We need a new DLC that is not tied to a single geographic region. This kind of expansion would give developers much more flexibility, especially now that the game has embraced more tribal-style civilizations with the introduction of the Tupi and the Mapuche.
A “cross-regional” DLC would allow for several strong and diverse options, such as:
Tanguts (Nomadic Steppe) → Cavalry and siege-focused civilization
Caribs / Taíno (Tropical America) → Naval and archer civilization
Iroquois (North America) → Infantry-focused civilization
This approach avoids forcing unrelated cultures into the same regional framework and instead emphasizes gameplay variety and cultural distinction.
With the Tanguts introduction, Khitans would need changes: first, losing the Mounted Trebuchet, so they can instead gain a second cavalry-based unique unit, reinforcing their mounted identity while keeping their redesign cohesive. They would also need their own distinct castle model.
The Tanguts, in turn, could inherit several of these displaced mechanics and assets in a way that fits them perfectly:
Gain the Mounted Trebuchet as a second Unique Unit
Receive the Khitan castle model, reinforcing continuity between related steppe cultures
Gain access to Pastures, strengthening their nomadic and logistical identity
Their first Unique Unit (Castle-based) could be a cavalry unit.
This redistribution keeps both civilizations distinct while avoiding redundancy.
If Tibetans cannot be added due to design, balance, or thematic constraints, strong alternatives for this DLC slot could be:
Dutch, offering a late-medieval economic and gunpowder-leaning civ
Chimus, providing a coastal South American counterpart with strong naval and economic flavor
Overall, this DLC structure would prioritize flexibility, long-term expansion potential, and clearer cultural identities—while also making better use of existing mechanics and assets rather than locking everything into a single region.
Alans - As a civilization that both migrated across dark age Europe to settle in north Africa with the vandals to a people sandwiched between the steppes and the Georgia/Armenian lands oh and they are Iranian like Persians!
So that could mean access to: Steppe Lancers, Savars and Elephants (if considered Iranian/Persiatic enough) Camels, Mule Carts, Fortified Churches, Dromons and maybe even Caravanseri due to this extreme level of crossroads potential!?
Speaking of Vandals, theyre the one Euro civ I think could thrive most as unique for Camel and Paladin and Dromon access with a naval focus on explosive demoships!
Add some more Mexico civs. Toltecs, Mixtecs, Purepecha, etc all unique maybe one of them doesnt get elite eagle but compensates elsewise!?
Thai for more of that elephant goodness!
Songhai with most Sahara Africans receiving an alternative mining camp called the Saltworks which dropsites minerals but also slowly trickles them out of the nodes and into your supply
We should only have this type of mixed dlc if its the last one they will add.Mississippians Bantu Vandals Romanians and Deccanis/Kannadigas will be my pick.
Why not just throw in Saxons and a new “Barbarian” architecture for those 3 civs, Goths, and maybe Huns, and a Romans campaign with it? Because that’s basically the “Barbarian Invasion” DLC idea that is one of my two main ones I think Europe still needs.
I agree with this, I think that they should wrap it all up with this sort of mixed DLC to tie up loose ends, but I think we still can see a number of DLCs before we get to that point. I do think Chimu should be in that last DLC because I don’t think there is much else they should add to South America aside from Chimu (maybe Aymaras) so I think its a good item for that last wrap-up DLC.
My idea was to include the Avars, Khazars, Lombards, and Vandals in one DLC centered around the allies and enemies of early medieval Byzantium. Perhaps one of those civs can be replaced with the Alans.
That’s an intriguing idea. I do like the idea of Saxons because of how long they were in control in England and it seems like there is a lot that can be done with them, but I do like the Lombards idea (They were the first ones out in my “Barbarian invasion” DLC idea). I guess mine was moreso based around the groups picking apart the dying W. Roman Empire, Lombards and Saxons do have utility later on though (Saxons as Anglo-Saxons, and even in German campaigns and Lombards to represent the Lombard influence in Italy that to varying degrees lasted…to around 1,000 I believe) just to give a little more civ diversity which is another bonus, which Vandals and Alans don’t have as much, but Vandals are also iconic enough that their lack of later utility I think can be excused. Alans are a bit harder because they’re a bit of a “Hey mind if we tag along” civ lol.
