Working on some civ modding, and looking for ideas

Past Redemption

Chieftain
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Heya forums! I know this is my first post, but I've been lurking for many, many months at this point (Since directly after G&K release.)

Anyways, the point is taht I've recently begun looking into some modding, and specifically on custom civilizations for while. While I eventually want to make a world-conversion modpack, I have to learn what I can use the system for, you know? Now, I have just finished work on an Armenian civilization (although I'm unable to release due to a total lack of art assets and me being too busy/unskilled to make them myself) and I'm looking to expand into more. Specifically, I like making designing so that the civ plays in a distinct fashion, rather then a blanket bonus a la Russia or something akin to that. I'm a designer at heart, so I enjoy the challenge of making something both interesting and fun to play.

For example, my current iteration of Armenia, which I find extremely fun although a bit on the strong side is:

Leo II
UA: "Faith's Provisions": You may construct land units with faith. Defensive and scientific structures give an additional +1 faith. Your cities receive a free defensive building.
UU: Fedayee: A weaker and cheaper replacement for Great War Infantry (25% less hammers, 20% lower combat strength). It come with the Ambush promotion, which gives it +75% Combat Strength when attacking units in rough terrain, as well as the Fanatic promotion, which allows it to fight at full strength after taking damage. It also ignores terrain costs in friendly terrain.
UB: Khachkar: A replacement for the shrine. +2 faith and +15% religious pressure.

I can't even tell you how much research and time went into just the design side of this, since I went in knowing next to nothing about Armenia outside of them being a Christian state in the middle east. By the end of my research I decided to make them an insular country that was even more faith focused than most other cultures, specifically on retaining their own faith, something that has been a defining aspect of Armenian culture, as has education (Armenia obtained a 100% literacy rate faster than the U.S. :@.)

So my questions for you forum-goers are twofold. First, do you like that iteration of Armenia and would it be worth my time to develop the art assets to make it a reality? (Ignore for the moment the balance, I'm still playing it in practice. I'm mostly concerned with overtaking fast religion civs and leveraging mosques/pagodas with the UA into a totally broken midgame. So far it's been fairly powerful, and I've considered increasing their faith costs. Although most problematic is how easily the religion gain from khachkar overtakes dedicated religious civs, specifically celts.)

Second, what are some recommendations for other civs? I enjoy doing the research, so don't feel you need to help me too much, but I'm mostly looking for civs that fill niche's are still a bit open. Note, I have a soft-spot for italian civs thanks to my endless Venice/Siciliy/Genoa spam in Medieval total war II.

some ideas I'm already throwing around:
-Sealand (although the Uniques prove a massive problem, their current UA is one I'm happy with- +90 to resting point with city states, but can never control another city)
-Inuits
-Sicily

I appreciate any input, and I apologize for the massive wall of text. If you've made it this far, you're a true hero ;)
 
That little "country" near Britain, I suppose? I don't think they will fit. Their population is 20-30 and they are even not recognised by majority of other countries.

And your Armenian civ is pretty interesting, although, as you said, balance is poor. Free defensive building is way too good. 75% boost to power in rough terrain (even considering it is 25% weaker) is too. It would make more sense, if Fedayee had 50% bonus, when attacking in rough terrain. Also 3 faith from shrines combined with additional pressure could be compared to having Natural Wonder near every city, which is not good. It's not critic, just some advice.

As for making art sets, I can not give definite answer: if you think it would be cool and want continue, then why not, else why you ought to?

Can not give you recommendations about civs, since history is my weak point. But there were lots of different kingdoms, rulers, khans in Asia. You could take some. I am personally interested in sakas ("asian scythes") from iron age.
 
That little "country" near Britain, I suppose? I don't think they will fit. Their population is 20-30 and they are even not recognised by majority of other countries.

