mentioned "a Mauryan satrapy" and Gandhara as two seperate entities on his list.

[Arjos]

Taksashila is in Gandhara :P

[ziegenpeter]

He mentioned "a Mauryan satrapy" and Gandhara as two seperate entities on his list.

No.

Taksashila is in Gandhara :P

As everybody can already see on the EBI map... Its no rocket science

[Arjos]

As everybody can already see on the EBI map... Its no rocket science

Eh eh eh ^^

Anyway Sir Edward's list is pretty much what I'd like to see, hope Meroe and Illyria make it in aswell though :)

[Ca Putt]

the post is rather old - before bosphorans, Massi... Numidians, Takshila and Boii were revealed.

So he basically suggests: north-indians
with the sidenote:

To represent the Mauryan empire would be out of the question but it would be nice to have a Mauryan northwestern satrap faction in game, taxilla from what i've read was a provincial capital.

with what he's hit the nail on the head, props for that one!

[ziegenpeter]

I figure Sir Edward could be right except for Atropatene, who's place is taken by the Lugiones.
I could live with that list

[fomalhaut]

Media Atropetene sounds so interesting though!

[Brave Brave Sir Robin]

The more I look over this history of the time frame, the more I feel that Cyrene warrants inclusion as a faction. I can't remember where I read this, but to the Mauryans, there were 5 great Hellenistic Kings of the time. The kings of Macedon, Epeiros, Syria, Egypt, and Cyrene. Also, Maga's unsuccessful attempt at invading Egypt proper was very worrisome for the Ptolemies, he reached at least as far as Paraitonion. Cyrene would provide the necessary counterweight to the Ptolemies while also not needing an additional culture slot like Meroe would. It would also stop that silly eastern Carthaginian expansion.

[LusitanianWolf]

Good point!

From the most wisest of the sourses (wiki XD)

In 276 BC Magas crowned himself king and declared de facto independence, marrying the daughter of the Seleucid king and forming with him an alliance in order to invade Egypt. The invasion was unsuccessful and in 250 BC, after Magas' death, the city was reabsorbed into Ptolemaic Egypt. Cyrenaica became part of the Ptolemaic empire controlled from Alexandria, and became Roman territory in 96 BC when Ptolemy Apion bequeathed Cyrenaica to Rome. In 74 BC the territory was formally transformed into a Roman province.

Independence in 276, 3 years before game start! I can already imagine the faction intro =D
How would be their armies, like ptolies but fielding lybian-like regionals?

[Arjos]

Good call, still if they manage something like Taksashila for Meroe, I'd be happier :D

[LusitanianWolf]

Good call, still if they manage something like Taksashila for Meroe, I'd be happier :D

x2
Cyrene would have the advantage of also disrupting unhistorical eastern cathaginian expansion but the team already noted that they could make that less probable by other means, and that we cant judge how AI factions will act by EB1.

[Pikenier]

The more I look over this history of the time frame, the more I feel that Cyrene warrants inclusion as a faction. I can't remember where I read this, but to the Mauryans, there were 5 great Hellenistic Kings of the time. The kings of Macedon, Epeiros, Syria, Egypt, and Cyrene. Also, Maga's unsuccessful attempt at invading Egypt proper was very worrisome for the Ptolemies, he reached at least as far as Paraitonion. Cyrene would provide the necessary counterweight to the Ptolemies while also not needing an additional culture slot like Meroe would. It would also stop that silly eastern Carthaginian expansion.

Sure Cyrene was important at the games start and you are right about the Mauryans considering Magas as one of the most important hellenistic kings. But the faction was already defeated in 250 bc as it was merely a civil war situation there and the troops would not be any different to the Ptolies. The Kushites reigning from Meroe would be a much more exotic and fresh choice for eastern north africa. I would be much happier when they include them. What I can remember the "only" reason against them is that due to culture slot limits the family members portraits would feature white men. Is this such a great problem, or just nitpicking?

Either way there has to be a faction in this area to rival the heartlands of the Ptolemaic Empire (same as Numidia helping Carthage not to feel so lonely). And Africa has only three factions so far, there has to be more attention to this continent. Ideal case on near the Ptolies and a 2nd faction near Carthage. :-)
And Meroe would have an even better position on the map than Cyrene from a gameplay point of view. It could expand either against Egypt or to Arabia and rival the Sab'yn. Same in the other direction. When playing Seleucids or other factions invading Egypt they would have something extra to the south. Cyrene on the other hand would not feature the same it would only be an earlier "Carthagian" Invasion that would anyway occur when they have defeated Cyrene. When playing Egypt (or invading Seleucids) you would even without Cyrene face a strong enemy on your western border. Meroe on the other hand offers a unique position on the map. ;-)

[Arjos]

Totally agree to the need of factions near Egypt, the Ptoleis have a far too rich power base otherwise...
Nabatu and Meroe would be very cool, only con for Kyrene is yet another hellenistic state :P

[bobbin]

Neither Kyrene or Meroe will be a faction for reasons that have been stated many times before.

[Arjos]

Given how Meroe absorbed the egyptian culture and had extensive contact with the Greeks and Arabia, couldn't be acceptable to have them as "eastern" culture?
Only problem would be the language I guess...

[bobbin]

No it wouldn't, they were black Africans, Egyptian depictions always show them as being considerably darker than the Egyptians, it would be wrong to represent them as being anything other than that.

[Arjos]

Ohhhh right I forgot about the FM pics :D
That's a shame, still thanks for the quick responses :)

[Hax]

I think the point that bobbin is also trying to make is that while Meroe retained their African heritage, while Taksashila (and Gandhara as a whole) had known a lot of Persian influence. If I recall correctly, Gandhara was conquered by Darius the Great and paid tribute afterwards to the Persian King.