I’m not opposed to Avars or Khazars but i’m not sold on them admittedly. Honestly for me though I really only swapped Lombards with Alans due to getting pushback from others on the idea of a Lombards civ. IMO the ideal would be Vandals, Saxons, and Lombards
I was actually thinking about the same thing. Although instead of lumping them all into one I envision that there could be several DLCs like this, such as:
Forgotten Kingdoms of SEA: Bo/Pu, Chams, and Siamese/Tai
Forgotten Steppe Peoples: Gokturks, Avars, and Khazars
Forgotten Mountain Tribes: Tibetans and Tanguts (if for whatever reason Tibetans cannot be introduced we could lump the Tanguts into the above steppe DLC)
Forgotten Principalities of Europe: Venetians, Swiss, and Wallachians
Forgotten Sahel Empires: Soninke, Kanem, and Songhai
Forgotten East & South Africa: Congo, Shona, and Swahili
Forgotten Andes: Chimu and Wari
Forgotten Central America: Mixtecs, Purepecha, Zapotecs
I realized that the Avars and Lombards would be able to have connected campaigns: Bayan I in the case of the Avars, and Alboin in the case of the Lombards. The two worked together.
I think for a late roman architecture the following civilization must apply : Romans, Goth (the gothic castle is very well done for this period), Suebi, Vandals
Alans will gain a western steppe architecture with the Huns and the Cumans (pesian will gain the central asian architecture)
For the saxons I think they must gain the western european architecture because their time-span was longer from late antiquity to the 12 th century. If a Saxon civilization will be added she will be probably build to fit the insular anglosaxons. These saxon will speak old english and their campaign will be in the central part of the middle age (500 to 1200) with an appariton in the already existing Hasting 1066 scenario. So the western european architecture will be better for them.
There were a minor player in a potential barbarian invasion DLC who will give us a roman campaign, a Vandal one (the story of Gaiseric, with one scenario with the Alans) and a Suebi one (just check the story of the iberic suebi kingdom, a very good campaign in perspective)
Saxon are best fitted in a British isles DLC with Saxon (Alfred the great campaign ?), Celt reworked a Scottish, Briton splitted as English and Welsh (English will retain most of the actual Briton civilization and the longbowmen will became a regional unit between them and the Welsh) and the irsh and maybe the Pict.
For the continental saxons they are less interesting only loosing against Charlemagne.
Yes, a Forgotten DLC v.2 and another Barbarian DLC are good ideas… I’d also like a DLC with the Saxons and put them in a Germanic DLC along with the Austrians and the Swiss, and then I’d add a Norse DLC with the Danes and Swedes covering the period from 1000 to 1500…
Gotta agree. This is why I am against an enemies of Rome expansion because other than Alans and Vandals everyone else is a pretty standard Euro type civ or barbarians that didnt vary much. So Saxons are just goth/Britons when it gets down to it.
vandals literally are naval powerhouse and learned to Camel in Africa and Alans did all that but also live near both the steppes and the Armenia/Georgia area.
So I will repeat my concept and theres room for more civs because campaigns are… okay but gameplay and multiplayer are where interesting playstyle matters.
A new conquerors style expansion: Chimu, Toltecs, Thai, Vandal, Alans, Songhai, Nubians
Because you wont really need new mechanics and all that break the hardcode stuff us plebs arent allowed to be privy to the knowledge of doing, you can easily add many civs with less headache
Im done hopikg for bare minimum 2 or 3 civ dlcs. Conqus put more effort into the game than anything in the last 20 years and it gave us 5 and invented UTs when it mightve been impossible before
That’s why, in the words of Marvin Berry, I’m trying to do “something that really cooks” for the Lombards, mechanics-wise. Maybe a migration mechanic like a mobile Town Center replacement or something else radical like that. I don’t want them to be another Italians or Romans clone.