In the spirit of the Pirates' Republic - where the loose-ish temporal and conceptual boundaries of these Ages establishing a degree of speculation - a true Medieval Age (against Antiquity and Exploration) would also have room for a true "Western Roman Empire" as if it had survived Odoacer AND a Holy Roman Empire AND a Justinian Eastern Rome. Meanwhile Exploration could present a "what if" Byzantine power.
As much as I'd like a true Medieval Age, I don't see the need to have a separate Western Roman Empire and an Eastern Roman Empire. I think a single Byzantine civ would be enough. Then the Ottomans could be in Exploration.
The fall of Constantinople is one of the dates that historians look to as the end of the Medieval Age after all.
In regard to the Khmer, that could at least allow them to have a religion, something that they are known for but currently unable to have due to them being in Antiquity.
And that's much better addressed by developing some way to represent spiritual and religious matter in Ancient that's distinct from Exploration, than by adding a whole new era just to fix that problem.
New eras, above all other things, shoudl be bottom-up design: start with a mechanical concept for an era, develop it, and THEN worry about where it fits into the game and what civiliation woudl be into it.
As opposed to how just about everyone in this forum seems to approach it, which is start by thinking about civilizations that belong in it, then worry about mechanics later/never.
And that's much better addressed by developing some way to represent spiritual and religious matter in Ancient that's distinct from Exploration, than by adding a whole new era just to fix that problem.
New eras, above all other things, shoudl be bottom-up design: start with a mechanical concept for an era, develop it, and THEN worry about where it fits into the game and what civiliation woudl be into it.
As opposed to how just about everyone in this forum seems to approach it, which is start by thinking about civilizations that belong in it, then worry about mechanics later/never.
That's fair, though I have thought about those things as well.
Religion and Relics could move to the earlier era, while culture in the new Exploration Age could revolve around collecting great works of art, which are currently missing. Treasure ships would stay in Exploration, because Spain, Pirates, and Ming need those, and Guilds could be in the new era to advance economically.
That's just a snippet but probably should stick to Pirates now in this thread.
Thoughts on the Pirates:
This is a fun and flavorful civ. The unique way that they interact with the economic and militaristic legacies feels very immersive. I find it endlessly funny that I can sail a Buccaneer straight into another civ's borders and they don't care a whit, but when I deploy a squad of Sloops therein, chaos breaks loose. Grabbing traders and treasure convoys is great. I really like how the Buccaneers can found settlements, creating bases around other civs' trade routes.
I didn't go to war in this game because I wanted to see how much I could do before the AI civs would declare war on me. It turns out that they have a high tolerance for my shenanigans, unfortunately. So I didn't test the coastal raiding bonuses or the ability to create trasure convoys right from another civ's town (or capture settlers and the like).
The main thing that broke immersion to me is that the Pirates still interact with the Science and Cultural legacies in the same way as other civs, and that feels weird. Pirate missionaries and pirate metropolises are not part of the pirate fantasy.
The main thing that broke immersion to me is that the Pirates still interact with the Science and Cultural legacies in the same way as other civs, and that feels weird. Pirate missionaries and pirate metropolises are not part of the pirate fantasy.
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