I don’t think it’s the same thing. You’re simplifying a lot… I’m quite sure Balearic slingers were long gone at the beginning of aoe2 timeframe (IV century). Romans in aoe2 are not ancient Romans and Huns came up about 375 AD. That’s where the game begins.
Don’t see the issue with throwing axemen and for woad raiders the problem is the Celts civ which it’s too wide and vague (they are high medieval Scots I suppose but with a Braveheart anachronistic UU)… if Picts would be in game woad raiders as their UU would make sense or otherwise yeah aoe1.
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Well, whatever. Point is, they have the same name, and I doubt that’s a coincidence.
Actually, even thought the etimology of the Caucasian Iberia is not really well attested, it is most likely a coincidence. Which is interesting, because for many centuries people have tried to find a connection, like trying to link Basque to the Kartvelian languages and many other bizarre ideas, but nothing at all, everything points to just a mere coincidence.
Regarding the units, I think your choices are quite good. Almogavar for the Aragonese, use the genitours as a regional Iberian unit (including the Portuguese) and just keep the Conquistador for the Castilians.
I also thought about giving it to the Berbers and Andalusians.
Question: Is there any connection between Castile and Conquistadors? If there is, perhaps Conquistadors can be improved through a UT called Reconquista (the only issue being that a reconquest has negative modern-day connotations, but I don’t think the devs should put that into consideration).
A very strong one. Cortez and a lot of his soldiers like Bernal Díaz were from Castile, and AFAIK it contributed more to the adventures in the New World than Aragon did. To where the Nahuatl word for a Spaniard and IIRC the Spanish language is “Caxtiltecatl” (Castilian).
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Sounds like a strong case for a UU to me.
I think the Missionary, Inquisition, and Supremacy can go to the Aragonese, so the Castilians can get an entirely new set of UTs, and maybe a second UU.
Why, what happened?
Oh yes baby, I am. So does this game in general.
A lot of far-right Europeans want to carry out another reconquista against the Muslims.
So it’s pretty much the original Reconquista, but we don’t have a problem with El Cid’s. Funny how those things work.
I just pulled up the Wikipedia article on the Spanish conquest of the Americas, and you’re right, they were under the Crown of Castile. So the Castilians would be the renamed Spanish, inheriting the Conquistador, many of the bonuses, the Wonder, and Supremacy. Their other UT would be Reconquista, improving Conquistador and Genitour fire rate (replacing the faster-firing gunpowder).
The Aragonese would inherit Inquisition and some of the other bonuses. They would be the most new, since the Castilians would remain largely intact for the players who enjoyed the original Spanish.
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I came up with a precursory idea for the Castilians and Aragonese.
Castilians (reworked Spanish)
Infantry and Gunpowder civilization
Civilization bonuses:
- Builders work 30% faster (inherited from Spanish)
- Blacksmith upgrades don’t cost gold (inherited from Spanish)
- Gunpowder units’ projectiles move faster (combined and reworked bonus)
- Squires, Arson, and Gambesons available in Feudal Age (new bonus)
Team bonus: Trade units generate +25% gold (inherited from Spanish)
Unique Unit: Conquistador (same as before)
Unique Techs: Reconquista (Conquistadors and Genitours attack 18% faster; Knights take 25% less damage from camel units), Supremacy (same as before)
Aragonese
Cavalry and Monk civilization
- Winery replaces Mill
- Receive 20 gold for every technology researched (inherited from Spanish)
- Knights cost -3 gold for every Monastery technology researched
- Monks affected by Squires, Gambesons, and infantry armor upgrades
Team bonus: Castles and towers +3 LOS
Unique Units: Almogavar (fast, light infantry that can switch between melee sword attack and ranged, anti-cavalry javelin attack), Missionary (same as before)
Unique Building: Winery (Mill replacement that automatically collects from nearby berry bushes, that also last 500% longer)
Unique Techs: Inquisition (same as before), Catalan Company (swordsmen, knights, and galleys refund 33% of their cost when destroyed)
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Yes, they were usually from Castille. However, the unit in the game is kind of a pop-culture/meme thing. It isn’t representative of the Spanish/Castillian warfare at all. I know they are part of the game and a very iconic unit, but if I were to design a Spanish civ today, I would completely scrap that unit (like aoe3 did for example).
But yes, I guess Castillians can keep that unti.
This is from a balancing perspective, right? Since historically the missionary would fit much better the Castillians.
But all in all, I like your civ concepts.
The Aragonese should have more of a focus on trade and navy, considering their conquests in the Mediterranean and their rivalry with Venice and Genoa.
Also, I think conquistadors could be made into an Imperial Age regional unit for Castilians, Aragonese and Portuguese (and not appear in El Cid campaign). To be fair, from a historical perspective pretty much all the current Iberian UU could be regional.
Conquistadors, Missionaries and Caravels for Castilians, Aragonese and Portuguese.
Organ Guns for Britons, Burgundians, Italians, Franks, Castilians, Aragonese and… not the Portuguese, oddly enough. Maybe the Teutons to represent some attested use by the Swiss.
Genitours for Berbers, Castilians, Aragonese and Portuguese.
Camel Archers for Berbers, Saracens and maybe others (possibly Tatars).
That being said, we obviously can’t turn all of them into regional units without messing immensely with the game balance.
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Conquistadors are a fun and cool unit, so even though they are basically made up as seen in-game, I wanted to keep them in some capacity.
That and I wanted a reason for the Aragonese to get Inquisition so the Castilians could get Reconquista.
Sounds like they could swap team bonuses with the Castilians.