Keroro:
Amazing turn around in your game there. Kudos to you. You are indeed a worthy statesman. Looks like Asia Minor is no longer in the lap of the gods, but in your own lap. I'm curious as to how you'll play / have played it out thereafter. I'd certainly punish Troy for their treachery, cowardice and deception - after all, vengeance is an eternal dynamic in the hearts of mortals and immortals alike - and then shoot for a Tribute Victory. Though I note you're yet to meet your Greek brethren across the sea, some of whom may well be giving you a run for your money on that victory condition. The Arbitrator can surely help you extract the required tribute and the likes of Phrygia, as per history of course, don't have anything in them come the mid-to-late game.
Tribute looks most likely here.
Good suggestion about the Leader being a foot unit. I've made that change (with the Vuldakonista too) and will look into doing the same with other battle created units. Amazing that I never encountered such an issue in all the test games I played.
You don't necessarily need to make all enslaving units into foot units, BUT if an enslaving unit is a foot unit the the unit it enslaves should also be a foot unit. Hope that makes sense!
The leader unit is a particularly important example as it can be created from any elite combat unit.
For any players picking a new civ to start as - Asia Minor is an interesting one, a fairly different game from the mainland Greeks and Macedonians I've played as before. Aiolia was interesting, Ionia would be likewise. Troia, Karia, Bithynia and Phrygia a little underpowered for taking on Lydia. Lydia will be too easy for most players I suspect.
News from Aiolia below. This missive was received shortly before the hostilities between Phrygia and Aiolia were begun. Sadly the ambassador has not been heard from since the Phrygian declaration of war.
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News from the Aiolian ambassador in Phrygia:
Your Highnesses, I report news from Gordion, which now styles itself the 'free' Capital of Asia Minor.
As your majesties shall be aware, our realm has seen great progress and strides forward since our eventual triumph over the Lydians and the annihilation of the final Trojan island colonies. Our poleis grow at a huge rate, fed and provisioned by the slave labour of those captured during those wars. Our miners and artisans ensure our armies and poleis are furnished with the very best in modern equipment, and of course the embodiment of this is the newly founded Temple of Hephaestion in the northern lands of the Kingdom.
It is a matter of Aiolian pride shared by us all that our philosophers at the agora and gymnasion discuss daily the state of our civilisation and how it may progress. And, yes, it is another point of pride that our thoughts can even turn to the possible ways in which our dominance of the region should translate to some sort of eventual triumph. It seems quite possible that our continual devotion to the Gods should bring about an undoubted pre-eminence. Others argue that we should concentrate our military might to dominating adjacent lands to spread our progress to others. Some even suggest that the only way to leave a lasting print on this world is to reach out to other peoples in lands over the sea and gain wisdom and resource from them. They think that we can attain some sort of hegemony over the Hellenes should we do this.
However we should yet not feel ourselves invincible.
The progress made in civilisation and philosophy in the Aiolian borders are not shared equally with our neighbours. They grow jealous of our power and culture, and resentful of our efficient and, yes, sometimes deadly arbitrators.
In short your majesty, I fear that the people of Asia Minor will rise up against us if our prosperity is not shared. I am sorry for presenting this to your majesties, it may be a knot of unfathomable proportions, even rivalling the famed one to be found here in Gordion, but whatever happens in the future I did not wish Aioloa to be unprepared.
Yours with honour and respect.
Kerolis of Smyrna, senior arbitrator.
Gordion.