Quote Originally Posted by Moros View Post
I'm not sure if you know what I'm referring to. Also a lot is secret because it's not ready, fully debated or researched yet. How can I tell you about for example the new sabaean ethnicities or how their buildings will be if we haven't worked them out yet. We try our best to make previews once in a while. Sure you could say we could at least say something like whihc factions are in. But when we do reveal a faction we want them presented in good way, one that is backed up by sources and research. We've got some fans who ask difficult questions sometimes and who don't want us to present them historically correct as well.
I'm well aware of the team's standards of historicity, but there's a tension at work there. Confirming, for example, that there is a Numidian faction doesn't actually require the production of a completed, fully-researched preview. That's a lot of additional work that could be happening after it's merely said "yes, Numidia is one of the new factions". Assuming of course the research has reached a stage where the team are happy that it will indeed be included as a faction.

All I'm saying is that in the gap between confirmation and completion of a faction, little is lost by simply saying "look out for this faction, soon to appear in preview". What's gained is a moderation of interest at a certain level and management of expectations, rather than peaks and troughs of attention. With a timeframe as long as this, each of those troughs may result in numbers of people simply losing interest and not returning.

After all there's a long history of mods that never see light of day, with all the anticipation and excitement coming to nothing. I guess I should add as a pinch of salt, I'm someone who considers "surprise" to be worthless, so that colours my perspective.