Hi!
I am playing the latest version of EB (0.81), as Pahlava. I enjoy it quite a lot.
However I am not sure if the implementation of this faction currently is suitable for expansion....
I mean it is very difficult to maintain an empire. I am barely managining to do so with 35 regions. The conecernbs are as follows:
1. Economy overall is below average
2. The buildings that produce happiness (public order) are both expensive (in my case given poor economy) and produce little happiness... I hav not seen many (if at all) that produce more than 5%. When I played Rome this was never a problem! I know that I haven't built advanced buildings to enable other advanced buildings that should presumably give more bonuses, but still in Rome I think there were quite a few buildings that even at their lowest level (shrines for ex.) gave 15% for sure.
3. I think the effects of cultural differences and distance from capitol should be reduced for Pahlava. Especialy given the fact that the region density for the east is much lower than for the west, hence... if you are to maintain same number of regions, they are going to be more spread-out, hence larger distance to capitol, however to make it more balanced, it should be addressd. I doubt it will have any effects on historical accuracy.
As for cultural differences... I think it too is exchadurated for Pahlava. Take for example what I see in Persepolis versus what I would see in one of the Germanic cities I captured when Playing Rome... pretty much the same... in fact in Presepolis case it's even bigger. I understand that Pahlava is half-nomadic, but still I doubt it is more different from Persepolis than Rome is from one of the Germanic cities.
4. I think this one will have to do with the fact that it is still unfinished, but... allmost all cities where Saka was on the very east, all coastal cities on the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean, and all cities west of Persepolis that I conquered make it impossible to recruit ANY military unit (even loacl) despite appropriate buildings are aleardy built. This makes for another headache of logistical problems, as units (mainlay archers or cheap spearmen) have to be recruited pretty much in my close cities, and transported to those more remote cities to maintain order.
ANyone has any thoughts on this?