Yelang could maybe work, though I don’t think it has the same meaning as Yina or Yi. The ethnicity of Yelang is still not determined since it existed quite far back in time. I’ve heard another explanation of Yelang using Tai-Kradai language where ye means old and lang means bamboo shoots, so the kingdom’s name would be the kingdom of old bamboo shoots. Again not sure if this was the actual meaning, just to say that the ethnic identity of the Yelang isn’t well determined.
And no, Yi is the name of an existing ethnic group, better choose an alternative name. Bo, Baipu, Dians, Zangke, and maybe Yelang (though this one is a bit anachronistic) could all work, but to play it safe I don’t wanna call this civ Yi or Lolo.
Enough with the nomenclature. I’d like to hear if you have anything to say about the civ design instead of nitpicking on the name only.
Team bonus is very useful and reffers to the real history appropriately.
Mbanj , Raeuz and Bronze Drums are all greatly creative but I am not very sure wether such a cool design could be achievable. By the way , I hope Raeuz tribemen could attack with short-range javerlins or crossbows. The only doubt is why they have +2 vs Building Attack Bonuses but not vs infantries.
About UU Luojuzi , I prefer to design it as swordsman as Manshu(Book of Barbarians 《蠻書》) says they equiped with swords and bronze shields.But it doesn’t matter in this game , as Mamluk has been designed as camel rider.Gameplay and balance is more important. I will be glad to see a javelin version of this infantry with vs cavalry bonus.
Imperial Age UT Tea and Horse Road returns to the real history , especially its name and secondary effect, that is very cool .Effect of Knights training with no gold in Market is pretty strong but not a bonus for any other units especially UUs of this civ , could it be changed into training land units(except for villagers and any siege machines) with fewer food and wood which could be benefit to monks and two UUs(as you design), some infantries and all cavalries as well as reffer to the historical fact that this civ trained a lot of monks , raised a lot of horses and got food easilly by the bounty of both nature this land and trading of Tea and Horse Road?That may also gave this civ an andvantage at later stage in this game , for balance reasons , as this civ misses some elite units’ upgrades.
Well , at last , I type sth about what I said didn’t explain clear enough , simply speaking , I mean Yina (in Yi language)≈ Yelang (in Chinese language) , but not Yina ≈ Yi people .
I also don’t wanna call the civ Yi or Lolo, as this name is high sensitive that may cause the game banned by CN government and it also cannot cover pluralism of ethnic groups in Yunnan and Guizhou——as you said , Yelang might use Tai-Kradai language , in fact, word Yelang could not only be explanated in Tai-Kradai language(Syakrun means old bamboo shoots) ,or Yi/Lolosih language (Yina means black/great river), but also in Hmong/Miao language(Ina means rice) by the pluralism of ethnic groups in Yunnan and Guizhou.
I will write more about Mbanj , Raeuz and Bronze Drums later but not now , as all of them are interesting , sorry for I haven’t considered comprehensively about the new concept through yet.