Couldn't the map just as easily be Africa or the Middle East though?
This is yet another thing that would feel incomplete to me if we only got the Americas or Africa. Seems like they could at least be keeping an Americas/Africa map in their pocket for future DLC.
I am too, but I am pointing out that SE Asia is really far behind in representation, and merely including a civ, or even a civ and a city-state, still leaves the area feeling underdeveloped compared to other regions of the world.
Ah yes you are correct I just looked. Would only five more city-states cover everything? I'm....not sure? Some subset of Copenhagen, Helsinki, Vienna, Bangkok, Pagan/Hanoi, Mesa Verde, Haida Gwaii?
And yet I still think the game's aims would feel somewhat incomplete without something Italian, at the very least. I also think that Macedon is an awful representation of the Balkans and really is more of a second Persian leader geographically/culturally speaking. Bulgaria at its heights conveniently fills out nearly all of the Balkan and Ukrainian areas not covered by Hungary and Russia, we don't have a south slavic civ, and since Babylon seems unlikely Bulgaria seems the best option for a unique library replacement. Plus, the music would be epic. It has a lot of selling points: size, longevity, influence, distinctiveness...it's really the one new civ outside of Italy that I really think rises to the level of VI's other roster choices, and even higher than potential returning civs like Denmark and Austria.
Yes, for a time I was wondering if we might get a western Arabic caliph for Arabia, but it doesn't seem fair to a region with such a heterogeneous heritage. I definitely think that if we get Morocco it needs to reflect the Berber part of its history, probably by being led by a Berber like Yusuf ibn Tashfin. Otherwise I agree I would prefer something more Berber as well and Numidia seems the strongest option as a unified kingdom of sorts with an obvious female leader.