Assyria discussion

Award them all Nobel Prizes?
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Or play as Santa Claus (Pedro) and offer them off the naughty list?

Eagle Pursuit said:

I loved the Ashurbanipal leaderhead. Also, they joked about him having GDR tech in his library. Do you suppose that was a hint that they have a library UU? Or we're they just talking about the room he was in.

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Yeah, I strongly suspect a Library Unique Building representing the Library of Nineveh. I guess they could call it the Library of Nineveh since Babylon has the Walls of Babylon, but not naming it after a city would be preferable.

nunor said:

Not at all! Actually, I'm almost sure the remaining 6 civilizations to be revealed are the Hittites, the Akkadians, the Sumerians, the Medes, the Parthians and the Palmyrans

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While I personally would be (almost) fine with it, Ur is a new city-state, so it won't be them.

Art Grin said:

• Found your first city
• Send warrior south
• Meet Attila
• Send him west next
• Meet Monty
• From the east a Greek scout appears
• Send newly build scout North
• Meet Ashurbanipal

You are now bordered by Attila, Monty, Alexander and Ashurbanipal.
What do?

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- /Build Spearman
- /Proceed SOUTH
- /Declare WAR on NPC Atilla
- /Attack Ram with Spearman

Icaria909 said:

Considering the Assyrians were famous for moving whole peoples around their empire to pacify newly conquered areas, I am sure we will see some UA along the the lines of when a city is conquered, half its population disappears and a third of it reappears in your old cities.

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Free courthouses in all captured cities would do the trick.

I like Ashurbanipal's design. It's what Nebuchadnezzar should have looked like. I was really confused by Nebby's design (weird helmet, strange beard, red clothes).

Cicero63 said:

Did anyone catch the name of the capital city? It was too blurry for me to see

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I don't think that was the capital, but the capital should be Assur since that was their origin city and what their whole civilization is named after. I remember that Babylon has Assur spelled Ashur on its city list, as well as Nineveh. So, I'm guessing those will be taken off that list as well as some others that will transition to Assyria. They could go with Nineveh as the capital, since it was Ashurbanipal's capital (Neo-Assyrians). They could even go with Nimrud (I don't think they will, but it will be a city).

Happy about Assyria... very happy.

Big Bopper said:

I think Assyria will have the 'Karum' as a unique building or possibly a tile improvement, since it fits with the new caravans.

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Yeah it would make sense, early Assyria were big on their trade colonies. Maybe the Karum could be a replacement trade caravan, with a longer range and a greater yield? Early Assyrians were big with trade.

Icaria909 said:

Considering the Assyrians were famous for moving whole peoples around their empire to pacify newly conquered areas, I am sure we will see some UA along the the lines of when a city is conquered, half its population disappears and a third of it reappears in your old cities.

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A UA I could see them having would be something like "Resistance of conquered cities lasts 50% less time" due to the fact your moving people around. But I also like the population redistribution. It would be an interesting mechanic.

quidpronihilo said:

Assyrians were hell of a warmonger civ, known by their cruelty and no mercy. Expect a really tough rival with this one!

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mmmmhmmmm. But I have a secret fear that, since Ashurbanipal was famous for making the royal library, he would be given a science bonus... I want him to have a powerful, unique war bonus.

Maybe in order to reflect both warmongering and his library, the Assyrians might plunder Great Works from enemy cities?

ferretbacon said:

Maybe in order to reflect both warmongering and his library, the Assyrians might plunder Great Works from enemy cities?

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That could work. There are tales of Ashurbanipal plundering Thebes of its treasures when he conquoured Egypt.

It would give those siege towers a purpose... go say hi to your neighbor, bash their walls down, and steal their work for your library. Not sure if great works plundering is in the game, but if not it would certainly be unique. It would also differentiate him from his chronological and geographic counterpart, Nebby. No fun if they both are science focused.

I was also thinking: since Sumeria isn't going to be in the game (Ur as a CS) and the Hittites are unlikely, what are the chances that Assyria's second UU (assuming it's a UU) is either the Heavy Chariot or Phalanx from the scenario?

I don't know too much about Assyria, but the little I do know suggests that neither would be out of bounds.

I gotta be honest, I love Poland, I'm thrilled about Brazil.. but I'm not feeling Assyria (despite the leader being so buff and manly and I presume hairy). They seem, kinda boring and unoriginal, and yes, I'm basing that purely on the leaderscreen but still, I'm hoping they have a kick-ass unique ability and Unique Unit/Building, otherwise I think Assyria will be kinda dull (he already looks as if he's in the same palace as Darius)

ferretbacon said:

Maybe in order to reflect both warmongering and his library, the Assyrians might plunder Great Works from enemy cities?

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Ooh, that's a good point.

I expect a Library UB, but I do hope they get a warmonger UA. They could also just have Great Work slots for their library. There's something a bit odd in my mind of the Assyrians being good for a cultural victory, but I'll take whatever so long as it's fun.

justinianI said:

I don't think that was the capital, but the capital should be Assur since that was their origin city and what their whole civilization is named after. I remember that Babylon has Assur spelled Ashur on its city list, as well as Nineveh. So, I'm guessing those will be taken off that list as well as some others that will transition to Assyria. They could go with Nineveh as the capital, since it was Ashurbanipal's capital (Neo-Assyrians). They could even go with Nimrud (I don't think they will, but it will be a city).

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Nnimrud was shown in the PAX demo. It's not their Capital but it is on the city list.

I hope that it is a library UB and that each one generates a little extra science whenever an enemy city is taken, to reflect Assyria's plundering of other kingdom's knowledge and culture.

I like that they were added. As for their uniques, I see a dilemma for the siege tower. If it's a Catapult replacement, it will put them "in the same epoch" as the Roman and even Byzantine unique features (and later than the huns) which seems strange. If it's an earlier UU, how to make it distinct from the Hunnish Battering Ram? The siege tower should be a melee siege unit like the Ram though, at least that's how it makes the most sense to function...

So, how should they play? I'd like them to be a bit more conquest oriented, but not a super early rush civ. Whereas with the Huns is conquest or defeat, the Assyrians shouldn't be that one sided. An early Siege Tower UU does that. If it's correctly placed it should be effective against city states or - but only if you go all out for it - against major civs. I'd suggest making it a melee catapult (with a bit more defensive punch of course ) and move it around a bit so that the Assyrians can avoid mathematics if they want to. As a UA, something like the already suggested "moves pop from conquered cities to own cities" sounds very interesting, though it could use a part that's active even if you don't have success (or the other UU need to make up for that). A UA that only helps when you are winning anyways doesn't sound like the best idea.

As for the last unique, I can see the aforementioned (cuneiform) archive as a Library replacement with extra production (always handy as a conqueror) or a Karum (=Trading Post) Unique Improvement having something to do with the new trade system or just giving more gold if placed next to cities.

I think a logical replacement would be a Swordsman replacement. The Assyrians were masters of iron (one of the first to use it on a wide scale), but they also had spear-based armies. No matter what, I would think they'd be similar to the Huns, unfortunately. Although I maintain that this is more of a problem with the Huns than with the Assyrians

Assyria UB: Royal library

Update:

Their Unique Building is the Royal Library. I don't think there's any more info than that, though.

ETA: Ninja'd.

Louis XXIV said:

Update:

Their Unique Building is the Royal Library. I don't think there's any more info than that, though.

ETA: Ninja'd.

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Might I request a source?

sukritact said:

Might I request a source?

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A Q&A at Pax East.
Will be viewable online later, I guess.