I know that, but I did want to try to sneak a micronation into the game, and it's by far the most visible. Also, they're not formally recognized by -any- country except micronations, but by the current UN requirement for statehood, that also doesn't mean they're not a country. A big part of it, though, was for the design challenge, not necessarily for gameplay.

And your Armenian civ is pretty interesting, although, as you said, balance is poor. Free defensive building is way too good. 75% boost to power in rough terrain (even considering it is 25% weaker) is too. It would make more sense, if Fedayee had 50% bonus, when attacking in rough terrain.

Past Redemption said:
+75% Combat Strength when attacking units in rough terrain

Also 3 faith from shrines combined with additional pressure could be compared to having Natural Wonder near every city, which is not good. It's not critic, just some advice.

This is my primary concern.


As for making art sets, I can not give definite answer: if you think it would be cool and want continue, then why not, else why you ought to?

Can not give you recommendations about civs, since history is my weak point. But there were lots of different kingdoms, rulers, khans in Asia. You could take some. I am personally interested in sakas ("asian scythes") from iron age.

THe issue is that I have neither the time nor skills to make them myself.

I had thought about a Tamer civ. Something I'll definitely think about thank you :D
 
THe issue is that I have neither the time nor skills to make them myself.

I had thought about a Tamer civ. Something I'll definitely think about thank you
No problem.
If you need some info about Central Asian ethnics and nations, you can ask me. Considering I live here, I may find information more quickly (although I heard we had some disputes over certain questions. For example our historicians insist that we have genetic relations to sakas, while others say that sakas are mostly ancestors of persians).
 
No problem.
If you need some info about Central Asian ethnics and nations, you can ask me. Considering I live here, I may find information more quickly (although I heard we had some disputes over certain questions. For example our historicians insist that we have genetic relations to sakas, while others say that sakas are mostly ancestors of persians).


I learned pretty quickly to consult indepenant sources, since my Armenian friends were fairly biased as to what qualities their civ embodied, and that made it difficult to really get a core philosophy hammered down, especially since they're atheistic Armenians...

If I do have any large questions, I'll let you know. For now, though, before I do any research, if you had to use a single quality to define Saka culture, what would it be?
 
If I do have any large questions, I'll let you know. For now, though, before I do any research, if you had to use a single quality to define Saka culture, what would it be?
A little said about them in schools or either I was a little bit unattentive. They were definitely a nomadic civilization and pretty much were riding in the same area mongols and huns did. They are more european-looking though. They were fighting against Alexander the great and Kir from Persia. Kir was killed by their ruler Tomyris (just in case, she is a woman),although Darius then attacked them and forced them to join their army as mercenaries (they were on Persia's side during famous Marathon battle), while Alexander stopped at river Sirdariya and turned the other way, probably because of resistance.
But back to your question, I can not say which is very specific and unique for them, but women were equal to men and they had military democracy type of thing. Some greek historicians wrote about them as very honorable and honest people with simple, yet fascinating, way of life. For UU I could recommend sakas-tigrohauda (famous for their... umm, hats?). As for UA, probably something tied to their nomadic way of life, but honestly, I am not sure. Also they created gear for horse-riding.

Tigrohauda
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...tate_Museum_of_the_Republic_of_Kazakhstan.jpg

Tomyris
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomyris

NOTE:
Apparently they are more known as Massagetae. In Kazakhstan we refer to them as Sakas though.

Edit:
Also forgot to add: sakas are a common name for multiple nomadic tribes in area, Massagetae and Tigrohauda are just some of them.

And randomly found a link!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saka
 
Ah, now taht name I recognize. Fascinating, although I can't help but wonder if the flavor space is there with the Huns and Mongels already doing a fine job in that "nomadic barbarian" niche. The equality thing is very, very itneresting, though, and makes me wonder how such a soceity would have progressed into the modern day.

Perhaps a more speculative iteration is in order, similar to the plan with Sealand. What -if- those people were till a modern power? Then what would a culture like that look like today?
 
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