I find that a "combination" would be easiest.
Specifically, every faction gets all the "Race Specific" units mostly available naturally.
They also get specific units from other races available as their control over that race increases. Control a Sephirod village? You get some militia/conscript Infantry- this comes from culture, tradition and local militias. Control a Sephirod City? You get their elite/trained infantry available.
Cool. Don't make it too complicated. Everyone uses the same basic "stats" and race differences are shown with roleplaying and maybe minor stuff.
So Issith Queen-Mother=Issith Drone Thug (independent Male)=Swiech Warlord=Human Chief as leaders.
Eltain on Zanomar Minigame said:What Terrance said, Arrow. I just posted in said thread if you're interested in checking it out. It's not really a good read if you go page by page, though. I can answer any questions you may have if it'll help.
For the minigame:
Layers:
From top to bottom:
1: surface. includes river and any proper human settlements.
2: subterr. cannot dig directly below river.
3. subterr. SHIPWRECK FALLS MOFO
4: subter. SHIPWRECK FALLS MOFO
5: subter. SHIPWRECK FALLS MOFO
6: subter. SEA LEVEL. (ships can dock in caverns adjacent to ocean on this level. Ocean surges will fudge you up.) SHIPWRECK FALLS MOFO
7: subter. Also contains millions of gallons of water.
8: subter. cannot dig habitable caverns directly below the ocean.
All caverns adjacent to "cliff face" can theoretically be open to the elements if they are dug as such.
Player-known timeline during the game:
Swiech colonies. Swiech in-fighting.
Human immigrants become possible.
Issith immigrants become possible.
Krutargg raiders and possibly immigrants become possible.
.....WHO KNOWS?
FYI we can and will do this for any settlement requested (one at a time and by popular vote if applicable, sorry) and it -will- be canonical maps for the settlements at the start of the game.
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Zanomar mythos said:The city of Zanomar has developped one of the perhaps most delicate, but also most interesting political structures; it was once an Issith town, carved deep in the rocks of an island at the mouth of the Toravopes river, until Swiech settlers discovered the site and deemed it verily worthy of settlement. They tunneled their cramped warrens above, below and all around the Issith village until it was lost in the sprawl. Two rickety stone bridges constructed by human entrepreneurs cross the River above, while countless tunnels far below the [river's] water line serve as exits for the great city. Far below, where the waterfall thunders down into the Zanomar Bay, rudimentary Docks have been carved into the stone for ships to dock at the huge subterranean city, with stairs carved into the walls leading to the surface if you prefer that to the dark, dank, dangerous tunnels of the city of Zanomar.