The Byzantines were culturally and religiously different from the West Romans. Seperating them is somewhat justifiable.
Sumeria and Babylon were also quite different culturally (and I recall the Babylonians actually being further north in Iraq, whereas Sumeria was near the sea).
Babylon - Arabia. No. Arabia represents the Islamic Culture and most, if not all, of its cities are on the Arabian Peninsula. It would be ridiculous to include both.
HRE - Germany. The HRE is a bit different. Germany more or less represents Brandenburg/Prussia. The HRE is meant to represent the Franks.
I understand why you feel that the Vikings ought to be included as a seperate Civ but when you consider that the Vking-Era was just a period of aggression and expansion in Scandinavian history. It's a bit like having a Medieval European State and then the same one as a Colonial Power as different Civs. Bear in mind the Medieval Units for Norway, Denmark and Sweden will look like 'Vikings'. It makes sense to keep them together.
Only the population of the Byzantine's has changed, since it was centered around Constantinople rather than Rome. It is otherwise the same empire, different era. Vikings were culturally and religiously different from modern Scandinavians, not to mention they speak a different language.
Sumeria and Babylon? Yah yah, Same/Similar people, different era, different culture. Vikings as well.
Babylon - Arabia - Well, if my history of the area is correct, than what basically happened is that Persia invaded Babylon and Assyria, and then Alexander conquered them back not to long afterwords. The Greek's put up the Selucid empire - based on Babylon/Assyria with the same people, and than the Romans conquered it, and than Rome collapsed. All that happened within not to much time of each other.
Than Islam came to the area and drastically changed the peoples culture to something we would call Arabic. Early Arabics were probably not that different than from the Assyrians and Babylonians.
HRE - Germany - Different era. How would Germany represent Brandenburg and Prussia when it doesn't even have Prussian cities on it's citylist? How much of the Franks does HRE represent? Not much. In game it is portrayed as representing Germans. Regardless, if I believe what you say, than I'll just point out HRE - France.
My point is, Vikings speak a different language, they had a different religion, where different culturally, and made more of an impact in world history than has Sweden or Denmark. They should be included separately from the other Scandinavian countries. You can argue that the Vikings were a people, that later branched off to Normans, Saxons, Goths, Danes, Swedes, Norwegians, Norse etc. Besides this is Scandinavian Expansion mod, not take away.
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