Just an example how different are weapons in Middle Ages, if nations are far from each other and have to be adapted to different warfare.
Europe
Japan
Africa
Yo también lo hablo, por si acaso 
Chilean-German here.
I went to school in 4 (Western) countries (Chile, Brasil, Germany, Mexico) and I can say that matters like history of
- India
- China
- Japan
- Rusia
- Indochina
- Africa
- Oceania
were seldomly touched, if ever, when not related to Western history, which is –now that I’m an adult I recognize it– a shame and a pity. The world IS opening up and we SHOULD learn about other cultures. This Western-centric education, reflected in our games doesn’t do anybody a favor. The market is important and surely part of our socio-economic reality, but it isn’t everything that matters. As somebody said before, Age of Empires has earned the ability of choosing and suggesting civilizations and as such is also an educational tool, as Relic has expressed in some interviews themselves. They ARE being inclusive for a reason, they realize the power they have in making those decisions.
And on US soldiers killing German soldiers (the eternal bad guys beyond North Koreans and some Arabs ) in WW2 games → I’m ever so sick of it!!
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I do get where your arguments come from, I might also be interested in other countries past.
but thinking age would have that possibility, ignoring marketing and target group.
We live in a capitalist world, games are not made by an AAA stufio o inform/ send messages. Its about money.
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They can always do a bit of both 
At least it seems that that’s what they will do
Yeah, I’m with you there. I think that’s the most balanced solution.
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Are you referring to Delhi sultanate Here?
Yes, thats probably one good example. One is also fine, But the more they add the less easy Marketing will BE. So i doubt WE will se a “nee” Not classical age civ in Addition. Ateast with the Base Game. Dlcs would make more Sense and IMO mit degrade nations, but rather Focus on Them.
Most age Expansions Had cultural Themes and according civs. i Always Likes that 
I’m in favour of diverse civs but the business element of our favourite games shouldn’t be ignored when choosing civs.
If the 8 starting civs were:
- Goths
- Malians
- Burmese
- Lithuanians
- Persians
- Celts
- Magyars
- Timurids
… The game would bomb on release.
I know the phrase “quintessentially medieval” wouldn’t be appealing to hyper-logical minds but the popularity of and expectation of “medieval classics” like the British, French, Saracens, Vikings, and Mongols would make it commercially unwise to ignore them in favour of more diverse civs at initial release.
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Are you drunk? The 8 civs you posted would make the game barelly uplayable…
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The devs can choose what every the want.
They could have made a game with 8 different Indian civilisations.
Well than the game would be about India, but hey maybe it’s a good game about India that is fun to play.
Total War does that all the time. Shogun only has Japanese or 3 Kingdoms only has Chinese.
They come up with ideas for a lot of civilisations and than make concepts.
Based on those concepts they decide what is most interesting and fits the best into the overall concept.
I just don’t get those people that say the game is unplayable because their favourite civilisation is not in it.
No way that AoE4 can have as man civilisations as AoE2 on release, not when they want them to be interesting and unique.
There is a reason why AoM only had 3.
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bomb as in go down in flames?
I mean if the gameplay is good I would still get it, but a collectors version not so much
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I highly disagree… starting civs should be the more famous civs… thus the civs which are decided now are the best… the civs you mentioned will not be markettable
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Are you?
“… The game would bomb on release.”
AoM had 9 civilizations at release. The difference between major gods from the same “civilization group” is as big as the announced AOE4 civilizations.
that is what he suggest.
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