Except having the Abbasid Caliphate control the whole map would be lame, and anyway in reality, the Abbasids (along with other Empires), controlled subsidiaries and vassals such as the Samanids and the Tulunids of Egypt (which I have plans on further increasing their role). They never controlled those far flung regions with a centralized authority. Perhaps the only regions they had full control over was Mesopotamia and perhaps the Levant.
Just to clarify I did not mean to say that Riyadh did not exist during the game, what I meant to say that, was that it was a small caravan town, and unless we are going to add all these small villages, then I'm not prepared to add one in the middle of the Arabian desert, where no civilization will reach it, except for barbs, who will end up razing it.
As I said though, if you can find some cities along the Persian Gulf (UAE, Bahrain, Qatar region), then I will take serious consideration into adding those, but in all reality, I think you'll find it hard to find a good candidate.
Dunno if this is still running, but what do you think about making the Samanids spawn as vassals of the Abbasids?
Some other suggestions:
Religious
- More differentiation between Christian and Muslim religious buildings, more religion-specific UU's, events, quests ect.
- Incorporate the different Sunni schools (Madhhab) into the game, possibly as mutually exclusive buildings and events.
- Give the Shia some unique flavour with Imamate events/quests.
- Sunni & Shia should get diplomatic penalties
at least as much as Christian/Muslim ones. Sunnis at least see Christians/Jews as Dhimmis and tolerate them as people as the book. A lot of Sunnis see Shias as worse than pagans, seeing them as basically apostates trying to destroy Islam from the inside. Similar for Shia history with the ritual cursing of the first 3 Caliphs and so on.
-Druze/Alawite is great to hear, anybody who's lived in Lebanon/Syria will know how huge a role they play.
Units/Buildings
- Would province specific buildings be possible? It's an easy way to incorporate Maronite Churches, Armenian Apostolics, Egyptian Coptics and so on without having to make them new religions.
- Have the Papacy have some effect on Catholic civs somehow? Right now there isn't any good reason to stay catholic other than a UHV/URV.
- Have the Samanids/Buyids use the Medieval-'Sassanid' unitstyle that Leoreth uses in DoC? I just feel none of the units really "feel" Persian.
- Greatly increase the role of mercenaries in the game,
especially Greeks. This could be done with AI weighting, making them more cheapfully and plentifully.
...
- OHSHI last post was in 2011. Argh.
